Bulge 16.01s alt

[Plain Ian]

Turn 75 Ferman -Stoumont 


...

I’m a bit puzzled why US M4 mixed tank Bn’s have a better defensive strength? 20 versus 12? That’s a considerable difference? Anyonr know why? US M4/M4 76mm better than British M4's?

...
 
If anyone can see any tactical moves I can make in this area feel free to chime in............I wish someone had told me not to bring the 5th Division onto the map. Even Indragnir now refers to this area as Stalag IV.

For the defense values, they appear to be from the VM OOBs, one of something like 9 versions of the OOB that he included in his download for Bulge. As the lower numbered versions have the defense fairly consistent, and I am unaware of anything that resulted in a severe difference between US and UK Shermans, I would say it is an error and the UK defense is way too low. Only specific answer would be to ask VM/Ed by either email or in a new thread in the main forum. But that is my take, the ratings are way off as used in this scenario you are playing.

For the 5th Div, the only suggestion I would have is if it is getting crushed, pull it back to the map edge and withdraw the units off the map. Of course, one they are gone, they are gone forever, but Cesar won't get points for killing the division either. Been there is a similar situation years ago and made sure I had a bridge to the west before bringing the div on so it had somewhere to go besides off map.

Rick

Thanks for the answers. I'm actually thinking that 12 is the correct defense strength for M4's? If a Pz IV is 11 then you'd think an M4 would be in the same region. 20 seems high when you compare it with a Panther at 25? However with VGD units having a hard attack value of 6 then an M4 unit is likely to lose 1 per turn adjacent to a VGD unit. 

Not a bad idea really since thats what happened to tanks left alone in 'closed' terrain. I just wish that the same treatment was given to the US infantry. My gut feeling is that the most German tank losses were from fuel shortages (ie tanks destroyed when no fuel to move), air/artillery, infantry then other tanks. I don't have any stats to support this. 

Indragnir has said that I can withdraw the unit from the map to save losses and VP's. I will consider this but I'm also planning to ferry some of them over the river.  Of course that only saves the infantry units, Tanks, artillery and HQ's can't ferry. Infantry without HQ's are pretty useless. He has said that 9th Panzer will take a few turns to get there? A bit puzzled by this as it comes on the map at 6am and I didn't think would take long to get here but checking the map I can see that depending on what bridging engineers he has left behind there might not be too many places to cross the Sauer. Diekirch is probably the easiest place to cross. I might as well try to start a bridge but it will be clobbered. 

Next time yes I will only bring a unit on if it it has an escape route. However I thought I could build one with my 5th Divisional Engineers, until I saw that they can't build bridges.....duh. 

Anyway thanks for replying. I'll get to the situation at Mersch shortly.