Omaha

[Mike Bowen]

Just finished

This was a casual game in the sense that I did not sort through units to maximise attacks due to time and I cleared the area in a logical way ie I did not go just for the VPs

I got all but the 2 bunkers to the east worth 150 points I only got one 100 and another 50 bunker on the last turn.

I lost badly 262 points due to my losses 2605 men 20 ships 97 guns 24 tanks

Whilst I can not have many complaints due to the way I played.

I do have a few comments for consideration.

1 I could and I think in real life would have sent units to the west but there are no VPs so why bother? Perhaps some VP locations out to the west might help?

2 If I had wanted to I could have headed just to the VP hexes and not created cleared areas I think that again in real life you would not do that so perhaps more VP to make a general advance more worthwhile

3 I note all the comments on the threads about bunker busting etc but the 45 23 and 54 26 hexes held for a very long time against many many attacks.  Naval guns mortars and guns did very little damage and I think may be underpowered,  Where as the stacks you need to assault get hit by German artillery.  I do think Naval power (and/or availability levels) need to be upped a bit.

4 I think but am not an expert that my losses were about historical (I thought 3000 was the approx. level) I got most of the locations German losses 872 72 guns 6 vehicles so either the German losses were low or the VP levels may be more challenging than historical results.

Now I will be going back to try a slower more considered game.

Mike

[Ricky B]

Thanks for the detailed summary Mike, most appreciated. I will take all of this under consideration for updating, pending other comments. What was your final points level? I agree your manpower losses seem about right - I think your gun and tank losses were a bit higher than I was used to seeing in my testing. However, David and I discussed the fixed rocket launcher positions and I never tested after those were added - I suggested they get removed after a few turns as they couldn't be quickly reloaded but I see they are permanent and offer a lot of extra firepower to the Germans. That will be something I will take a close look at, maybe remove after turn 5 or so.

2 immediate comments, I will hold others for later. Regarding the objectives, I focused them on the beach exits as they were the US objectives in the initial landings. I did not put objectives in between those exits because they were not a key part of the initial plan of advance. However, I found that as happened historically, pushing inland between the exists made it easier to clear the exits as the defenses are a bit weaker. And I didn't place objectives away from the beach area as the German reserves are fairly minimal and it unbalanced things if the US player could push a narrow hole through the defenses and then march on inland objectives - the German player has no significant counter to this move.

Interesting to hear that 45,23 held out for an extended period. I purposely set it to be a Pillbox rather than PILLBOX as it was incomplete at the time of the landings and put up a lesser fight as a result. In my tests, probably 5 play throughs, it always fell a bit easily as I wanted, but I may have focused extra attention on it knowing it is a weak spot? Or just bad luck on your part, the initial landings do drive a lot of what happens. It does have the 352nd Div forces defending it so they are a step up from the Ost forces in many of the other positions.

Thanks again
Rick

[Mike Bowen]

Thanks for the detailed summary Mike, most appreciated. I will take all of this under consideration for updating, pending other comments. What was your final points level? I agree your manpower losses seem about right - I think your gun and tank losses were a bit higher than I was used to seeing in my testing. However, David and I discussed the fixed rocket launcher positions and I never tested after those were added - I suggested they get removed after a few turns as they couldn't be quickly reloaded but I see they are permanent and offer a lot of extra firepower to the Germans. That will be something I will take a close look at, maybe remove after turn 5 or so.

2 immediate comments, I will hold others for later. Regarding the objectives, I focused them on the beach exits as they were the US objectives in the initial landings. I did not put objectives in between those exists because they were not a key part of the initial plan of advance. However, I found that as happened historically, pushing inland between the exists made it easier to clear the exits as the defenses are a bit weaker. And I didn't place objectives away from the beach area as the German reserves are fairly minimal and it unbalanced things if the US player could push a narrow hole through the defenses and then march on inland objectives - the German player has no significant counter to this move.

Interesting to hear that 45,23 held out for an extended period. I purposely set it to be a Pillbox rather than PILLBOX as it was incomplete at the time of the landings and put up a lesser fight as a result. In my tests, probably 5 play throughs, it always fell a bit easily as I wanted, but I may have focused extra attention on it knowing it is a weak spot? Or just bad luck on your part, the initial landings do drive a lot of what happens. It does have the 532nd Div forces defending it so they are a step up from the Ost forces in many of the other positions.

Thanks again
Rick

[Dog Soldier]

Allied losses on any beach scenario can vary from light to very high depending on lost landing craft. I think Mike unfortunately lost an LST or two to account for the gun and tanks (sunk) lost in his game.

In one test game on a CW beach I lost half my AVRE tanks to some German Davey Crockett ATG gunners. Appalling, but could happen.
That is my experience.

Allied Capital ships can continue to fire on the German beach fortifications after the troops land on the beaches. This is extra fire power I think may not have been available, thus the less effective that type of fire is in game?

My reasoning is I do not recall reading any Capital ships continued to fire on the beach defenses once the landings were in progress for for of hitting the friendly troops. They shifted their fire inland. The only ship supporting fire on beach fortifications after the landings began was at Omaha where the destroyers moved in close for direct fire on stubborn bunker/pillbox positions. The need to be in close and have direct LOS from the ship to targets (best fire control) tells me the navy was concerned about hitting Allied troops with indirect fire.

I would not worry too much about the navy fire on pillboxes and bunkers next to the beaches being less effective than one expects as a game player. In game a ship salvo can be devastating in terms of losses or fatigue incurred on German units inland supporting the beach defenses or trying to slow the Allied advance off the beaches.

Dog Soldier