The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> Steel Panthers World At War & Mega Campaigns >> SPWaW AAR/DAR >> The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign

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The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign - 10/18/2004 5:56:53 AM

KG Erwin

Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
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I'm now in my third battle of an 8.3 long campaign as the USMC, begining in August 1942. The first two missions were Decisive Victories. Mission 1 was a defend, and I lost 59 men, I soft vehicle (a support Ammo Carrier which carelessly drove into the line of fire) and an M2A4. The Japanese lost 716 men.

In battle 2, I drew an Assault ; on a 40 hex-front, the Japanese defended in depth, but I used my four Raider platoons and my Para platoon to work around their flanks and capture the two rear VH groups. About ten hexes in front of the north VHs, the 3rd Raiders encountered a large bunker and another smaller bunker. I'd already captured all of the VHs, so direct assault of these fortifications was unneccessary. Nevertheless, I got a taste of what may yet come. I lost 164 men in gaining a Decisive Victory; the Japanese lost 672 men and 13 artillery pieces, mostly mortars but also a couple of 37mm ATGs.

A note on my core force: I have three custom-designed infantry companies--each company has three D infantry platoons (with the MMG removed), three 2-man scout teams, an engineer platoon, three 60mm mortars and three custom MG platoons, each with one 30 cal HMG and two 30 cal MMGs. No individual unit prices were changed whatsoever --I only altered the TOEs.

Add to this a Light Tank Co (18 M2a4s), three 75mm M3 GMCs, four 81mm Mortars (with jeep transport), three 37mm ATGs (with jeep transport), two 50 cal HMGs (Scout Jeep transports), and a 30 cal HMG (Scout Jeep transport).

The elite element is what is essentially a fourth company: three 1st Raider Bn Patoons, one 2nd Raider Bn Platoon (the Johnson LMG and shotgun-armed platoon), and a Para Platoon. The Para Platoon is altered, with a 30 cal MMG and Reising SMG as secondary armament replacing the 60mm mortar.

This is a prime example of how one can alter existing units and formations, stick with established 8.3 unit prices, and still stay within reasonable historical parameters. The 1942 Marine Infantry Battalion (reinforced) is a powerful infantry core force, with prodigious amounts of supporting automatic firepower, but it is weak in armor , AA and scout capability. The Japanese will occassionally attack you with air assets, and they can be devastating. All you have are the AAMGs on your M2A4s and GMCs, so in the opening jungle fights, pray for rain. Your mobility will suffer, but you will be safe from air attack.

You will quickly find out that your mortars are vital quick-response assets. Their value is inestimable, and keep them as close to the front as possible. At 3-5 hex range, they can wreak havoc on enemy stacks.

Historical note: a peculiar thing I've noticed is that the 1942 BAR Squads are very fragile--they were designed for fire support, NOT as front-line infantry. They were disbanded in 1943, and in-game its easy to see why. They are habitually under-strength, and in this campaign, I've already had one 7-man squad completely destroyed. I have a special reason to keep these guys healthy, and that will be seen once the 1943 upgrades are available.

(BTW, if anyone is interested in getting a copy of my customized USMC OOB, e-mail me and I'll send it to you.)

< Message edited by KG Erwin -- 10/17/2004 11:06:59 PM >

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RE: The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign - 10/22/2004 9:24:45 AM

KG Erwin

Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline

Third battle, advance mission: by turn 10, my northernmost Raiders have already spotted the Jap HQ a few hexes away from the single group of rear VHs. This one should be a cakewalk, but it is far from over. As per usual, my line infantry units are ecountering masses of Jap infantry, and once again I use my quick-strike 81 & 60mm mortars to plaster identified enemy infantry concentrations with fire. In the rain and thick jungle, some units still suffer heavy casualties as they stumble upon enemy units. Enemy artillery and mortar fire has destroyed two jeeps, but overall the enemy arty has not been too accurate. I control two of the three middle VH areas--the third is in the northern area, set back a few hexes from the othe two.

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RE: The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign - 10/22/2004 10:38:23 PM

KG Erwin

Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline

Situation report to Regiment HQ : "Sir, I'm on turn 21, still in the third mission. On turn 19 the 1st Raider Platoon intercepted and destroyed the Japanese HQ, but there are upwards of 150 Japanese clustered around the rear VHs. They are faced by a nearly equal number of Raiders/Paras, advancing from the north and south. Accompanying these units are a section of M3A1 Stuarts, three 75mm GMCs, and a couple of mortars and 50 cals carried on scout jeeps."

"My three line companies are still well to the west, dealing with the stubbornly-resisting enemy rear guard."

"We will close with and destroy the enemy and capture their last remaining defensive positions. Will contact you when the area is secured."

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RE: The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign - 10/22/2004 11:54:15 PM

KG Erwin

Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline

Battle report: "Sir, the area was declared secure on turn 23. We have gained our third consecutive decisive victory. The enemy lost 999 men and 10 artillery pieces. Our losses were 129 men, 1 tank and 4 soft vehicles. Will return to Regimental HQ for further orders."

Battalion rest & refit: all M2A4s have now been replaced with M3A1s. In the first three months, the battalion has suffered 352 casualties, roughly 35% of its strength. Also, two tanks and five soft vehicles have been destroyed. The enemy has lost 2387 men and 23 misc arty pieces.

Next mission: an advance on enemy positions in the Buna area. The operation will begin on 8 Nov 1942, at 0500.

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RE: The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign - 10/24/2004 2:37:06 AM

KG Erwin

Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline

Private journal, Col. G Higginbotham: Buna, 8 Nov 1942. This is something different. The jungle covers much of the area, but there are two lines of opposing ridges with clear terrain betweeen them. My battalion is on the western ridgeline, and the Japs are on the eastern one. The front is wide, 3000 yards, which will cause gaps in my advance. I have fire support from a newly-arrived battalion of 155s, plus a battalion of 105s.

There is a monsoon going on, with visibility limited to 150 yards. Mobility is restricted, and I must move forward cautiously. I have five objective areas to capture, three forward, two to the rear. Within the allotted time for the operation, this will be difficult to achieve. The enemy line must be stretched thin, too, but time is the killer when trying to outflank them. I may be forced into using my artillery and mortars to punch gaps and separate the enemy front at various points. This one will be costly, but I must keep my mortars supplied with ammo and not let the tanks separate from the infantry.

Report to Regiment HQ, turn 13: "Sir, the enemy is deployed in strength on the ridgeline, and their infantry is delivering accurate fire against my men. I am using mortars to open gaps and have ordered them to concentrate on large enemy groupings. My tank/infantry squad teams are giving it to them, but it is a slow process. We are moving forward, and the Raiders have taken the southernmost group of forward VHs. I will swing them around and head for the southern rear VHs."

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RE: The Old Breed: 8.3 Campaign - 10/26/2004 4:37:37 AM

KG Erwin

Posts: 8981
Joined: 7/25/2000
From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline

The battle at Buna ended in a draw, even though I did eventually capture all the VHs. The fact that it didn't end until turn 28 gave the enemy too many accumulated victory points. I lost 182 men, 3 soft vehicles and 1 tank. The Japs lost 995 men and 22 arty pieces.

The fifth battle was again near Buna, and this time I had to assault a prepared defense. I had to bludgeon my way through the deeply-stacked infantry/mortars/machine-guns, but once I broke through, I mounted depleted 5 and 6-man squads onto tanks and made a rush for the rear VHs. Amazingly, I lost no tanks to hidden ATGs and other arty, and this one ended in a Decisive Victory. USMC losses were only 94 men and 1 vehicle. The Japanese lost 721 men and 19 arty, including several bunkers and log MG pits.

I'm now in my sixth battle, an advance on the island of New Georgia. It is 15 June 1943, and my line infantry has been upgraded to the E series standard (the BAR squads are still there--they are intended for later conversion to Assault Squads, and will be kept out of the front lines for this action). The Raiders/Paras have also been upgraded, and the previous Recon Patrols are now Long Range Patrols. The issuance of the M1 Garand is a quantum leap in firepower. The only units still carrying the Springfields are my Engineers. The tank company is still equipped with M3A1s, as I have yet to see any Japanese tanks, and the 37mm of the Stuart is capable of destroying the bunkers I've encountered so far.

The line of advance is 3000 yards wide, with only one rear group of VHs to be captured. I have only four batteries of 105s in support, and the weather is clear (visibility 300 yards). This is of limited value, as the area is heavily jungled, with a few scattered clearings. The forward three VH groups are close to my start line, so the enemy will be advancing against me in force.

In the first few turns, the 12-man "E" squads help, but I'm still outnumbered by the 15-20 man Japanese A & B-class infantry squads. However, once again the superior firepower of my Marines should even the odds. God bless John Garand and his wonderful rifle.

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