bravo.john
Posts: 21
Joined: 10/1/2000
From: Orlando, FL
Status: offline
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6Jun44 - Birds Without Wings
The invasion of France, time to put the nails in Germany's coffin. At least
it is better than the Pacific. Jungle Rot, mosquitoes big enough to ride and
a few million crazy Japs just waiting to kill me for the glory of Tojo, I'll
gladly leave that to the Marines.
Things were bad enough after the snafu that left our airborne company without
any transports for the invasion. Instead we get stuck on a ship and landed on
the beach on foot. Hell of a way to run a war. Ad hoc elements were being
tossed together and sent forward to expand the landing enough to allow units
to form up for an organized push into France. Not exactly what I expected,
but we're right in the thick of things.
Speaking of ad hoc elements, let me describe ours. A full company of
angry airborne troopers, minus our wings of course. Our armor support is a
platoon of Shermans who have no idea where their buddies got landed. A supply
column got landed, but with nowhere to deliver supplies we 'borrowed' their
trucks as well as a handful of jeeps for our recon guys. Eventually, I hope
we can get some halftracks, it's bad enough worrying about AA in a plane,
riding in the back of a canvas covered truck within rifle range of the enemy
is not my idea of a safe trip.
Not much prep time for our first mission, off to rescue forward elements of
the 101st who are pinned down by a small enemy counterattack on the
beachhead near some small hovel masquerading as a town on my map. All of our
air support is tied up in interdiction of the enemy routes to our beachhead, I
did manage to get allocated some artillery assets. I'm going to feel
lousy blowing up that town, but I would feel a hell of a lot worse writing a
bunch of letters to be sent home along with a bunch of flag draped coffins.
I estimated that the enemy wasn't going to just sit there and let me ride
right up to the town, so I divided my force into three platoons and took a
high, middle and low route towards the objective. My Shermans were divided up
to protect the upper and lower route.
As expected the enemy sent armor around to flank us, our middle group reached
the paratroopers without any trouble. The northern and southern groups got
bogged down fighting enemy armor, at least they reached cover first. A large
group of trees in the north, and the hamlet of La Grand Chemin in the south.
The main objective got allocated all the support units for the company,
the mortars and light machineguns were going to be needed there and were not
going to be that useful against tanks.
The battle was over relatively quickly, with masses of enemy armor destroyed
in close combat and enemy infantry destroyed by artillery barrages and close
range fire fights inside the objective. One action of note concerned Sgt
Kellog and his Sherman crew. A German Stug came out of the smoke in the
northern battle and blasted him, Sgt Kellog and his loader bailed out of the
vehicle, took one look around for his attacker and immediately charged the
Stug, destroying it in close combat. In my official report I recomended him
for a Silver Star.
Also reccomended for a Silver Star is Sgt Lopez, whose squad managed to destroy
three PZ-Vg, three halftracks and four infantry units in the battle around the
southern route.
Our losses were some 150 men, 2 of our Shermans, 4 Trucks and Jeeps. The enemy
lost nearly 500 men, 26 Tanks and 8 APCs.
Final Score: 8847 - 1024 (Decisive Victory)
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Printable Version
Utah to the Rhine - Scen 1 Report - (spoilers) - 
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Those fortifications can eat you alive! Nothing wrong with a replay of the first one. I would do the same thing. That is what a campaign is all about.
Nice report, BJ! That is what it is all about, first defending, then counterattacking.
So Kellogg and Lopez, did they receive their awards posthumously? I think Lopez is in line for the CMH with those kills! He won the day for you!
Is he any kin to Audie Murphy? 
WB
It's a pain in the butt having to come ashore in landing craft while your buddies flew in, ain't it?
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In Arduis Fidelis
Wild Bill Wilder
Coordinator, Scenario Design
Matrix Games
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They do help out to slow that first German advance from the city though!
Update...my Rangers are doing a great job. We're in the city now and occupy about 1/3 of it on turn 14. I think I may actually get it this time. 
My main Infantry force was coming slowly across the north when they ran into the stugs. took them all out eventually but at quite a cost.
Only ended up with a marginal, but Utah beach was a piece of cake, (ended at around turn 10 with a decisive). .50 cal MG's rock against those pesky PSW-222's. Killed three of them that way!
Cartenan (sp?) is on turn 4 so far. Have secured the first two rows of VH's, and now have started to see what Gerry has coming
SPOILER ALERT
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STUG CITY!
Have taken out the western 88, and the eastern AT pillbox. But the Flammenpanzers are rolling up...things are going to get ugly very soon I think. Getting the Fo into position, and as soon as I take out that central 88 it will be time to call in the USAF. I figure WB has another one or two of those hidden around somewhere, but given the Stuart vs. Stug imbalances, I think I'm gonna need some air power...
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