Alexandra
Posts: 546
Joined: 12/7/2000 From: USA Status: offline
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Hi all. Having read a few AARs here, and liking them, I've decided to try my hand at them myself. So here's my first:
AAR: No Easy Place.
Location: Peterhof, Russia
Date: 5 March 1942.
Notes: This was played as the Soviets with all options on.
Mission: The task force mission is to overrun a strongpoint, held by elements of the 113th German Infantry Regiment. The forces assigned to the mission are one Infantry battalion, supported by a mortar platoon, a stike section of aircraft, a single artillery battery, and 14 AFVs. Partisians may also arrive to support operations against the fascists. The assault plan is simple. Each of the three rifle companies will make a frontal assault, while the armor masses, and then the tanks will move to support whichever company is making the best progress. German strong points will be blinded with smoke and bypassed, to be destroyed later. The German positions are softened by a preliminary bombardment.
Turn One: 1 Company was assigned to capture the southern crossroad as it's first task. 2 Company was to drive to the enemy's mortars on a hill to the rear, while 3 Company was to take the northern crossroads. The armor began to assemble, with the exception of two KV's to the south that were assigned to support 1 Company. Artillery continued to lay down suppressive fire on the crossroads and the hill. No forces made contact.
Turn Two: 1 Company took casualties from mines, as did 3 Company. The armor was formed, waiting for the orders to advance, as the FO and Btn HQ directed supporting fires.
Turn Three: 2 Company killed a fascist sniper who shot at a tank. 1 Company closed on the southern crossroad. 2 Company was engaged by an enemy pillobx, and called for smoke as armor moved up to supress the emplacement.
Turn Four: The Germans shot down a PE-2, and mortar fire began to land near 2 Companny. However, the Germans seemed to still be disorganized. 1 Company made contact with German infantry and began to drive it back, although one of it's supporting KVs got stuck in wet ground. 3 Company continued to make a silent advance. 2 Company, though, was stalled by the enemy emplacements it had discovered, now three in number.
Turn Five: Enemy mortar fire shifted to 1 Company, as our smoke rounds fell around an emplacement. 1 Company took it's crossroads and it kept pushing the defenders back. 3 Company also made contact to the north. 2 Company - supported by the armor - attacked, taking casualties. A BA-20 was also knocked out.
Turn Six: 1 Company continued taking mortar fire, as German Panzergrenadier reserves arrive in thier area. Both partisan platoons have arrived and are working to assist in destroying the enemy position. 1 Company keeps pushing the enemy back as a KV engages the lead halftrack. The enemy fortifications, however, take a toll on our armor, knocking out the second scout car and a T-60 tank. 2 Company is pinned down, as more smoke is called for, from all the mortars, as well as the heavy artillery. 3 Company advances steadily, overrunning a German position and taking prisoners, north of the north crossroads. The partisians close on the main hill position of the Germans from north and south.
Turn Seven: The enemy's mortars switch to 2 Company's area now, and another T-60 is lost as the Germans prepare to counterattack 1 Company. 1 Company finishes off the last of the original platoon it engaged, and deploys to meet the enemy counterattack. Two more T-60s are killed, as the last T-60 kills an enemy halftrack. 2 Company stands fast, waiting for the smoke. 3 Company continues to advance, killing an enemy sniper. The partisans on the south side of the hill reach it's crest and engage a German flak battery, as well as the enemy HQ.
Turn Eight: The southern partisan command is locked in heavy fighting, as the Germans pull vehicles back to attack them. 1 Company knocks out a Mk IV and a T-34 kills a Stug that attempted to flank 1 Company. 2 Companies advance is still stymied, but 3 Company takes the north crossroads. The German HQ is destroyed by the partisans south group.
Turn Nine: 3 Company is now taking mortar fire, and the enemy destroys most of south partisan group, retaking the southern part of the hill. 1 Company destroys 2 squads and a truck as it fends off the first surge of the German counter attack. 2 Company surges forward again, as 3 Company pushes west, past the crossroads, to engage more Germans. The partisan attacks have been stopped for the most part, only 20 or so of them were left, between thier two groups.
Turn Ten: The Germans continue to attack 1 Company, losing a scout car in the process and making no forward progress. 1 Company keeps pushing them back, killing another Stug in a close assault, as they drive German infantry backwards. 2 Company keeps surging forward, as 3 Company realigns to continue it's assault.
Turn 11: The Germans counterattack continues in 1 Compaies area, again making no progress while 3 Company destoys an enemy halftrack as the enemy tries to counter attack there as well. 1 Company presses forward with losses climbing, and forces the Germans back further. 2 Company continues to take losses, but reaches the enemy fortifications and begins trying to destroy them. 3 Company mostly sorts itself out after the mortar attacks, but destoys an enemy MG team. The southern partisans - the 5 that are left - destroy a scout car.
Turn 12: The Germans hit 2 and 3 Companies with mortar fire, and keep agressively counterattacking, though their attacks get nowhere. 1 Company pauses to reorganzine as the KV supporting it takes out a MG team. All that's left we think, of the counter attack force, is a single squad. Our tanks kill an enemy halftrack, and continue to engage in a duel with a pair of PzJg's. 2 Company keeps moving, more of it's soldiers now engaging pillboxes. 3 Company slowly advances, driving the Germans back before it as well. The south partisans retake the southern end of the hill, as the north partisans - 15 of them - move to flank the German mortar pits.
Turn 13: The enemy destoys the south partisans as well as the KV with 1 Company, while we KO both PzJg's. Yet, the advance continues, regardless of losses. 1 Company destroys the squad that killed the KV as well as a rifle pit, allowing two of it's platoons to freely advance towards the hill. 2 Company moves towards the hill as well, as it moves through the enemy bunker line. 3 Comapny also advances, destroying two more enemy squads. The partisans overrun an enemt mortar pit.
Turn 14: 1 and 3 Companies, and the partisans advance, in the face of limited resitience.
Turn 15: The partisans are couterattacked and take heavy losses. Our tanks knock out a rifle pit.
Final results:
Draw. 3851 for me, 2785 for Germany.
Losses:
Soviet: 255 men, 7 AFVs, 1 Aircraft. Only 1 AFV was a major one serious tank, a KV. Most of the AFV losses were T-60s..
German: 214 men, 6 AFV, 4 APC, 6 Artillery.
Overall, I think I did well. My smoke was very ineffective, which allowed the Germans to pin 2 Company for way too long, but I smashed both thier counter attacks, leaving them with, at the end, a reinforced platoon and 2 flak guns to stop about 1 and a half to 2 companies of infantry, and a half dozen T-34s and KVs. I didn't use my partisans that well, but even so, they still did a good job. While I didn't destroy the position in the time allotted, after pausing to regroup, in the Russian style, even without reinforcements, I'd take it on the next attack.
Alex
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"Tonight a dynasty is born." Ricky Proehl, then of the Saint Louis Rams. He was right! Go Pats! Winners of Super Bowls 36, 38 and 39.
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