maniacalmonkey
Posts: 110
Joined: 7/5/2002
From: The Netherlands
Status: offline
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Nice! It sure is cool to see how others fare in a campaign. This one's popular isn't it?
If you don't mind I'll chip in a little DAR myself.
My core force consists of and FO and two Mortar sections in the HQ group, and although the campaign said I'd be provided with transport, I bought some trucks and an Opel anyway just to make sure the HQ had wheels. An infantry company, stripped of its mortar and AT sections, was up next, as was a platoon of Engineers. My armoured load-out consists of a platoon of five PzIVf2's to take on Russian armour, and a platoon of four PzIVe's to support the infantry, as well as a StuG section intended for upgrade to the heavier StuG models as tank killers. I formed a fairly heavy recon / vanguard group consisting of a Mechanized Scout platoon (three recon teams and three recon sections mounted in three recon halftracks) and a section of PzII. A couple of Flammpanzer II's would certainly prove useful in dense fighting. The remaining points were spent on a Kübelwagen (because it's not a German kampfgruppe unless it has a Kübelwagen).
The First Battle, escorting the truck convoy, went quite smoothly. I bought a platoon of cavalry to aid in clearing the village, and started with some mortar shelling of the houses flanking the road, and the shoulder of the hill. Motorcycles and Cavalry went into the town first, together with my mechanized recon platoon, supported by the PzII's. I sent two of the infantry platoons off to pick their way across the hill and secure the far side so I could have a smooth ride through once the village was secured, accompanied by their company HQ. The third platoon went up after the recon to secure the village, and the engineers stayed with the convoy providing close escort, along with all the armour and the HQ group.
The ambush by Soviet Partisans on the stagnant column was unexpected but the Engineers and armour managed to deal with it quite nicely. Unfortunately, one Soviet squad managed to molotov a StuG into oblivion, costing me a Decisive  Recon cleared out the village efficiently and the rifle platoon held the north-western corner against a Soviet push. Across the hill, the rifle company performed a textbook infantry assault aided by mortar fire and secured the farmstead at minimal losses. The first units to come around the bend and aid them were a couple of PzIVe's and the Flammpanzer, who secured their first kills roasting Soviets squads. The convoy was rushed through and picked up the rearguard from the village along the way.
Marginal Victory due to that stupid StuG getting popped
The Second Battle, advancing along a road to Jefrossinowka. From my points allowance I fix a recon team that got peppered and upgrade the StuGs to the effective AT model (G?). I have to say that bypassing the first village would have been a stroke of brilliance. I did not. Weary of the stupid way in which I lost that StuG during the ambush, I carefully pick my way into the village. It is a textbook assault - Recon goes first, infantry follows close, tanks move up where the enemy resists. I suffer practically no losses securing this village, but it takes more time than I have available. I leave a platoon to garisson the village and race the rest of my force through in convy, headed towards Jefrossinowka as fast as wheels will roll. It's not fast enough. What little resistance I meet is dealt with quickly, but in the end I only manage to snatch two VH's in Jefrossinowka with recon units. Worse, the Partisan infaltrators that counter-attack the village manage to stumble onto a VH and switch it to Soviet before I can react. Seems an 18-turn battle ends on turn 17
Another Marginal Victory - I had a good kill rate and suffered practically no losses, but he VH's did me in.
The Third Battle, going head-to-head with a Soviet counter-attack. I do some cosmetic updates on my force but nothing of consequence. I decided to deploy the bulk of my Kampfgruppe in Sector B, on the western flank. Sector C is left to a handful of Snipers just to see if here's something going on there. I buy trucks and HT's, as well as a section of 88's for Sector B. Sector A looks well-stocked with AUX forces and I deploy my HQ group there for mortar support.
All goes reasoanble. As recon picks its way south from Sector A, a Soviet light tank company comes rumbling across the plains. The German armour decides to stay on the ridge for now and knocks out the company from distance, suffering no losses. The lend-lease armour moving up along the western flank causes some trouble for the soft recon, but a tactical retreat leads these tanks into the fields of fire of a PzIVf2 platoon, where they are soon reduces to wrecks. T-34's arrive on either flank in the North and the Sector A forces fight hard to fend them off. In the north-east the close proximity of the T-34's, and their supporting KV-1's, cost me a tank or two from the AUX forces. Most of the time in the north is spent knocking off Russian armour. When the tank assaults wear out, the infantry moves up under mortar support to secure both wood copses. Soviet infantry dug in there proves tough, but not tough enough - although German casualties are heavy the VH's are secured. An unspotted AT gun on the northern edge of Jefrossinowka (as I later learned) knocks out several AFV's moving around the woods to aid the infantry.
In Sector B, the German forces find themselves on the flank of an approaching column of T-34s. A long-range firefight ensues and my PzIVf2's rack up their first kills. Meanwhile, the recon group, the rifle company, engineers, PzIVe's, StuG's, and Flammpanzer all advance on the central town. The fight there gets close and deadly as the Engineers leading the assault cross the stream, backed up by the rifle company. Some unexpected KV-2's take their toll and knock out two Engineer squads. A careless PzIVe gets assaulted as it tried to enter the village from a different flank without infantry suppot. Stupid! On the whole, though, the assault on the village proceeds well and the kill rate is highly favourable. The Flammpanzer especially prove their worth in street fighting, roasting squad after squad of Svoiets.
Another Marginal Victory due to the loss of several AFVs. Core losses are low; a PzIVe and some recon. The loss of two Engineer squads stings though. Still I am left with enough repair/upgrade points to bring my Kampfgruppe back up to full strength for mission 4.
I'm a bit worried about not stacking up enough repair points to buy me some heavier armour later on in the game. T-34s and the KV series are already giving me a headache. Fortunately the Soviets can't shoot for **** and I can take them out at a distance - but it's still iffy. I would like some Tigers when they become available but don't know if I can spare the points by then. We'll see.
Right now I have to start grinding into heavy Soviet defensive positions. I have a heap of support points to spend on killy goodies, but the terrain looks nasty - defendable, fortified positions, overlapping fields of fire, excellent AT kill zones and enough open space for tanks to race about. I'm guessing a northern hook would be best, as that route leads to the most VH's, and a good mix of artillery prep and smoke should allow me to take the postitions by storming them with infantry. I'm worried about AT guns picking off my beautiful tanks.
We'll see!
--MMonkey
_____________________________
When cities burn and armies turn,
and flee in disarray,
Cowards will cry 'tis best to fly
and fight another day,
But warriors know it in their marrow when they
die and fall,
It is better to have fought and lost than not have
fought at all.
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RE: Scenario 4 - 
The BM-13 is instant death to infantry in the open. CB has proven ineffective in the past, so when I suspect Katyushas are lurking, I hide behind smoke screens, move a lot, keep mechanized infantry mounted, and dangle cheap units (Kuebels) in plain sight as rocket bait (Katyushas generally have only 1 or 2 reloads).
Nothing Excedes Like Excessiveness.
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