Section Leaders:
Fionn Kelly & Madmatt

The Sunken Lane

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German Commander - Fionn Kelly

NOTE: SPOILER INFORMATION. This After Action Report contains detailed information regarding units and  terrain disposition to a scenario that may be included in the release version of Combat Mission. If you wish to play this game Blind or partake in a Double Blind match then READ NO FURTHER!!!!

Graphics Note: While the events in this AAR were played on a very recent Beta Build of Combat Mission. The graphics, at that time, were not finalized. For Final Graphics please view the POTD Feature which runs daily here and various features on the CMHQ-Annex site.

Turn 17:

Thought processes:

1.                  Well, my thoughts at this stage can best be described as featuring a “grim determination to hold until dead”. Over the past 5 minutes I’ve had a couple of sledgehammer blows smash into my line but have managed to prevent any clear breakthroughs so far.

2.                  I know that Bil will be committing the 2^nd reinforcing company to the attack either this turn or next and I know that, given his conduct of the 1^st reinforcing company’s attack, he’ll send the entire 2^nd company at just one small portion of my line and seek to overwhelm it by dint of sheer numerical superiority.

3.                  I know I can’t stop this second company from smashing through the infantry reserves I’ve assembled in front of it BUT if those reserves can whittle the enemy’s strength down by a platoon or even a platoon and a half then my MLR (composed of HMG and mortar teams) should be able to hold what remains.

4.                  I have one platoon’s worth of stragglers with which to defend my entire left flank ( against an enemy force numbering roughly 4 platoons worth) and one and a half platoons committed to the defense of my right flank. Thus it is imperative that I quickly wipe out the infantry threat on my right flank so as to free the platoon and a half on that flank. I’ll then commit these guys to attacking into the flank of Bil’s second reinforcing company.

5.                  It should work but there are going to be some tense moments as I try to bring this off.

Orders:

On my left flank I am determined to create a new defensive line behind the first row of bocage. After looking at my forces I see that I can dispose of a total of 37 infantry on this flank. They come from 4 different platoons and most of them are LOW on ammo and thus are of little use in the type of close-in fighting which Bil’s human wave attacks promote but they are there and I will do what I can with them.

My rationale for deploying my men as shown above is as follows:

I want the Platoon HQ and the 6-man squad from Teichert’s platoon ( they were the guys who ambushed Bil’s guys in the forest back on Turn 3 and 4) to back up the HMG42s. The platoon HQ and the 6-man squad are from different platoons and have very little firepower left so they are actually incredibly weak both from organisational and combat power standpoints thus I’m slotting them into the portion of my line which I expect to be the portion under least threat. Plus the 2 x HMG42 teams ought to wreak havoc on any attackers seeking to frontally assault them.

On the right of the picture one can see that the 8 survivors of Wittenberg’s platoon have taken up position closest to the “dividing bocage” while Duve’s 19-man strong platoon has just moved into position following its hurried sprint from my right flank.

These 37 men will be facing roughly 160 British troops backed by tanks. They won’t last long against such an overwhelming force but, if they do their duty and stand their ground, their sacrifice should hurt the British sufficiently to prevent them from rushing through my MLR.

On my right flank the movement of the tanks forward has caused me to launch Bertram’s platoon into action. This turn I order them to continue their advance whilst mopping up the various mortar, anti-tank and HQ units they ran into last turn. By the end of the turn they have wiped out a company HQ, a mortar team and 2 PIAT teams whilst only taking a single casualty in return.

Of more importance from my point of view is the finding that the British really have totally abandoned their firebase here and begun moving ALL their men forward with their tanks. I spot the British Bn HQ moving forward and take it under telling fire by the end of the turn.

Sehmel’s men have been ordered to attack in conjunction with Bertram’s platoon. I’ve removed the trees from this picture so as to give you a clear view of what I was attacking into. From my perspective things are going well. Two of the British tanks are buttoned and thus find it VERY difficult to spot and bring fire to bear on my infantry. The only unbuttoned British tank on this flank is the Firefly and that simply doesn't have any anti-infantry capability to speak of.. I’m a bit confused as to why Bil is letting his tanks outstrip his infantry. Surely he must know that I’m going to counter-attack this breakthrough vigorously. Maybe he’s afraid that I had schreck teams covering the breakthrough point and so decided to move his tanks out of my hypothetical “kill zone”. Whatever the reason I have an opportunity to engage in a slaughter and I intend to take it.

By the end of the turn the British resistance at the breakthrough point has been crushed. At the cost of a single man wounded Sehmel’s platoon has crushed the British infantry under their jackboots. Two British infantry still survive but are panicked and not returning fire. Over twenty British infantry have been killed this turn, including their verdamnt FO.

All in all things look good on this flank. I still have to kill 2 panicked infantry, 1 MMG team, 2 PIAT teams and the Bn HQ and I think I’m going to try to kill the Sherman 75 which is sitting directly behind the infantry I’ve just butchered. Sehmel has one Panzerfaust left in his platoon and I think it has that Shermans name on it.

Once I’m finished killing the few guys left I’ll run Sehmel and Bertram to my left flank. Hopefully Bill will see this and set up some flank protection. If he does then this will slow him down and force him to take resources away from his human wave assault there. This is good for me since it decreases the chances of him breaking through. If he doesn’t commit resources to flank protection then, even if he does break through, Sehmel and Bertram will hit him with sharp counter-attacks in the flank and, outnumbered less than two to one they should slaughter him.