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 7

Thought Processes:

1.                  Kill tanks. Two of his tanks are well within the range of my Panzerfaust 100s and are isolated from his infantry. This means that the conditions are ideal for me to attack these vehicles with infantry at this point.

2.                  Push Bertram’s platoon farther along the Sunken Lane and towards the crossroads.

3.                  Finish redeploying some forces to the extreme right of my position. I need to push two platoons into position there if I’m to hold off any sort of combined attack.

4.                  Mop up the survivors of the British infantry platoons to the left of the Sunken Lane.

Basically this turn isn’t really a turn featuring much conflict. Rather it is a turn in which I am setting my forces up to fight the next phase of the battle which will begin once Bil commits forces to breaching the ridgeline I am holding on my right flank.

Orders:

Basically my orders recognize that I only have FIVE combat-capable platoons left.

Giesey’s platoon is ordered to take a few more shots at the Firefly in front of its position and then is ordered to pull back into a shallow ditch running east to west on the German side of the road. This shallow ditch will either force the British tanks to choose between either:

a)      firing HE from a distance and watching them all fly over my heads as my men hide in the ditch OR

b)      coming closer and firing HE directly down into my positions BUT being at a huge risk of being immolated by Panzerfausts.

I order Bertram’s platoon to continue advancing down the Sunken Lane. I know that at least 1 squad and 1 platoon HQ are in front of it so I am ordering it to advance slowly. I don’t want Bil doing to me what I did to him only five minutes ago.

I detach one squad from Wittenberg’s platoon ( on the left of the Sunken Lane) and order it forward to wipe out the Brits cowering in the little hollow to the left of the Sunken Lane. I also take this opportunity to pull Wittenberg’s platoon out of the front line and replace it with the 6 survivors of Teichert’s platoon.  This accomplishes two things…

a)      it gives me some “eyes” to keep an eye on the wheat field to the left of the main road thus giving me advance warning of any attack and

b)      it allows me to create a reserve (Wittenberg’s platoon) for commitment elsewhere as the situation dictates.

On my right flank I simply order two platoons to coalesce in and around the ridge as I’m sure Bil’s next attack will come here. The two platoons I’ve committed should be enough to stall any such attack and I’m quite confident that I’ll be able to bring Wittenberg’s reserve platoon into play in time to strangle any breakthrough now that I’ve pulled him out of the front line.

Action Phase:

Unteroffizier Fricke has just earned himself a Panzer Assault badge. Within the first few seconds of the turn he sends a Panzerfaust 100 straight into the Sherman Firefly and destroys it. I don’t see any survivors bail out either.

By the end of the turn Giesey’s platoon is ensconced in the slight ditch to the right of the road (from this viewpoint) and is merrily firing away at the Vickers MG team and mortar team across the road from it. Bil is bringing down a little mortar fire and some DF HE from his two surviving Shermans but all of it is missing by a quite considerable margin and none of it has troubled Giesey’s platoon in the least. Giesey’s platoon has suffered five casualties so far but has managed to definitely dispatch 1 tank and over a dozen infantry. It is a measure of how outnumbered I am that this exchange rate can’t be celebrated as some major victory but must, instead, be seen as the achievement of my minimum objectives ONLY !

The squad I detached from Wittenberg’s platoon reaches the location of the cowering Brits and immediately spots the survivors from two squads cowering in the dirt. Once they realise they’ve been noticed they spring to their feet and try to run for it. The squad counts five of them and coolly fires two bursts into their backs as they vainly try to escape. Within seconds 5 more Brits have fallen and are hors de combat.

Bil’s Sherman II survives yet ANOTHER AT weapon hit. It has now survived a direct Panzerschreck hit and a direct Panzerfaust hit. This tanker is leading a charmed life and manages to pull back out of range before my squad can fire on him again. In the distance you can see some of Bil’s infantry getting into attack positions. I can’t believe his tank’s luck though and tell him about it via email as I send him the turn file. I do believe that if he only has a single surviving tank at the end of the battle that this will be it.

On the extreme right of my flank Company Commander Wurdig is leading two half-squads which are patiently hunting Bil’s rightmost Sherman II. I doubt Bil even knows they are here right now but they are well within 30 metres of his Sherman and are only waiting for it to get a little bit closer before attempting to tackle it with Panzerfausts. I love the fact that Bil probably has absolutely NO idea that they are even here. God I love Fog of War ;).

In other news along the frontline…

Bil has dropped quite a lot of artillery into the forest on either side of the Sunken Lane. Unfortunately for him my forces have advanced past the location he is shelling and his shelling causes absolutely no casualties at all.

As Bertram’s platoon advances along the right side of the Sunken Lane he happens along a three-man British rifle squad and dispatches it instantly. A British platoon HQ can be seen running to the right towards his new attack. What this tells me is that the Sunken Lane is now cleared and that I can afford to order Bertram and his men to advance more quickly.

Overall my losses have been light. I’ve lost another five men but dispatched one tank and over twenty Britishers. Bil’s reinforcements will arrive soon though and then I’ll be in very serious trouble as he will outnumber me even more severely than he did before and will be in a position to attack me vigorously. This battle is by no means won yet.