Axis Turn 24

	TURN: 24 OF 60	SCENARIO NAME: Going to Town

Fionn Kelly - Germans vs. Americans - Martin Turewicz

Since my forces are now beginning phase three of the assault, namely movement across the river and into the outskirts of the village, I felt it was time to give a thorough run-through of my losses so far and my current strength.

B0 Leutnant Grotz 2-2
B1b Obergefreiter Terborg 4
B2 Unteroffizier Oldendahl 6-2
B3 Unteroffizier Gloser 5-3

C0 0-4
C1 Unteroffizier Scheiner 8
C2 Unteroffizier Poppe 3-5
C3a Unteroffizier Sauer 2-2
C3b Obergefreiter Diller 1-3

F0 Obersturmfuhrer Gojowy1-3 (Low on ammunition)
F1 0-8
F2 Unteroffizier Alschuler 2-6
F3 0-8

L0 Leutnant Woehler 1-3
L1 Unteroffizier Welt 7-1
L2 UnteroffizierVogel 6-2
L3 Unteroffizier Elm 7-1

A1 Hauptsturmfuhrer Backe 6
T1 Rottmeister Wolff 5-1
H0 Obersturmfuhrer Nolting 3-1

E0 Obersturmfuhrer Frick 4
E1 Unteroffizier Sheaffer 6-2
E2 Unteroffizier Altmann 7-1
E3 Unteroffizier Franz 7-1

G0 Obersturmfuhrer Kanther 4
G1 Unteroffizier Geiser 2-6 (Low on ammunition)
G2 Unteroffizier Stein 7-1
G3 Unteroffizier Ferner 7-1 (Split from HQ)

D0 Leutnant Janz1-3
D1 Unteroffizier Schumache 2-6
D2 Unteroffizier Beck7-1
D3 Unteroffizier Blank4-4

Overall I brought 224 combat infantrymen into battle with me and only have 128 left. I have 96 men during my drive to the river. What have I gained for these losses?

Well, I’ve gained approximately one kilometre of ground and have routed and capture one and a half American infantry platoons and the vast majority of an American heavy weapons company. I’ve taken 57 enemy prisoners of war and confirmed that the units which surrendered to me suffered at least 49 killed in action prior to surrender. Thus I have confirmed the death or capture of 106 enemy soldiers and probably considerably more given the fact that I undoubtedly entirely wiped out several enemy units.

Many of my casualties have been caused by the necessity of advancing my men over open ground in the face of long range enemy machinegun fire once their armoured personnel carriers have been knocked out or become otherwise unavailable. I have lost only five SPW 251/1s to enemy direct fire but have lost a total of seven to enemy air and artillery attack. Several of these have been lost with all passengers which, in part, accounts for some of my heavy losses in infantry. Over one fifth of my infantry losses have occurred when the SPW carrying the infantry was hit by either artillery or airpower.

I’m having a hard time coming to terms with the horrific effects of American air and artillery power. The Jabo has knocked out two tanks and three SPW 251/1s. That’s as many vehicles as the toll claimed by ALL of the enemy’s direct fire over the past twenty-four minutes. As I told Steve a short while ago via email next time I want to attack at night so as to negate his artillery and airpower. This, as Steve pointed out to me, is exactly what many German formations decided to do when faced by American aerial superiority and the tactics of materialschlacht. I guess I’m undergoing the same baptism of fire the Wehrmacht at Normandy faced. At least I’m fortunate that it is only a game and that I’m not dealing with over a hundred shattered bodies.

Kampfgruppe Vossen:

In response to the American tanks movements I manouvre my Puma into a full defilade position from which I intend to order it to advance quickly next turn and engage the almost-stationary Sherman. I will order it to charge to just directly behind the Sherman from where it should have no difficulty punching through the Sherman’s thin rear armour.

Kampfgruppe Vossen’s infantry are almost half-way through the wood and haven’t run into any further ambushes (fingers crossed). It looks like Martin has evacuated the forces here off the map. That suits me fine since they are out of the battle now and can’t hurt my fragile volksgrenadiers any more.

Kampfgruppe von Kelly:

The three survivors of Obersturmfuhrer Gojowy’s veteran Panzergrenadier platoon continue to probe forwards, clearing the way for Wiesenhofer’s Panzer IV J and Leutnant Woehler’s platoon of Volksgrenadiers. They have almost reached the house to the north-east of the bridge and will attempt to survey the American positions on the west bank from there. I have a suspicion that Martin will have forgotten to supply this position with bazookas (since I saw no units running to the west bank this seems reasonable) and I am toying with the idea of, later, ordering Wiesenhofer’s Pz IV J across the bridge at high speed and racing it into the midst of the American positions from where it will devastate his units with extremely close-range machinegun fire.

I know it sounds like an insane thing to do BUT given the fact that Martin has deployed three platoons (close to half his strength) in positions which:

this seems to be an opportunity for me to destroy these strong positions with minimal losses in infantry. If I spot any bazooka teams nearby I won’t do it of course but, if I don’t I may just dash forward since it has the potential to save me many, many casualties and it will surprise the hell out of Martin since he isn’t aware of my belief that running a tank into the middle of a platoon’s defensive position (in the absence of AT defence) is the preferable means of destroying that entire platoon.

Speaking of the devil, or in this case Unteroffizier Wiesenhofer, here is a nice TC’s (tank commander’s) view of the road into the village. There isn’t much to shoot at but as soon as the panzer nears the village this will all change.

Kampfgruppe Backe:

Taken from the west side of the river this shot shows my SPWs advancing northwards towards the bridge as a machinegunner lays down a suppressive fire. I had felt these half-tracks to be essential to my success as their machineguns doubled the number of vehicular weapons which could be brought to bear on the enemy. Of course Martin’s Jabo had other ideas.

A quick strafing run, a flurry of tracer and another three dead crewmen as both half-tracks are destroyed. Fortunately they do not brew up so, in a Combat Mission campaign game, would be eminently salvageable and probably available for battle later. Unfortunately for me they are unavailable now which is when I need them. Actually, of my SPW 251/1 losses approximately half are mission incapable but would be salvageable in a campaign game.

Obersturmfuhrer Frick’s platoon of panzergrenadiers accompanied by Hauptsturmfuhrer Backe continue to advance towards the nearby house in which they will re-organise and launch themselves across the river and into the struggle to take the village.

This shot from on high shows the locations of the two platoons I have ordered to dash across the river. They are attempting to cross as far away as possible from the enemy and as quickly and decisively as possible so as to minimise the time the enemy has to redeploy his forces once my intentions become clear.

So far this force has only been subjected to long range enemy machinegun fire and some fire from the two platoons the enemy has placed on the fringe of the scattered trees to the south of the village. Martin will pay for exposing these troops at this time as I am calling my remaining artillery (105s) down onto that position.

Martin should have kept those troops hidden until they could fire effectively at short range. Long-range shots from line infantry won’t cause me any appreciable damage but assure that I now have precisely located Martin’s positions. Now we’ll all get to see what 105s can do to infantry in the open without any form of protective cover whatsoever. I hope its devastating since Martin’s numerical advantage is huge. I estimate he must have twice as many men as I since each of his squads is 50% larger than mine and he had more squads to start with (once my village defenders were wiped out).

The end-game has begun. All my reserves are committed at this stage and all I can do is fight smart and attempt to exploit every little weakness in Martin’s defences so as to reduce and eventually reverse his numerical advantage.