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Orders phase
As much as I enjoyed seeing that halftrack go
up in flames, now is the time to preserve my bazooka team for
later. A short look east reveals many many more halftracks coming
down the road, and if I want to keep even the slightest chance to
stop them from reaching the town, I need every help I can get.
So the first thing I do is order the brave
bazooka team and HQ unit back to the small patch of trees. I hope
that the fire from the two MGs will provide them good enough
cover from the enemy infantry.
With the enemy halftracks leaving the cover of
the woods (and the northern flank still quiet), I think now is
the time to order one of my remaining Shermans (the one hiding
behind the farmhouse) into a more purposeful position. - i.e. to
take on the approaching halftracks. After thoroughly checking LOS,
I think that there is a good spot where my tank has decent
LOS towards the road but is covered from the Panther and StuG
further north.
Click on Image to Enlarge
I order the Sherman to back up and then
rotate towards the south-east, cutting off the north-south road.
The Sherman's gunner will have to prove some good aiming, though,
since the LOS window is relatively small. Notice the two German
tanks in the top middle of the picture - my Sherman should be
well covered from their fire for some time. The red line, BTW,
shows that the Sherman is currently engaging targets in the town
(roughly 1.5km away)...
Since it becomes more and more apparent that
Fionn is heading for the south (not surprising!) - I detach one
bazooka team from 2nd platoon around the town and move
it back across the river. I intend to bring it in a good position
to cover the approach to the bridge, in case any German vehicles
should make it so far... <gulp>...
Click on Image to Enlarge
The bazooka team might not like it, but it
has to go back across the river and hide behind the small
elevation by the bridge. This should give it a good flank firing
position on anything that moves up toward the bridge...
In the town itself, the countdown towards
showdown is ticking away. My two platoons will be in position to
open fire on the German defensive ring by the beginning of next
turn, and I intend to move them forward after they make initial
contact. To strengthen the attack, I do not give 3rd
platoon further south much time to catch breath, but instead
order them forward again. I want them to provide additional
pressure on the German positions. Normally, I would consider this
a relatively risky move, since they have to cover a lot of open
space... but so far the only significant fire was coming from the
tanks in the back (east); additionally I guess that the Germans
will have their hands full with fighting against the two platoons
on the hill. However, if everything works out, I will have 3,5
platoons on the hill - plenty to break the defenses from the
south and then roll up the town.
I keep the the other two platoons where they
are. They are doing a good job of pinning the German defenders,
so that they cannot move south to help out there. Should they
move, however, then more holes will open in the north, which I am
fully intended to use.
Click on Image to Enlarge
A zoomed-out top-down shot of the southern
part of the town The units are set to 3x enlarge to make them
better visible, that's why it seems to be a bit crowded in the
left corner - in fact, these squads there are probably 5-10
meters apart.
Nervously I look at the watch again. The big
showdown in the town is approaching...
Action phase
Ooo... this is going to be a long one. You
better grab a drink, take off your shoes and lean back before
reading on ;-)
Let's start with the brave lonely bazooka team
near the clearing...
Click on Image to Enlarge
The German Grenadiers are walking by (if you
look hard you can see the legs of one of their squads behind the
tree in the center), then two halftracks come roaring down the
road. Unspotted yet by the infantry, the bazooka team opens fire
at the leading halftrack. Wooosh!
Click on Image to Enlarge
An explosion! It's not clear if the
halftrack has been hit or not, but just to go sure the bazooka
gunner fires two more shots at it as fast as the assistant can
reload! The halftrack stopped, however, and the other halftrack
behind the trees quickly backs up!
Click on Image to Enlarge
The German Grenadiers jump off the halftrack
(still not clear if it is damaged or not) and swarm out - looking
for the ambush team, probably! But the situation is not as good
as it may seem...
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A shot from further above... it seems that a
whole platoon is advancing through the woods! The Germans open
fire and kill the assistant gunner. The other one throws the
bazooka away and grabs his pistol... then the turn ends. I still
cannot see if the halftrack has been disabled or not, but in any
case the bazooka team has done a great job!
While all this was happening, my 81mm mortars
kept shelling the clearing for the full turn. Again, no idea how
effective that fire is - but it sure looks darn impressive.
Click on Image to Enlarge
Three 81mm mortar rounds hit
right on target... notice the airburst in the trees on the right!
The 81mm fire is not very accurate, though,
since my FOs have no LOS into the clearing. Some rounds go astray
by far, hitting hundreds of meters off target. However, that
doesn't mean that their ineffective... check this out:
Click on Image to Enlarge
One of the 81mm rounds hit several hundred
yards north of the clearing right on the road in the gap. I can
see smoke... no clue what has been hit or if something was hit at
all... but for sure something is burning :) BTW - the halftracks
are not as bunched up as they seem - I used the enlargement
feature again to make them better visible for the screenshot
Now on to less pleasent matters... my bad luck
with the Shermans continues. As soon as the M4 by the building
started backing up to get a clear shot at the approaching enemy
halftracks, an HE round from the Panther hits the building to ist
right. Plaster, stones, maybe a couple of doors ;-) fall on the
Sherman and immobilize it! Dammit!
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Ouch!
Can you imagine my face when this happens and
shortly afterwards I had to look at this:
Click on Image to Enlarge
The halftrack parade... after my Sherman is
stuck behind the house the enemy SPW's are happily advancing
towards the south flank. One, however, is coming straight down
the road... more on this later...
Speaking of the south flank... after nailing
that SPW, my bazooka team and HQ unit are desperately running for
safety with two enemy squads in their neck! But the two MGs in
the patch of trees further back are doing a good job to cover the
retreat and the enemy squads , pretty much out in the open with
little cover, are a ripe target for the .30 cal bullets. One man
from the bazooka team is hit, but the other one continues to head
for cover.
Click on Image to Enlarge
The MG to the left is putting down covering
fire at the enemy, while the bazooka team and HQ unit are running
back. Notice the mortar hits in the woods in the background.
Still - this flank is history. With the
halftracks pouring in from the center, the two MGs won't hold out
for long. Even more so, since the other bazooka team that was
hiding behind the hill, obviously had enough with bullets flying
all over its head and panicked!
Click on Image to Enlarge
On the run! The bazooka team, the HQ unit
and the Sherman crew are heading back to cover. Two MGs (one
visible to the left, one behind the trees to the right) are
holding out. The selected unit, another bazooka team, has
panicked. The ! behind the word "panic" indicates that
this unit has had enough and is seriously shaken... should it
ever rally itself it will still be less effective when facing
enemy fire.
As mentioned, one enemy halftrack is not moving
south but instead racing forward straight down towards the two
farm buildings. One platoon is hiding out there, together with a
couple of bazookas and some MGs. The bazooka is hidden and
waiting for the halftrack to come within killing distance, while
the bullets from its mounted MG are whizzing overhead.
Click on Image to Enlarge
Waiting in ambush... notice the tracer
zipping by to the left (behind the tree) and the explosions in
the woods to the right.
So much for the zone in the east. Although some
things worked out, the immobilization of my Sherman leaves no
room for illusions - my southern flank is breaking and will be
non-existant very soon and the Germans will have a free road
towards the town. Already now, some of the forward hafltracks and
the tanks are harrassing my advancing platoons...
Click on Image to Enlarge
A nice overview over the situation in the
east. My southern flank (to the right) is basically broken and
the Germans are moving on...
Meanwhile, the situation in the town is
becoming more and more critical as the intensitiy of fire
exchanged by both sides rises the more of my men come into LOS to
the town. But it seems like the Germans are suffering heavily
from the suppressive fire from my MGs and mortars across the
river, and several squads start running back into town after a
short firefight with my platoons. I would say that the time is
ripe for the assault next turn... but the going through the snow
and woods is slow...
Click on Image to Enlarge
The volume of fire increases with every step
forward... MGs crack, rifles and machinepistols blaze away and
the 60mm mortars shell the town...
I can spot that Fionn is reorganizing his
defenses, pulling back some of the teams in the north east. This
opens a few holes in the north, but I intend to stick to my
initial plan for now - assault from the south.
Click on Image to Enlarge
The German defenders are moving back into
town and are fired upon from 1st platoon
as they retreat. If not for the Germans in the church - which
could become a serious problem with their clear fields of fire
into the open field I have to cross - I would have assaulted on
this flank long time ago...
One indication that things are rather rough in
the town for the Germans, is the following series of screenshots.
Now, I am not a cruel person, but I have to show you this for two
reasons -
- Fionn won't show it since it's his guys
- I will show it since it's his guys
Click on Image to Enlarge
This infantry team (could also be an MG team)
has probably lost a good deal of men to the point blank hit on
the stone house and the fire. Now they're storming to safety
under heavy fire from my MGs.
Click on Image to Enlarge
Then - BOOOMMM! Another
mortar shell (I assume) hits the poor pigs right on!
Click on Image to Enlarge
Nothing left but a crater and
a pair of boots...
Overall, I am not unhappy. Although the
situation in the east is nearing a catastrophy, my progress
around the town gives me hope. I think that the next turn will be
the right time for the assault and the big showdown there.
Somewhen next turn also the 105mm artillery should arrive to
destroy the last will of the defenders, and then my guys will
move in. Everything hopefully before the German halftracks can
reach the town...
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