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Section Leaders:
Your one stop shop for Combat Mission Scenarios and Operations
German
Analysis This scenario provides a good chance to learn
how to conduct an anti-vehicular defence. The terrain is largely
favourable to an anti-vehicular defence but the weapons systems
available leave a lot to be desired. You are facing a motorised Allied reconnaissance
group but have no vehicles, anti-tank guns or panzerschrecks of your
own. What you DO have is a positional advantage and the anti-tank
rockets which can kill any vehicle which approaches within 50 metres of
your positions. Unfortunately you don’t have very many of these
rockets either. Your force comprises: 4 platoons of infantry ( in which each squad
has a Panzerfaust-60 ) 4 x HMG42s, 2 x LMG 42s 3 x 81mm mortar teams.
The attack starts with the German units in poor positions so your first order of business is to shape your defense into something resembling a cohesive line. I would advise a backward-curving line centred on the houses and trees at the front of your position. This setup minimizes the amount of long-range sniping the enemy can carry out utilizing vehicles. I would place the HMG42s in the large
double-storied building to the rear of the infantry platoons from where
they can bring concentrated HMG fire to bear on any infantry assault
which threatens the forward platoons ( and can easily bring fire to
bear on one’s left flank also). I would place the 81mm mortars in the
scattered trees and wheatfields since these positions offer good lines
of fire both forward, into the forest clearing and to the left. Secure
the left flank of the mortars utilising LMG42s and you will have
created a strong position in which your infantry screen your heavy
weapons and yet, still, encourage the enemy to get close ( which is
what you want). HIDE EVERYONE ! You ONLY want to provide
the enemy with targets after you’ve already inflicted serious
casualties. The odds are that the enemy will begin his
attack with a dismounted probe through the woods on the left of your
position. Be reactive. Simply keep your men in hiding until the enemy
are directly on top of them ( 10 or 15 metres is close enough). There
will be no disturbed earth from foxholes to give your positions away so
you can really let the enemy get in unbelievably close before letting
loose. ANY sort of effective ambush should take care of at least an
enemy platoon. Once this happens the enemy will pursue one of three
courses: 1.
He will try to bull through the forested area by feeding more men and
machines into the clearing ( you will welcome this since your men
should be more than able to hold their own since the positioning of the
two platoons provides a good crossfire across the clearing AND it will
give your mortars a chance to kill whatever vehicles the enemy brings
into the clearing ( in my first playing of this game mortars accounted
for two tanks) ). 2.
He will try to outflank you on your left flank. Doing this requires a lot
of detouring and charging across open ground. Your 4 HMG 42s can easily
attrit any platoon he commits to such a flanking maneuvre while your
mortars destroy any armoured support. This maneuvre isn’t a vital
threat so there’s no need to redeploy your infantry platoons to
protect against it. 3.
He will push along the right of the road. Welcome this. If his armour
stands off to support his infantry assault by fire your mortars will be
able to pick them off one by one. If his armour accompanies his assault
in your infantry will hurl his troops back and then faust his vehicles.
In my first game I beat the infantry back from such an assault and took
out a total of eight enemy vehicles between the first and second row of
buildings at the road ( including at least two by close assault after
my men ran out of fausts) . In short, use your HMG42s to keep his infantry
back, your mortars to keep his tanks from fulfilling a long-range fire
support role and do everything possible to cause your enemy to think a
charge into your positions may be the only way of overwhelming them.
That charge is the time for your slaughter to begin. This is quite a simple scenario once you grasp
what to do and when to do it. On the other hand I would advise that you
play it until you get very good at it since, at some stage in the
future, you can rest assured that you will have to fight off an enemy
tank assault with just a couple of infantry platoons. At that point in
time ( no doubt during a desperate situation) your understanding of
this scenario could make the difference between victory and defeat.
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