Y
Yoozername
Guest
This is the first of the demo scenarios that I have finally played through. The bocage scenarios just turned me off and I have no interest in that terrain the way it is modeled.
I tried CTP as the US side just once but had the game on 'Realtime' play. It is just too hectic for me and I would probably just enjoy that kind of gameplay in a small scenario.
I assume everyone has played this but it's a spoiler none the less.
As the German, I kept the original setup but grouped the armored cars together in the center slightly back of the wooded hills. The plan was to use the indirect 105mm HE and mortar smoke to build up a firefight. I would use the HMG to overwatch and area fire once the troops moved. I would hustle one platoon as far forward down the center towards the town while another platoon leapfrogged itself behind it. I slowly moved the AC so that they could fire into the town safely and get as close to the top of the hill as I dared. Once the smoke was at its thickest, I rushed all 4 AC strait down the hill as far as the infantry had advanced. The 20mm HE rounds quickly dominated those GI's that showed themselves. The 105mm arty was doing good work across the town and my casualties were light. I lucked out and KO'd an ATG with HMG fire.
My plan then was to get the troops in good order and slowly make my way through the hedges. I broke off small scouts and the AC and other infantry provided great overwatch at close range once the manuver elements were fired on. One scout team with a MP44 and a G41 rifle did great work provided one of those 'movie' moments I watched several times. With some mortar fire landing amongst them, they charged forward and messed up a bunch of GI's that were cowering in foxholes behind a building. They then went into a building as the building to the left collapsed. They fired from the building and then mysteriously charged out and one of the guys bought it. The other guy then starts lobbing grenades at enemy troops that fled the scene.
As the 105mm ran out, the Panthers showed up and since I had the AC so far forward doing great work, I decided to just use the Panthers as long range AT assets and they started to KO shermans and M10. Once I built up fire superiority with them, the marder were allowed to creep up and dominate areas and even fire into the town at suspected locations and provide smoke.
I was able to leapfrog the troops in town and get to the command post and push as many troops forward as I dared. Many were exhausted and I did not want to run into any full sized infantry squads. I ended up with a decisive victory and my losses were an AC and one marder. The US had something like 80+ dead which I thought would have made them turn tail in most real fights. My dead were about 30.
So, as far as I am concerned, the game has potential if one isn't in the bocage. The game does not really model the heaviest bocage (IMO) but seems to be somewhere just north of St. LO.
I might do 'Busting the Bocage' in a turn based defensive German player. Around October.
I tried CTP as the US side just once but had the game on 'Realtime' play. It is just too hectic for me and I would probably just enjoy that kind of gameplay in a small scenario.
I assume everyone has played this but it's a spoiler none the less.
As the German, I kept the original setup but grouped the armored cars together in the center slightly back of the wooded hills. The plan was to use the indirect 105mm HE and mortar smoke to build up a firefight. I would use the HMG to overwatch and area fire once the troops moved. I would hustle one platoon as far forward down the center towards the town while another platoon leapfrogged itself behind it. I slowly moved the AC so that they could fire into the town safely and get as close to the top of the hill as I dared. Once the smoke was at its thickest, I rushed all 4 AC strait down the hill as far as the infantry had advanced. The 20mm HE rounds quickly dominated those GI's that showed themselves. The 105mm arty was doing good work across the town and my casualties were light. I lucked out and KO'd an ATG with HMG fire.
My plan then was to get the troops in good order and slowly make my way through the hedges. I broke off small scouts and the AC and other infantry provided great overwatch at close range once the manuver elements were fired on. One scout team with a MP44 and a G41 rifle did great work provided one of those 'movie' moments I watched several times. With some mortar fire landing amongst them, they charged forward and messed up a bunch of GI's that were cowering in foxholes behind a building. They then went into a building as the building to the left collapsed. They fired from the building and then mysteriously charged out and one of the guys bought it. The other guy then starts lobbing grenades at enemy troops that fled the scene.
As the 105mm ran out, the Panthers showed up and since I had the AC so far forward doing great work, I decided to just use the Panthers as long range AT assets and they started to KO shermans and M10. Once I built up fire superiority with them, the marder were allowed to creep up and dominate areas and even fire into the town at suspected locations and provide smoke.
I was able to leapfrog the troops in town and get to the command post and push as many troops forward as I dared. Many were exhausted and I did not want to run into any full sized infantry squads. I ended up with a decisive victory and my losses were an AC and one marder. The US had something like 80+ dead which I thought would have made them turn tail in most real fights. My dead were about 30.
So, as far as I am concerned, the game has potential if one isn't in the bocage. The game does not really model the heaviest bocage (IMO) but seems to be somewhere just north of St. LO.
I might do 'Busting the Bocage' in a turn based defensive German player. Around October.