DAR CMFI "Beyond the Belice" Kraut vs Jobu88

[Kraut]

foreword: I like to read After Actions Reports and also DAR's very much, but I never ever had written one. This will be the first.
To lower expectations further I have to admit that I am only an average skilled CM-Player and my English skills could be better.

I have asked Jobu88 and I have his friendly approval to use our battle for this DAR.
He did not play "Beyond the Belice" before, while I have already played it before as I have told him.




My Ranger Platoons are well equipped, each platoon HQ has also a scoped Springfield!

 

[Kraut]

1st Platoon will move into defensive position on the West and Center and 2nd Platoon will move and take defensive positions Southeast.
I expect that Jobu88 will also split his troops (West/East sector) and take first defensive and spotting positions. I do not expect that he pushes an attack early. Maybe he will probe the center hill. But it is to early to be sure what his plan is.

 

[Kraut]

View from the U.S. Side

For the unit icons I use a mod made by Bil Hardenberger.

A look from the Italian starting position.

 

[Kraut]

Situation after 3 Minutes at 9:48
1st Platoon has reached it defense position. 2nd Platoon has mostly completed their movement orders. No shots fired until now.

Italian troops have been spotted by the 1st Platoon HQ.

The Maschinegun Team reaches the building unharmed and is going to set up the MG on the second floor. I hope this will give me much firepower and control at the east sector.

1st Platoon HQ is observing enemy movement.
i
First casualty! The sharpshooter of 1st Platoon HQ got hit by an Italian light mortar round. The Italians continued to shell 1st Platoon HQ. I give order to
crawl back and hide. The heavily wounded has unfortunately to be left behind and no first aid could be given. After the shelling they will try to rescue their
wounded buddy-

 

[Kraut]

Situation at 9:51 as follow:

I am considering retreating Scout and BAR Team to avoid retaliation from Italian direct light mortar fire, but I decided to let them stay in position for
at least one minute more, because they are disrupting enemy repositioning.

(Italian Soldiers with Vein's Italian Uniform Mod (fantastic!) and Aris Italian Faces Mod)
I am looking for an American Uniform mod, maybe a fellow member can give recommendation?
I tried to find Vein's American Uniform Mod, as I like his work very much, but I unfortunately could not find it.

 

[Kraut]

My lastest orders:
I manuell ordered the Scout and BAR Team to fire at the enemy target
Also I gave 1st Platoon HQ a crawl order with the goal to buddy aid the wounded teammate and recover the scoped Springfield.



I am now waiting for the next turn and I am looking forward to see what will happen.

Edit: I should have popped smoked to cover the crawling 1st Platoon HQ.

 

[Kraut]

9:52 a.m.
The Scout and BAR Team continues to fire at the enemy group, which is trapped in the open ground. No casualties inflicted.

The radio operator 1st Platoon HQ gives buddy aid. His other teammates are hiding as ordered. I hope he will not get hit
and that he will grab the scoped Springfield rifle.

2nd Platoon HQ has repositioned into the same house as the MG Team. From this position the Platoon Leader can communicate and command his whole Platoon.


I have already sent back the turn and now I remember that I forget again that I should have given 1st Platoon HQ the order to pop smoke.
I hope that Jobu88 will not shoot at the medic ;-). To lose the radio operator would mean to lose contact to A Company.

 

[Kraut]

So far in the match each side has lost one soldier.

My advantage is that my soldiers are way better equipped:
+ all but one teams and squads have binoculars
+ plenty Sub Maschine Guns, BAR's, Garant M1 semi automatic rifle, scoped Springfield
+ Platoon Leader has radio

Advantage of the Italian side
+ 45mm light mortar which I fear most.

Disadvantage of the Italian
- no radio
- lack of automatic and semi automatic weapons (mainly rifles Typ Carcano M 1891)
- impossible to split squads

 

[MOS:96B2P]

Interesting stuff. Thanks for posting.

 

[Kraut]

@MOS:96B2P Thank you very much for your encouragement!

9:53 a.m.

The enemy infantry team, which are getting under fire from my Scout and BAR Team, is now manuell marked as "Italian Recon Team"
The reasons for that are:
- I did never see more then 3 Soldiers and they had been moving "quick" or "fast" and because of that the likelihood that there
are more team members is low (but still possible)
- All were armed with Carcano M 1891
- there is a plausibility that Jobu88 has sent a recon team towards the house.


1st Platoon HQ is still providing first aid (it takes time with Elite difficulty) and fortunately there is now the order given to pop smoke to conceal the medic.
The Scout's team sharpshooter has shoot a cowering member of the enemy Recon Team (Distance 200m). The first scout had already been shoot by the
BAR Team 2 minutes ago and the third had run into cover behind the bushes.




One single mortar round hits the ground. Has it been a spotting round and what is the designated target? For safety reason I ordered all units in the area,
besides the MG Team on the second floor, to "hide". This will hopefully increase their chances to survive. I do not know where his mortar team is. and what they are targeting.
Maybe he relocated his Mortar Team towards the east sector after he fired and hit 1st Platoon HQ a few minutes ago.
If I only knew where his Mortar Team is!

 

[Kraut]

-------------------------------------------------------
Allied casualty summary:
1 heavy wounded due to 45mm light mortar fire.
Axis casualty summary:
2 casualties inflicted to the enemy Recon Team.
--------------------------------------------------------
My strategy is going to be to occupy both objectives and play defensiv and also cautious.
Both objective combined covers the whole map and each objective each is half of the map (East and West sector).
This makes the scenario regarding the objectives different to almost all other scenarios.
The likelihood to get an draw is high. I would be pleased with a draw.
If a alluring opportunity will emerge I will maybe try to get the complete control of one sector and hold the other sector.

At this time most important seems to me that I locate the enemy light mortar team. It is the most mighty weapon until reinforcements will arrive.
His mortar can interdict my movements and inflict heavy loses.
When the reinforcements will arrive I am going to try to use my mortar team to neutralize the enemy 45mm light mortar.

Also I am a bit worried that I have spot only a few enemy units (the Recon Team and 2 infantry contacts). I do not know what his plan is and
if he is concentrating troops in a specific area for an attack.


Map overview (9:53am)

 

[Kraut]

I have added a poll to use the wisdom of my fellow wargamers regarding my strategy:
play defensiv and get probably a draw,
or risk an attack and increase the chance for a win or loss.

I would tend to continue to play defensiv and cautious, but I am a bit concerned that this could be maybe a bit boring for the readers?

 

[Kraut]

The poll has closed and sadly no votes have been cast. I will take a positive approach in interpreting this: the wisdom of the FGM community has decided due to not voting that I should decide on my own.
Maybe also the question has been badly formulated as I already had mentioned which approach I would prefer.

9:54a.m.

West sector: all quiet, 1st Platoon HQ has rescued the heavily wounded teammate.

East sector: An Italian Rifle Squad moved fast towards an important house and Medium MG Team / 2nd Platoon opened fire and interdicts the enemy movement. At the end of the turn the enemy Rifle Squads seems to be suppressed and aborting their movement. No casualties inflicted.

The Medium MG Team has been the only soldiers which had been firing, because all other Teams in this area had been ordered to hide after the Italian light mortar fired a spotting shot.
Also two more mortars shells exploded without inflicting harm. I fear that in the next turn the light mortar will adjust their aim.



All teams of the 1. Section / 2nd Platoon have now the order to crawl away into better cover, because I assume that the enemy light mortar will soon hit them with better aim.
The other possibility I can imagine would be that the light mortar will target the Medium MG Team inside the house to neutralize or suppress them. But I need this Team to continue suppress the advancing enemy so that I will not give them order to take cover.

 

[MOS:96B2P]

I would have voted ATTACK!!

 

[Kraut]

I would have voted ATTACK!!

Because you are the most loyal reader and participant in this DAR you are given of course special voting rights, even if the poll already had been closed.
Also I see the alluring opportunity this will creates to blame someone else if I will screw the attack up and lose this battle

So there will be an attack, after the reinforcements will have had arrived!

Situation at 09:56a.m.
It has been the right decision to retreat 1st Section / 2nd Platoon - the enemy light mortar fire has hit only the abandoned positions.
I estimate that the enemy light mortar has spent about 40% of his mortar rounds since the battle has started. That is a good news!
The enemy Rifle Squad continued his move towards the building and the MG Team of the 2nd Platoon has inflicted 7 casualties on this Squad.

-------------------------------------------------------
Allied casualty summary:
1 heavy wounded due to 45mm light mortar fire.
Axis casualty summary:
2 casualties inflicted to the enemy Recon Team.
7 casualties inflicted to an enemy Rifle Squad
--------------------------------------------------------


The power of MG fire stopped the enemy Rifle Squad in the open, close before the safety of this stone building.
(Sometimes my impressions are that in Combat Mission the MG's do have less power as I would expect in inflicting casualties when they have caught enemy infantry in the open grounds. This time it worked perfect)

 

[Bil Hardenberger]

Well done Kraut. This is fun to read! You are doing a fine job, especially enjoy your situation overview images.. very informative.

Nice looking icons... you know there is a set for both sides in that mod right?

Bil

 

[Kraut]

Well done Kraut. This is fun to read! You are doing a fine job, especially enjoy your situation overview images.. very informative.

Thank you for your kind words.

Nice looking icons... you know there is a set for both sides in that mod right?
Bil

Yes, Sir. I unfortunately forget sometimes to switch them.

I use the version for CMBN downloaded from your fantastic website.

Thanks again for making this mod and the DAR's you had written, which are showing the full potential of this game.

 

[Kraut]

10:00 a.m.
New reinforcements have arrived. I will introduce them in the next update.

09:56-10:00 a.m.
The 1. Section from the 2nd Platoon had been crawling into a more safer position, but the Italian light mortar was able to inflict 2 casualties (heavy wounded) and 1 light wounded. After the shelling had stopped, I gave order to reunite two Teams (A and B) and to give buddy aid to both heavily wounded soldiers.

The light Italian mortar has been spotted by the 1st Platoon HQ! I will try to attack the enemy mortar with my own mortar team which have had arrived. Maybe via spotter, or direct fire. Both have advantages and disadvantages. The direct fire would be faster and more flexible, but also way more risky. I am still not sure how to proceed.
A few turns ago I assumed that the Italian mortar had moved from the west to the east after he had shelled 1st Platoon, but now it is clear that it is highly likely that he did not moved. From that position he can fire at 1st Platoon (which is hopefully unspotted now) and also in wide areas of the east sector.
---------------------------------------------------------
Allied casualty summary:
3 heavy wounded due to 45mm light mortar fire.
1 light wounded due to 45mm light mortar fire
Axis casualty summary:
2 casualties inflicted to the enemy Recon Team.
7 casualties inflicted to an enemy Rifle Squad
---------------------------------------------------------

 

[Kraut]

Overview reinforcements which have arrived at 10:00 a.m.

 

[MOS:96B2P]

That last screenshot is nicely done. Makes me want to play some CMFI.