Three Towns (Stafford vs Drifter Man DAR)

[Drifter Man]

1427 hrs, Turns 90-97. Very little movement and development during these 7 minutes. No change in positions. I got the smoke mortar ammunition to the units I wanted - 6 mortars are now ready to lay smoke, each having ~10 rounds. Two of the four mortars supposed to fire into the smoke are already on target, two more are still spotting, and I want them to find the target before I start with the smoke. I sent two panzergrenadier teams to reinforce Hill 33 - not that a reinforcement was necessary - and they got spotted on their way by an enemy sniper from the southern slope of Hill 36. My opponent briefly exposed a Crusader AA tank to take a shot, but he was a few seconds too late to hit anything.



I continued my harassing fire with 150mm guns and took out this empty halftrack on Hill 33. An overkill, but every point counts.



I spotted some troops moving inside and around Louvoy. Not just snipers or other support - normal infantry, too. My opponent may be waiting for me to run out of 150mm - which will happen in a few minutes - before making his next move. In any case, this battle isn't over yet!

Edit: I forgot to mention the outcome of the two actions I planned in the posts before. First, I could not put smoke on the southern slope of Hill 36 - the mortar accepted the smoke order but did not fire - and so there was no attack on Hill 33, either, because my troops would be exposed to British tank and mortar fire from Hill 36. Second, the StuG I sent forward to engage the immobilized Cromwell could not see anything. I sent it again to try and take a shot at the Firefly on Hill 33 (in the image above), but it could not see it, either.

 

[Bulletpoint]

Two of the four mortars supposed to fire into the smoke are already on target, two more are still spotting, and I want them to find the target before I start with the smoke.

You mean you use a target light mission to let the mortars find the range first and then switch to a smoke mission targeting the same spot? Will that make the smoke get on target immediately?

 

[Drifter Man]

You mean you use a target light mission to let the mortars find the range first and then switch to a smoke mission targeting the same spot? Will that make the smoke get on target immediately?

Nope - I first get 4 mortars to fire on the hill with indirect mission with HE. Once they are on target, I will use 6 other mortars to lay smoke with direct fire. The idea is that the original 4 mortars will (hopefully) continue firing into the smoke screen to hit any British infantry that attempts to pass through to attack my troops that are moving in.

 

[Bulletpoint]

Looking forward to see how this will work out.

 

[Drifter Man]

1430 hrs, Turns 98-100. All 4 mortars firing HE are on target but the smoke remains a problem. The first time only 2 of the 6 mortars fired. The rest cancelled the order in the first second of the action phase. On the second attempt about half of the mortars fired. I'll give it one more try, adding smoke from StuGs as well, but directly fired smoke seems to be seriously bugged. The mortars fired HE at the same positions without trouble, but will not fire smoke. My attack force is ready on halftracks, hidden among the buildings in Wynton, but without a proper smoke screen I am not sending them to Hill 36.

Meanwhile, my opponent's activity is increasing after a long break. He may have been waiting for the 150mm fire to stop - I only have a few shells left now and Stafford can certainly count to 108. Scouts appear along several axes of advance (red arrows below). Nothing to worry about yet, but the contacts on Hill 33 look like fresh reinforcements. One of my teams on North Ridge is engaged with British infantry at Louvoy at about 300 m - a Bren gun, some scouts, a sniper and now a 2in mortar is joining in - I will have to pull them back before someone gets hurt. Maybe we will see a British attack in the final hour of the battle.

Situation update, 1430 hrs, 1 hr 40 minutes in. Literally nothing has changed over the last 20 minutes. Minimal fighting - I lost 3 men, Stafford lost confirmed 2 men and one halftrack. Our positions are unchanged.



Stafford has taken 65 confirmed casualties. One Firefly, one Stuart V, five Humber LRC armored cars and one M5A1 halftrack have been destroyed. One Firefly and two Cromwells have been damaged. The approximate purchase point value of the casualties is 808 points. 277 3in and 76 2in mortar bombs have been expended (estimated total supply is 432 3in and 288 2in).

I have taken 149 casualties. Two StuG III, four SPW 251/1 halftracks, two SPW 251/2 mortar halftracks and one SPW 251/3 command halftrack have been destroyed. One StuG III and two SPW 251/1 halftracks have been immobilized. Another StuG has lost 2 crew and is unable to reload the gun. The purchase value of the casualties is 1583 points. My artillery ammo expenditure is as follows:
81mm: 676/1080 (includes 132 HE lost with the mortar halftracks)
120mm: 60/60 - empty
150mm: 104/108

 

[Bulletpoint]

directly fired smoke seems to be seriously bugged.

I've had the same problem recently in a scenario, but I'm just tired of filing bug reports. And I think BFC are tired of receiving them.

 

[Drifter Man]

I've had the same problem recently in a scenario, but I'm just tired of filing bug reports. And I think BFC are tired of receiving them.

Yes - I think it is more efficient to look for workarounds where possible. We are more likely to get the M60A3XF8dacnhudyw tank in speculative 1986 camo before a mortar reliably capable of firing smoke ammunition.

 

[Drifter Man]

1431 hrs, Turn 101. Things are heating up! Too late for my infantry team on the North Ridge - I should have pulled them out as soon as I thought about it, rather than ordering them to throw smoke grenades first to cover their retreat. In this turn, the fire they were receiving intensified and became more accurate - at least two Brens, one sniper, 2in mortar. The gunner gets hit first by small arms fire, the leader goes next by a 2in mortar shell. I am left with two panicked rifles that will likely be wiped out by the mortar bombs that are on the way already.

However, on Hill 36 I am starting to have a workable smoke screen after I made one key mortar to start firing - by threatening them with court martial and confiscation of rum (whichever worked). Whether it is enough and whether I will be able to keep the smoke going for 4-5 minutes is a different question, but I decide to give the operation a go-ahead. Meanwhile I can hear British tanks taking positions on the hill, behind the smoke.

 

[Drifter Man]

1434 hrs, Turns 102-104. This is the point I am most anxiously watching now. The smoke screen has holes, and I can hear my opponent's tanks moving to exploit the holes and get a shot at the approaching halftracks - you may see the contact icons moving on the flanks. At the same time I am trying to patch the emerging holes, but as I said before, the mortars are unreliable when firing smoke. The next turn or two will decide if this operation becomes a success, a disaster, or anything in between. I don't have a good feeling about it. The smoke screen just isn't good enough.

At the center, British scouts take a pause for a moment. I lose one man to light mortar fire. In return, one British hero gets shot in the back while giving aid to his buddy. Sorry about that - I did not choose that target

Action on the left flank. I have been poking the Orchard with a HMG (only one crew remaining) from the North Ridge. A Stuart tried to respond from the Orchard, but its fire was mostly blocked by trees. I waited for British armor to appear on Hill 28 - specifically the Crusader AA - hoping that my StuH 42 will catch it. Instead, my opponent sent two close support Cromwell VIIIs (95mm howitzer) with a Cromwell IV - probably the Squadron HQ section. He used a sniper and area fire from one of the Cromwell VIIIs to try and close my hatches, but the StuH 42 spotted first and took out the other Cromwell VIII with a HEAT round. However, the last HMG man got hit and the machinegun position is now lost.

I decided not to try my luck and withdrew the StuH 42 from the top of North Ridge. It is heavily outnumbered on this flank, out of HEAT, and I can't spare a StuG to assist. At least I am sending the second StuH 42.





Interesting animal, this Cromwell VIII. You won't see them much in QBs probably, its rarity is pretty high and the British need their rarity points for other items. With 10 HEAT rounds for the main gun it is an asset to be reckoned with at close ranges. I don't mind that I was able to knock one out before it could do more damage.

Apart from that, the appearance of these two support tanks solves the puzzle of the enemy armored force. It is a Cromwell squadron with a HQ section (Cromwell IV + 2x Cromwell VIII), three troops with Fireflies and less three Cromwells (6x Cromwell IV, 3x Firefly), a pair of Crusader AA tank and a pair of Stuart Vs. Altogether 3013 points - a little over limit. My opponent may have reduced the quality of some of his tanks or just let it be. Or he may actually only have 6 Cromwells altogether.

EDIT: Turn sent, after a frantic search for any unit still having smoke ammo and able to fire at any of the holes in the screen. I am adjusting the HE firing mortars to fire on the far slope of the hill - I may have to cancel the mission to prevent hitting my own troops. And I am scared. I will need all the luck in the world to prevent turning this into a massacre.

 

[KGBoy]

Where’s that Marder? I’ve lost track.

 

[Drifter Man]

Where’s that Marder? I’ve lost track.

Here it is! It is still sitting in the same position. I don't want to put it on the North Ridge - I don't think it would survive there for long. The cover arc shows roughly where it can see (but it is not using that cover arc).

 

[KGBoy]

I was thinking more of a high/low strategy. Tanks on the hill have a choice between lowering their guns to hit 1/2 tracks or raising to kill tanks. Either way gives someone on your team a chance of success. Just not sure which is to be preferred.

 

[Drifter Man]

I was thinking more of a high/low strategy. Tanks on the hill have a choice between lowering their guns to hit 1/2 tracks or raising to kill tanks. Either way gives someone on your team a chance of success. Just not sure which is to be preferred.

Well they chose the halftracks - they are meaty targets. The tanks don't see each other.

 

[Drifter Man]

1437 hrs, Turns 105-107. The operation was a great success - in reducing the amount of units I have to manage for the rest of the battle The smell of palinka lingers over the battlefield.

The first halftrack made it and two panzergrenadiers ran up the hill - headlong into an oncoming Crusader AA tank, which got too close. Small arms fire hit the British commander, who was promptly replaced by another crew member, who then also received a bullet. Then the tank was finished off by a panzerschreck (praise Shregg). My men also eliminated a PIAT team waiting for them on the slope. A few seconds later, however, a Cromwell standing further back fired into the bunched up troops, killed a handful (including the tube guy) and sent the rest running. Trees and smoke are disabled in the video, otherwise you would not see a thing.

EDIT: notice the voice reaction to the smoke grenades thrown by the team in the foreground.

The second halftrack parked right in front of a Firefly. The passengers disembarked, including the schreck, but MG fire from the tank hit two men and sent the rest running, too.

The third halftrack also arrived unharmed and all panzergrenadiers reached the smoke screen, running after the Firefly. However, my opponent managed to pull it back just in time. A third lucky escape for this tank. Nevertheless, thanks to these first three halftracks, I have a platoon of infantry and a panzershcreck on the hill. They have already engaged British infantry.

The rest was a disaster. Two Cromwells pushed through the smoke screen into a blind spot on the western slope of the hill and started picking off the remaining halftracks. In two minutes I lost 5 halftracks and 50 men, most of them in the vehicles. There are several contenders for the 200th casualty award - they will have to split it up.

Watch the last shot to see what I meant about the distribution of luck in this battle - how I am supposed to beat this opponent?

There is one more bright aspect that lets me declare this operation as a "disaster" rather than an "utter disaster". The Firefly on Hill 33 also wanted to chime in, but was knocked out by a StuG from 1000 meters. First shot. These guys are good. You can actually see the shell passing overhead in the last video.

 

[Bulletpoint]

Another one of those "halftrack gets nicked in a rear corner and everyone somehow dies" cases.

Anyway, yes, not a lot of luck in this assault. The smoke was never dense enough, and the element of surprise was lost. However, it's not a real "palinka push" as that would just have been ordering everyone to run towards the enemy. You made a plan and tried your best to carry it out, despite difficulties with the game engine and not exactly the best conditions. So, that's worthy of merit at least. I don't think I could have done any better given the circumstances.

Oh, and the firefly got swatted finally.

 

[Drifter Man]

Another one of those "halftrack gets nicked in a rear corner and everyone somehow dies" cases.

Anyway, yes, not a lot of luck in this assault. The smoke was never dense enough, and the element of surprise was lost. However, it's not a real "palinka push" as that would just have been ordering everyone to run towards the enemy. You made a plan and tried your best to carry it out, despite difficulties with the game engine and not exactly the best conditions. So, that's worthy of merit at least. I don't think I could have done any better given the circumstances.

Oh, and the firefly got swatted finally.

Yes - I don't regret it - although the 50 pixeltruppen might disagree. And the swatted Firefly saves the points score, to some extent at least.
I gained experience with using halftracks, smoke bombs, assaulting tanks. Yes, the smoke was not good enough and could not be good enough. An attack of this type needs a dedicated smoke screen fired by large-caliber offmap guns. The direction of the wind did not help, either.

 

[Bulletpoint]

An attack of this type needs a dedicated smoke screen fired by large-caliber offmap guns.

Yep, but even then, the way smoke is delivered in this game makes it difficult to achieve a proper smokescreen. Shells are not properly spread out, which wastes the ones that hit basically the same spot, and they arrive so slowly that the first smoke clouds have dissipated by the time the last ones hit.

 

[Drifter Man]

Yep, but even then, the way smoke is delivered in this game makes it difficult to achieve a proper smokescreen. Shells are not properly spread out, which wastes the ones that hit basically the same spot, and they arrive so slowly that the first smoke clouds have dissipated by the time the last ones hit.

I've seen a good smoke screen from my opponent @Ibex - produced by 40 smoke shells fired by a 4-tube 155mm battery. The area covered by the smoke is about 180 x 100 meters. It was impenetrable and lasted for a decent amount of time, maybe close to 10 minutes. But I would need to cover almost 300 meters here.

 

[Bulletpoint]

I've seen a good smoke screen from my opponent @Ibex - produced by 40 smoke shells fired by a 4-tube 155mm battery. The area covered by the smoke is about 180 x 100 meters. It was impenetrable and lasted for a decent amount of time, maybe close to 10 minutes. But I would need to cover almost 300 meters here.

Of course it can work in some cases, but that's a whole lot of very big shells on a very small space.

 

[Larsen]

I reread the original rules and I am curious why you agreed on only using regular troops with 0 leadership and standard motivation.
I think that the current morale model (casualties provide a huge hit on morale while suppression is just a temporary effect) really favors higher experience troops with high morale (leadership modifiers are kinda useless as they change once the leader gets shot).