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Ilor posted:This has been a very engaging Let's Play and I am really enjoying following along!
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Feb 5, 2024 17:50
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you really get a sense for how useful motorcycle infantry is at this scale
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Feb 5, 2024 18:09
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gradenko_2000 posted:you really get a sense for how useful motorcycle infantry is at this scale
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Feb 5, 2024 18:19
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Tekopo posted:Yeah, they are basically an equivalent of Napoleonic Cavalry/Dragoons, useful for chasing down and neutralising retreating enemies, but pretty vulnerable in a stand-up fight against prepared enemies. There's really nothing they do better than Halftracked infantry (who have the benefit of having some steel between the infantry and the bullets), which is why the Wallies never really bothered with them in 43-45.
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Feb 5, 2024 21:16
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Game Turn 46: 1700, 25th May Supply Levels  Upon hearing that the Commonwealth troops were evacuating, many Greek infantry companies decided that if the British weren't going to fight, they might as well leave and fight individually for their homes. Many such formations fled for the hills, becoming resistance cells later that harassed the German occupation later. Some Greeks, however, decided to hold their ground. The GJR 100 takes an opportunity with a lull in the fighting to reform and regather, in order to account how much fighting strength the Regiment has left. Although still capable, the regiment has obviously taken many casualties, and many of the companies are at half-strength or less.  GJR 100 for the relatively short time it fought sure took a licking. It is under-strength compared to 141 or 85 though. The 1st FJR, in high spirits, starts firing at the retreating British soldiers, trying to prevent them from escaping down south. The fire, however, is relatively unsuccessful. Near Maleme, the LLSR packs up and starts moving towards Canea, joining the column of soldiers. Although tired, the German soldiers are in high spirits.   As the fighting dies down in Heraklion, some paratroopers that had been stranded in the other side of the city manage to rejoin the main group that has been solidly fighting for the last 6 days. Many of the paratroopers still can't believe that they managed to win out in the end. (Random Event: Lost Fallschirmjager) The Gebirgs Division advances, but AA guns shifted to cover Canea have fields of fire over the plain in front of the city, and the Gebirgs, trying to regroup, are kept at bay for now.  The Rangers and Welch, held in force reserve until now, are finally allowed to move, covering the city and the road between Suda and Canea. There aren't enough forces to cover the entire line, but it is hoped that any remaining forces in the city will be able to be extracted by boat during the night.  The 14th Brigade has almost completely pulled out of Heraklion. Since all possible transports are being diverted to Canea, the port is left to the Germans, with only a Greek company left to protect their home from the invaders. 
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Feb 5, 2024 22:23
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tomdidiot posted:There's really nothing they do better than Halftracked infantry (who have the benefit of having some steel between the infantry and the bullets), which is why the Wallies never really bothered with them in 43-45.
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Feb 5, 2024 22:24
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Game Turn 47: 1900, 25th May Supply Levels  The 2nd NZ Division forms a line to screen the approach to Suda while the engineers of 5th Brigade, all that is still combat worthy for the brigade, start digging fortifications on the dockside proper.  The Gebirgs keep their push towards both Canea and now Suda, with the motorbike racing ahead to make contact with the Rangers, braving the scattered ground AA fire from Canea itself. The GJR 141 attempts to infiltrate the city to the north, while the GJR 85 pushes towards Suda and GJR 100 is held as a reserve, awaiting to exploit any openings.  More planned reinforcements come to Maleme, but these are now mostly mop-up crews since the fate of the battle has already been decided.  1st FJR moves to prevent any units from the 14th Infantry Brigade from escaping, managing to make one company surrender while surrounding a second. To the east, the paratroopers give chase after securing the city, causing many casualties on the retreating Brits.  The Forces of the MNDBO keep pulling back, or try to. The motorbikes from the Mountain Division prevent the Rangers from retreating, causing them to keep their head down, pinned for now, and in danger from the main body of the Germans just up the road.  The 14th Brigade keeps attempting to evacuate south, although the Germans either attempt to cut off or chase the escaping elements of the Brigade.  Night finally descends on the 6th day of fighting, but the battle is all but lost for the Allies.
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Feb 5, 2024 23:17
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So this fight goes 'roughly' as it did historically? The Allies lose but inflict heavy losses on German elite forces which they're never reconstituted from?
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Feb 6, 2024 00:19
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wedgekree posted:So this fight goes 'roughly' as it did historically? The Allies lose but inflict heavy losses on German elite forces which they're never reconstituted from?
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Feb 6, 2024 07:17
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Game Turn 48: Night, 25 May Supply Levels  The LLSR keeps moving up the road, trying to bypass Canea and join the GJR 85 heading towards Suda. The going is fairly slow during the night: after days of hard fighting, the soldiers of the LLSR surely need a rest.  In Heraklion, the chase keeps going, as the Germans attempt to entrap any fleeing allies, even though it is difficult for them to stop them during the night.  An unexpected boon for the Germans is that the LLSR paratroopers are joined by survivors of the ill-fated 3rd FJR that had been hiding out in prison valley when the regiment had been encircled and destroyed in detail. (Random Event: Lost Fallschirmjager) CREFORCE keeps building up, and there is some good news for the defenders of Suda, as Layforce commandos arrive to help screen the Allied units and enable them to withdraw further down south. The DDF leaves the trenches, not equipped well enough to be more than a nuisance to the Germans. Meanwhile, the 19th Australian Brigade has nearly arrived near Gergeoupolis.  In Heraklion, the retreat is in progress throughout the night, and more elements of the 14th Brigade are able to slip away from the fight. The cover of night also allows some of the scattered remaining British troops to lose contact with the Germans.  What's left of the 2nd NZ Division either keeps digging on the Suda perimeter, or are transported to safety from Canea: the 10th Composite Battalion has left the island, although the remaining scratch companies are very badly shaken. Under the cover of darkness, Gebirgsjager from the 141 and elements from the 85 infiltrate towards the guns, engaging them and preventing them from being able to screen the approaches to Canea. The fire from the AA guns is ineffective, and no casualties are sustained by the Germans during the infiltration. Once the approaches have been cleared, both GJR 85 and 141 have an easier time getting set up to either assault Canea or Suda. Reinforcements and more artillery also make their way out of Maleme towards the fight.  Night will soon end, and like the previous days, this will likely mean a concentrated attack by the German forces. The defenders of Suda and Canea can only hope that they will be able to get away.
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Feb 7, 2024 00:18
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Does fatigue play an active part in this scenario, or are the Germans assumed to have an ample supply of amphetamines?
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Feb 7, 2024 02:25
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MMP just announced that they're developing a 2.0 version of GTS: The Devil's Cauldron, covering Operation Market-Garden!
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Feb 7, 2024 04:24
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Ilor posted:Does fatigue play an active part in this scenario, or are the Germans assumed to have an ample supply of amphetamines?
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Feb 7, 2024 08:04
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gradenko_2000 posted:MMP just announced that they're developing a 2.0 version of GTS: The Devil's Cauldron, covering Operation Market-Garden!
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Feb 7, 2024 08:38
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Game Turn 49: 0700, 26th May Supply Levels  With the potential that the Germans might siege the city, the Welch Regiment repositions to cover the eastern approaches to the city. One of the AA attempts to mount up and leave, but even with the cover of the city, exiting the area will be tricky.  Artillery fire attempts to provide cover to the Rangers pulling back towards Suda: it is more than effective and the motorbike troops get decimated, allowing the Rangers to pull back to within a kilometre of the port. Layforce commandos near the port enter the prebuilt trenches that protect the port.  Mixed forces of Australians and Royal Marines leave column in order to protect the crucial crossroad town of Neon-Charion. They will pull back eventually, but it is crucially important that the town is held in order to keep the retreat path open both for combat and non-combat evacuees.  The 19th Australian finally arrives at Georgeoupolis, although interdiction efforts by the German Luftwaffe have made the trip hazardous. Still, apart from having to leave the road a couple of times, the Brigade is relatively unscathed. Their first objective is to relieve MNDBO forces in Neon-Charion.  Most of the 14th Brigade has successfully ex-filtrated to the south of the island, and only three companies remain in the area, although they are constantly harassed by German troops. Some of the British troops from C Company of the Leicestershire Regiment are forced to surrender under withering firepower, although other soldiers manage to get away as the supply situation for the Germans is rather dire after 7 days of fighting. Partisans are a constant threat for the Germans, and they have lost many a commanding officer due to them. The latest casualty is Oberst Krakau of the GJR 85, who gets wounded by a sniper and is forced to concede command of the regiment. (Random Event: Leader Loss) The LLSR keeps moving up, aiming to set up to the east of Canea and attack the city from there.  The 1st FJR tries to move as quickly as possible in order to catch the last few remaining elements of the 14th Brigade left at Heraklion. They are successful in catching some of them, causing heavy casualties on the fleeing British soldiers.  The last of the 141 GJR arrives at Maleme. This is the last of the reinforcements due to arrive by air for the Germans. Some of the elements of the 5th Gebirgs Regiment had attempted to arrive by sea, but they had been driven off by the Royal Navy, although the Royal Navy had not escaped unscathed from protecting the island, losing several cruisers and destroyers in the fight.  A preliminary bombardment of Canea is already underway, and the emplaced AA guns take withering fire from the GJR 141. Meanwhile, the bulk of the GJR 85 moves closer to Suda, and the GJR 100 and motor and bicycle elements prepare to take the winding road up the hills to Malaxa in order to bypass the defenders at Suda and attempt to cut the road south to Skafia.  In Heraklion, the Medium Royal Artillery regiment that was trying to retreat is finally caught by the Germans and is forced to surrender. The attack on Canea finally begins, and the first targets are the AA guns protecting the city. Swift fire from the Germans knocks two out of the three emplacements in the first half hour of the attack, but further probes are repulsed by determined British troops.  The LLSR finally sets up in position to attack the city, and some artillery is fired at the AA guns currently attempting to pull back from the edges of Canea.  The 2nd NZ Division, apart from firing some artillery at the German bicycle troops, hunkers down, still digging fortifications that will certainly help stem the tide a little bit. The artillery fire is ineffective and does little to discourage the Germans. Meanwhile, the GJR 100 and motorcycle units race up the road to Malaxa. There is no road down from the hill to the east, so the climb down will be more difficult, but hopefully by the end of the day, the regiment should be able to be on the road towards Georgeoupolis.  The attack on Suda by the GJR 85 is underway, but first the Germans need to clear the Rangers blocking the road to the port. Artillery fire is directed towards the Rangers, causing light casualties, and attempts at encircling the British troops are made, although held in check by 4th NZ Brigade forces.  The Rangers attempt to pull away, but the north-most company is forced to the ground by heavy, accurate German fire. The other company manages to disengage, although takes some casualties while doing so. The rest of the MNDBO forces ether fire at the Gebirgsjager of the 141st Regiment, or keep fleeing towards the south of the island. 
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Feb 7, 2024 11:21
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that's a scary-looking envelopment developing around Canea. Are the Germans possibly looking to seal it off completely (along hex-columns 52-53)? anything the Allies could do in response?
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Feb 7, 2024 11:39
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There's not much that the allies can do. The idea with Canea, at least for the Allies, is to hold the city and get the defenders out by boat (at the tune of 2 units per night). The defensive bonus should help in this regard. I could have retreated them out of the city, but with the arrival of layforce, stacking in Suda would have been a problem, and this way two German formation get tied up trying to clear the city instead.
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Feb 7, 2024 12:03
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Game Turn 50: 0900, 26th May Supply Levels  The remaining 14th Brigade forces in Heraklion kept attempting to flee, with mixed results. The Black Watch company is forced to hit the ground when they attempt to lose contact with the Germans, but the other company further to the west manages to slip away from them, for now. The 5th Gebirgs Regiment continues its preparations for the attack on Suda. While the GJR 85 keeps marching towards the bay itself, GJR 100 and the motorbike detachments have reached Malaxas, and will soon start their descent.  The remaining Rangers manage to retreat, but take many casualties from the encroaching Germans. The survivors, however, manage to make it back to the line at Suda.  With the potential of Germans infiltrating beyond Suda, the MNDBO forces dig in around the crossroad, which might be enough to deter the Germans from attacking without access to any heavy artillery.  The 19th Australian Brigade keeps moving up the road, reaching Georgeoupolis and beyond.  The noose around Canea is tightening, but the Allies can do little to stop it and plans are already in motion to extract the forces in the city by boat.  The 2nd NZ Division peppers the enemy formations with its remaining artillery, to no effect, although the barrage should at least slow down the Germans.  The attack on Suda by GJR 85 is finally under way, with a preliminary bombardment by mortars and artillery, and an advance by infantry across the whole front. Thanks to their fortifications, the Commonwealth troops manage to avoid the worst of it, but some casualties have already occurred.  There's a partisan attack on the German artillery that is still in column formation, but although the partisans manage to ambush the German formation, the partisan fire is ineffective to say the least. The 4th Brigade tries to keep the Germans at bay, with artillery and light mortar fire: some casualties are caused on one of the diminished GJ companies, but it's unlikely to be enough. 
Tekopo fucked around with this message at 14:05 on Feb 7, 2024 |
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Feb 7, 2024 14:01
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Game Turn 51: 1100, 26th May Supply Levels  GJR has almost bypassed the Allied positions, and once down the hill, is poised to either attack Suda from the back, or make an attempt at cutting off the road to the south.  The LLSR finally makes contact with the defenders of Canea. The artillery and mortar barrage is extensive, but the densily packed houses provide more than enough cover, and the artillery barrage has little effect on the British troops holding the city. 1 FJR is almost done with capturing the last few companies of the Black Watch that are currently trying to escape near Heraklion.  The CREFORCE units keep retreating towards the south, with some fortifications set up near Neon-Charion. The 19th Australian is also on the way to the village, avoiding the road south to Skafia and instead coming to help shore up the defences.  The attack by the GJR 85 continues, causing casualties on the 2nd NZ Division defenders: even with so much firepower aimed at the Kiwis, they still manage to hold on for now.  A quarter of an hour passes before the onslaught continues. The entire GJR 85 line charges down at the Kiwis, and although they are able to hold back most of the Germans, the final assault overtakes the Allied position, getting the Germans that much closer to Suda and the port. The GJR 100 has started its descent on the other side of the town as well. Return fire from the Kiwis does little, with even the artillery fire against the massed German forces not having any effect.  Within Heraklion, the last pockets of Allied resistance have been rounded up and captured, with the rest of the 14th Brigade now well on their way to the south coast of Crete. The fighting near the city has finally died down and the remaining paratroopers head to secure the city and airfield to the north. GJR 141 is also pressing Canea closely, with ample artillery bombardments and some ineffective small arms fire. Light casualties are sustained by the defending Welch and Australian Regiment troops.  The MNDBO fires back, and has more success than the Germans, with many casualties amongst the Gebirgsjager of the 85th GJR, which are attacking Suda. The rest of the formation either keeps digging near Neon-Charion or continues marching for the safety of the south. 
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Feb 7, 2024 15:46
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Game Turn 52: 1300, 26th May Supply Levels  The 19th Australian Brigade goes past Wrisses, another crucial crossroad town, and should be arriving at Neon-Charion within the next couple of hours, at which point it will take ownership of the defence of the town and the rest of the MNDBO will head to the south.  Artillery fire from the 2nd NZ Division is not very effective, as the Germans have been performing counter-battery fire in an attempt to help the attack on Suda. Other light mortar fire has a similar lack of effect.  Receiving heavy fire from the city, a LLSR company tries to pull back from the approaches in order to rest and recuperate, but as it pulls out, accurate fire from the Welch Regiment takes out many paratroopers.  The bombardment of Suda continues, while the GJR 100 cuts the road to Georgeoupolis. The motorbike companies, seeing an unprotected path near the coast, spring forward, threatening the artillery park of the allies. The soldiers from Layforce attempt to drive off the motorbike infantry, but the attempt is unsuccessful, primarily due to the ammo shortages being felt.  The Rangers move to protect the artillery park, while mortars try to keep the motorbike infantry suppressed, but end up catching them in the open and causing many casualties. The situation for the Germans is made even worse when a directly-fired artillery barrage causes an entire company to be combat-ineffective. 
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Feb 7, 2024 17:15
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Post the Withdrawal levels?
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Feb 7, 2024 20:01
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Current withdrawal level is 26! I'll add it to the end of the updates.
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Feb 7, 2024 21:15
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Game Turn 53: 1500, 26th May Supply Levels  The MNDBO forces keep firing, causing heavy casualties on the second motorcycle company, who is trying to hold fast in the face of heavy fire that is trying to dislodge them. Canea also erupts with fire, as the MNDBO attempts to push back the besieging Germans. The rest of the formation keeps moving down the road to the south coast.  The GJR 85 keeps pushing for the port, knowing that it is critical for the Germans to capture it while many of the transports are still docked and not ready to depart. Although direct assaults prove difficult, the screening force of the 4th Brigade is basically cleared, with only one combat-effective company left, although it is protected by the trenches.  With the 19th Australian Brigade finally arriving at Neon-Charion, the rest of the MNDBO units start marching south on the retreat path, leaving the Australians to defend the crossroad.  Unfortunately, the attempts to dislodge the motorcycle soldiers happens too late: GJR 100 Gebirgsjager come in to exploit the gap, and the motorcycle troops fire on the artillery, taking out one battery and suppressing the other. Return fire from the artillery firing directly is less effective, even after the layforce company to the south opens fire as well.  The 19th Brigade, meanwhile, deploys in order to protect Neon-Charion, setting up their positions and rallying after such a long march.  While the 1 FJR regroups in the city of Heraklion and captures the now-undefended airfield, the LLSR shells the forces of the Welch Regiment in Canea: one shell manages to collapse a building, causing many casualties amongst the defenders.  Withdrawal Level: 26
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Feb 7, 2024 23:52
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Game Turn 54: 1700, 26th May Supply Levels  The Welch Regiment feels the full force of the LLSR mortars and artillery, and even with the houses providing cover, it is not enough. The company protecting the south-most part of the city is forced to scatter, while a heavy strike in the eastern end turns many houses into nothing more than rubble.  Accurate small arms and mortar fire from the GJR 100 takes out the last of the artillery batteries from the 2nd NZ Division, and also deals with the Rangers, caught out in the open while attempting to protect the artillery. The GJR 100 surrounds the layforce company hunkered down in their entrenchments, but now the road to the port is almost clear. Counter-battery fire also targets the artillery and mortar team that is all that's left of the CREFORCE artillery and mortar sections.  Layforce fires back at the Germans, but only succeeds in forcing one Gebirgsjager and motorcycle company to hit the ground, suppressed by the accurate and disciplined fire from the commandos. The Welch and Australians protecting Canea cede some ground in order so that they can prepare units to ex-filtrate during the night. They do receive some casualties while attempting to lose contact with the Germans, but the procedure is successful, and the line significantly shortened, although the inner city is now accessible to the Germans.  The 19th Australian Brigade recuperates and starts preparing defensive positions to hold the town.  The LLSR moves into position, and the 1st FJR has finally reassembled in or near Heraklion. Too far away to affect the fight in, it will remain within Heraklion and protect it from any stay-behind or partisan attack.  The 5th Gebirgs Division, relatively spent after an entire day on the offensive, rests and recuperates, with only the occasional artillery fire to ensure that the British keep their heads down.  Withdrawal Level: 26
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Feb 8, 2024 00:31
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Historical Post: 4th Day and Beyond As mentioned, the 5th Brigade managed to retreat in a much more timely fashion than our equivalent in this game. Most of the 2nd NZ Division, along with elements of the 19th Australian Brigade that had arrived during the night in order to replace the positions formerly held by 4th NZ Brigade (something that actually caused a delay in the attack because Freyberg was adamant that the 4th Bde positions should be filled before the counter-attack on the 22nd occurred), fought the Germans not at Modion/Platanias like in our game, but much further back, at Galatas, near Prison Valley. Although the 2nd NZ Division fought bravely, with the fact that 5th Gebirgs elements had managed to link with the 3rd FJR in Prison Valley, the position was untenable. It was only the fortitude of Greek forces that prevented the Kiwis from being completely cut off, as they slowed down the forces of GJR 85 that were attempting to flank them from the south. The Commonwealth forces were forced to withdraw to Canea proper and Suda, also protecting a stretch of road known as 42nd Street that linked the two locations together. From there, history kind of reflects our own timeline, although with some differences. The Germans managed to get close to Canea/Suda much earlier than our timescale, but that is due to the fact that the Allies in our game defended a line much closer to Maleme than in real life. Evacuation was already in motion by the 26th, however, much like in the game, and Layforce also landed in Suda with much of the Allied forces in disarray and ready to leave. From there they would defend Suda, but in the end it cost them greatly. In Rethymnon, Campbell did not receive words of the evacuation, and eventually the entire force there would be captured by the Germans. in Heraklion, the stalemate continued.
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Feb 8, 2024 13:11
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Game Turn 55: 1900, 26th May Supply Levels  There's apprehension in the air, with the few companies of the 2nd NZ Division still in fighting shape completely surrounded by Germans. Some supply drops arrive amongst the Gebirgsjager, bringing much-needed supplies, especially to the GJR 100 and motorcycle troops that have a more difficult supply line to the main German concentration. The LLSR, having heard that the GJR 85 needed some support, diverts one of its mortar companies south, providing spotting for its artillery pieces, which ineffectually shell the entrenched British positions.  The GJR 100 keeps up its attack, raining fire down on the rear-guard layforce company and the artillery, with the latter being more effective than the former. All that fire ends up amounting to little, as the Layforce commandos prove their worth and training.  The LLSR keeps advancing into Canea, with artillery providing cover. The artillery is merciless, splashing into the city indiscriminately, and large parts of the city, and the old Venetian palaces, are irrevocably destroyed during the barrage.  The remaining CREFORCE forces in Canea wait until the coming of night before retreating, but the company and mortar team get ready to embark as soon as the sky turns dark. The 19th Australian keeps digging near Neon-Charion, while the rest of the units keep marching to the south.   Just as daylight is about to fade, the GJR 85 makes one more attack, trying to dislodge the remaining 2nd NZ Division company, but the trenches prove to be too much, and the Kiwis only take light casualties. With the sun going down, the attack is called off with little result.  Withdrawal Level: 27
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Feb 8, 2024 19:47
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Was writing the next update but I've hit a weird rules edge case!
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Feb 8, 2024 20:58
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Game Turn 56: Night, 26th May Supply Levels  There is little movement by the Gebirgsjager as night hits, but what movement there is is important. After a small diversionary bombardment on the commandos holding the eastern approaches to Suda, one half-strength Gebirgsjager company and an GJR 100 MG company sneak their way further inside the perimeter, hugging the coast as much as possible. Their approach goes largely unnoticed by the preoccupied commandos.  Finally noticing the Germans, the engineers of 5th Brigade try to fire at them, but their small arms fire is ineffective. The last remaining 4th Brigade company also begins firing into the fight, and has some success against GJR 85 soldiers.  The ships finally pick up more evacuees from Canea, removing a mortar platoon and a infantry company from the siege. The defenders will have to continue making the perimeter smaller until they are all able to be extracted out. To the south, more British troops are successfully making the march down to relative safety.  Further reinforcements from Layforce attempt to land at Suda, but the transports come under withering firepower from the Germans MG emplacements, forcing them back. In order to land any forces, it will be necessary to clear the port of enemy fire, but with such diminished forces, will the Allies be able to? Withdrawal Level: 30
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Feb 8, 2024 23:02
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If you are wondering what the weird edge-case was: find it here
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Feb 8, 2024 23:03
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Game Turn 57: 0700, 27th May Supply Levels  The coming of dawn is met by early-morning Luftwaffe air-strikes, targeting the remaining defenders of Suda. Most of them are ineffective, but one strafe takes out the last mortar platoon, leaving the remaining Commonwealth troops without artillery support of any kind.  The LLSR artillery also starts firing, some of it aimed at the defenders in Suda, but other artillery targeting Canea. Once again, many houses are wrecked by the fire, killing civilians and British troops alike, with the Welch Regiment taking heavy casualties. The LLSR takes the opportunity to advance closer to the port.  Layforce attempts to fight back, but getting out of the trenches to head for the port would mean braving countless machine gun emplacements. Still, with their lifeline in danger, an attempt needs to be made. The Layforce company to the south gets out of their trenches, taking MG fire, which thankfully only causes light casualties. The supply situation for the encircled Suda defenders is getting drastic, and many Layforce commandos are running out of ammunition.  A Company Layforce moves north under MG fire, with casualties mounting, but no choice in the matter. It is a do or die moment, and to stay in the trenches with the docks in danger is not an option. The 2nd NZ Division soldiers try to keep up the fire against the Germans, but to little effect.  Layforce opens fire on the Germans once again, causing some casualties among both the MG company and the motorcycle troopers keeping the corridor to the port open. The DDF forces that were retreating to the south finally manage to get to the road towards Sfakia.  The Gebirgs artillery finally opens up, blanketing the Layforce company within Suda itself in fire, and disrupting the commandos, with many casualties caused by the fire. The commandos hit the ground, finally suppressed, unable to withstand such volume of fire.  The GJR 141 edges closer to the city of Canea as well, along with LLSR fire pouring into the dock-side areas of the city, but apart from laying down a barrage, it has little effect on the defenders.  There are some unexpected arrivals for the Germans: a small company of tanks arrives in Kastelli, sporting Panzer IIs. Far from the front line, it's unlikely their arrival will have any effect on the outcome of the battle.  Withdrawal Level: 34 Tekopo fucked around with this message at 10:40 on Feb 9, 2024 |
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Feb 9, 2024 10:37
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Game Turn 58: 0900, 27th May Supply Levels The remaining MNDBO forces in Canea attempt to discourage the paratroopers, but with the rubble present, the Fallschirmjagers have very good cover and the lack of heavy weapons within the Welch Regiment and Australian Command troops means that they can do little to the Germans. The LLSR strikes back, and after managing to make the Australian on the western end of the line seek cover, an assault is under way, which proves to be relatively inconclusive, with the Australians only receiving minor casualties.  The defence of Suda is furious, with the Kiwis pouring as much firepower on the Germans as they can afford, but the barrage and lack of ammunition means that the volume of fire leaves something to be desired. Fire from the LLSR mortar unit near Suda is more effective, and the Layforce company is devastated by accurate fire.  The GJR 141 finally springs into action, sending Gebirgsjager streaming into the city: their heavy mortars keep adding to the death toll as well, with many Australians caught in collapsing houses.  GJR 85, on their part, carry out a heavy attack against the remaining Kiwis: with heavy fire laid down by mortars and small arms, the Gebirgsjager finally assault, suppressing the Kiwis and causing heavy casualties, despite the trenches protecting them. The officers after a while manage to get the Kiwis to man their guns yet again, but it is unlikely that they will manage to keep the line for much longer. There is a simultaneous attack by the GJR 100 on the other side of the defensive line, but it has little effect and the fire from the GJR 100 does little to nothing. Answering fire from Layforce also falls short.  Hearing news of the dire situation in Suda, the 19th Australian Brigade starts moving up the road in an attempt to relieve the defenders.  Having massed a huge amount of infantry, something only possible due to the lack of artillery pieces available to the allies, the GJR 85 mounts a huge assault on the last remaining company of the 4th NZ Brigade. The Gebirgsjager get close and assault the position, finally taking it from the Kiwis. The dock is just 500 meters away. The engineers fire back, but even against the massed Germans, the fire does nothing, both due to a lack of ammunition and the heavy barrage from the mortars. Fire from the Layforce company to the south proves more effective however, causing light casualties among the Germans.  The Germans try to carry their momentum into the dock itself, but only one company manages to get into position, and the Engineers manage to drive them away easily, stopping the attack. Withdrawal Level: 34
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Feb 9, 2024 11:35
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Game Turn 59: 1100, 27th May Supply Levels Remaining Layforce commandos keep up the fire against the Germans soldiers, with the massed companies taking some casualties and the motorcycle company receiving a withering fire that wounds and kills many Germans stuck on the open ground.  The LLSR keeps its attack on Canea going, but diverts more mortar troops to help the Gebirgsjager near Suda. The Germans will need to build up some more supplies before they can renew the attack, as the supplies of the GJR 85 are almost spent.  The commandos keep up the fire, suppressing the motorcycle company: meanwhile, forces of the 19th Australian are finally approaching the outer elements of the German force, although with the supply situation as it is, it is unlikely that they will be able to save the forces there.  One final volley from the commandos finally clears the motorcycle company, leaving to flee the area, and also suppresses the Gebirgsjager attacking the dock. Subsequent fire from the engineers also causes appreciable casualties on the Germans as well, thanks to the target-rich environment.  The LLSR mortar companies keep moving up to Suda, setting up their equipment quickly, ready to send barrages down to the docks of Suda in order to extricate the dug-in engineers. This is quickly followed by a barrage of fire, laying down a heavy barrage on the docks, but thankfully the engineers are able to keep their heads up.  Withdrawal Level: 34
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Feb 9, 2024 12:03
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Game Turn 60: 1300, 27th May Supply Levels GJR 85 mortars keep up the fire on the engineers and entrenched Layforce commandos, laying down some heavy barrages on the enemy positions. The company of Gebirgsjager that took the brunt of the fire retreats from the engagement, but it is quickly replaced by another company of fresh German troops, although this advance is met with fire from the Layforce troopers.  Heavy fire by LLSR mortars and artillery is having a toll on the engineers, but their officers are able to keep the men motivated and to not get suppressed by the volume of fire incoming.  The LLSR also continues its attack on Canea, and although an assault is attempted on the eastern part of the city, the British troops manage to fend the paratroopers off.  With the volume of fire, the engineers were going to be suppressed eventually, and with leadership breaking down due to the heavy fire, the soldiers are forced to duck for cover. Seeing their opportunity, the Gebirgsjager storm in, managing to make contact. A volley of small arms fire is directed at the engineers, causing many casualties, before they are finally charged, with the Germans taking the docks by storm. Many transports, still docked to the bay and that were in the process of moving off, are captured: with similar occurrences happening at Canea, there isn't enough transport available to evacuate the island successfully. Many of the remaining troops are forced into haphazard solutions, and although some British troops manage to evacuate, many are left stranded. Most Commonwealth formations are forced to surrender, but some decide to head for the hills and join resistance groups, or potentially await for more clandestine evacuations later on. The Battle of Crete is finally over. But blood will be continued to be shed on the island for many years to come. The Germans have won a Sudden Death Victory by capturing Suda Port!
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Feb 9, 2024 12:26
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So this LP is officially over, as I have met one of the victory conditions. I'm glad we were able to go the distance on this (although I was so taken in the last few turns that I decided to rapid-fire them, since I knew the end was getting close). I made an executive decision that I would follow the ruling in BGG in regards to that edge-case at the end, but instead of making them appear elsewhere (the only options were Rethymnon and Canea, with the former not really changing the battle and the latter pretty much dooming the rest of Layforce), I instead decided that they would appear if and only if the allies recaptured Suda, which seemed unlikely. One of the other sudden death victory conditions was to protect the crossroad towns, which is why I had the 19th Australian camped there. To be honest, that was a mistake: I should have sent them to help protect Suda, but I thought that I would be able to keep the Germans at bay until I got the second part of Layforce into the battle. I also wanted to be able to retreat 19th Australian Bde: if they got stuck in with the flanking force from GJR 100, I would be toast. If only the Allies had protected the eastern approach properly, they might have hold on, but I only realised that vulnerability once I started looking at it from a German perspective, and once I saw it, I had to take advantage of it. Alas, the fortunes of war. I had a lot of fun, and the system is very easy and enjoyable to solo, since the chit pulls means that even I cannot fully account for what is going to happen. The campaign had its fair shares of twists and turns, and honestly could have gone either way, especially at the start, although if the Commonwealth had managed to hold on to Suda, I think the end result would have been a draw, considering the number of units evacuated. I think I like GTS a lot, it created some really memorable scenes during the game. I would like to thank everyone for your comments, questions and compliments!
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Feb 9, 2024 12:36
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Final battlefields:   Dead pile: 
Tekopo fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Feb 9, 2024 |
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Feb 9, 2024 12:37
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Awesome LP, it's a pretty big accomplishment getting through it so quickly. Fun stuff for sure, I think I like chit pull as a concept, it makes the order of battle just that much more unknown.
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Feb 9, 2024 13:54
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Astounding casualties for the allies in that pile. Although considering the blanket of chits at the start, maybe not surprising. What were the other win conditions in play for both sides?
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Feb 9, 2024 14:17
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Victory conditions for the Germans are: Capture Canea before the 0700 26th May Turn (Sudden Death Victory) Capture Suda before the 0700 28th May Turn (Sudden Death Victory) If Allied Withdrawal in Effect, capture Neon-Chorion before 0700 28th May Turn or Wrisses 0700 29th May Turn (Sudden Death Victory) Allied victory conditions are: If the Germans fail to trigger Allied Withdrawal by the end of Night 29th May (Allied Decisive Victory) If Withdrawal is in effect and none of the sudden death losses are triggered, every unit evacuated adds to withdrawal level, and at the end of the game we check what the withdrawal level is:  I think we were likely heading to a draw or allied marginal victory, which is more or less the historical result. Tekopo fucked around with this message at 14:29 on Feb 9, 2024 |
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Feb 9, 2024 14:26
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Historical Post: The Aftermath The end of our campaign was slightly gamey, in a sense: there is no real reason for the Allies to need to hold Suda until the 28th, apart from the fact that in real life, the Allies were able to hold it until then and it did allow for some seaborne extraction to occur, as well as holding the path towards Sfakia. The retreat was quite disordered, as they tend to be, with many soldiers suffering during the trip down to the southern coast, as supplies, food and water was very scarce, especially after the Allies lost the port at Suda. Layforce suffered greatly due to the fact that they were the rear-guard of the Commonwealth Forces, and only about a quarter of them managed to escape with their lives. Campbell and the rest of the Commonwealth forces at Rethymnon were forced to surrender en mass, although because of their presence, 5th Gebirgs did divert to Rethymnon rather than keep pressing south to Sfakia, which likely allowed many Allied troops to evacuate. In Heraklion, 14th Brigade was extremely surprised that they were forced to evacuate, as they felt they had won the battle in their sector and that the rest of the island had "let the side down". Their retreat was quite orderly, and was almost all done by boat extraction, something that is present in the game but more limited, for game reasons. Unfortunately, many 14th Brigade soldiers did not manage to get back to Egypt, as the destroyers and small boats they used to evacuate were attacked by the Luftwaffe, and many of them were sunk. The story for the remaining Commonwealth forces is a mixed one. Some surrendered to the Germans, some fled to the hills: of the latter, some joined the resistance and fought with the Cretans for the rest of the war, while others took other opportunities to escape the islands. Cretan civilian against the Germans was strong from the outset, and resistance movements were present amongst the Cretans from the very start, which is unlike the more gradual development of resistance groups in other countries. The civilian response to the invasion was used by the Germans as an excuse for the vast reprisals against Cretan civilians. The resistance continued, however, and would be a thorn on the side of the Germans and Italian occupying troops. Patrick Leigh Fermor remained on the island to help the resistance movements, and even carried out a daring mission to capture a German general. German-occupied Crete only surrendered once the War in Europe was essentially over, and as mentioned, were allowed to keep their guns for 2 weeks post-surrender in order to defend themselves against Cretan partisan attacks. Eventually the British came back, but peace on the island would not remain for long, as Greece was embroiled in a civil war soon afterwards. Tekopo fucked around with this message at 18:46 on Feb 9, 2024 |
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Feb 9, 2024 15:15
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| # ? May 4, 2024 05:21 |
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This has been a great series to follow and I appreciate the time and effort that you put into it. Thanks, and I look forward to the next one!
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Feb 9, 2024 21:05
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