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Barrages are essentially a form of soft suppression, which is cool. Even the bravest Para or Panzergrenadier is diving for cover when the arty comes flying. They’ll still get up and shoot back if they get attacked (unlike actual suppression) .
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Mar 9, 2024 14:33
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 11:07 |
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Game Turn 8: Night, 24th of November Another deluge greets the coming of the night, meaning that, with the dark and the rain combined, fighting during the next hours will be increasingly difficult. The 901st, that had planned to attack before the coming of the night, was delayed, and by the time the rain starts, the attack is called off. With the hammering that the 901st has taken, a careful withdrawal is necessary, but the command and control structure of the Panzer Lehr is in considerable disarray, considering the unexpected arrival of the 4th Armoured Division. Overall they simply pull back and attempt to regroup to meet the threat of the Shermans.  The Volksartillerie, struggling to be in range to support the Panzer Lehr, moves in closer, preparing to set up artillery parks near Burbach and That-Drulingen.  The 901st is still attempting to shore up their lines, but the retreat does not go well. Near Postroff, even despite the dark and the rain, the Pioneers and Panzer Grenadiers that were previously attacking the village are unable to retreat without suffering losses, despite a barrage attempting to suppress the Shermans that have a line of fire towards them. The rest of the 901st is able to reform a line, with the rest of the Panzer IVs rejoining the main group.  As for the 902nd and the Panzer Auf 130, the east is relatively quiet, with only the Pioneer moving into column to attempt to head back toward Eywiller, and the Panzer Grenadiers in Drulingen managing to finish improving their positions.  CCB makes use of the night by repositioning and recuperating their troops: the Shermans of A Company that had taken many blows from the Panzer IVs have fully recuperated, as well as the defenders of Weyer, who are still surrounded by Germans.  The night draws to a close, and the weather forecast seems to be for one without a spot of rain throughout the day, although the early morning will still likely have mud covering the landscape. The battle is in the balance, with the 901st being heavily pressed by CCB of 4th Armoured, but the American east being similarly in peril due to their lack of anti-armour assets, and the ever-present threat from the Panthers facing them. German VPs: 17
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Mar 9, 2024 19:18
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Game Turn 9: 0700, 25th of November The 44th ID, having been delayed all night, only starts moving near the end of the night, as light finally arrives around 0700. The artillery that had been meant to come up during the night only now arrives on the scene, late for whichever attack was likely to happen in the morning.  The 71st advances now that the village of Postroff has been cleared of enemies, with some light bombardment targeting the fleeing Pioneers. Unfortunately, the long fire lane created by the flak 88s emplaced north of Postroff make most movement difficult to say the least. Some of the anti-tank guns of the regiment move east to help cover the ground against any possible tank penetration.  In the east, nothing much happens apart from some light mortar fire against the exposed Panzer Grenadiers in the north.  The 901st has taken a beating, but it still has teeth. The artillery starts thundering, targeting the Americans north of Postroff and next to Eschwiller. For the former, the mechanised infantry and a company from the 71st take the brunt of the fire, causing many casualties amongst the latter, while suppressing the former. Artillery fire is followed by attacks by the Panzer IVs, targeting the Shermans of B company, out in the open, and the weight of fire is heavy enough to suppress the tanks. With the Shermans suppressed, the stranded Panzer Grenadiers next to Postroff attempt to flee North, but accurate HE fire from the M18s that are now stationed decimate the retreating infantry, and only a few survivors manage to escape the gauntlet.  There is also fire in the east, with the Panzer Auf 130 targeting the Americans holding Weyer, but the only effective fire is from the heavy Volksartillerie, which causes light casualties on the mechanised infantry from CCB.  The heavy artillery fire does not seem to discourage the Americans, and is only met with shouts of "gently caress you, Nazis!", the Americans showing their characteristic bravado. (Random Event: American Hero: add +1 Fire/+1 Assault/-1 Defence/+1 TQ, remove all cohesion hits, Hero marker stays until next event). The answer by the Germans is to send even more heavy artillery: this time it is much more effective, and the Americans take many casualties, despite their bravado. The Panzer IVs, meanwhile, keep bracketing the Shermans, and it is clear that the fire is having some more effect.  In the east, the Panthers attempt to take out the remaining M18s on the flank, but the fire does little and the Hellcats remain unscathed. As well as that, the Pioneers finally arrive back in Eywiller, strengthening the German centre against any possible attack by the Americans. It is clear that the offensive, at least in the west, is over for the Germans.  The German assault is not over, and the 902nd pitches in as well. Artillery and cannon fire blankets the entire area near Weyer, but it is relatively ineffective. The only results seem to occur from the Panzer Grenadiers, that assault the M18s that were under fire by the Panthers: using their close-range anti-tank weapons, they manage to make short work of the lightly-armoured tanks.  Even though the Germans have shown that they still have teeth, the 71st IR moves up to attack, pressing the Germans hard. The 88s are targeted by mortars and artillery, causing much confusion amongst the tank crews. With the support of the Shermans, the M18s in Eschwiller also move up and aim relatively accurate fire against the Panzer IVs, disrupting their formation.  Having taken their licks, it is time for CCB to counter-attack. The tanks of B Company, that had taken a heavy pounding by the combined artillery and cannon fire from the Panzer IVs, are screened using artillery, and manage to pull back to safety in good form. The rest of the Shermans push up in force, destabilising the formations of the Panzer IVs that face them. Heavy artillery also targets the flak 88s, finally crippling the guns and making their crews scatter. There is also fire in the east near Weyer by the CCB elements there, but it is relatively unsuccessful.  German VPs: 16
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Mar 10, 2024 00:05
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The 901st PzGr Regiment is not standing up to the fury of the CCB very well: I have to say that the Combat Commands are mean as gently caress in this rule set, large formations with a lot of firepower at their disposal, and both relatively good infantry and armoured companies. Edit: What the CCB has done well is that every time I had a Sherman Company on two cohesion hits, and thus potentially likely to take a step loss, I was able to suppress the germans with overwhelming firepower and then pull back the Shermans, while still having enough tanks that the Germans can't do the same without jeopardizing their position or leaving their infantry/other support weapons stranded. Tekopo fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Mar 10, 2024 |
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Mar 10, 2024 00:07
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Game Turn 10: 0900, 25th of November More mechanised infantry arrives from CCB, and they quickly hit the road and head east, trying to shore up the defences around Weyer: the mud having finally dried means that the going is quite easy.  The attack by the CCB continues, although slower than before. Artillery tries to disrupt the Panzer IVs of 8. Company, and although they do little more than suppress the tanks, accurate fire from the Shermans of C Company knocks several of them out. Tank assets for the 901st are starting to dwindle under the heavy American pressure.  In the east, there is some light mortar fire from the troops around Weyer, but it only causes light casualties on the encroaching Germans. The M18s of 44th ID attempt to join in and finish off the Panzer IVs, but their shots miss their mark. Light mortar fire also erupts, but the only thing that it manages to do is to suppress the stranded Pioneers that had been attacking Postroff just a day before.  The CCB continues their offensive, driving close to the Panzer IVs and attempting to take them out, but their fire is less effective this time around, and the Germans take little to no damage.  The newly arrived reinforcements move up the road and dismount, helping to shore up at least part of the gap between the 114th and the rest of the American formations. There is some mortar and artillery fire in the sector as well, but it does little, along with the light mortars, that only force some of the Panzer Grenadier to duck for cover.  The 901st pulls back their artillery assets, now that the American attack is getting closer. They are unable, however, to extricate their Panzer IVs, with one of the companies having woods in their back and the only routes of escape being to run the gauntlet of Shermans and Hellcats, which is a daunting prospect. The 3. Company moves to cover the half-tracks and the road north to Wolfkirchen.  The Panthers finally get orders to attack the village of Weyer, and the remaining American defenders can do little as the tanks sweep over the towns, blowing apart many of the houses and forcing the Americans to run for their lives. The Panzer Auf 130, meanwhile, moves back to cover Eywiller, while other Panzer Grenadier companies move back to Drulingen.  The 114th remains within their defensive positions: although they could potentially try to force an offensive towards Drulingen, the lack of mobile anti-tank assets and their low mobility means that if the 902nd resumes the attack, they wouldn't stand a chance against the Panzer Grenadiers and especially the Panthers. They do decide to reposition their artillery and anti-tank guns, however, and their mortars do manage to force many casualties on one of the German Panzer Grenadier companies that is out in the open.  Although beset on all sides, the Panzer IVs of 8th Company, 901st PzGnr Regiment decide to sell their lives dearly, with renewed fervour. (Random Event: German Hero) German VPs: 18
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Mar 10, 2024 11:01
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Game Turn 11: 1100, 25th of November The sky is still cloudy, but clear sky can be seen in some of the breaks, meaning that potentially in the afternoon, the Americans will receive some much-needed air support, with little chance for the Germans to receive similar support from the much-depleted Luftwaffe. Around 1100, the 71st IR renews its assault, and bring under fire the Panzer IVs, who are quickly disorganised once again: this is followed up by further bombardments from mortars, artillery and light mortars, which manage to cause some casualties amongst the Pioneers, as well as take out an anti-air formation near where the Shermans are roaming.  In a bid to keep their Panzer IVs alive, the 901st blankets the entire American tank line with heavy artillery fire. The fire itself is shrugged off by the armoured vehicles, but it will certainly disrupt any attempts to attack the Panzer IVs.  The 6. PzGnr Company, cut off from the rest of the 901st by the woods, swing around the road now that the Pz Auf 130 is defending Eywiller, while the light tanks of the recon regiment form up to defend the village. In the east, there is some repositioning of the infantry, but largely the sector remains static.  The artillery screen created by the Germans seems to have done its job: the fire from the Shermans is severely disrupted and does not manage to find its mark against the Panzer IVs. B Company, having managed to repair and recuperate their strength, once again heads for the front, screened by mortar fire in order to approach and attack the German positions. Light mortar fire against the Germans does little, however.  The attack continues, however, and soon the Panzer IVs are under heavy fire, both from the Shermans and from artillery, forcing them to hunker down. Artillery fire also targets the rest of the German line, disrupting formations and causing havoc on the Germans. The Panzer forces on the western flank are a sliver away from collapsing altogether.  In the east, the mortars of CCB also make good work, and cause many casualties on the exposed Panzer Grenadiers facing the mechanised infantry, who are also beset by the light mortar fire from them and the scouts directly south of their position.  German VPs: 17
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Mar 10, 2024 17:08
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Here's a full map of the current situation. Although I could potentially push with the 902nd, the Panzer Lehr always seems to be dangerously low on CPs due to the American push in the west, and there are other reasons why I think that a continued push south would be unwise (which I will not reveal yet): The 901 line is extremely thin and vulnerable at the moment. 4th AD is really proving its reputation today.
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Mar 10, 2024 17:15
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Game Turn 12: 1300, 25th of November The sky has cleared up, but no air support is forthcoming for now. Even without air support, it does seem like the Americans are gaining the upper hand in the fight. The afternoon is met with renewed vigour from the 44th ID, that targets both Hellcat and artillery fire at the heavily beset Panzer IVs. Eventually, the artillery is able to mobility kill the Panzers, and the crew dismount and flee for their lives. Light mortar fire also heavily beset the Pioneer company as well.  The Pioneers of the 902nd also face an increasing volume of light mortar fire, disrupting their formation, while AT guns move up to prevent any sort of Panther attack from materialising.  The 901st lays down a base of fire and pull back to a more defensive position, although some of the half-tracks and Pioneers are left stranded since they were heavily suppressed by American fire. With the woods hopefully covering the gap in the lines, the situation still looks dire for the Germans on this front. The covering artillery, however, does manage to disrupt one of the Sherman companies: a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.  Seeing the 901st retreating, the 4th AD takes a moment to recuperate, shelling the positions where the German half-tracks are as well as covering the armoured cars from the Panzer Auf 130 with fire. This allows A Company to reorganise itself. Saving itself for another attack, no other fire is directed to the Germans for now. The rest of the 4th AD fires its light mortars, to no real effect.  After a quarter of an hour, the attack finally materialises, mostly targeting the Panzer Auf 130 troops near Eywiller and the remaining Pioneers and half-tracks that are left behind by the German retreat. Some light casualties are sustained in both by Sherman, mortar and artillery fire, with the Stuarts bravely moving up to add fire against the armoured cars. Additional fire by the Stuarts and Sherman does finally manage to crack the armoured cars, which take several losses in the exchange.  In the east, the fire on the Panzer Grenadier keeps up, managing to make them dive for cover, but little else, since there aren't enough troops for a follow-up assault.  The Panzer Lehr as a whole starts pulling back from their advanced positions. The half-tracks that had been left stranded manage to extricate themselves after heavy artillery fire suppresses the Shermans, while the infantry that had been separated at Eywiller finally finishes its journey and sets up defensive positions around Wolfskirchen.  In the east, the 902nd stops its offensive: the situation is dire enough that any renewed offensive against the American would almost certainly cause the 902nd to be flanked from the north. As such, some of the infantry is moved to cover the gap between the woods, while other infantry congregates on Drulingen, while the Panthers move around the formation in order to get to Eywiller. The remaining infantry on the front line manages to pull back to the woods behind them  German VPs: 15
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Mar 10, 2024 19:41
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Just spotted the "walking barrage" lmao
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Mar 10, 2024 23:26
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Things looking bad for the Germans. They need 36 VPs to get even a marginal victory, and they're definitely past their high water mark. Even if you were playing the short Campaign, unless they get lucky killing a few American units, they're currently at a draw (given they'll be gaining about 8 VPs next turn)..
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Mar 11, 2024 00:46
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Game Turn 13: 1500, 25th of November The 902nd starts forming a line near Drulingen, as well as pushing up to Eywiller to take on the CCB and prevent them from rolling up the remnants of the 901st. Some barrages are prepared on the CCB tanks, but they are mostly there just to suppress the American tanks, although the Stuart formation is quite disrupted by the artillery.  Some air support finally arrives, and it targets the Panthers directly south of Eywiller, but it misses the mark, leaving the German tanks unscathed. Meanwhile, the Stuarts notice that their position is exposed, an attempt to retreat, but the heavy barrage and fire from the Panthers takes out a few of the small scout tanks.  The rest of CCB pushes for Weyer, recapturing the town that had only been captured by the Germans a few hours earlier. They are met with burning Greyhounds and some survivors that had managed to hide out while the Germans were too busy to do a proper search of all houses and basements.  The Panzer Auf 130 calls some heavy artillery fire on the only enemy unit they can see, the Shermans, but although the fire is heavy, it has little effect. The same can be said of the direct fire from the Pumas, which is at the extent of their effective range. Otherwise, the rest of the unit either mounts in transports to potentially moves out, or recuperates and repairs their vehicles, as best they can.  More reinforcements for the 44th ID finally arrive, including more M18s and infantry, and they quickly make their way north.  After clearing the last few Pioneers that were left behind in the retreat of the 901st PzGnr Regiment, 71st Infantry moves up to keep the pressure on the Germans.  The 114th, with the threat of the Panthers now gone, moves out of their defensive positions and starts heading for Drulingen. The AT guns mount up on their transports, ready to reposition.  The Panzer Auf 130 repositions so that it can support either the 902nd or the 901st. Both formations have taken a lick from the Americans, although the latter has taken the lion's share of the casualties. However, the 90nd has a much longer front to cover, and their infantry companies are much depleted.  The 902nd forms a line to defend Drulingen and the gap west of it, while the pioneers create entrenchments to discourage any sort of attack by the Americans through Eywiller: this will be a tough nut to crack now for the Allied troops. The Panthers take a few pot shots at the M18s in Eschwiller, disrupting their formation.  German VPs: 22
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Mar 11, 2024 11:05
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We are more than halfway through the campaign already, since there are 25 turns in the full campaign. The situation isn't great for the Germans, and it's only going to become worse in the next two days.
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Mar 11, 2024 11:35
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This would be the last turn for a short campaign, and the Germans would've eeked out a draw here.
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Mar 11, 2024 12:00
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Game Turn 14: Night, 25th of November Night is quick to arrive on these short November days, and a planned attack by the 71st is considerably delayed, but still an attempt is made, despite the darkness. Artillery strikes the main target, the infantry south of Wolfskirchen, and manages to take out quite a few of the Germans, catching them sleeping. The half-tracks are also suppressed, and an infantry company advances and attempts to assault the Germans: the assault is largely inconclusive, although the Germans do sustain some casualties.  The rest of the 71st moves up the road, ready to bolster the offensive in the coming day.  The element of the 71st that were helping to bolster the defence of the east now move back towards the west to rejoin their main formation.  The night for the Germans is just spent digging in their infantry, although a few artillery strikes are sent towards the attacking 71st IR GIs: the lead element, caught in the open, suffer serious casualties.  Wanting to keep the offensive going, the Shermans of CCB advance to jump-off positions during the night, hoping that they can get close enough to threaten the remaining tanks of the 901st Regiment.  The suppressing fire from the artillery rattles the crews of the Panzer IVs, and the Shermans manage to advance into contact during the night, ready for combat as soon as daylight hits.  Under the command of Lt. Col. Jaques, the eastern part of CCB also advances towards the Germans during the night.  German VPs: 22
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Mar 11, 2024 18:11
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Game Turn 15: 0700, 26th of November Rain comes thundering down once again, meaning that the sky conditions are not suitable for close air support, which is somewhat of a reprieve for the Germans. The 44th ID keeps moving up towards Wolfkirchen, only firing some mortars to cover the advance, but largely preparing for the offensive expected to happen soon.  In the east, the 114th advances towards Drulingen, hoping to stretch the German defences to breaking point.  The Germans, hoping to blunt the American attack before it can occur, fire artillery and mortars at the Shermans, hoping to suppress them enough that it would affect their fire. The artillery does little against the tanks, especially considering the wet terrain and rain.  The Panzer Auf 130 moves to cover a stream crossing at Pisdorf, but otherwise remains detached from the fighting. They have received orders that they must leave the area of engagement by the end of the day.  The 901st attempts to pull back to the same stream line, considering it to be a much better defensive position than the one near Wolfkirchen. Artillery and mortars cover the retreat, allowing the Germans to retreat relatively unscathed. The rest of the Panzer Lehr remain in their positions.  The 114th advances and makes contact with the Germans defending Drulingen: their mortar fire does little to help but suppress the Germans, but at least the attack is now ready for the next few hours.  The CCB does not relent despite the retreat of the Germans, and the Shermans forge ahead under fire, managing to close the gap between them and the Germans. Fire against the Pumas disrupts their formation, while heavy fire against the retreating German columns causes many casualties amongst the Panzer Grenadiers holding the bridge over the stream, who were caught still in column formation.  In the east, the CCB infantry approaches the German defensive line, and there is a smattering of ineffective mortar fire.  The 901st attempts to fight back against their assailants, but the fire, both from artillery and from their tanks, is ineffective to say the least. They are, at least, able to get out of column formation, however.  The 4th AD isn't done yet, however, and the Shermans open fire once again: this time, their target is the remaining Panzer IVs: the fire proves to be remarkably accurate, causing disruption in the ranks of the Panzer IVs. German VPs: 22 Tekopo fucked around with this message at 11:58 on Mar 13, 2024 |
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Mar 13, 2024 11:54
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What do the dead piles look like?
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Mar 13, 2024 12:38
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Mar 13, 2024 12:41
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Game Turn 16: 0900, 26th of November The rain doesn't relent, covering the entirety of the morning, although forecasts seem to suggest a break in the weather during the afternoon. In danger of getting overrun, most of the German artillery parks disband, since the Americans are getting too close, meaning that the plunging indirect fire is impossible. The 902nd, knowing that they are in risk of getting encircled from the back, attempt to retreat, and although the manage to disengage without too many casualties, the rain prevents them from being able to make much headway. The Panthers swing around the woods in order to help their hard-pressed 901st comrades.  The tanks of the 44th ID, both Hellcats and Shermans, seeing that the Panthers are gone, advance into contact, artillery covering them, causing heavy casualties on the defending Panzer Grenadiers around Eywiller. The infantry also tries to move up, but the rain makes it difficult for them to advance, although the regiment is starting to split into two elements, one pushing Eywiller and the other heading north for Pisdorf.  The 902nd manages to pull back further, increasing the distance between them and the American troops.  Meanwhile, the majority of Panzer Auf 130 manages to retreat and head north, out of the area of operations, as the recon battalion is needed elsewhere. The Panthers deploy in line with the Panzer IVs, finally in position to help beat back the American offensive in the western flank.  The 44th ID continues their slow advance, although the Hellcats start blasting their dual-purpose cannons at the Panzer Grenadiers north of Eywiller, and the HE shells find their mark, rendering the German company combat-ineffective.  The 114th manages to take the now-abandoned Drulingen, although much like the rain slowed down the German retreat, it slows the advance as well.  CCB keeps up the pressure on the German despite the arrival of the Panthers, and directs fire at the remnants of the Panzer IV company, managing to rattle them further and making them close to reaching a breaking point. The Shermans that were covering the area between Eywiller and Eschwiller swing upwards to rejoin the main group of Shermans as well.  In the east, the 4th AD troops keep up their advance, hoping to make contact on the retreating Germans. From the looks of it, the Pioneers in Eywiller will remain in their defensive positions, although they are already starting to become encircled.  German VPs: 21
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Mar 13, 2024 18:16
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AMERICA gently caress YEAH
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Mar 13, 2024 19:42
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Game Turn 17: 1100, 26th of November The weather finally subsides, and forecasts seem to predict that the weather will remain clear for the next couple of days. With the Germans on the back foot, this is doubly bad, as it will mean that Allied air planes might appear overhead, along with allowing the American offensive to progress. CCB takes advantage of the break in the weather by attacking the remains of 901st, with both artillery and the main guns of the Shermans, but it has little effect, although the Panzer Grenadiers defending the stream crossing are disrupted by the fire.  The Panthers, not to be outdone, strike back, getting the Volks Artillerie to lay down some suppressing fire on the Shermans before advancing. The accurate guns of the Panthers then take out several of the Shermans, the first real loss of these tanks for the Americans during the entirety of the engagement.  The rest of the 902nd drops out of column formation, creating a new, although thinly held, defensive line.  The 114th keeps up its advance, although it is slowed down by the woods north of Drulingen. Some mortar fire is sent to harass the Germans at Bettwiller, but it does little.  Despite the casualties being sustained by the Americans now that the Panthers are on the scene, the attack by the CCB continues, with heavy artillery barrages across the entire front. Although these do little more than suppress the German tanks and infantry, the direct fire from the Shermans renders all remaining infantry companies of the 901st combat-ineffective: the only thing holding back the American advance on the western flank is now some half-tracks and the German tanks. Company A pulls back from it's exposed salient to give it some distance from the Panthers.  The rest of the 4th AD keeps moving forward towards the German positions, similarly slowed by the presence of woods in their sector.  The Panzer Lehr, still reeling from their engagements, attempts to suppress some of the American Shermans, but apart from that, just takes a moment to recuperate and attempt to fix their struggling command and control situation. The last remaining company from Panzer Auf 130 attempts to disengage to the North.  The systematic collapse of the German left flank continues, with the CCB continuing to push, clearing one of the half-track companies and providing counter-battery fire to take out some of the German motors. The 901st is a shell of its former self.  The rest of CCB captures Gungwiller and continues to press the retreating Germans hard.  The 71st, without much heavy equipment that is able to take on the Panthers, starts pivoting toward Eywiller, reaching the outskirts of the village with their lead elements.  The 114th, meanwhile, continues its slow advance in the east, almost reaching the outskirts of Bettwiller.  The remnants of the 901st can do little to stem the tide, although the HE guns of the half tracks do manage to disrupt the American mechanised infantry formation that has almost reached the outskirts of Pisdorf. The self-propelled artillery moves back to Saarewerden.  The last remaining elements of the Panzer Auf 130 finally leave: even though the situation is dire in this sector, they are desperately needed elsewhere. German VPs: 17
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Mar 15, 2024 12:11
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Game Turn 18: 1300, 26th of November Although the ground is still muddy, the clouds finally break, which means that there is a prospect for the Allied air forces to make their presence known. Artillery attempts to suppress the Panthers on the western flank, which is followed by relatively accurate fire from the Shermans, which continues to create disruption within the Panther formation.  The 44th ID keeps moving toward Eywiller in force, with the Shermans and Hellcats opening up on the entrenched Pioneers in the town. The shots are accurate, causing severe casualties as many of the houses of the village collapse on the sheltering German troops. The rest of the Division remains relatively quiet, waiting for the signal to approach and attack the Germans.  The CCB keeps pressing forward: with artillery suppressing the remaining defenders in the west, one company of Shermans columns up and crosses the stream, trying to move in a position out of sight of the Panthers, while the remaining Shermans keep up the fire, to little effect.  The rest of CCB attacks the Germans near Gungwiller, trying to force them to cede grounds, but the mortar fire does little to discourage the Germans.  Adding misery to the already desperate German position, CCA of the 4th AD has finally arrived to the scene, heading for the eastern flank in order to help push the offensive there.  Thunderbolts appear from the sky, targeting the Panthers out in the open, but the strafe has little effect on the tanks. The Shermans that crossed the stream drop out of column formation, and heavy artillery fire pounds the German tanks once again, adding to the cacophony.  The Panzer Lehr is immobilised by command indecision. With little left in supplies and with the divisional HQ in a panic, little gets done during the hours that follow. German VPs: 17
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Mar 15, 2024 15:22
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The Germans have been getting truly abysmal CP rolls lately. I can't really afford to use CPs, hence why no one moved or fired last turn.
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Mar 15, 2024 15:23
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Game Turn 19: 1500, 26th of November The weather has entirely cleared up by the middle of the afternoon and the weather forecasts seem to suggest it will remain clear of clouds and rain for the foreseeable future, likely boosting the ongoing American offensive in the sector. The 71st IR starts their attack against Eywiller, but even with the heavy ordnance at their disposal, they are unable to hurt the entrenched Pioneers, although some minor casualties are caused. It seems that the Germans are determined to hold the town even though they are currently encircled and escape seems unlikely.  The CCB is next, attacking the remaining German tanks, but not managing to do much apart from lightly suppressing them, with the Sherman guns proving ineffective at range.  In the east, the mechanised infantry clears another company of German infantry, creating significant holes in the German line, which was thinly held to begin with. The artillery behind the front lines is in a precarious position now.  The Germans in the east attempt to strike back at the attacking Americans, forcing many casualties on A Company, 51st Battalion, but not driving them from the field. 1. Company Panzer Grenadiers columns up and moves towards the west to cover the gap in the lines.  The Panthers, on the other hand, aggressively move forward, trying to cover the retreat of the heavily attacked Panther Company. They are somewhat successful, managing to drive forward without too much issue, and they turn their guns towards the remaining Shermans of A Company, knocking them mostly out of the fight. On the other hand, as the other Panthers attempt to column up and move to the rear, they are heavily suppressed by the Shermans, with many mobility kills afflicting the formation.  The advancing panther is suppressed by the Priest artillery, but it does little to the tanks. The Shermans keep firing against the heavily suppressed Panthers, but to little effect. The 114th finally reaches the outskirts of Bettwiller and Durstet, their advance screened by a flurry of mortar fire, that has little effect on the entrenched Germans.  A flurry of light mortar fire continues hitting the German lines as the 44th ID keeps up the fire. It manages to heavily suppress all of their targets in Durstet, Bettwiller and Eywiller, with the Pioneers taking casualties and almost at breaking point.  New reinforcements from CCA arrive on the scene and quickly speed up the road, while the rest of the CCA deploys, ready to storm the eastern flank of the Germans, although by the time they are in position, the sun will have likely set already.  Meanwhile, the CCB continues to harass the Germans in the west, with artillery and direct fire and assaults. C company assaults the half-tracks and manages to clear them from the field, while fire from the Shermans is able to take out the suppressed Panthers, rendering them combat-ineffective. Thunderbolts descend from the skies and attempt to target the other Panthers, but to little avail.  Some of the CCB infantry falls back to Gungwiller, while others advance, hoping to reach Berg before the Germans can arrive there, although it seems unlikely.  The remaining Panthers and Panzer IVs pull back past Burbach, leaving the banks of the Saar uncontested. They are able to get out thanks to the screening barrage provided by the Allies: a small blessing.  The rest of the 90nd either pulls away from their exposed positions, or rallies, attempting to shake off their suppression. At least the coming darkness will provide some cover. 1st Company manages to reach Berg before the Americans can get there as well.  German VPs: 17
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Mar 18, 2024 15:31
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Game Turn 20: Night, 26th of November Throughout the night, more elements from CCA arrive on the scene, ready to attack the remaining Germans on the eastern flank of the sector. The sky remains clear throughout the night, and promises to remain so in the following morning as well.  CCB, meanwhile, attempts to regroup during the night: the detachment on the eastern flank remains still, although one infantry company tries to move in order to hem in the expose German mortars and infantry.  The tanks near Pisdorf swing to the north, avoiding the more treacherous terrain near Burbach, while other units move up to potentially capture the village.  The Light Mortar fire from the Allies is incessant, and forces the Pioneers that were defending Eywiller to flee for their life. Allied troops quickly take the town.  Similar harassing fire is also attempted by the 114th, but to much lesser effect, although the Germans in Bettwiller lose cohesion due to the incessant fire from the Americans.  With that, the night is over: the HQ for the Panzer Lehr is in disarray considering the losses, and the Germans remain stationary throughout the night, holding their positions while they still can. German VPs: 16 Tekopo fucked around with this message at 15:28 on Mar 19, 2024 |
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Mar 19, 2024 15:21
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With 5 turns left, I think this is gonna end up being a decisive victory for the Americans. The Germans are probably only going to get two VPs in the final turn, and are likely to accrue some meaningful losses to get there.
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Mar 19, 2024 15:28
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Yup, agree - allied firepower is pretty murderous in this game.
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Mar 20, 2024 19:47
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Rules: Air Attacks So we've had a couple of unsuccessful air attacks so far, but how do they work? Well, in this game, only the Americans get air attacks, and they roll a d10 divided by 3 (rounding down) at the start of each turn which isn't night and the cloud cover isn't overcast (all rain turns are overcast, as a note). They can attach these air support tokens to specific Division, and once those divisions activate, you conduct the air strike. Although some games have limitations in terms of the range of the air strike (for example, the Germans in Operation Mercury require a target to be within 3 hexes of a friendly unit), there's no such limitations in Saar. To conduct the air attack, you check the fire rating of the air units (the thunderbolts have a dual-purpose 5 ratings) and you conduct an attack on any German unit in the game. Crucially, the only thing that affects the roll is positive modifiers to the roll. In other words, terrain doesn't affect the roll, defence modifiers don't affect the roll, no range modifiers to worry about either. The only thing that do affect the roll are positive defence modifiers (remember, the higher the defence modifiers, the worse it is for a unit) or if the unit is in column. How do you defend yourself from air attacks? Well, in Operation Mercury, the Allies simply couldn't (which is weird, considering there are AA units in the game). In this game, there is a single unit that could do it, but it has been destroyed. But as a representative example, see here:  (this isn't a unit in Saar, mind you) The Air Defense rating is what we care about. The way it works in Saar is that, if the air strike is within 4 hexes of a unit with an air defense value, you roll for that AA unit: if the roll is successful (ie you roll equal to or lower than the value), the air unit aborts. So air units are pretty simple to use, and they are relatively powerful although they can only affect the unit directly, since no barrage markers are created on air strikes. They are especially useful against units in column (which makes sense), so can be a nice way to interdict enemy movement on larger maps, where units are more likely to stay in column for more than one turn. Overall though, I appreciate that air has a diminished role in comparison to artillery. Artillery is so principal to GTS tactics, allowing you to screen advances, aid retreats, blunt assaults, while air support is a nice bonus that can potentially dent the enemy, but won't win the game on its own. Which makes a change from OCS, where air is king and artillery is, hmmm, not.
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Mar 21, 2024 13:32
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in terms of game mechanics, how are M18 tank destroyers distinct from Shermans?
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Mar 21, 2024 13:53
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Let's have a look at a unit of M18s vs M4A3(76)W (aka the Easy 8): Both of these are from CCA, and they have the same Troop Quality (5), so they are pretty comparable. The main armament is comparable as well, with a dual purpose (white) value of 6, which can be boosted to 8 if you pass the company check, which you will do 60% of the time. So pretty decent fire power on both. The range on the main armament is the same as well, giving them a pretty good fire zone. The assault fire value is small arms (pink) for both, but significantly better for the Shermans, which has an impact on how you would deploy the tank that I will touch upon later. Movement is tracked for both (naturally), with the M18 slightly faster at 15 MA over the Sherman's 13. So pretty comparable, but the main difference is the defence modifier: this is -1 for the M18 and -3 for the M4, and this has a very disproportionate effect in terms of how you want to use the units in question. First of all, the obvious: M18s are much more vulnerable to incoming AP fire than Shermans. The difference of 2 between their defence ratings has incredible connotations in terms of how well the unit stands up to fire, and this is largely in due to how fire works in this game. To bring back (yet again) the all-important CRT:  Let's have an hypothetical scenario where you have a Panther (dual purpose rating of 7) firing at a M18 at range 2. It passes its company check easily, and does not have any barrage markers, cohesion hits or step losses, so the final modified fire rating is: 7 + 2 (Company Check Bonus) - 1 (Range Modifier) - 1 (Defence Modifier) = 7 If we cross-reference the chart above, on a roll of 6 and 7, the Hellcats get destroyed outright: a whole 2-step unit lost in a single dice roll. Let's do the same for the M4A3: 7 + 2 (Company Check Bonus) - 1 (Range Modifier) - 3 (Defence Modifier) = 5 This drives the potential range of results from Eliminated as the worst result, to 1-step loss. Still bad, but not "lose an entire 2 step unit" bad. And if the Panther doesn't pass it's Company Check, the results are downgraded to 1 step-loss (at worst) for the M18 to 1 cohesion hit (at worst) for the Sherman. The defence modifier also has an effect on Assaults, since it is used during the Bravery Check (and also allows combined arms approaches where you use the high defence of tanks to help infantry pass the bravery check). So it is harder for M18s to assault, and they mostly would not want to, since their Assault Rating is pretty bad. What does this mean? Well, M18s just aren't as good as Shermans at facing enemy AP guns, and especially enemy tanks, and will die rather quickly in a straight slugging match between them. As well as that, they are worse in Assaults as well, either by themselves or if they attempt to screen infantry. This leans the Hellcats towards more of an infantry support role at relatively long ranges, since their DP guns are still deadly against infantry, and usually infantry only has access to DP ratings during assaults. We saw this largely to be true at the start of the game, where Hellcats were the only thing I had against Panthers and Panzer IVs, and they paid dearly and were quickly neutralised by the much more resilient enemies they faced.
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Mar 21, 2024 14:37
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Oh, I think the 44th ID also has some units of M4A1s, with the main difference being that they have a DP rating of 5 rather than 6, so the Hellcats are slightly better than an M4A1 Sherman in attack, but vastly outclassed by the Easy Eight purely due to the defence rating difference.
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Mar 21, 2024 14:38
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Game Turn 21: 0700, 27th of November The entire day of the 27th promises to be one of clear skies and little rain. With Panzer Lehr stretched so thin, the prospect of more air attacks is daunting, and it is unlikely that the Germans will remain on their advanced positions, beset by the 4th Armoured Division for long. They use the early morning hours to reset their line, as thin as it is. Unfortunately, with the CCA on the scene and CCB still combat-effective in the west, it seems unlikely that Panzer Lehr will last more than a day.  The 114th IR is the first to attack, and presses the Germans in Durstel and Bettwiller, but only manages to force some light casualties on the former, and suppress the latter. An assault is attempted, but proves to be inconclusive. Some further light mortar fire, however, manages to finally dislodge the defenders of Bettwiller, who flee to the North while they can.  The 4th AD continues the attack, directing air craft to strike the remaining Panthers, which are disrupted by the strafing this time around. The Stuarts get into a position where they are able to spot the German tanks, and direct artillery on them in order to suppress them. This is effective, and the Shermans of CCB take this opportunity to advance and fire at the Panthers: the fire is very effective, and several of the German tanks are disabled thanks to the guns of the Easy Eights.  The rest of the CCB regroups and reorganises: they have had extensive losses and considering the state of the Germans, it makes little sense for them to lose more men: the Germans, although significantly diminished, still have some teeth.  CCA is much more sanguine, and sends the entirety of their tank force to shell the Germans in Durstel: this is very effective, with the 76mm guns demolishing many houses, and rendering the defending Panzer Grenadiers combat-ineffective. Soon the mechanised infantry is able to capture the town., and some of the Stuarts even race ahead to try to bag even more Germans.  The 71st also is on the attack, attempting to take out the remaining Pioneers around Eywiller. A combination of mortar fire and artillery fire is able to diminish them substantially, and after suppressing them, a follow-up assault manages to storm the trenches and remove them from the equation, with most of them captured as the escape path north is completely blocked.  The Shermans keep firing at the Panthers, and the weight of fire from both the Sherman companies manages to first suppress, then knock out several of the German tanks, or at least render them immobile. The remaining Panthers flee to the north and east. The weight of fire by the Americans has rendered an entire company of Panthers combat-ineffective in just a few short hours.  The Panzer Lehr, facing an all-out assault by the 4th AD, and with few combat-effective forces to contest them, decides to rout to the North: the day has been won by the Americans. The attack had gone badly, and the 4th AD had capitalised well on the stretched out Germans. With serious losses, it would take the Panzer Lehr more than two weeks to be able to recuperate, meaning that their contribution to Wacht am Rhein in December was minimal: although their contribution would have likely not swung the battle in favour of the Wehrmacht, it certainly didn't help. The battle did help solidify the 4th AD as an elite outfit within the American army, and the division was much praised for its methodical destruction of the two German regiments during the attack, although overall the battle would still be considered a minor one, especially in comparison to the much better known engagements in the Bulge. Final German VPs: 12
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Mar 22, 2024 12:03
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I have decided to call the game at this point because of the loss of the Panther unit. There was a glimmer of hope in the German defence since in the 0900 turn, they would have had access to two new Jagdpanzer IVs coming in from either 1900 or 1600. They are just as durable and hard-hitting as the Panthers, and probably could have minced up the Shermans if they had managed to pincer the Shermans in, but with the loss of the Panther unit (and at the start of the turn, this unit had no cohesion hits or step losses), I don't think it is viable for the Germans to hold out anymore. This is along with the infantry losses in Durstel, Bettwiller and around Eywiller, which means that the remaining three Sherman companies of CCA are just going to go absolutely insane and just destroy the rear of the Germans and take out their artillery: with only 3 infantry units left on the front line and no real AT capabilities, there is no way that the Germans would have been able to resist for any length of time. Thanks everyone for following! I had fun running through the game!
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Mar 22, 2024 12:10
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great job carrying the game to a satisfying conclusion
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Mar 22, 2024 13:18
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Definitely the right time to call it. Thanks for showcasing this, job's a good 'un.
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Mar 22, 2024 16:52
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For the next project, I have three ideas: - Bir Hakeim - Gold/Sword/Juno Beaches - Race to Bastogne I will probably take a break of several months since the latter two are going to be much bigger endevours than this particular LP, but I would like an input on which one you want to see next. So if you are following these LPs: Please vote on one of the above options! Now you might be asking: Tekopo, are you planning to go through every single GTS game eventually and my answer to that is, hmmm, maybe? I will see how many I can through at least, and they still hold my interest for now.
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Mar 22, 2024 17:00
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I'm intrigued by Bir Hakeim
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Mar 22, 2024 17:43
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I've just finished "Stopping the Panzers", about the Anglo-Canadians at D-Day, so my vote is for Gold Juno Sword and crushing Panthers with heavy artillery
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Mar 22, 2024 17:56
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I'm intrigued by how this system handles the Normandy landings, but the Free French in North Africa could be good. Bir Hakeim.
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Mar 22, 2024 18:00
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Tekopo posted:For the next project, I have three ideas: This series is fantastic, and I would love to see D-Day. Take your time and do them right is all I ask.
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Mar 22, 2024 18:16
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| # ? Apr 29, 2024 11:07 |
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Yeah I'm trying my best: I got the magazine with Saar the other day and it's helped me loads already, some good tips there I think. I went slower on this particular LP. I am leaning towards GJS now since I wouldn't have to relearn the v1.0 rules, so maybe think I'll go for that one, but I'm pretty busy in the next two months or so.
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Mar 22, 2024 21:29
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