boersma8
06-05-2007, 03:32 AM
We played two battles last Saturday.
In the first one the British forces tried to break through a German defensive line in Libya, which they did with minimal losses.
The British forces ( under command of Latro) were roughly as follows:
1x Valentine
2x Stuart
1x Inspiring Lieutenant
5x Vet SMLE riflemen
1x Vickers MG
1x pilbox
1x Bofors
They found a mixed force of Germans and Italians facing them ( under my command):
1x SS Hauptsturmfuehrer
2x Fusile modelo
1x Blackshirt
1x Sig 33
1x Carro armato
1x Mauser
1x Brixia mortar
1x German light mortar
1x Elite Panzer IV D
1x German AA gun ( set 3)
1x Pak 38
1x SDKFZ 251
2x barbed wire
The German forces tried to make a dash for the objective ( a small settlement in the desert with a bunch of palm trees around it; we used the George maps, which are mainly all clear maps and we put a number of terrain tiles on there. Me being the defender, I choose sides and changed a quarter of the map, which in this case resulted in placing a couple of terrain tiles somewhere. On one side the battle map was bordered by a range of hills ( that one that's used in the "Maleme airfield" and " A hill too far" scenarios; don't recall the denomination off hand....) Next time we play a desert scenario we're planning on using two memoir 44 desert maps placed next to each other vertically to give it a better feel of actually being a desert battle. It doesn't really feel that way on maps with grassy fields and streams and lush woods ;) )
Anyway, as I was saying the Germans tried to reach the objective first. This was a grave mistake, because the British seemed to be incredibly inspired and ran to the objective twice as fast as the Germans and Italians could. Something the German commander could and should have known, since the British commander is well known for his ability to turn his men into superior sprinters, but somehow the German commander overlooked this. The result was that several Vet. SMLE's made it to the objective and behind the cover of it rendering the initial German deployment and plan all but useless. When enemy fire consequently disrupted and/ or destroyed several of my units, I decided to make yet another big gamble and go all offensive. I manouevred my SDKFZ 251 into position to take on enemy infantry from two hexes away ( there was a light mortar on board to also fire at them) and moved my Panzer IV into one of the cover providing hexes next to the objective or possibly the objective itself. I also placed my SIG out of cover to bombard the enemy infantry, while knowing I'd get shot at myself too by the Valentine and a Stuart.. I DID realize this would probably also cost me my units, but I figured that if I took out most of his infantry I could take on his tanks with mine and with the Pak 38. Unfortunately I once more didn't count on the Inspiring Lieutenant who moved and pushed some SMLE's forward to CA my vehicles. From what I remember my only notable feat was a disrupted Mauser who outright killed a Vet SMLE by rolling 6 successes out of 8 dice ( so 6 5's and sixes). Unfortunately he was also killed himself by the very same Vet SMLE during my opponent's assault phase. Apart from that I managed to disrupt the Bofors and also my Carro armato and Blackshirt perfored very well, killing some units ( SMLE), but the rest failed hooribly and was quickly taken out by the Assaulting British and Australians. therefore I tried to retreat the remainder of my forces, but alas very few made it before they were finished off ( the commander who in turn got shot upon returning to Germany by High command, the blackshirt and the Pak 38, if I recall correctly). The British only lost a small number of infantry units.
I hope my fellow German commanders in Libya did a better job!
In the first one the British forces tried to break through a German defensive line in Libya, which they did with minimal losses.
The British forces ( under command of Latro) were roughly as follows:
1x Valentine
2x Stuart
1x Inspiring Lieutenant
5x Vet SMLE riflemen
1x Vickers MG
1x pilbox
1x Bofors
They found a mixed force of Germans and Italians facing them ( under my command):
1x SS Hauptsturmfuehrer
2x Fusile modelo
1x Blackshirt
1x Sig 33
1x Carro armato
1x Mauser
1x Brixia mortar
1x German light mortar
1x Elite Panzer IV D
1x German AA gun ( set 3)
1x Pak 38
1x SDKFZ 251
2x barbed wire
The German forces tried to make a dash for the objective ( a small settlement in the desert with a bunch of palm trees around it; we used the George maps, which are mainly all clear maps and we put a number of terrain tiles on there. Me being the defender, I choose sides and changed a quarter of the map, which in this case resulted in placing a couple of terrain tiles somewhere. On one side the battle map was bordered by a range of hills ( that one that's used in the "Maleme airfield" and " A hill too far" scenarios; don't recall the denomination off hand....) Next time we play a desert scenario we're planning on using two memoir 44 desert maps placed next to each other vertically to give it a better feel of actually being a desert battle. It doesn't really feel that way on maps with grassy fields and streams and lush woods ;) )
Anyway, as I was saying the Germans tried to reach the objective first. This was a grave mistake, because the British seemed to be incredibly inspired and ran to the objective twice as fast as the Germans and Italians could. Something the German commander could and should have known, since the British commander is well known for his ability to turn his men into superior sprinters, but somehow the German commander overlooked this. The result was that several Vet. SMLE's made it to the objective and behind the cover of it rendering the initial German deployment and plan all but useless. When enemy fire consequently disrupted and/ or destroyed several of my units, I decided to make yet another big gamble and go all offensive. I manouevred my SDKFZ 251 into position to take on enemy infantry from two hexes away ( there was a light mortar on board to also fire at them) and moved my Panzer IV into one of the cover providing hexes next to the objective or possibly the objective itself. I also placed my SIG out of cover to bombard the enemy infantry, while knowing I'd get shot at myself too by the Valentine and a Stuart.. I DID realize this would probably also cost me my units, but I figured that if I took out most of his infantry I could take on his tanks with mine and with the Pak 38. Unfortunately I once more didn't count on the Inspiring Lieutenant who moved and pushed some SMLE's forward to CA my vehicles. From what I remember my only notable feat was a disrupted Mauser who outright killed a Vet SMLE by rolling 6 successes out of 8 dice ( so 6 5's and sixes). Unfortunately he was also killed himself by the very same Vet SMLE during my opponent's assault phase. Apart from that I managed to disrupt the Bofors and also my Carro armato and Blackshirt perfored very well, killing some units ( SMLE), but the rest failed hooribly and was quickly taken out by the Assaulting British and Australians. therefore I tried to retreat the remainder of my forces, but alas very few made it before they were finished off ( the commander who in turn got shot upon returning to Germany by High command, the blackshirt and the Pak 38, if I recall correctly). The British only lost a small number of infantry units.
I hope my fellow German commanders in Libya did a better job!