The Struggle For A Commission: The Diary

[vince hughes]

In my on-going games with numerous opponents, Turn 2 of my PBEM game of Kursk South Flank (The massive "Where Have All The Soldiers Gone) ended the quickest a turn could end.

The Germans won the initiative with two activations, but as my opponent uses FOW after the 'loser' has had 3 activations, he managed to roll a 16 straight away.

This meant that a bit of German OBA and their heavy tanks fired and one flank of the SS infantry forces could move only.

In the first turn, the Soviets sent out some extra infantry against the German heavy tanks that had advanced up the road to attack the entrenchments there. Winning the initiative, these tanks caused havoc on all the infantry around them using their DF's at point blank range. Though only 2 Soviet steps were removed, around 7 or more infanty and HMG platoons were left DIS or DEM with none in good order. It was quite easy to imagine SS tankers MG'ing and firing HE into these Red masses. The German left entered the first town hex on board 38 in a 2 hex complex and are readying to attack 2 Soviet platoons there.

No German losses this turn and just 2 Soviet steps.

Total losses so far
German 1
Soviet 3
Percieved chance of winning 50-50% far too early to tell in a 30 turn game of this size, but the German VC's do look a lot to achieve. But then I am only viewing from my side of the fence. On to turn 3.

[vince hughes]

The PG Blog continues:

Yesterday's opponent over Skype was good ole Alan Sawyer and our 2nd session of "Quiet Persuasion" scenario 8 from North Wind.

This is an awful, awful scenario for theAxis player (ie:ME!!!). The Yanks have 3 x 55col bombardments available to them every turn over 30 turns. This is playing a considerable part in how I try to approach the game with avoidance of getting my men minced each time they show themselves in an area with little bombardment cover.

In session 1, my troops had advanced a long way up the 2 x length-ways boards (4 boards in all abutted side by side so the Jerries have to advance a distance equating to 2 x board lengths).

In session 2 it was time for them to consider attacking the town and clearing the road. Initial showings of German troops, as expected, resulted in them being churned up by the OBA including a Major perishing under the shrapnel. Three Panther platoons forced themselves forward and US tanks retired into limitingterrain as a result. But each effort to edge forward by the infantry resulted in casualties. In one turn, 3 steps were blown apart by OBA alone.

The Germans have swung round to the towns flank as a new approach is required. No point in head-butting a brick wall, so time to look for more susceptible points with a bit of probing.

Casualties so far are German 11 steps (10 x GREN, 1 x ENG) and US just 4 steps (3 x INF, 1 x HMG). The Americans have quite a point advantage and I can only see victory chances at this stage as little more thean 20-80 in the US favour.

[zaarin7]

Co-ordination might be a problem but if we could play over Vassal and Skype I'd be willing to play you Vince. Send me an email if you want to play.

[vince hughes]

Co-ordination might be a problem but if we could play over Vassal and Skype I'd be willing to play you Vince. Send me an email if you want to play.

Zaarin,

Are you Keith ? If so, or even if not, send me an email to:

hughesvince69 AT yahoo DOT com

and we can thrash out an arrangement over private mail.

[vince hughes]

Session 2 Scenario "Hells Fury III" from Tank Battles:

Turns 6-9 of a 35 turn game

Wayne and I got together yesterday for this monster game, and with breaks, lunch, chat, we managed 4 hours 40 minutes of play that gave us just 4 turns !

For those that do not remember, the Soviet masses are tasked with taking as many of the 5 towns available as they can and inflicting casualties. The Germans task is to keep the towns and inflict casualties. After session 1, the scene was that a mass of Soviet Guards had, after receiving casualties and disorder, made it to the perimeter of the small town of Nikonovo. Todays session was heavily concentrated on that.

The first turn played out (turn 6) had the Soviets suffering heavy casualties indeed. 2 leaders, a KV1 step shot up by a StGIIIG and 4 other steps. The Soviet artillery inflicted 2 German steps too. These casualties mainly came from the surrounds of Nikonovo (not the KV though) as the intrepid Guards struggled to cohesively get in at the town. The attack was now being supported by no less than 6 batteries of Katuyshin Rocket launchers and these were proving a lot of fun to behold by both players. What with the OBA streaming down and infantry fire flying about, Wayne and I did cogitate the scene and try to imagine the horror that we were enacting. The screaming rockets blanketing the town and areas around it, masses of explosions from the OBA. Troops falling and screaming. This was virtual PG hell (note the scenario title) that no counter would have volunteered to have been mixed up in. The snow must have been churned, blackened and reddened with the maelstrom and slaughter that was going on.

Despite Wayne losing all his initiative points the following turns actually proved less bloody for him. In turn 7, just 4 steps fell and in turn 8 a mere 2 with the Germans losing 1 step. The BM13's continued to entertain us. Having to declare fire beforehand not knowing where they would land, he did on one turn find himself with 100pts of OBA falling on a hex. Maybe a waste as 70 is the max, but these babies give you no inclination of just where they will land. They did on turn 8 remove 2 German infantry steps who in real-life must have been sadly, but absolutely mashed to a pulp !!

Wayne's Guards had finally entered Nikonovo on turn 8 and the town is now being contested in various parts. Ultimately, it will of course fall to The Reds, but the battle here continues. There is also a small sideshow assault in the woods nearby where bedraggled german infantry fight off some other Guardsmen.

Elsewhere, to the north another battalion of Guards are heading south looking like they will attack the town of Maloe Kropotovo. The Germans are steeling themselves for an onslaught, especially as they have 9 platoons of PzIV's and III's heading to the area. Further north, the Soviets have been more circumspect. As mentioned, a KVI step was knocked out here by a StG, but otherwise it has been a cautious entry by RKKA forces. This is the biggest town on the board here (Bol'shoe Kropotovo - does Bol'shoe mean 'grand' or big as in the ballet?) and so far, there has been little threat. I have kept in mind that Wayne also has 2 bands of Cossacks or cavalry floating around. One lot is on the west edge and the other on the east. These have yet to be used but they have to be minded.

It certainly is an epic battle we are playing. Losses have been German 6 steps, Soviet 22 steps. Points so far are a little misleading as the Germans have points for the control of towns. When these fall, or are even contested, then the points swing will change. However, at present, the points stand at German 45pts, Soviet 0pts. Take away the towns and it is German 10pts, Soviet 0pts, but the Soviets, through casualties inflicted will soon suddenly earn 7pts, so its almost 10-7 as a score. Close indeed !

Chances of winning, possibly 55-45 in German favour ?

Next report here, the first session from a Beyond Normandy scenario (43rd Wessex Attacks) which is against Tony Langston. The cute kids of 12th SS take on the monsters that are British Tommies around the town of Mouen. There will be a report in the C&C2 blog of "Lets Play PG" folder as I am playing Brett on Thursday in the 4th session of scenario 2 in our campaign.

[waynebaumber]

Re Hells Fury III.

Not much to add to Vinces's report on our second session. The massed rocket batteries attack are a lot of fun the actual nitty girtty of trying to take those blasted (in both senses of the word) less so. However I have a foothold in the first town which is now surrounded so the town will fall which is good news, I do feel that I have to take another two towns at least to win the game and that is going to be tough.
The German OBDA, the ground snow and FOW are all slowing the advance to a crawl at the moment. I am finding it hard to rally units as I do not have the leaders or the activations to spare for rallying units.
I am down to 0 initative from 5 because of leader losses as each lost leader take the initative down one. This seems to be a tad unfair (I know the accepted historical reasons) even Vince feels it is too harsh on the Soviet's.
I agree that the game has swung slightly in the Germans favour but it was an excellent session yesterday and I am hopeful that I can gain an unlikely win.

[vince hughes]

Another session today, this time against Tony Langston as we kicked off the Beyond Normandy scenario 43rd Wessex Division Attacks.

It features a 2 bttn British attack against the fanatics of the 12th SS Hitlerjugend Division. With masses of British OBA and infantrymen against the outnumbered but young beserkers of the SS, this is going to be a bloody affair as both sides try to control Mouen by the end of the day.

After 5 turns played, the British have already lost 7 RIF steps and 2 Achillies steps. The Germans have lost 3 GREN steps and an officer. The British made an incursion on the town perimeter at Bas De Mouen and they gained an advantage in assault against a Panther and reduced GREN platoon, but the tables turned quickly when the tanks recovered from disruption and had a full platoon of GREN's to reinforce. Its only a 15 turn game, so we are expecting a draw as it will be difficult for either side to gain full control of either Bas de Mouen and Mouen itself. But it will be bloody.

[Shad]

Moving this to the "Let's Play" folder. Nothing personal, it just fits better there.

[vince hughes]

Session 3 - Stalemate at St.Barthelemy (scenario 28 BSS)

Played 4 more turns in another brain-draining session with Hugmenot last night. In the last session report I explained that the German right flank (north) was being pressured by large amounts of US troops despite casualties inflicted on the US and that they had determinedly got themselves into assaults into the out-lying dug-outs and with some advantage. I also wrote that on the left flank (southern) at the other end of the board, lighter amounts of Yanks were trickling round the flank but their leaders here due to their own disruptions were not so in control. The centre had a large amount of GI's ready to advance and these were holding down a sizeable and powerful portion of the German SS forces. By the end of session 2 it appeared still 50-50 but with a definite risk of a possible American break-in to the Germans lines.

(Right Flank) : As I had a 2 v 1 initiative advantage, I was hoping to get the first AS of turn 9, but rolling a 2 to his 6 allowed the US two AS's. The US did exactly what I was going to AS and continued with his assaults on my weakened dug-in positions on the right (I would have recovered some troops here). It was a mixed bag of action. The US attacks were weak in their effect and the Germans inflicted tough MC's on the Americans. Despite this salvaging oppurtunity, 2 of the 3 dug-outs morale didn't hold up and left themselves vulnerable in demoralised and disrupted states. This was looking dangerous, so the Germans concentrated on putting what ever forces they could spare towards the threatened town plus use on and off board artillery to pummel the Americans here. Both sides ended up inflicting 3 steps of damage on each other but at this point, the US were looking very threatening indeed.

Turns 10 & 11 proved more sedatory in casualty loss, just one American step. But now, the US advance on the right had been slowed. German opportunity fire was still causing disorder and the guns continued to bombard the area. Add to this that the one dug-out was completely holding out and the others were only now just being overrun PLUS a 4 AS turn ended quickly by FOW and suddenly there was a time pressure on the American attack.

Turn 12 was a little devastating for the Americans as they collected 8 steps of casualties in their attempts to advance in the face of pinpoint artillery plotting and accurate opp.fire. The right flank attack in the north is now looking very weakened for the US. It seemed every time he advanced something forward it was either shot up, disrupted or demoralised.

On the left flank the American advance here continued over the 4 turns played to be a trickle. Some have also changed direction as these, combined with the centre forces look to push on towards the objective crossroads. Lots of movement, but very little action here. perhaps best expressed as some US disorder and German holding tactics.

With the sudden ending of a very short turn 11, the US, in turn 12 got their troops in the centre on the move. These had been weakened in numbers a bit as some of this force had been disseminated in the last 3 turns towards both flanks. They finally advanced in sight of the German line, but were still 400m away on a wheat covered hill. Nonetheless, German defensive fire inflicted some losses as well as disruption and demoralisation.

Overall, for the Germans, it ended as a good session. The northern section or German right flank looks to have reduced the Americans to something nearing a disorganised group of 'small-groups'. The left or southern flank at present is still controllable, but is still being suspiciously eyed for developments and the centre still looks strong for the Germans.

As it stands, the Germans still control all 9 town hexes across the board and the crossroads. Casualties this session 4 German steps, 12 American steps. On going total: German 11 steps, American 28 steps.

[tlangston28]

This report is a little late but better late than never. As the British commander moving on Mouen, I have made intiial progress and made a run to Bas de Mouen in an effort to dislodge the German defense and possibly roll up the flank. These movements were made possible by the use of smoke, which I was lucky enough to roll at the beginning of the game. Without smoke, I believe this would be a difficult one for the British. Even though I am a step loss away from My 1st Worcestershires becoming early war Russians (morale-wise due to formation loss) I believe I am a good position, although it does seem likely that a draw will be the outcome. Th

By the way, does anyone know the reasoning behind the formation rule in Beyond Normandy - and why isn't it used elsewhere? Vince and I discussed it and we weren't sure. He surmised that the thought was that units would fight better and harder when they were in formations. Even though the reduced morale is slightly better, it seems more of a hinderance than a benefit.