The 2nd Armored Campaign

[Gregor]

Turn 5:

The Americans continue their more or less orderly retreat. The retreat costs them and they lost twice as many men as the Germans in their turn. In the north I have visual contact with paratroopers in travel mode trying to reinforce the defenses (released in the American turn) They are systematically bombard in my turn. I always tries to use my artillery at enemies in travel mode if at all possible as they have 4 times as heavy losses as deployed troops. (That is the same with direct fire, but its more uncommon to get in shots that way) It can also be observed that there are a lot of disrupted paras.



 I intend to push on with full power and the stack NW of the 25 pt VP location is possible to surround and take out. It didn’t start disrupted, but artillery and direct fire got them. Followed up by assaults they were all taken out. The defenders of the orchard NW of the hill are all surrounded, adn will hopefully be taken out next turn. More than 200 paras taken out this turn, the losses can’t be sustained for long. The battle is shifting fast towards a major allied loss due to the huge casualties.

[Ricky B]

Turn 6, the disasters at the front continue:


The German pressure leads to mounting losses in trying to slow down the quick advance. There are few options here, stand and die, with extremely heavy losses, or run and be packed into Carentan.

Meanwhile, my forces from the north, who had been fixed, have released but need to march down a rail line through Poulder in T mode, or else 1 hex at a time, and will suffer either way.

When will the tanks arrive to turn the tide? It doesn't appear it will be in time to prevent a major loss!

Rick

[Gregor]

To place the rather heavy losses in this game in a context I will show the losses from two other games too. 
The first one is a game against ComradeP where he is the axis. He have chosen a much less aggressive approach and systematically moving forward and shooting rather than assaulting. The interesting thing is the difference in losses, and progress, and I will update again at turn 10 so you can see how these two different approaches results in different games, but not necessarily different conclusions.    

The next is from the 1a version of the scenario, where the tables are turned and past of the 2nd armored are available from the start. I have used the same aggressive tactic as in the AAR game and mowing forward to press the German back. The game are against Landser34 and as you see the losses are comparable. Notice also the placement of the front compared to the other games. This is also turn 5.

[Gregor]

Turn 6:

As can be seen from this screenshot the VP shifts quite fast in my direction and the Americans are in retreat. On the other side I have taken heavy losses and the highlighted troops are disrupted. My troops are also getting fatigue quite fast and the last screenshot have highlighted the high fatigue ones, and they are now beginning to be frequent among the front troops. The retreating Americans on the plain north of the hill are nearly all disrupted. And they are surrounded and all destroyed during my turn. The turn ended with a VP score giving a major German victory. Hopefully the hill will be cleared in good time so that the reinforcements will have a hard time crossing the river.

[Ricky B]

Turn 7, last chance to hold the ridgeline
The destruction of the 101st Airborne continues, with the last positions on the hill, including the key positions at La Billonnerie now in the front lines. This will give the Germans overview of the entire area to the north and east, including the key crossings into town that are needed by the reinforcing 2nd Armored. As it is, the losses of the elite Airborne, which hasn't stopped them from disrupting so frequently, has already led to the battle being lost.

Only sweeping the Germans from the field and taking all of the objectives will give my men a chance at victory, and with the crossings soon to be under fire, that will not be likely, I am afraid.
Rick

[Compass Rose]

Better make the call "Broken Arrow", while you can!  

[Gregor]

Pressing on at full speed towards Carentan

Progress being made on the east of the hill and only a few defenders left on the hill. Looks like I am going to control the hill prior to the American reinforcements. Could it even be possible to take the town itself?

[Compass Rose]

Is it half-time or was there a cease-fire?

[Ricky B]

Work time I have been buried at work, but want to get back to this, should get something in tomorrow!