Random chatter...

[Jim von Krieg]

Wolfman and I are still locked in mortal combat and he's Still Full of Fight...

I seem to have weathered the stiff arm to the face and have begun to move forward towards the deep objectives... He still holds most of the objectives, but after the bloodbath he suffered to gain them I don't expect he will be able to hold them now that my forces are moving forward...

My infantry company on the right flank barely exists, but the Jumbos are exacting a heavy toll on his infantry that administered all that pain. I've decided that I no longer need to shoot and scoot. Time to grind forward with overwhelming power. He's run out of the treeline... driven back under the 75mm and 105mm fire of the Jumbos and the Shermans... AAA tracks line up to contribute to the fight... Not much success, but I do love to hear the MG sound they emit...

In the center, I'm pushing down the road with my infantry. No contact so far. My guys pass the burning wrecks of what used to be his panzers.

On my left, King Tiger in the open... I'll avoid that... however, my armor pounds on his infantry traveling down the roadway of death.. Not much left there... a few more turns and what's left of his original attack force will cease to exist...

My Pershings engage a lone infantry unit on the plain VP hex... Vaporized by 90mm HE rounds... feeling a little froggy I send my scout jeeps forward to do a drive through the recently vacated hex... Only partially successful as I roll through the hex to make it mine, but the return trip out of LOS isn't so uneventful... King Tigers apparently don't like retreating jeeps... Burning jeeps reflect one of my more foolish endeavors in this fight...

Offensive operations underway...

Enjoy,

Jim

[PawelM]

To all others following my random chatter on Kursk, I've created a series of screen shots and will eventually start sharing a few. Still too early yet. As I might reveal "State Secrets" to the Fascist Invaders during the course of the battle, I suspect it'll be many turns down the road before I start downgrading their classification status for releasibility. LOL...

I am following the chatter and really enjoy it... Additional advantage is that I can have a peek at what to expect in the replay of Deaths head and Kursk before I get a chance to watch the replay so things do not come as a shock :)

[Jim von Krieg]

Earlier, I picked up a game with Fubar1 on the Western Front... Jim chose a Don Fox scenario based on the battle of Stavelot. We'll see how this goes as I've never played this one before.

I'm dug in with a nice assortment of infantry, armor and artillery. Looks like a tough fight for the Amis, but they are dug in with good tactical positions.

One bad point, a few of the Germans are on the same side of the river. That can't bode well as they can cut in behind my position for the VP hexes and I have little to stop that. I'll have to do a balancing act to keep the baddies from seizing the VP hexes behind me while controlling the bridge head.

Duh, just had tactical epiphany as to what to do. VP hexes are key, but there is another technique that will help as well. This is one of the reasons I like to "share" my battles. It helps me systematically review my battle plans. Just had to issue a FRAGO to the troops. It's an obvious item, but I hadn't even considered it until now.

German also have a nice assortment of infantry and armor with Panthers, King Tigers and Mk-IVs. As this Amis, I get to do the shoot and scoot with no elaborate plan to attack. I'm behind a river overlooking the enemy approach and the fight seems to be all about VP Hexes. As long as he pays a high price for taking one, then I have a chance.

First few turns are mostly the Germans moving around. My MGs are disrupting his advance. I drop artillery all around where I think he's going to "appear". As long as I keep my guns supplied, I can dish out lots of punishment.

Also, my M10s are getting the best of the fight with the Panthers and gun tracks. Two Panthers burn on the far side of the river. I slide out pop the Panther and run away behind cover.

Also, good things occur as my AT guns OPFIRE his loaded halftrack attempting to race for the bridges. I love the smell of burning halftracks in the morning. LOL...

Looks like the initial surge is broken up with a good segment of Fubar's far bank assault force disrupted. I've stripped away his cannon carrying halftracks as well as one of the halftrack troop carriers. My Shermans are zapping the infantry moving in the open on the far bank. My MGs OPFIRE is also slicing and dicing his infantry moving forward.

I'm taking casualties from the German arty, but nothing major so far. All my guys are dug in and I dart around a bit to escape the impact hex. However, I have to hold the defense so I am getting hit by his guns.

I caught a glimpse of his second assault force moving up. Mk-IVs with infantry. I slide out of LOS. Don't want his tanks pounding my poor line doggies from afar.

I'm feeling good so far, but that can vaporize in an instant with this.

So far, issue remains in doubt.

Jim

[Jim von Krieg]

In the East, Pawel's Red Army troops have gone into stealth mode... He has been giving me the rope-a-dope most of the battle... Slap my infantry around at long range and slide away.. then a furious fight as I crossed the bridge... Only to slide back into quiet time...

Only when I forced the bridge did he really put up an effort to engage me toe to toe... We were in a slugfest up until the point I cleared the treeline and smashed his local defenses...

However, the casualties were severe on my part... I had a couple of lapses and one "ah ha" moment when I realized I made numerous tactical errors and a strategic miscalculation...

My biggest mistake, I assumed he'd fight this battle as I would fight it, aka force mirroring... but alas that was not the case... I wasted precious time on closing to the fight as I was maneuvering across the snow to establish multiple crossfires and make it extremely painful if he tried to come after me as I moved up... A result of not being familar with the scenario or the opponent... I moved a tad bit slower than normal and not quite as aggressive as my typical fight...

Once I realized the deal, I attempted to pick up the pace and subsequently got pummeled as my light forces went for the bridge before I was fully set... So much for underestimating Pawel... He's a wiley one...

Now, with the bridges on the far river blown I don't have much of an option to force a decision in this game... I'm always loath to do this, but it appears I have to go head on into what I can only deduce is going to be a massive Red Army tank reception committee as I crest the ridge to overlook the small town at the heart of the Red Army defense... There is no way to get LOS down in there without getting pasted by whatever is waiting just on the other side... T34/85s, ISU-152s, SU-100s and lots of rocket launchers...

Little bites of this problem... Control the treeline... Drive what's left of his infantry back... move my infantry up to see the massed T34s/Shermans sitting just below waiting on me...

I put the heavy armor in place... See if they like King Tigers at point blank range with a height advantage... and guess what, they don't... I lose a King, but soak up most of his OPFIRE... Then the Panther rush to point blank range... They definitely didn't like that...

Oh it's a blood bath... Underneath the burning King Tiger, a lot more T34s and Shermans burn... Not as many as I had hoped, but now its a points calculation as the bleeding contributes to the victory conditions... I have to dishout more pain than he does for the next few turns... I expect to get pummeled next turn as the disrupted and reduced King Tiger sits explosed before a large number of enemy tanks...

I made a critical tactical error as I forgot something very important... Too long away from the electronic front... I don't think I have enough time to recover from the oversight.. It would lock this game down for me because it doesn't look like Pawel's accounted for it... Should of, would have, could have...

Oh well, it's water under the bridge... LOL... With only a few turns left, its grind it out now...

[Jim von Krieg]

In the east, Pax25 and I are locked in mortal combat along the Vistula.

I am unable to pause to group for a massed attack due to my foes rapid movement. My center position is under duress from the mailed German fist seeking to crack my defenses. To relieve the pressure on my defenses, I attack from the march with four heavy tank companies. Two on the right flank and two on the left flank.

As the massed Germans fires pound on my infantry in their defensive positions, my heavies made their presence felt by hammering the Tigers moving up to engage me. As I slammed into his left and right flank simultaneously, his Tigers took a beating. His right flank is solid with help close at hand; however, his left is more problematic. As 88mm rounds bounce off the tough hide of the IS-2's, the Tigers are proving a tad more brittle when struck by 122mm rounds.

His Panthers and King Tigers are busy knocking the hell out of my infantry. However, he needs time to dig them out.

The next few turns are going to be very interesting as we are locked in fairly close combat at the moment.

Jim

On my right, the IS-2s are really laying waste to the Tigers attempting to push forward. His earlier attempt to enter the village with only armor was thrown back. He established a good crossfire for the close fight just outside the village, but his Tigers fired at extremely long range at my KV-85s moving in the center village. This unmasked his positions AND used up the majority of his OPFIRE on his left. This exposed his Tigers to engagement by IS-2s and SU-85s at fairly close range and it was brutal. Two Tiger companies badly mauled.

Additionally, after getting expelled from the village, Pax brought up some Panthers to support his left flank. They engaged my reinforcing T34/85s entering the area at long range to no effect. Unfortunately, the Panthers engaged them as they were moving forward through Improved Positions. Between the T34/85s and the IS-2s in the area, the Panther Company was destroyed. Unexpectedly, the T34/85s achieved good results in this isolated duel.

In the Center, Pax continues to pound mercilessly my exposed infantry. Not much I can do there at this point, but hold on to my Trenches and IPs. He is close, but I can't hit him head on to knock him back. Those Panthers and King Tigers would slice me and dice me. All I can do is send in more infantry to hold the line.

While Pax is pounding on the front door, he is trying to move in behind with two Tiger companies to cut me off. This is where my Stalin's using terrain masking made their presence known as they flood the area. I isolated and mauled a Tiger Company. After my Stalin's hammered the Tigers, my T34/85s raced to the high ground and I think are now in place to drive deep into his position. Still have to deal with a lone Tiger up there, but I don't think that will be much of a problem.

I think I've ripped his left flank open. No contact with his infantry which I got a glimpse of as it moved forward. I forgot to turn my lurker AT gun OPFIRE off, so when the Tigers retreated out of the village, my guy popped off at the Tigers to his doom. His infantry was moving up, but I think it is too late now. I don't think they have much in the area to prevent my boys from pushing out of the village to hammer his left flank.

I'm threatened in the center. With his second company of Tigers on overwatch behind my position, I can't readily race my tanks up the road to reinforce the position. My infantry is pushing forward to reinforce, but I need some heavies in the village that will guarantee the position doesn't fall. I can see his infantry (looks like engineers) cresting the ridge and moving forward. If he gets his ground pounders in there, it won't be good for me.

A valuable lesson... Check your OPFIRE settings... inadvertent shots at the wrong time can blow your plan all to hell... I am one that doesn't like to let OPFIRE rule my battle plan, it can make or break you... but I got a tad bit sloppy and exposed a key spotter at a crucial point in the battle... I sensed his infantry was moving up and plastered the road... Unfortunately, the loss of eyes on resulted in errant shots to little effect...

Great day of gaming today. All my current opponents were exchanging turns AND I was busy getting up to speed on 48th Panzer as well as organizing our team... We're about to go hot on a massive team game... I can't wait to get into this...

Have a great weekend everyone...

Jim

In the East along the Vistula, the Red Army counter-offensive is well underway... My T34 company slid around Pax's right flank and are rolling up some easy pickings... scratch scout car, HQ and an infantry ladened half-track... as well as taking a VP hex... I ran out of ammo before I ran out of targets... deeper, my sleeper forces begin to emerge from hiding...

On Pax's left flank, the T34 and IS-2 companies have emerged from the treeline and are administering death and destruction... His push into the village with his infantry forces ran straight into my other IS-2 and SU-85 companies waiting for his counterattack... the hexes have changed hands several times, but I think he's fast running out of troops in the area... His Tigers charged north, but another one burns... Only one Tiger left I think.. Of course, an IS-2 is also burning... My infantry is pretty shot up, but with all my heavy armor he's in big trouble...

In the center, we're really tearing up each other at point blank range... IS-2s soak up all the OPFIRE as they explode under the weight of German tank rounds at 250m's.... Other IS-2s and KV-85s slam into the Panthers that took the trench-line... They suffer heavy casualties and surprise...

Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah! Russian infantry surges forward in close combat to encircle and overwhelm a company of Panthers... Other infantry unleash a barrage of small arms fire on the German Engineers and Panzergrenadiers moving up to assault the Russian positions... I think his attack is broken...

More IS-2s move forward to the stage into the village... There is no way I'm getting throw out of this position now... I'm in there behind an infantry screen that is somewhat battered, but it still exists...

He still has powerful forces in the area as his King Tigers rule where ever they stand... However, the rest of the battlefield is wide open and those Kings can't be everywhere..

[Jim von Krieg]

In the East, Pawel's Red Army troops have gone into stealth mode... He has been giving me the rope-a-dope most of the battle... Slap my infantry around at long range and slide away.. then a furious fight as I crossed the bridge... Only to slide back into quiet time...

Only when I forced the bridge did he really put up an effort to engage me toe to toe... We were in a slugfest up until the point I cleared the treeline and smashed his local defenses...

However, the casualties were severe on my part... I had a couple of lapses and one "ah ha" moment when I realized I made numerous tactical errors and a strategic miscalculation...

My biggest mistake, I assumed he'd fight this battle as I would fight it, aka force mirroring... but alas that was not the case... I wasted precious time on closing to the fight as I was maneuvering across the snow to establish multiple crossfires and make it extremely painful if he tried to come after me as I moved up... A result of not being familar with the scenario or the opponent... I moved a tad bit slower than normal and not quite as aggressive as my typical fight...

Once I realized the deal, I attempted to pick up the pace and subsequently got pummeled as my light forces went for the bridge before I was fully set... So much for underestimating Pawel... He's a wiley one...

Now, with the bridges on the far river blown I don't have much of an option to force a decision in this game... I'm always loath to do this, but it appears I have to go head on into what I can only deduce is going to be a massive Red Army tank reception committee as I crest the ridge to overlook the small town at the heart of the Red Army defense... There is no way to get LOS down in there without getting pasted by whatever is waiting just on the other side... T34/85s, ISU-152s, SU-100s and lots of rocket launchers...

Little bites of this problem... Control the treeline... Drive what's left of his infantry back... move my infantry up to see the massed T34s/Shermans sitting just below waiting on me...

I put the heavy armor in place... See if they like King Tigers at point blank range with a height advantage... and guess what, they don't... I lose a King, but soak up most of his OPFIRE... Then the Panther rush to point blank range... They definitely didn't like that...

Oh it's a blood bath... Underneath the burning King Tiger, a lot more T34s and Shermans burn... Not as many as I had hoped, but now its a points calculation as the bleeding contributes to the victory conditions... I have to dishout more pain than he does for the next few turns... I expect to get pummeled next turn as the disrupted and reduced King Tiger sits explosed before a large number of enemy tanks...

I made a critical tactical error as I forgot something very important... Too long away from the electronic front... I don't think I have enough time to recover from the oversight.. It would lock this game down for me because it doesn't look like Pawel's accounted for it... Should of, would have, could have...

Oh well, it's water under the bridge... LOL... With only a few turns left, its grind it out now...

We're locked in a tight battle on the crest of the north end of the treeline we've been fighting for since I crossed the bridge... His counterattack destroys my King Tigers... However, it took a big chunk of his firepower to do it... He also engaged the exposed Panzer-Grenadier platoon in the smoke overlooking the village and the low ground which is whittled to nothing...

His T34s charge up into my domain on the high ground where my wiped out PG's had been... My OPFIRE does nothing, but then he doesn't get much out of it either.. He disrupts two AAA SP platoons that I had brought up to shoot up infantry...

He pulls most of his armor back down out of LOS... Also, he's back in the tree hex I just recently cleared and is pushing through the treeline to see into the open space behind...

Way back there, his T34s behind the village seek the high ground to gain LOS and shoot at my exposed infantry... Panther OPFIRE disrupts him...

My push through the southern end of the treeline is cut down by well placed engineers, artillery, and SU-152's firing into my panzer-grenadiers as they emerge from the tree line... Need smoke, but it's a matter of priorities and this infantry push is going nowhere so no smoke for them..

I had ended the previous turn with a Minor Victory and his counterattack has slapped it back down to a draw.. We have been teetering back and forth in the middle of a draw... Only now are the points beginning to swing the battle to my favor... However, Pawel's troops are fighting hard to stem the SS onslaught...

As I survey the battlefield, I don't think I have any chance at another VP hex that the Russians control... Too many Russians, too far and very little time remaining... I think it's all about holding the two exposed VP hexes I have and attrition... With the Russians having the last shot at this, I'll have to lock down the VP hexes in question or risk fighting this to a draw...

As my troops stare down the barrel of T34/85 platoon, the PGs and flammen-panzers/tracks assault over the top of the lone T34/85 occupying my smoke hex... Don't you just hate it when your opponent takes advantage of your smoke laying operations...

After the destruction of the T34s on the high ground, my Panthers surge forward into the smoke to absorb more Russian OPFIRE... not even a scratch on the paint... Results are not quite as good as I had hoped, but every little bit helps as more T34s and SU-100s burn on the low ground...

In the newly Red Army occupied treeline, SP Arty, SP Mortars, MGs and PGs massacre and drive out his ground pounders... the Panthers wipe out a few more M4s...

After this round, I drove the victory conditions back to a Minor Victory... I'll have to see if I can hold on to it this time... A little bit of a cushion, but its tight and every casualty is going to make a difference in this fight...

I also see that my flight of fantasy move is covered as I see T34's moving in the distance... Not that rushing the blown bridge to the south, dropping smoke and attempting to build a foot bridge to the uncovered VP hex was anything but a long shot... Probably as smart as driving a scout jeep through a VP hex under the nose of a King Tiger was in one of my other battles...

Regards,

Jim

[Jim von Krieg]

I just re-opened a long dormant campaign with Petri, aka Krazy Kat...

Eastern Front battle of Bitter Glory at Tannenburg.... Massive battle of Red Army waves of infantry and armor, with massive artillery support... Germans dug-in deep... with armor and artillery... All Options except VV... hard for me, but I like EA... the Glorious Red Army will battle to the utmost to liberate the Baltic states from the Fascist Invader...

Artillery blasts away to reduce the German forces entrenched and bunkered in... This is going to be tough on both sides...

I'm not one to like the very large battles, but this is looking like a very good one... if you are into large tactical movements and massive losses on both sides... this is definitely about strategy and operational movement...

HUZZAH, HUZZAH, HUZZAH!!! To the front! Several lesser VP hexes have fallen under the weight of the advance... but not without significant cost... Got to remember to move hex by hex with armor... I lost T34s because they wondered into AT Gun kill zones when they weren't supposed to... Where I have strong armor support, more success... I just don't have enough to be everywhere...

Jim vK

[Crossroads]

Facing the red storm of steel, the rag tag groups of Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Wallonian and of course Estonian panzer grenadiers check their weapons. They are all over the map, trying to gain an understanding of the rapidly worsening situation. Artillery trains rush towards centered locations to be able to provide their support to most critical sectors, the few afvs available rush to deploy into most favourable positions...

A battle of attrition will not do, holding at all cost is not an option. First Soviet tanks are burning, but clearly this is just the beginning... Battle for the Blue Hills is on!

[Jim von Krieg]

In the East, Pawel's Red Army troops have gone into stealth mode... He has been giving me the rope-a-dope most of the battle... Slap my infantry around at long range and slide away.. then a furious fight as I crossed the bridge... Only to slide back into quiet time...

Only when I forced the bridge did he really put up an effort to engage me toe to toe... We were in a slugfest up until the point I cleared the treeline and smashed his local defenses...

However, the casualties were severe on my part... I had a couple of lapses and one "ah ha" moment when I realized I made numerous tactical errors and a strategic miscalculation...

My biggest mistake, I assumed he'd fight this battle as I would fight it, aka force mirroring... but alas that was not the case... I wasted precious time on closing to the fight as I was maneuvering across the snow to establish multiple crossfires and make it extremely painful if he tried to come after me as I moved up... A result of not being familar with the scenario or the opponent... I moved a tad bit slower than normal and not quite as aggressive as my typical fight...

Once I realized the deal, I attempted to pick up the pace and subsequently got pummeled as my light forces went for the bridge before I was fully set... So much for underestimating Pawel... He's a wiley one...

Now, with the bridges on the far river blown I don't have much of an option to force a decision in this game... I'm always loath to do this, but it appears I have to go head on into what I can only deduce is going to be a massive Red Army tank reception committee as I crest the ridge to overlook the small town at the heart of the Red Army defense... There is no way to get LOS down in there without getting pasted by whatever is waiting just on the other side... T34/85s, ISU-152s, SU-100s and lots of rocket launchers...

Little bites of this problem... Control the treeline... Drive what's left of his infantry back... move my infantry up to see the massed T34s/Shermans sitting just below waiting on me...

I put the heavy armor in place... See if they like King Tigers at point blank range with a height advantage... and guess what, they don't... I lose a King, but soak up most of his OPFIRE... Then the Panther rush to point blank range... They definitely didn't like that...

Oh it's a blood bath... Underneath the burning King Tiger, a lot more T34s and Shermans burn... Not as many as I had hoped, but now its a points calculation as the bleeding contributes to the victory conditions... I have to dishout more pain than he does for the next few turns... I expect to get pummeled next turn as the disrupted and reduced King Tiger sits explosed before a large number of enemy tanks...

I made a critical tactical error as I forgot something very important... Too long away from the electronic front... I don't think I have enough time to recover from the oversight.. It would lock this game down for me because it doesn't look like Pawel's accounted for it... Should of, would have, could have...

Oh well, it's water under the bridge... LOL... With only a few turns left, its grind it out now...

We're locked in a tight battle on the crest of the north end of the treeline we've been fighting for since I crossed the bridge... His counterattack destroys my King Tigers... However, it took a big chunk of his firepower to do it... He also engaged the exposed Panzer-Grenadier platoon in the smoke overlooking the village and the low ground which is whittled to nothing...

His T34s charge up into my domain on the high ground where my wiped out PG's had been... My OPFIRE does nothing, but then he doesn't get much out of it either.. He disrupts two AAA SP platoons that I had brought up to shoot up infantry...

He pulls most of his armor back down out of LOS... Also, he's back in the tree hex I just recently cleared and is pushing through the treeline to see into the open space behind...

Way back there, his T34s behind the village seek the high ground to gain LOS and shoot at my exposed infantry... Panther OPFIRE disrupts him...

My push through the southern end of the treeline is cut down by well placed engineers, artillery, and SU-152's firing into my panzer-grenadiers as they emerge from the tree line... Need smoke, but it's a matter of priorities and this infantry push is going nowhere so no smoke for them..

I had ended the previous turn with a Minor Victory and his counterattack has slapped it back down to a draw.. We have been teetering back and forth in the middle of a draw... Only now are the points beginning to swing the battle to my favor... However, Pawel's troops are fighting hard to stem the SS onslaught...

As I survey the battlefield, I don't think I have any chance at another VP hex that the Russians control... Too many Russians, too far and very little time remaining... I think it's all about holding the two exposed VP hexes I have and attrition... With the Russians having the last shot at this, I'll have to lock down the VP hexes in question or risk fighting this to a draw...

As my troops stare down the barrel of T34/85 platoon, the PGs and flammen-panzers/tracks assault over the top of the lone T34/85 occupying my smoke hex... Don't you just hate it when your opponent takes advantage of your smoke laying operations...

After the destruction of the T34s on the high ground, my Panthers surge forward into the smoke to absorb more Russian OPFIRE... not even a scratch on the paint... Results are not quite as good as I had hoped, but every little bit helps as more T34s and SU-100s burn on the low ground...

In the newly Red Army occupied treeline, SP Arty, SP Mortars, MGs and PGs massacre and drive out his ground pounders... the Panthers wipe out a few more M4s...

After this round, I drove the victory conditions back to a Minor Victory... I'll have to see if I can hold on to it this time... A little bit of a cushion, but its tight and every casualty is going to make a difference in this fight...

I also see that my flight of fantasy move is covered as I see T34's moving in the distance... Not that rushing the blown bridge to the south, dropping smoke and attempting to build a foot bridge to the uncovered VP hex was anything but a long shot... Probably as smart as driving a scout jeep through a VP hex under the nose of a King Tiger was in one of my other battles...

Regards,

Jim

I left myself open to getting shot at hoping he would surge forward to fight it out, but alas Pawel was too cagey for that... He slips back, taking a few pot shots at my infantry as his armor slides out of sight... Well, that pretty much precludes a major victory here... I moved too slow and Pawel fought too well for me to lock that down... It is good to win, but I had serious doubts well until the end that this was going to be anything other than a draw...

As the last turn opens, my artillery thunders getting excellent results on his defenders in the village... they are disrupted, reduced and driven back...

On my left, a lone armed halftrack races to the two closest objectives with supporting fires from the ridge... the enemy is driven off and as my track takes the last objective, a Russian AT battery unmasks leaving nothing but burning wreckage on the final objective... Another halftrack races forward to scout the area and bumps into SU-100s and infantry waiting to counterattack... He slams the gears into reverse and backs away from the poised Russian forces...

Supporting fires erupt from my Panthers and King Tigers, stripping away what I think is the last of his armor fighting it out in the near treeline that we've been wrangling over for many turns...

It also destroys two of the SU-100s lurking back there.. the other platoon is driven off, but I'm sure it will be back... My Flamepanzers make short work of some broken infantry and a lone T34... My Panthers rake the distant treeline to reduce and drive off one of his mortar batteries...

I attempt to shoot up one of the exposed and broken engineer units behind the blow bridges, but they just disrupt and run all over the battlefield... No joy...

Here I sit with a major victory by points, but when Pawel plays the last turn that will evaporate as his T34s return to get in the last shots...

A most excellent fight from a strong opponent...

Jim

[Jim von Krieg]

On the Western Front, the Germans (me) and the Canadians (Mike) face off. I haven't played this and its probably one of the classics of the WF battles.

I've assessed my units and mission. I have a lot of Mk-IVs and infantry with a little bit of artillery to drive the Canadians into the sea. Looking at the Canadians, they have a lot of armor and a lot of heavy naval artillery. I could sit back and respond to Mike's moves OR I could go after him. Of course, there is no choice in that. I'm going to go after him.

Over the course of the game, we seem to have had the same idea... push forward along the roadway to the villages of Gruchy and Buron. There's been a little harassing activity on my right flank at Epron, but so far its a side show. Though if his reserve forces release, it could become a major headache for me very quickly.

His scout forces sweep through both Gruchy and Buron just in front of me. Does not look like anything more than his lead elements of Stuarts and Bren carriers with infantry. As he moved in, my infantry and armor move up to take Gruchy. After a short and furious fight, I drive Mike out of Gruchy.

He seems to be locking down Buron and casting his eye on St. Contest as his infantry and light tanks push toward the village. My AT Guns engage along with long range tank fire. We've got a duel going on as his Shermans pop out, shoot and scoot behind Buron. There seems to be a lot of armor back there.

Then, the unbelievable use of large smoke screens to block my LOS from my supporting fires. We're in a close in fight for St. Contest. He's stuck on the outskirts with his infantry and my panzergrenadiers duking it out. Mike's unwillingness to commit his Shermans to the fight seems to give me the advantage in the fight, but they are definitely give excellent supporting fires. I've pushed up more infantry to support the attack on Buron, but this attack out of Buron toward St. Contest has locked them down defending St. Contest.

As this battle rages, I mass my forces to seize Buron. We're still battling in the treeline on the low ground between Buron and Gruchy, but I'm slowly gaining the upper hand. As I clear the trees, I begin to move up for the assault on Buron. This is going to be a tough nut. I suspect lots of infantry on the back side of the village with a lot of Shermans that have been popping out to blast my infantry near St. Contest quite effectively.

As I mass, Mike is scouting way out on my left flank to gain LOS to see what I'm up to. I blast Stuarts and infantry units attempting to sneak a peek and drive them out of LOS several times.

My artillery is not doing very well. Mike just doesn't really give me anything to shoot. As my infantry moves up for the attack, I lay down smoke to reduce the losses. I assault into Buron and drive him back, but a furious counterattack knocks me back.

His naval guns really did a number on me this turn and then he assaults forward to retake the village and drive me out. I lose a Mk-IV platoon and have over a company of infantry and engineers reduced and disrupted.

As my forces retreat back through the village, my second echelon counters his counterattack. I drive forward with supporting artillery and mortar fire to retake the village and drive back his forces. As my panzers push out, his Shermans engage disrupting two platoons of Mk-IVs; however, there are a lot more where they came from.

My Mk-IVs move up to essentially wipe out two platoons of Shermans and a platoon of Stuarts. I pull back waiting to see if he has second echelon forces to counter my counter to his counter. LOL... Engineers lay smoke and I hope I've pushed through far enough to escape his murderous naval gunfire. I'm just hoping he runs out of ammunition. I can't stand much more of those bombardments.

We have an excellent fight underway. Currently, we're locked in close combat with a draw and I'm not sure I'm going to have an opportunity to push forward to victory.

I'm bleeding out as Mike pounded my St. Contest defenders hard with tank fire. I accelerated the bleeding as I attacked into the teeth of his strength. I drove off his attack into St. Contest as well as seizing Gruchy and Boron. I only hope I can hold it. I drove off a lot of enemy infantry, destroyed a company of tanks, and will hopefully be able to continue my push forward towards Villons. Not sure, but I need to look hard at what I'm going to do next.

Mike's a tough opponent who is aggressive, but doesn't give you much to shoot at... Hmmm... Clash is definitely a tough fight for both sides as we both seem to be on the attack.