Calvados Coast for a beginner

[Tintin87]

Hi all, I read the forum since a long time and I decide to post My first AAR. I am a rookie so sometimes I will post some questions.
I am also French so sorry for my vocabulary.

Objectives

We need 2200 points to a Minor victory and 3000 to a Major victory
We have 40 turns so 20h.

Total objectives points :
-1 * 250 = 250 points
-2 * 200 = 400 points
-18 * 100 = 1800 points
-13 * 50 = 650 points
-17 * 25 = 425 points

Total : 3525 points





6 June 1944 : 00:00


Operation Deadstick
The objective is to capture intact two road bridges in Normandy across the river Orne and the Caen Canal. Once captured, the bridges had to be held against any counter-attack.


The Company « Bridge Coup de Main » is droped near Pont de Ranville.
She is commanded by Major Howard.
I have also two platoons of the 22nd Ind Parachute Co Company droped.

The OOB of this two compagnies is :





After parachute drop, I have several casualties, I lost 42 men.
The main losses are for the platoon C/No2 Wing and 1/22 Inf Parachute Co.
My first question is the number of men losses : on Victory screen I Have 42 men loss.
If I count manually I lost 76 men. Maybe the losses are before landing ?
The victory dialog is :

So what can I do for the first turn ?
a)My first action is to take « Pont de Ranville » and destroy the 5cm Pak38 Gun.
So I take it with Major Howard .

b)I did not moove the disrupted platoons, in order to recover from fatigue.


c) I fire on Bénouville, It is maintain by the 716. Infanterie Division, a Grenadier Zug (33 men I suppose).



So that all for my first turn !
I hope you will follow with attention my adventure !

[Tintin87]

6 June 1944 : 00:30

I have a lot of reinforcement arrived, in 3 sectors :

South Sector : in the West of Troarn

It is composed by the 8th Parachute Bn, commanded by Lieutenant colonel A.Pearson. It is composed of A, B and C company
I will use them to go East near Troarn

North Sector : in the West of Varaville

I have the HQ of the 3rd Parachute brigade, commanded by the Brigadier S.J.L Hill. Unfortunately, It lost 80% of this men , was disrupted and have a fatigue of 66.
It is composed by the 9th Parachute Bn, commanded by Lieutenant colonel T. Otway. It is composed of A, B and C company.
We also have the 1st Cdn Parachute Bn. It is composed of A, B and C company.
I will use them to go East near Varaville and Merville to the north.

Middle Sector : Ranville

I have the HQ of the 5th Parachute brigade, commanded by the Brigadier POET. Unfortunately, It lost 70% of this men, was disrupted and have a fatigue of 14.
We have the 7th Parachute Bn, the 12th and 13th Parachute Bn
I will use
-the 7th to go north
-the 12th to take and maintain middle
-the 13th to go west






I take "Pegasus bridge" on Canal Caen and  Bénouville with the "Coup de Main" compagny !



It is my first victory, but the losses are great, due to a hazardous parachuting, with a total of  708 men lost on 30 minutes !

[MikeC]

Great AAR! Especially like the historical photos mingled with the game graphics. This could make a PB gamer out of me. I currently only have the demo.

[Tintin87]

6 June 1944 : 03:00


I decide to change my plan with the 7th and 13th Bn.
Instead of go north, the 7th go west to help “Coup de Main” compagny on Bénouville.
The 13th Bn go south to cover the arrival of germain troop.


The new troop arrived :
-Major General Gale of the 6th Airbone Division
-4th Airlanding Btty

The situation is:


a)On south most of 8th Parachute Bn is still Disrupted




b) On northest the 9th parachute Bn try to take Varaville, defended by 5cm pak 38 Gun and Ost Inf Zug (47 men).
The 1st  Canadian Parachute Bn go north.




c) On middle :
-the 7th Parachute Bn go west
-the 13th Parachute Bn go south
-the 12th Parachute Bn is ready to take "Le Mesnil".

[Tintin87]

6 June 1944 : 04:00

-North :
The 9th Parachute Bn take Varaville
The 1st Cdn Parachute Bn still go north


-South :
The 8th Parachute Bn found a resistance near Sannerville


-Middle:
The combat is still violent near Ranville, where German troops are reinforced by a 44 PzGr Zug.
The 7th Parachute Bn start to cross Pegasus Bridge
The 12th Parachute Bn take “Le Mesnil”




If I see the Victory dialog :
-I have 350 points on objectives
-I lost 973 men and 3 guns.

[Tintin87]

Great AAR! Especially like the historical photos mingled with the game graphics. This could make a PB gamer out of me. I currently only have the demo.

Thanks for your support !

Now it's time to turn 6 !

6 June 1944 : 05:00

-North :
The 9th Parachute Bn harass the rest of german troop near Varaville
The 1st Cdn Parachute Bn encounter a 2cm Flak38 and a 10cm leFH30 Gun.
Engineer clear mine.
After that they will come back and go south

-Middle:
My engineer is laying mines on the road coming south of Bénouville.
My 6pdr MKII of 4 Airlanding AT Battery welcome the U304 2cm Flak38 german on south and destroy 2 vehicles  !



-South :
The 8th Parachute Bn let the est for the 9th Bn and go back west.

The victory dialog now show me always high losses for me.

[MikeC]

Will you recover a significant percentage of those troop losses, or is the scenario length too short? I'm guessing a high percentage of those losses would be scattered airborne drops.

Really enjoying this AAR.

[Tintin87]

Will you recover a significant percentage of those troop losses, or is the scenario length too short? I'm guessing a high percentage of those losses would be scattered airborne drops.

Really enjoying this AAR.

The scenario lenght is 40 turn. I am only on turn 6. I have the time to recover this, and with the sunrise I can can use my AT gun (visibility increase).
The High percentage of my loss is at the beginning with the crash of Gliders and scattered airbone drops (750-800 men ).

[Tintin87]

6 June 1944 : 06:00

The most important information is the visibility, increase to 5 Hexes (1,25km).
In 1 hour, the beach landing is coming to Sword,Gold and Juno


On the sector of Bénouville and his “château”, I deploy my AT Gun (17pdr and 6-pdr), in order to attack and harass the 716 Inf Division and the H39 7,5 Pak40.



I Take Hérouvillette, and the 12th Parachute Bn must push in order to make a jonction with the 13th Bn.
The 9th Bn is on contact with the enemy on Bavent, and I call a Typhoon Air recon.



On the north, the 1st Cdn Parachute Bn is still on fire with the German Guns.
I call a bomber support on it.

Finally for this turn :

-I got 50 objectives point
The losses are:
-68 men for me
-93 men, 1 vehicle for the Axis

Not too bad

[Tintin87]

6 June 1944 : 06:00

Serious things coming on this turn 8 ! I lost my 2 17-pdr AT gun near “pegasus bridge”.
The company “Coup de main” progress to the west through field.
The 7th maintain position on Benouville, and tak care of the Germain who arrive to the north “Canal de Caen”.

The 13th must take car of the germain who arrive on their back near Anfreville !

NB :


I have some HQ who are "Out of Command". 
Do you have some advice to avoid this fact ?





Combats looks hard near “Herouvillette” and “le Mesnil”, where 44Pzgrenadier Zug (hundred men !) are waiting for fighting !
The 9th try to go down to Bavent.



On the South, The 8th Parachute Bn go west and is near SMN (Société Metallurgique de Normandie) Steel Work at Colombelles, a great still mill, but during war they making Bombshell and so she was bombed by British Bombers.
In 1943, only 900 workers are here (4000 in 1938 !) and the last high furnace was closed on 1942.
I Imagine the Paratroopers, when they saw this long chimney, and arrive near this old, partially destroy industrial complex !

Image of German Troopers near the SMN of Colombelles

Now it is time to see Victory Dialog !

For this turn the losses are :

-47 men and 4 guns for me
-104 men, 3 guns and 1 vehicles for the Axis

A good ratio for me !

The next hour the Beach landing will coming !