How Quickly a Battle Can Change

[Riley D. Smith]

or: How to Stay Fluid and Kill People.

Playing a really great Korea scenario against our esteemed colleague Mr. Harden. The Bowling Alley. My 27th Infantry Division along with my ROK 1st Division facing the NKPA's 1st and 13th Infantry Divisions.

Through the first 8 turns or so I was pretty happy with my progress. Took some casualties but overall meeting my objectives on time and in good order. Became pretty heavily engaged in the village on the middle/western area of map but the communist forces were taking extremely high casualties as they threw wave after wave of soldiers at my line. My men were holding, dishing out some serious damage, and would (I then believed) be able to advance, mop up, and take the 20vp hex just to my north. After that my plan would be to attack the ridge upon which his mortar batteries lay. All seemed to be reasonable.

I began moving a regiment up the main road to reinforce and jump off in support of my attack on the my left flank. Supported by heavy and constant motor fire, they proceeded as planned, taking sporadic long distance fire, minimal casualties. I was winning a pretty serious artillery dual, giving more than I was taking. I move my armor contingent (4 Pershing tanks) forward to take up supporting fire positions on a ridge in the middle of my lines, just south of the middle of the map and east of the main north/south road.

I know he has armor roaming about from the sound (that plus I spotted an SU-76 and a T34/85 with a regimental commander that was waaay further north than he should have been). Yes Loz...that was a LtCol, his radio operator, and a HQ squad that you saw haulin' butt back down the road in the duece and a half and the jeep. Risked his (and his command posts) lives, but gathered valuable intel, directed a couple of arty strikes, then saddled up and skee-daddled as NKPA troops began advancing on them in a rapid fashion from the north. All told, I was kicking ass and taking names, and felt pretty good about continuing the fight with power moves up the flanks.

Then comes what probably will be the biggest mistake of this fight. I want to move my tanks into a better firing position and see if I can find his armor which I am certain is hiding behind cover in the north center of the map. Orders are issued to my tanks to "head northeast appox 800-1000 meters or so, occupy the ridge running north/south and start laying down heavy fire to the west/northwest. Enemy armor is to be engaged as the primary target."

My 4 tankers proceed as ordered. Then, as they poke their snouts over the ridgline for a look-see, they promptly get brewed up by some T34/85's that are sitting only about 400-600 meters away. Two turns later I am looking at 4 smoldering hulks of steel and planning a hasty defense instead of a game securing attack. Nicely done Loz. Very good fire discipline and very well done not getting too anxious w/your armor.

This small and rapid turn of events has completely changed the complexion of this game. A routine movement of supporting armor into a position that (had I been the one that dealt the kills) would have gone a long ways towards stalling the North Korean assault is now an ill considered (and failed) gambit. This was not a risky move, where my armor was exposed carelessly. They weren't hanging out there with no infantry support. Just a solid, aggressive attack that should have swung things further the way of the allied force. I might still get a draw, perhaps the winds of war will change again and I might even win (not likely but possible). This just shows how quickly a battle can shift in this great series.

For now, my soldiers are scrambling to find a way to kill some tanks with infantry fired weapons. Bazookas up!!

My point? Always be prepared to have your battle plan tossed out the window when the lead starts to fly.