A Legend Is Born DAR (Now completed)

[Crossroads]

TURN 8: A LEAP OF FAITH

They key bridge to Arracourt is marked with a X. If I can capture that in tact, the entry to Arracourt is open from East. Unfortunately(!), I just realised when drawing this picture these are shallow rivers only, bridges are not needed.

Oh well, I will try to capture the bridge in tact just for fun :chin: For a while, this certainly felt like A Bridge Too Far type of an engagement!

The first shells have dropped in the vicinity, but I hope they are expecting that I would be coming from the south east, where my left flank has fought a couple of skirmishes with US forward elements.

I am still maintaining a strict fire control with my SPAs, in order not to give away their position.

My advance must has been noticed by now, at least to some extent, but I remain hopeful the US recon units have not yet been able to report this is indeed the real thing they are witnessing.

My recon units are scouting a safe route forward in the plateau. They have seen no-one, but that doesn’t mean they themselves would not have been spotted. The spotting rules work very nicely, as it is not until the whole turn sequence has been completed you can see what is in your LOS.

Meanwhile, by the main highway, I still have a few tanks spread out, seeking to contact the enemy and cause some confusion.

TURN 9: ONWARDS AND VORWÄRTS

Some minor skirmishes at the exit hexes in North. I hope the enemy continues to keep a force there, guarding the area.

Artillery does not cause big casualties this time, most of it hits the high ground on my left flank, marked with a dotted red ellipse. Good, that would be the logical place to advance, but I am relying on fog and surprise of a direct approach.

So far I have not lost any of my commanders to artillery. Great, I can continue to have them around rallying any disrupted troops.

My turn starts at -4VP and ends with not a lot of action to 7VP.

Enemy armour hit me unpunished. I need to bring my infantry to stop that. Seen a lot of US engineers so far, do not want to engage them with tanks.

With logistics having been my theme for this battle, here is the current situation:

- I have just brought my Bn HQs forward over two turns, while keeping my Reg HQ in place. The latter is now in supply, and hopefully during the next turn the Battalions are brought into supply as well.
- HQs marked with an orange ellipse, units out of supply at this stage are highlighted.

SPAs continue to advance quietly, while I try to make a racket on my left flank with infantry and their 81mm mortars they have for close support.

At the end of Axis movement turn 9, the losses are: US: 90 SPs, total of 341 VPs. Axis: 76 SPs, total of 315 VPs. My VP advantage has been in slow but steady decline. The enemy artillery continues to be a major threat, something I have to think about planning any of my moves.

Plan for next turn: Panzers Halt!, and have the supporting infantry finally catch up with them.