Bulge 16.01s alt

[Ricky B]

Foot infantry have their own defense rating, used whether deployed or travel mode (but the T mode defense is then halved, I believe). Motorized/Mech infantry use their defense rating when in T mode, with the same halving, but there is a PDT setting that applies, typically 16 in all the games, for the deployed defense rating. When deployed, it is assumed the transports, even if armored, are a bit more hidden and so play no role in the rating. Why you see SS with a defense of 6, unless in T mode, doesn't make much sense unless they are foot infantry and have an extremely low rating. I would guess they are in T mode?

Anyway, all your comments just go to say watch out for the Mod scenarios, you may love them and you may not, but they can do some things quite differently.

Rick

[Plain Ian]

Foot infantry have their own defense rating, used whether deployed or travel mode (but the T mode defense is then halved, I believe). Motorized/Mech infantry use their defense rating when in T mode, with the same halving, but there is a PDT setting that applies, typically 16 in all the games, for the deployed defense rating. When deployed, it is assumed the transports, even if armored, are a bit more hidden and so play no role in the rating. Why you see SS with a defense of 6, unless in T mode, doesn't make much sense unless they are foot infantry and have an extremely low rating. I would guess they are in T mode?

Anyway, all your comments just go to say watch out for the Mod scenarios, you may love them and you may not, but they can do some things quite differently.

Rick

Hmm yes spot on Rick. The unit was in T mode and I didn't realise it. The more I play the less I seem to take in. I think my poor results against SS half track units was nothing to do with defensive strengths but just poor US soft attack factors and bad die rolls.

[Plain Ian]

Turn 75 German  - Martelange - Flamierge



There were no further tank losses from long range Panther fire this turn at Martelange. He did reorganise things and now has all of the armoured units of the Fuhrer Grenadier Bde in one hex at Warnach.

At Hollange he made two assaults by the 15th Pz gr Div and started up an advance with the 2nd SS. 

The first assault by the StuG and Jagd PzIV Bn's hit the 159th Engineers and pushed them back (0/-14) on top of the 1-318th and 299th Engineers (both already disrupted). He then hit this group with the PzIV BN and a Motorised Bn and pushed them back again. (-17men,-1 veh/-22) As you can see it cost him 17 men and a tank. 

However it opened up a gap and he has advanced the 2nd SS panther Bn with two SS Motorised Inf Bn echeloned behind it. This has put the 2-501st in a tricky spot as he aslo pushed out an SS half track Bn from the north. The 707th Tank Bn (26 x M4's Morale C) who are in clear terrain staring at 40+ Panthers and will now have to cover the retreat of the unit. The 2nd Tank Bn has 21 M4's and is Morale D. 

My losses to units assaulted were not too heavy but its given him the ground he wants. MY only option is to fall back to Winfield and try not to lose any complete units. 

Further north he has shuffled more armoured units. He is obviously expecting my push from Flamierge. Men against German tanks is a bit pointless. 24th Decemenber 1944 and he is moving his units about with no worries.

[Plain Ian]

Turn 75 German  - Bertogne - Manhay



At Bertogne he concentrates everything against the 2-505th. 

At Odeigne his infantry fires at the 1-333rd and then his tanks crash in with no losses. The 1-33rd is pushed back on its support. The 814th TD's now have to decide whether to try and take out a tank or run away. 

The only other action is he uses all his artillery against my 17 pdrs and kills 4. 

I'm a bit mystified why he hasn't fired with any other unit? Is he hoping to rest units?

[Dog Soldier]

Hmm yes spot on Rick. The unit was in T mode and I didn't realise it. The more I play the less I seem to take in. I think my poor results against SS half track units was nothing to do with defensive strengths but just poor US soft attack factors and bad die rolls.

FWIW, I would look to your infantry H/A factor in this case.  Those were hard target armored HT?  That could explain the move as "T" mode but armored with no real armor attack values in your hex makes it easy to drive up then deploy for the full 16 defense factor.

You just might have been blitzed.  

Dog Soldier

[Plain Ian]

Hmm yes spot on Rick. The unit was in T mode and I didn't realise it. The more I play the less I seem to take in. I think my poor results against SS half track units was nothing to do with defensive strengths but just poor US soft attack factors and bad die rolls.

FWIW, I would look to your infantry H/A factor in this case.  Those were hard target armored HT?  That could explain the move as "T" mode but armored with no real armor attack values in your hex makes it easy to drive up then deploy for the full 16 defense factor.

You just might have been blitzed.  

Dog Soldier

The blitz iz coming up. 3 maps coming up.

[Plain Ian]

Turn 75 German  - Bra - Chession

Something happened to the labels on the map. I won't post the map. there was not much to see anyway. 

At Chession his Panthers duelled with my Fireflies but only managed 3 fatigue hits? I scored nothing....

His artillery hit the hapless 38th Armoured Infantry which is in clear terrain and it lost 30+ men and is now red fatigued.

His 88mm unit hit a tank belonging to 31st Tank Bn near Chession.

At Bra he fired at the 5th Bn Dorsetshires inflicting 15-20 casualties. (from memory) 

And that was that. No real movement and moderate artillery. Resting? I'm beginning to wonder how fatigued his artillery is. It was firing all night?

[Plain Ian]

Turn 75 German  - Spa



Well he finally got the hex he wanted. The 2-120th was pummeled by artillery and actually disrupted after the 2nd or 3rd. The 2-120th and 3-29th were then hit by fire from Spa and finally assaulted by a 12th SS Bn led by his Peiper King Tigers. (Mixed formations?) The assault results were -17/-45 so they did take casualties. He then peeled off a flank force to guard his new possession.

His 12th SS finally hit their stride ands took 4 tanks off me, but surprise I killed two with the last 2 return fires of the battle.....that must have hurt. Watching your tanks kill 4 with 3 shots then thinking job done only to see the AI hit you with 2 with the 2 late shots. 

The bad news is that the big boys have arrived. His 12th SS Panthers will move in next turn I guess. Maybe its time for me to move out. 

So what does he do now? I don't think he will keep on advancing. I think he will put in half decent units at Spa and move his tanks to the flanks. I think I will pull back the woods west of Spa and also north to Tiege. I'll stay in the salient around Franchorchamps and see if I can push on it.

[Plain Ian]

Turn 75 German  - North



He pulled back his disrupted units in the south and moved up fresh units of the 277th. 

In the east the StuG and an undisrupted unit of the 326th advanced into the hex I vacated. 

Losses were pretty light but I think he held back a lot. I can see what looks to be a werfer unit by the rail line. 

I cannot go far south as swamp terrain gives a favourable modifier and you don't want to be on that when his with artillery. Indragnir however has withdrawn his disrupted units onto swamp in order to leave room for his fresh 277th units. I'll make sure half my artillery target these units......

Fatigue is climbing but I have to keep pushing. 

[Plain Ian]

2nd Armoured - where?

Not sure if anyone is following this but if they are can we have a quick vote on where to send Hell on Wheels. Almost 200 M4 tanks. At the moment its part of XXX Corps and heading south east. Yes I know US units under a British Corps HQ, what would Patton make of that! I did it because XXX Corps HQ was in the rear area, and I have a fear of low ammo fuel for units travelling to the front line to meet their parent HQ. (seen it happen to many times)  2nd Armoured will take most of the daylight turns to get somewhere near the front line so it will be attached to a front line HQ at midnight. 

I'll start my turn tomorrow night. 



The big picture above. 



A close up picture but you will need 20/20 vision I think.