Hello everyone, this AAR is a preview of a community-driven battlepack for the battlefront title. It is also a good way to show off the latest 4.0 features which are (sadly, but typically) a paid patch.

Now, without further ado.



�Once and For All�

A D/AAR prepared for Battlefront & SimHQ

September 20th, 1944. Although neither side are quite aware of it yet, we are 2 days into what will eventually be known as �The Battle of Arracourt.� The first two days of this meeting engagement have been defined by mutual confusion, poor weather and tenuous contacts between units. The Americans, flush from a dramatic envelopment of the ancient city of Nancy after a hard fought crossing of the Moselle, are eager to expand their bridgehead on the River Moselle, and indeed some of George S. Patton�s lieutenants are lobbying their bombastic commander for a push to the River Saar and German�ys little industrial heartland, secondary only to the Ruhr.

However, others preach caution. The tyranny of logistics is rearing its awful head, the natural result of a month long advance which saw the systematic destruction of Army Group B and the severe mauling of Army Group G. The Germans are exhausted and tired, but the Allies are almost equally so after their pursuit.

The stage is set; the 4th US Armored Division, whom helped seal Nancy off, have just concluded a series of raids into the German�s rear and are now covering the bridgehead while the Infantry mop up. This operational pause has given the Germans, already beginning to recover, the opportunity to launch an operational counteroffensive to throw the Americans back across the Moselle � which will surely become a formidable natural obstacle when the autumn swell begins.

While the 4th Armored Division gears up for a renewed advance, they will find their plans rudely interrupted by a series of alarming German tank thrusts.

Situation & Briefing:

It is now 1500 hours, September 20th, 1944. I am Lieutenant-Colonel Abrams, commanding officer of the 37th Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Division. A matter of minutes ago, after briefing my Company commanders and establishing liaison with the attached infantry, my strung out column began concentrating in Lezey. Now, we are getting ready to move out due East, in defilade, to a point north of the town of Ley. From there, the Battalion (+) will begin its attack by turning South.

The overall situation remains unclear to us, but it is clear that attacking towards the canal will compel the enemy to retreat or risk being split or enveloped.

The terrain in front of us consists of rolling hills and agricultural fields, with two narrow and claustrophobic villages: Ley, and Moncourt, in our path of attack. We have pre-registered fires and briefed the men, and are ready to advance cross-country. The terrain is well known to us, the Battalion had elements in this area less than 24 hours ago and we have the luxury of foregoing a terrain and map reconnaissance as a result.

It has rained intermittently through the morning and the day dawned with the same, dense fog as it had on the 19th. Visibility has improved, however, but it remains a gloomy and dark day with damp ground. Visibility is rated at 1200-1700m in the light fog that lays over the terrain. Despite the saturated terrain, we�re confident that the terrain is excellent for cross-country movement.

Objectives:

Combat Command A has ordered you to advance towards the Marne-Rhine canal and sweep and clear the area �once and for all.� It is evident that the attacks from the enemy yesterday are far more than local actions and CCA wants the division�s flank and rear clear.

Obviously then, destruction of enemy units is our primary concern. We must DESTROY all enemy encountered (Up to 2000 points). Given the nature of the operation and the desire to resume offensive operations towards Saarguemines, we are strongly expected to PRESERVE our combat power, that means ammunition (50% - 500 points), lives and material (>15% losses � 1500 points).

However, in planning the attack with my Company leaders, I have assigned intermediate objectives based on key terrain. Ley and Moncourt, sitting astride Route D22 offer excellent assembly areas, the enemy is likely to be holding both in some strength. It is necessary to occupy both (250 points each). High ground and its reverse slope to the East (our left) provides a potential assembly area for counterattacking enemy and may enfilade our maneuvering elements. I have therefore deemed it necessary to occupy this high ground for security (500 points.)





Above are two different angles of the Key Terrain of the high ground objective overlooking Ley. Even with the fog and moderate visibility you can see why Abrams was keen to anchor his flank by seizing it. They're imposing and the valley formed between the two hills are excellent ways to filter down an attacker's flank. Luckily I have the tools to both advance strongly and secure my flanks, with a powerful taskforce at call...

Order of Battle:

I am in command of a Battalion (+). It consists of my own command; the 37th Tank Battalion (which forms the nucleus of the force). Attached is 10th Armored Infantry Battalion (-Company), C/704th Tank Destroyer Battalion and the entirety of the 94th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (18 guns). Anti-Tank, Tank-Destroyer and Engineer elements have been left behind at the assembly area of Lezey for rear security and as an emergency reserve, given the fluidity of the situation. At hand, therefore, I possess:

� Headquarters, 37th Tank Battalion (Lt. Col. Abrams) (incl. Battalion 81mms)

� A/37th Tank Battalion (Capt. Spencer � 9 tanks)

� B/37th Tank Battalion (Capt. Leach � 13 tanks)

� C/37th Tank Battalion (Capt. Lamison � 13 tanks)

� Headquarters, 10th Armored Infantry (-) (Lt. Col. West)

� A/10th Armored Infantry � 90% effective strength

� C/10th Armored Infantry � 90% effective strength.

� 94th Armored Field Artillery Battalion (16 guns � satisfactory ammo)

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More to follow...

Enemy Situation:





Unknown. The enemy is attacking with an armor-heavy force much further to the west in the vicinity of Arracourt. Clearly enemy armor is present and active in our zone of advance, given that B/37th engaged a section of enemy tanks while securing our assembly area. In what strength however, is unknown.

We must also assume that the enemy will be to a degree forewarned of our impending attack despite best efforts, as one of the enemy tanks escaped. The assembly area came under heavy, but ineffective indirect fires, which reinforces this belief. Moncourt has been in enemy hands for some amount of hours, after an engagement there on the 19th forced the Battalion�s light tank company to fall back under pressure from enemy armor. We can expect it, to a degree, to be reinforced.

With these thoughts in mind, the opening scheme of maneuver...

Scheme of Maneuver � Assaulting Ley & Surrounding:



For the purposes of demonstrating the scenario, and with the maxim of �if it ain�t broke� in mind, I will be simply emulating the actual scheme of maneuver (or as near as possible) employed by Abrams in this action. A careful study of sources show us that the US scheme of maneuver in this action was a prime example of K.I.S.S and fire concentration; and who am I to argue with the experts? Let's see how I can enact it.

The attack kicks off at 1700 hours, with the Battalion set to debouch from defilade only several hundred meters north of the town of Ley. The attack plan calls for rapid cross country movement with the entire Task Force being the maneuver element. The base of fire will be provided entirely by indirect fires. In the event that these are not sufficient, B/37th and C/10th will halt and support by fire the main thrust into town by A/37th and A/10th AIB. C/37th, like in reality, will move swiftly toward the high ground of Mannecourt Hill and emplace themselves there, a hard left shoulder to the Battalion�s advance.

Whether C Company remains on the high ground in strength, or leaves a platoon to occupy and continues to advance with the Battalion will be dictated by the situation.



The terrain objectives; apologies but the game at this size and distance is spotty on rendering: the mud-stream running alongside the road to Moncourt is heavily vegetated, and a patch of forest is visible (denoted by the light forest tiles) on the reverse slope of Mannecourt hill. The narrow valley, you will recall, is also vegetated with brush, scrub and small trees.

Marching fire will be exercised; the infantry will follow along at least a full minute behind the armor for now. The frontage is 1500m, and will expand and contract as terrain dictates. It is my desire that it should not exceed 2500m at any time.

For the so-called Grogs reading along, if you want an idea of the type of formations I will be using as I move cross-country, I point your attention towards FM-17-33 e.1944.




Since the howitzers are forming the entirety of the base of fire for the initial maneuver, a quick look at the Artillery plan for Ley:



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More to follow

Nice work on the screens showing the tactical plan. Looks like you're attacking in to a sort of shallow bowl, maybe giving the enemy good overwatch on your advance. I hope the pre-preps do a number! Good luck!

Yeah man, that Hill would be a GREAT place for an 88 battery, especially if they have had some time to dig in and camo at least a few AT emplacements.

Surprised you aren't putting any arty on it.

Real concerns from you both, I agree. For the former, that's why C/37th is pushing to the high ground. For the latter, well, tougher to address. There's a few reasons, both tactical/based on intel and historical. I didn't smoke the hill because visibility is spotty past 1100m in this fog, and I was confident that anything deployed on the forward slope with an itchy trigger finger would (a) not be too dug in and (b) easily overwhelmed at that range by a Battalion's worth of direct fire. Remember the Germans were technically constantly on the attack in this period and the Americans had come to realize this by the 20th. They had been in possession of the area for a bit of time, but not for anything more extensive than wires, nuisance mines and some platoon positions I reckon. I am also, as I will show, emulating the actual American scheme of maneuver.

Anyways, without further ado lets get to the first few minutes' of play.

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Turns 1-3:




The artillery begins to fire, absolutely hammering Ley, which can be seen above. Shortly thereafter, all three tank companies advance on the 1500m frontage. Though the Battalion is in line, the company formations vary:

� A Company, at weakest strength, advances in full line to maximize remaining firepower

� B and C Companies advance in a 2 up, 1 back formation, all platoons in wedge.

As the units emerge from the low ground they begin to take sporadic small-arms fire, and the tanks begin moving at a pace slow enough to put accurate �marching fire� down. The direct fire adds to the cacophony and creates an imposing spectacle. A few enemy positions are identified in a series of two story barns on the outskirts of Ley, but otherwise the small arms fire coming from the town itself remains unidentified. The two pictures below should sufficiently illustrate the weight of fire being brought to bare, as well as the new tracer effects





B Company begins to turn slightly to its right, the ground is steeper on their side of the road and thus the two lead platoons can�t fire all at once. Once they crest the rise the entire formation will be able to enfilade Ley. A Company continues to advance and fire, and begins sending a platoon to its right to gain better fields of fire. HE is slowly being traded for coax and HMG fire only.

As the infantry of A/10th (attacking in the second echelon behind A/37th, as you�ll recall) begin moving up to dismount and assault the outskirts, something quite unexpected happens, and the 2nd Platoon HQ tank is promptly knocked out by a single round to its left flank. Two crewmen are wounded � including the Platoon leader. The shooter remains unseen and is likely keyholed.


Reaction: Pull back the exposed right platoon for now, advance the left. Infantry will dismount two platoons to attack the Barn (pictured above) which will provide a good base of fire, a second platoon will flank right and filter down a series of bushes and hedges (which is the only scrap of cover in these plowed fields) to penetrate into Ley. For now, however, we must identify the anti-armor threat. Situation map to come.

On the extreme left of the Battalion, C Company moves to the high ground, most of the turrets facing to its front or left. After advancing about 200m, they spot a lone Panzer IV, approximately 1100 meters distant by a copse of trees. The Company�s left-most platoon takes them under marching fire but it is ineffective. Shortly after, what appears to be a second enemy tank is identified. Though the Panzers have not returned fire, they constitute a serious threat.



The scheme, shown above, will have the entire company move to maximum speed, keeping up the fire if possible, while the lead two platoons establish a battle-position in hull-defilade. The ground rises slightly to the Company�s front-left and I intend to have the better part of the Company in position to engage in a couple of minutes. The third turn ends just as the Shermans begin jockeying for position.

Three minutes in, and already plenty of action.

Looking good so far.

I knew there were some things about Arracourt that lit up some dormant memories so I did some quick research. Not very thorough as I am buried in school work.

The German panzer brigades..... another REALLY dumb move showing the deterioration of the OKW. They freakin wasted some months production of new Panther G's by throwing them into hastily formed "Panzer Bde's", when there were numerous VERY experienced Pz Div's in dire need of rest, refit, and replacements.

It may have been von Manteuffel's book where I read about this and possibly something about delaying the American's because of troops assembling for the coming Ardennes Offensive. It's been a long time so not real sure about the details except that the Panzer Bde's involved were made up of inexperienced leaders and men given new equipment that could have been used much more effectively by refitting experienced formations.

Just some background...carry on.

edit: FYI while all this was happening the poor British 1st Airborne, especially 2 Bn, 1st Bde, was being slaughtered at Arnhem bridge. 20 September was the day that Horrock's XXX Corps "stopped for tea" after taking the Nijmegan bridge just 8 miles or so from Arnhem.

Sept. 20th 44 was a fairly momentus day across the entire European Front. The 82nd's very famous daylight assault crossing of the River Waal also occured that day up in Holland. The utter wasteage of the bulk of Army Group G's remaining armor and the enirclement of Nancy is naturally overshadowed by the failure of Market-Garden, but its good to remember the Allies were roundly kicking the German's teeth in after a vigorous pursuit, operational mistakes aside. Luckily allied missteps in the unexpected collapse of two German army groups were outmatched by German lunacy in their counterstrokes. Like at Arracourt

This planned community battlepack should be good tank porn for Allied treadheads (yes, we exist) and a good alternative to the Market Garden scenarios that are already with the game. Quite a few of these scenarios will play out much more like the larger scenarios in Red Thunder of the same series - a rarity in Western Europe.

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Turns 4 � 6:

The immediate concern is identifying the attacker that knocked out one of A/37th�s tanks, and of course preventing the loss of any additional armor. The reaction, as described previously, is illustrated below:



There are two potential positions based on where the HQ tank was knocked out, with the rough arcs of fire outlined. I do not have to wait long to get a definitive answer, as the enemy � a lone Panzer IV � attempts to make an escape, reversing out at high speed towards Ley. The section pushing up on A/37th�s left is able to engage it as it begins retreating, putting several rounds into it and setting it on fire. Also seen retreating from the Barn are small team-sized groups of enemy infantry. They are taken under fire with a few confirmed losses but otherwise retreat back into Ley; the definition of out of a frying pan and into the fire.



Small arms fire from Ley is increasing in intensity as the artillery and direct fires abate somewhat, but the tankers are having trouble identifying the source of fire. The level of fire is enough to compel me to button up most of my armor, exacerbating the situation. By the end of the series of turns however, we are able to identify fire coming from a handful of trenches on the right side of the company. They are taken under coax fire and will be cleared by the infantry, who are hustling up by the end of the 6th minute.

Despite the loss of a tank on the right and the discovery of enemy entrenchments on that side, the attack by the infantry will still be oriented to the right. I�m confident the supporting tank section can keep the enemy suppressed in the trench, and using the hedges is still the best covered approach into town. The scheme for the infantry assault on Ley, therefore:



Seeing the enemy infantry falling back from the farmhouse and barn in front of Ley has greatly simplified things; the base of fire will be able to establish itself rapidly and the buildings, though damaged, offer excellent lines of fire and sight into Ley. A platoon is in reserve and in hull-down, firing at the upper stories of the houses on the left with their M3A1�s machineguns. In the event of slow progress on the right they can dismount rapidly and attack through the base of fire in a straight-forward attack.


B/37th and their attached infantry company will likely swing to the rear of Ley once a foothold has been gained, once more conducting marching fire. For now they remain abreast of A/37th and supporting by fire.

Ah, but let�s get to the interesting part, how did C/37th fare on the far left dealing with those two Panzer IVs? The movement goes off almost precisely as I hoped and planned, though it takes longer than I would have liked for the right-most platoon to identify the enemy armor. A short and furious exchange of fire occurs, and despite a close-call numbers and positioning make the outcome inevitable. Both Panzer IVs are knocked out, one in a dramatic catastrophic explosion, with no losses to myself.





You can see, in the above pictures, the new �hull-down� command being put to excellent use.





C/37th now begins reforming for its renewed push south to the high ground of Mannecourt Hill. The sooner this occurs the better, as them being arrayed on the high ground will cover B/37th�s planned swing to the rear of Ley.

Showing remarkable flexibility, the tank platoon formerly in Company reserve now becomes the lead-right platoon, while the left-most platoon exits its hull-defilade positions and forms the new reserve. What would otherwise be a time-consuming re-organization takes only a single turn of movement.

Great job so far.

Thanks for the reminder of the river crossing by the 82nd, without which XXX Corps would have never got across that bridge in time for tea!

Turns 10 -12:

The attack continues to develop on Ley. Mortar fire forces Germans to take cover in the second line of trenches, or to abandon them altogether for the row houses just behind them. For the rest of the turn, the firefight rages as the right-most platoon continues to advance in bounds towards the next scrap of decent cover.

For now, however, our attentions will focus almost entirely on C/37th, as they have a very busy few minutes.

C/37th crests Mannecourt Hill, reserve platoon echeloned to the left. Almost immediately upon cresting the hill, a tank is knocked out from the left. An AT gun! Its fairly exposed and clearly hastily set-up, and is swiftly knocked out as the rest of the Company identifies it. Not before it knocks out a second tank, however. Drat.



The silver lining is that the crews escape completely unscathed from the two tanks, even as the first one begins to brew up with sympathetic detonations. They�ll have to fend for themselves for now though, because just as the AT gun is neutralized a volley of fire roars towards C/37th from the ridge that forms Hill 260.

It�s a platoon of Panzer IVs, and they�re alarmingly well arrayed, with most being at least partially hull-down. The fracas rapidly evolves into a roaring exchange of main gun fire as C/37th attempts to find any scrap of usable cover on the relatively barren crest of Mannecourt Hill. The formations had become strung out though, and a few Shermans moved a bit too far forward before they stopped to engage the AT, and they�re in a dangerous position. C/37th returns fire as best as it can, and the disparity in skill is quite evident as, despite their devilishly good position, we�re able to score some hits on the Panzer IVs, and confirm at least one knocked out.

Despite the display of skill and tenacity, I rapidly have three more Shermans hit; one immobilized, two more with their main guns knocked out. I�m fighting a losing battle against a well-positioned opponent and have no feasible way of regaining fire superiority. Its time to get the Company to safety where I can weigh my options.



The picture above should show the type of engagement occurring on Mannecourt Hill, you probably don�t even notice the second Panzer in the inset, such is their positioning.

The disengagement plan, seen below. Not exactly a rout but a precipitous and hasty retreat.



The withdrawal is messy; a glancing hit off a neighboring Sherman�s glacis (non-penetrating, the things you see when engagements are past 1200m!) causes shrapnel wounds to the C Company�s commander, whom falls into his turret, wounded. In the ensuing confusion, his tank is struck once more, killing or wounding the hull-gunner.



The Germans maintain a steady fire with their remaining tanks, but thankfully incur no further losses. They�ve done their damage however, and C Company is much reduced, even if only two Shermans are total losses. The immobilized Sherman will surely fall to their guns shortly, bringing that total up to three. The silver lining is that the Company Assault gun was able to smoke the disabled Sherman sufficiently enough during the retreat to ensure the safe withdrawal of the crew. If I cannot save material, at least I can save lives � and the relatively low casualty rate in the crews is something I can be thankful for.



Since higher headquarters put an emphasis on clearing the area of the enemy, even though the Panzer IVs currently constitute no threat to the rest of the Battalion, their destruction is a necessity. In other circumstances keeping them at arm's length would be prudent, but this isn't a simple advance, its a sweeping operation. I'll have to resume an aggressive disposition towards them if I want to accomplish my main objective.

Hmmm, that hill didn't work out so well.

Where's the damn scouts when you need them? Out robbing a bank or something?

Is this thing on? Apologies for the delay; work has been busy and I've been fighting off the onset of a cold. Between those two I've had time to play but not to write up. Let's catch this AAR up to the counterpart on the Battlefront forums in the meantime:

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Turns 13-15:


C/37th continues to retreat and pick up the pieces, and are still in the process of reforming on the reverse slope of Mannecourt Hill. They are, for now, licking their wounds and I�m still in the process of thinking up a way to crack the German position. The crews of the stricken tanks have taken cover in the shrubbery and bushes on the crest of Mannecourt Hill and will hopefully survive long enough to gain some intel, and filter back to the Company�s position and inform them.

Going back to the assault on Ley, I�m shocked to discover that the trenches are not, in fact, completely abandoned as a panzerschreck team from within takes a chance at the advancing tank section, who are spraying the area with MG fire. It misses, but its too close for comfort, and over the next minutes they will temper their bravado and pull back a few dozen meters or so. Enemy mortar fire begins to straddle the rough axes of advance of 3rd/A/10th, equally putting a damper on the infantry�s impetus. While not particularly alarming, the situation developing on the right flank is beginning to be a source of some anxiety for me, and its clear that the attack won�t be a speedy affair. Sitting in the open and taking withering artillery fire is not what I envisioned for Ley.



Further spotting rounds begin to land, far too close for comfort, and it compels me to break off the advance and get the Platoon into cover and hugging earth. Prudence pays off, as only two men are wounded in action by the ever-intensifying indirect fire. I am not keen on imagining what would�ve resulted had I continued to advance the two assault squads.

Between C/37th running into a storm of fire on the high ground and German indirect fire keeping dismounted thrusts at arm�s distance, I�m beginning to think its time to rethink things at Ley. Keenly aware that I�m expected to finish this mission in fighting shape � which includes ammunition � I must admit that the fight in Ley, despite overwhelming fire superiority, is rapidly becoming taxing. B/37th and C/10ths inertness to the left of the assaulting companies is also grating. The planned flank round the rear of Ley has yet to occur due to the unexpected difficulty in getting a foothold in the town proper, and C/37ths rather stunning reverse. Now I�m beginning to think that a thrust to the rear of Ley would be a waste of B/37th�s firepower anyways.



Readers will recall that the 4th Platoon of A/10th had been kept in mounted reserve and supporting by fire with their halftracks, now I�m hoping to inject them into the fight on the left, where both the base of fire and elements of B/37th can suppress and cover their thrust. Once deposited into the buildings, already being prepped by HE, they can fight their way down Ley�s street, and their proximity to the enemy will nullify the threat of artillery. Hot dismounts are always risky, and while rare, they were conducted � especially by the 4th Armored division. It�s time to get this battle moving again.


I�m hoping that with the infantry in town I can free up B/37th and their accompanying infantry and put them in the fight. I have an idea forming around how to use B/37th in conjunction with C/37th to destroy the enemy positions on Hill 241.

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More to come shortly. I suspect things will be getting hot around Mannecourt Hill once more very soon.

Turns 16-18:

Heavy caliber artillery starts ranging on the base of fire platoon. I am not particularly worried; the cover in their immediate vicinity is excellent and they can displace easily. Despite ducking for cover they continue to trade fire with the row houses and observe enemy infantry starting to fall back under pressure.



As this is occurring, the �hot dismount� is executed, well �shouldered� by smoke and with the leading tank platoon from A/37th spraying the unmasked buildings with coax.



It goes off splendidly, with the infantry taking absolutely no fire whatsoever as they dash to the cover of the hedge-lined buildings in front of them. Once they get into cover they briefly engage a HMG team seen slipping out the back of a building across the street, joining the general retreat � or perhaps rout � of the Germans towards the town center. Once the threat of heavy artillery has passed, the rest of A/10th will move in this platoon�s footsteps and get to grips with the Germans in the town.



The situation just before reaching the edge of town can be seen above, at the point of dismount. Notice the smoke blooming on either side. An accurate estimate of enemy losses at present is basically impossible, given the firepower-based nature of the attack. I�m almost certain that the enemy has taken heavy losses, but I can�t presume anything. The trenches and row houses had been giving not-insignificant, if sporadic fire, and the artillery fire shows me the enemy has some fight left in them. I have to avoid the pitfall of proceeding too rapidly, but the constant indirect fire falling near my dismounts may spur me into rash action.

The situation in Ley therefore gets ever closer to a decision, so let�s turn back to the unfortunate Company C/37th. By now Abrams and the other Companies have been made aware of the situation on Mannecourt Hill and Hill 241/260, with the last known Panzer positions doing the rounds on the Battalion net. For those unfamiliar with the C2 system of Combat Mission � which is excellent � this means that units will spot much easier if they already have a rough idea of where the enemy�s last known position was at. With the situation much clearer to the 37th�s Battalion HQ, its time to start organizing for a second attack over the crest of Mannecourt Hill. Tentatively, the plan will be a well-supported and co-ordinated effort using Battalion mortars, Assault guns and the remnants of C/37th to smoke and provide a base of fire on Hill 241, as B/37th push. The manner of the attack remains uncertain; I�m debating the merits of trying a frontal attack. Regardless, in anticipation of these moves, B/37th (less a platoon, who will follow shortly) and the 37th�s HQ begin moving past Ley towards C/37th. Naturally, and for good measure, they fire MGs at Ley as they transit past it.

Turns 19-22:

4/A/10th gets to grips with the enemy in Ley. Germans are still recovering from the shock action of our rapid entry and several are caught dashing for cover, but return fire still causes a man to fall wounded in action. It will be the first of several losses in 4/A/10 in the coming minutes as enemy resolve once again stiffens.

B/37th begins to fall in to the right of C/37th at the base of Mannecourt Hill. They crush through an enemy mortar section hiding in some shrubbery and hedges along the way, a pleasant surprise. The mortars quickly surrender to the armor � those who survive the first violent burst of fire at least.

4/A/10 seeks to expand its toe-hold by cutting the main road and restricting the enemy retrograde movement. The hope is that they will create a kill-zone and continue to stack up enemy Panzergrenadiers as they break to the next house or scrap of cover. A squad from the platoon is able to dash across the road a fireteam at a time but the Germans largely escape for now. The platoon is facing rather furious, but desperate point-blank MG fire and is stuck in a firefight that at times no further away than the house across the street. A few attempts at a close assault are made but the assaulting fireteams withdraw under withering fire (no losses). Luckily, the Germans continue to abandon their positions at first opportunity and often negate the need for a renewed effort. These dashes by the enemy frequently result in several of them being cut down by automatic fire.



4/A/10�s struggle will not be a lonely one for much longer: Artillery fire is beginning to abate and is allowing the rest of A/10th to either re-mount or follow in 4th Platoon�s footsteps and move into town. The weapons squads are beginning to set-up in positions that sweep the main street of Ley.

Here's a quick update; have already played past the assault on the high ground just need to find the time to sit down and upload the screenshots. A large batch of posts to come soon.
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Turns 22-24:

While the rest of the Company begins to filter in and organize for a house-to-house sweep of Ley, 4/A/10 remains in contact with the town�s defenders, who are alternating between making a fight of things and running ever further into town. Two panzerschreck rockets smash into a building being occupied by one of the platoon�s squads and causes 4 casualties between the two rockets. Not good. The squad wisely chooses to crawl out of the building and out of harm�s way. I expect the steady injection of further combat power to prevent further needless losses like this, but being a firm believer that there is no such thing as overkill I opt to move in 1/A/37th � the tank platoon that helped facilitate the rapid dismount � to support the infantry in close co-operation. Caution must be observed, of course, but I am confident that my ever growing fire superiority in Ley will prevent the enemy from assaulting the tanks in any meaningful way.



Despite the enemy�s stunning tenacity in the defense every casualty they inflict on my men is answered in kind and with interest, and the turn sees a MG section cut down as they try to use a telephone pole as (inadequate) cover. The Panzerschreck team do not escape either, and are cut down as they try to egress down the main road. The retreating Germans whom are not cut down in the last few minutes of play are observed streaming towards the buildings surrounding the town�s Eglise.



Above you see 1/A/37th entering Ley. In the background you can just see elements of B/37th at the base of Mannecourt Hill. By the end of the 24th turn the Battalion mortars have slid into position, joining the HQ and B company. In addition, the dismounted tank crews at the crest of the hill positively ID a secondary Anti-tank gun on Hill 260. With a clearer picture of what caused such violence towards C/37th I can begin dreaming up a scheme of maneuver. First, however, the dismounted crew must disseminate the information, and they can only do this by �running� the info to Lt. Col. Abrams at the base of the hill. Until this vital info is passed along the Battalion net (remember: the spotting bonus caused by C2 knowledge) the attack will have to wait. This will give time to organize the two companies into assault formations and come up with a fire plan for the mortars and assault guns.

Seriously was thinking about this game, although $100 for a game with quite a few serious flaws, AI Path finding, the silly adverts telling you EXACTLY what every hit does, the behavior in fortifications, and that's just from watching a few vids on the tube, is just not a "good deal" IMO.

Cool AAR and nice subject though.

Fair points, and not without merit.

Like most games, its not for everyone. Especially wargames, its a huge commitment of time and money, even Graviteam racks up a huge bill if you start purchasing the DLC. I think its par excellence though, and its armor coding is one of the best I've seen, so I'm willing to overlook a lot of its flaws.

Unfortunately for my wallet...

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Turns 25-27:

The next set of turns are a period of consolidation and assembly for the finishing phases of the attack on Ley and the preparation for a renewed drive on the high ground. It is therefore an excellent interlude to look at the situation and my plans therein.

The balance of the 37th are now in position and in formation; ready to advance. The Scheme of Maneuver I have settled on will involve an attack oriented towards the base of Hill 260 by B/37th and Lt. Col Abrams. C/37th will move to the crest of Mannecourt Hill and engage by fire the Panzer IVs whom are still in position. This movement will be preceded by HE fire on Hill 260 and masking fires on both Hill 241 and Hill 260. Assault Guns, 1 from both companies and the HQ section are concentrated under Major Hunter, the XO of the Battalion, in addition to the 81mm platoon. A visualization of B/37th�s intended movements are illustrated below. Some errata: The frontage is actually for all elements and actually extends past the edges of the picture, I only realized how misleading it looks after I uploaded it. B/37th's frontage is about 250m.



An interesting aside, and a wonderful showcase of C2 in action as aforementioned. The entire Battalion is now aware of the presence of an ATG on Hill 260 after the info was delivered via runner to Lt. Col Abrams. The appropriately titled image shows the initial spread of the info by the surviving tank crew members reporting it to Abrams. A minute later, he shared their (now dated) ? contact icon. A minute or so later, most of the Officers in the two companies were aware of it. The balance of tanks in the two assault companies were made aware of it in less than two minutes� time. Most engagements ultimately come down to whom see whom first, so any scrap of information or rumor is something a commander should claw for.



In Ley, 2/A/10th have arrived and have begun assembling to aid 4/A/10th in their efforts to clear the enemy out. The 3rd Platoon is still clearing the handful of casualties caused by the indirect fire and will not be needed for the attack, hopefully. The scheme of maneuver:



Tank 1 helps cut the main road, with the weapons teams and a squad from 4/A/10th. The balance of the 4th Platoon advances through the backyards on the left, clearing out the Germans from the row houses as encountered. A tank will accompany them. 2/A/10 will advance on the right, both through backyards and down the main road.

C'mooon!

Ask and you'll receive.


Now, time for a large update; I was going to keep the handful of turns at a time formula but figured it would be cruel to leave anyone in suspense over the attack on Hills 241 and 260, so here it is, the battle for the high ground:

Turns 28-30:

4/A/10 and 2/A/10 stack up and prepare to push into Ley, by the 30th turn they are exchanging fire with stragglers using the bushes and hedges separating yards as cover. It is at present nothing serious, and I sincerely hope the lackluster fire continues rather than the fierce volume of fire encountered after the initial successful dismount into town.





Final orders are given to all elements of the 37th (on �pause� until the time to move arrives) on Mannecourt Hill. The advance�s start has been frustrated somewhat by the frustratingly bad sight lines for the 81mm moratrs. This is remedied by displacing them forward a bit more, and they are just setting up in their new positions as the Turn 30 ends. Their new position also allows for direct-observe fire on parts of Hill 241 which could greatly expedite the pace of the attack. The forward observers from the Mortar Platoon and the attached 94th AFAB parties are already straining every nerve to re-establish contact with the enemy positions.

Turns 31-33:

In Ley, the action is rapidly resembling a �mop-up� as the lead two man teams for each platoon find themselves more than capable of engaging and destroying lone German infantry found hiding in houses. 2/A/10th begins engaging what few coherent groups of enemy are left in the row houses, and after a brief exchange of fire in which the Germans clearly come off the worse, they attempt to fall back � right into 4/A/10th�s waiting arms.



Spraying every house for 30 seconds or so before they move a bit further often prompts a response from the Germans � depending on their stomach for the fight � to either return fire or retreat. In the case of the former, they are often overwhelmed by concentrated return fire, in the case of the latter�the slaughter is prodigious:






While 2/A/10 suffers two fatalities over the course of these actions, the fight in Ley is essentially over and no longer worth following too closely � at least for now. Let�s turn our attentions back to the concurrent action on the high ground.
Enemy indirect fire begins ranging in on the assembly area of B/37th, and likewise my own tubes begin firing in earnest on Hill 260. The rounds are generally on target within a minute or so and the HE spotting rounds are swapped for WP. One of the tubes can be seen firing on the ? contact of the ATG, the dust plume from the spotting rounds clearly visible across the gentle rise of the hill. The 81mms are in a superb position of defilade.

By the end of the 33rd turn the show is ready to start; and the Assault Guns have, like the mortars, found the range:



Turns 34-36:

The attack begins with C/37th�s remnants (7 effectives) and B/37th (13 effectives if we lump in Abrams) pushing up. The Assault Guns and 81mms continue a steady rate of HE and WP fire on known and suspected positions. By the end of the first turn B/37th has elements over the crest of Mannecourt Hill and not taking heavy fire � a good sign!




C/37th in the meanwhile has re-established contact with the remaining Panzer IVs and a firefight between the armor develops once more. The initial volleys are inaccurate and indecisive, the only hit being scored by either side being a harmless hit against a Sherman�s glacis at approximately 1400m.

B/37th begins transiting into the valley, firing as they move, adding to the weight of fire. The reserve platoon of B/37th halts in the treeline at the crest of the hill to provide overwatch, with the plan that they will follow shortly and �sweep� Hill 260 as previously planned. Sure enough, within moments of entering the treeline Abrams personally spots a second, unmasked ATG on Hill 260. The entire platoon and himself open fire on it as Leach (B/37th�s CO) takes the balance of the platoon at a dash into dead ground. The ATG is able to claim two tanks before being spotted and overwhelmed by fire. The crew safely bail.



Between the maneuvering elements, the Germans now find their previously concentrated fire split; and the results are telling. These two ATGs on Hill 260 certainly were enfilading C/37th on its first attempt across the crest of Mannecourt Hill, and without their added punch the firefight with the Panzer IVs now goes wholly C/37th�s way. By the end of the set of turns C/37th has found a good firing solution and is able to KO two Panzers � at no losses to themselves. The situation on the Hills can be seen below in detail, so a reader can orient themselves. Also pictured is C/37th�s two knockout hits.





For a loss of two further Shermans, we can claim two enemy Panzers knocked out and two ATGs possibly KO�d or about to be KO�d. The attack is going splendidly and I believe I can confidently say will be over within the next several minutes. B/37th will quickly re-assemble before cresting the slope of Hill 241 to destroy any remaining Panzers (which by my estimates, there should be no more than 2 remaining) while Abrams and the covering platoon make sure Hill 260 is devoid of any further nasty surprises.

Turns 37-41:

The reserve platoon of B/37th, having covered the movement of the Company to dead ground, now begin bounding in two-tank sections towards Hill 260. Naturally, they fire as they move the entire time on the anti-tank gun�s positions. The masking fires that had been obscuring Hill 260 begin to dissipate, and Lt. Col. Abram�s is able to discern that one of the two anti-tank guns is indeed still active. He takes it under fire and personally knocks the crew out from his position, the anti-tank gun is unable to cause any damage to the tank platoon climbing the slope. Hill 260 is confirmed clear shortly thereafter, with the other anti-tank gun confirmed knocked out.





C/37th continues to exchange fire for the first minutes with a remaining pair of Panzer IVs, but they quickly call it quits and reverse out of sight just behind the crest of Hill 241. Their escape is only transitory as the balance of B/37th, now organized in the valley between the two hills, begins its left hook up and over the crest of Hill 241.

The rest of B/37th finish their sweep of Hill 241 at around the same time, knocking out the two fugitive Panzer IVs in an utterly one sided engagement, firing as they move at a slow and steady speed. In these final actions no further friendly armor is lost.





Halftracks � likely prime movers for the Paks - are spotted attempting to escape, and are also taken under fire at range and destroyed. It is safe to say that the �Battle for the High Ground� has ended, and a considerable and formidable enemy force has been overwhelmed. C/37th, or at least elements of it, will outpost Mannecourt Hill while B/37th returns to Ley to re-assemble for the renewed push South. Ley is in the process of being mopped up and it is more than safe to begin concentrating South of it. The only potential risk to this is the previously spotted Panzer IV along the Ley-Moncourt road that I chose not to engage. Now it would be prudent to put fire down, even at excessive range, to drive it off. That however, can wait until the next report.

Scheme of Maneuver – Approaching and Assaulting Moncourt (Turns 41-44):

Re-assembly to the South of Ley has begun, with C/37th remaining to outpost the now secured high ground and act as Battalion reserve. The assault guns will remain concentrated under HQ/37th and HQ/10th will establish a CP in Ley.

Assembly and re-organizing will however take some time. This is an excellent opportunity to analyze the terrain around our next objective of Moncourt and draft a tentative scheme of maneuver. True to my promise, I will attempt to keep it as near as possible to what the Americans did in reality; and I can immediately see the wisdom in their choices.



The country between the two towns consists of more gentle and subtle slopes than what we saw around Ley, and facilitates much more open sightlines. A muddy ditch bisects the route of advance, and will necessarily mean that horizontal communications between the two maneuver teams will be poor.

The two maneuver teams (named, respectively, after the tank company commanders) will be “Leach” consisting of B/37th and C/10th and “Spencer” consisting of A/37th and A/10th. Spencer, just like at Ley, will be tasked with the assault into the town proper. However, I am less than satisfied with the more traditional method of dismounting in dead ground then moving in to assault. Given the open terrain and the firepower at my disposal I feel all this does is over-expose my infantry to hostile fire. With how successful the close dismount in Ley was on a small scale, I’m likely going to repeat the feat with the entirety of A/10th for Moncourt.



Above is close-up of the final approach to Moncourt that Team Spencer would take. The terrain slopes generally upwards to Moncourt, allowing for the team to move quite close to the town before being truly exposed to fire from it – this should help facilitate a rapid dismount even more. A/37th can walk the halftracks onto town with close ranged fire, hopefully aided greatly by the same crushing indirect fire we opened the battle with at Ley.

Team Leach will be in a position to support at range, adding to the general weight of fire and hoped-for shock effect. From their support-by-fire position they can also, should disaster visit Team Spencer, advance into town quite easily themselves, as a hill to the South-East of Moncourt could allow me to break line of sight and hook into town.



Above is a close-up of the intended position for Team Leach. It will provide excellent hull-down for the armor and allow for the halftracks to add their fire in relative safety. My only concerns are the excessive range (just short of 2km) and the questionable ability to fully cover Team Spencer’s approach. However, it’s the best position I was able to pick out that is at a stand-off distance.

The attack will once again be characterized by marching fire and direct, no-nonsense maneuvering.

The town itself (pictured below) is much less claustrophobic than Ley and should prove much less of a problem in terms of house-to-house fighting once I establish a toe-hold. The presence of a wooded hill to the South and numerous orchards offer potential positions that both could enfilade and dominate movement in town proper, however. Careful timing and thorough area fire needs to be observed if I want to avoid my thin-skinned halftracks becoming target practice.



Turns 45 – 47

The next few turns will naturally be slow and generally uneventful as everyone moves back to Ley to assemble. However, there is the issue of the previously spotted Panzer IV along the Ley-Moncourt road. I had ignored it and chose not to engage, since it seemed oblivious and we were rapidly moving past its potential field of fire. Now, with the goal of assembly, it could prove to be a legitimate threat.



A tank section from A/37th, aware of its rough position due to radio traffic, establish a battle position in Ley from which to engage the Panzer IV. They spot it by the end of the first turn. At excessive range, its unsurprising that it takes a while for either Sherman to find an effective firing solution. The first shot is high, the second and third bounce off the Panzer IV’s hull armor, but the fourth finds its mark with a clean turret penetration.

The Panzer, ostensibly in an ambush position, was buttoned up and oblivious to its danger, by the time it had an inkling of where it was being assailed from, it was too late.

I suspect the next few turns will be quiet and uneventful, and will most likely not report on them whatsoever. We will pick up once Team Leach begins entering its intended battle position, unless any more potential ambushes intervene on the movement towards Moncourt.

Good show so far.

Enjoying your great AAR