We've entered the end-game! Thank you to those who have followed the thread. I look forward to starting the next scenario assigned to me in this project. Hopefully this preview AAR will show off what type of terrain you will be fighting the AI or your mates in. I think, its safe to say, that this should be a unique historical experience for CMBN. In a few days, I will be uploading a .pdf of this AAR for easier reading or if anyone wants to share this to a blog or something similar. Just need to proof read this word salad that passes for writing.
The End Game: Sweeping Moncourt (Turns 75 to Turn 90)
Things move quickly once the barrage begins, unlike Ley, there will be no mucking about, and I have no desire to have my dismounts stand under withering artillery fire as they fight on foot over the gentle, open Lorraine pastureland. The 105 barrage is helped along by direct fire from both maneuver teams armored elements. Team Leach, and HQ/37th in particular deliver withering fire in excess of 1800m, smashing Ley with HE and .50 caliber fire.
As I hoped, the fire on Moncourt greatly is exceeding even that put down on Ley. The town being slightly smaller definitely helps concentrate fire, and soon buildings begin collapsing at a breathtaking rate. Moments like this made me wish CM had dynamic fire. Under such withering HE fire even the stone and plaster houses of inner France would be a blazing inferno on the horizon. Regardless, Moncourt is soon covered in a thick cloud of dust.
Team Spencer’s armor is moving and firing consistently, inexorably towards Moncourt, adding to the overwhelming fire. The tankers are unbuttoned but MG fire soon forces a few to duck their heads in. The very fact that they are still taking MG fire is disheartening – the Germans seem willing to cling to their positions and fight, as they had in Ley. Soon, however, the tankers have a bigger threat to worry about. Arrayed in a hedgehog formation around the open town square and Eglise is a platoon of Panzer IVs.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, a Sherman is struck twice and is knocked out – but the Panzer IVs, buttoned up and firing through a pall of dust and smoke, come off the worse. Two are swiftly knocked out and the remaining two are knocked out in the short but sharp street fighting that follows.
By the 78th turn the artillery barrage that has covered the advance of Team Spencer begins to abate. It’s the moment of truth, buttoned up for their duel with the Panzers, I cannot gauge how many Germans are still in position to threaten a dismount. The tanks of Team Spencer spray the row houses that could threaten my halftracks with coax and HE and we get in among the enemy.
The halftracks move in at top speed – frankly shocking me with how rapidly they can move with a ‘fast’ command – and unceremoniously dump their infantry not even 50m from the houses. The HTs are not greeted with a maelstrom of small arms fire, a fantastic sign. The infantry quickly hustles forwards.
The plan for clearing the town is unchanged from Ley. A lot of speculative fire on each and every single house followed by 2 to 4 man teams – preferably armed with BARs, probe forward to either secure the house or cut down the stunned Germans as they attempt to slip out. Just like at Ley, it works; and at a much faster rate than before! The German garrison do not share their predecessors stomach for the fight and often make a run for it at the last possible moment, drawing furious amounts of fire from the over watching infantry. Soon a proper foothold is made, the infantry takes a deep breath, waits for weapon teams and tanks to cut the road and establish kill-zones, and presses on.
The German defenders of Moncourt are rapidly reduced to a horde of refugees running for cover; only a few HMGs covering the town length-wise and evidently spared from the overwhelming barrage cause us any trouble. Tank-infantry teams rapidly deal with them as they are identified, though a few bursts cause light losses.
These same tank-infantry teams cause the bulk of losses to the fleeing, shell-shocked enemy. Caught in kill-zones, just as they ultimately were at Ley, the slaughter is once more prodigious.
The enemy surrender with about an hour of play left. Moncourt, despite having more forces arrayed within it, is taken in a quarter of a time as Ley was. The shift to more shock-focused tactics seems to pay off, once again showing that high-risk, high-reward maneuvers have their place in Combat Mission if you have the firepower to dole out.
An enemy surrender automatically gives an attacker a total victory - and despite fairly serious tank losses, I can be well satisfied with the outcome. The losses, unsurprisingly, are concentrated in Team Spencer, whom assaulted both Moncourt and Ley. Tank losses are a bit more spread out, but from an operational objective I have met the demands placed upon me by Combat Command A: My taskforce is more than capable of fighting at a similar intensity on short notice.
It is worth noting that, functionally, my tank losses are closer to the Germans; I have several ‘mission killed’ tanks with damaged main weaponry or damaged tracks. I would estimate my actual losses at approximately 12 tanks – still a highly favorable loss ratio and it leaves Abrams with more than enough tanks to continue offensive and defensive actions.
Indeed, such emphasis on ammo and force preservation will probably be needed, should our development team package these missions as a continuous campaign.