Benbur v. Zavatad

[Benbur]

Hi Everybody,

It looks like he's got a good start. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

[General Staff]

He sure has. At 900 moves on playback this guy knows how to use the combat rounds system.

East you need to retake 82,37 and 80,35. Try to contain the Paras east of the Orne River and take at least 83,36 on turn 1 too- if you get a chance at Pegasus go for it and then if you take it blow it. Get your 21 Pz Div arty up and into position to support as well as possible.

Form a line on Periers Ridge west to 76,34. Split PzG units and engineers into 3 and put 2 units in the front line and dig. Engineers in front line should be on minimize losses since they're too valuable to lose in combat. Other units should almost always defend on ignore losses. 305AA Bn should be broken down into 3 and parcelled out in the front line to use against tanks.

Dig in at 75,35 using a broken down engineer piece, some infantry (maybe broken down) and some AT ability (88s or Armor (1/22 Pz s/b out here) or a piece of 200 AG Bn). Likewise 73,34 and 73,35. 73,32 if you can get something there. Then behind the river line around Creully. Bayeux. Put a piece of 1/22 Pz in 64,32. 65,32. Maybe break 1/916 into 3 and put 2 pieces in these hexes with one behind in 65,33. You could try parcelling out 88s to 64,32 and 65,32 and put the 1/22 Pz piece in 65,33 on Tactical Reserve which might give them a shock.

Carentan. You need to at least eject the unit from 35,30 using direct arty fire and a 1/3 piece of the unit in Carentan and rotating 1/3 per round, plus using the unit next door likewise if necessary. Get LXXXIV arty up from Periers to help and I'd put the HQ on Mont Castre because you'll probably need its intel next turn.

Forget the Merderet bridges- too far compromised. Just dig in to the bocage as far forward as you can but blow bridges on Douve SE of St Saveur. North of Utah dig in to the towns (Montebourg and Quineville) and also hills behind to form a line. Site arty well and get out of front lines. Also remember the range on the counter is MAXIMUM ranged weapon. Check unit to get exact breakdowns/ranges.

Defence in depth is the key if you can. Break units down if needed but a rule of thumb is you need as defence factor of ideally 3 (maybe 2) to avoid overrun or RBC.

This guy's a pro. Maybe not TOAW, but he's wargamed a while or has really spent some time on this. Good luck! Worst one yet. You need to play a very good defensive battle here to win I think. Again see the Balkans 12 article for the Rest & Rotation system.

P.S. It always pays to do a little intel work on your opponents. His rating on the ladders, what he's played and of course his win-lose stats. See http://aar.mediocren.com/two-weeks-i...andy-44-vs-po/ and you might be able to deduce his game plan. He certainly has one and it seems pretty good to me.

[Benbur]

Hi General Staff,

Thanks 4 your reply. He knows how to use the combat rounds system, unfortunately I don't. I'll be learning the hard way!

Thanks for your suggestions but I've already begun and screwed up with the combat rounds system. Opps!

But keep the ideas coming! Thanks again.

[Benbur]

Hi Everybody,

How's the Axis team Holding up?! I hope everybody's in better shape than me.

Here's Zavatad's Turn 2. I've already replied. I'm giving my all trying to stop him!
I still haven't figured out the round system, but I'm working on it!

My mother always said I wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer!

Thanks in advance for any tips!

[General Staff]

How's the Axis team Holding up?! I hope everybody's in better shape than me.

Here's Zavatad's Turn 2. I've already replied. I'm giving my all trying to stop him!
I still haven't figured out the round system, but I'm working on it!

I've got to be blunt here- this doesn't look at all hopeful, but then you seem to be up against the best Allied player I've seen so far.

One thing I notice is a lot of concentration of forces. Around Cherbourg, Bricquebec, Valognes, Quettehoo St. Vaast. And 80,36 has a significant %age of 21 Pz concentrated in a single hex at only 15% entrenchment and none of them dug in. Look for him to close the pocket here with a good number of units trapped with their backs to the Orne River.

Also there is no front line to speak of. And between Caen and Bayeux even the arrival of an SS Division is not going to be enough to form a line that will hold.

Likewise at Omaha where- LoL- elements of 30 Mobile Brigade on the road at 54,33 are still peddling around the French countryside out in the open under heavy Allied interdiction- they look healthy enough and haven't been hit yet, perhaps because the Allied pilots just fly over with their jaws open in utter amazement. Maybe they haven't heard the news- there's a war on. Possibly they're on sabbatical, enjoying the delights of a French summer in Normandy? Perhaps the Germans have opened their psychiatric hospitals and released the inmates- then armed them with Rifles, Panzerfausts and Bicycles.

Utah is better, but you need a contiguous line and preferably in depth as described elsewhere. The Allies will go through the gaps between units here. North of Utah, the defensive benefits of rivers is behind them, as opposed to on them. Looks like the Allies are going to make a bid for Cherbourg. Expect them to go right as they get the extensive benefit of Allied Naval Fire, a huge advantage. If it comes to a foot race, you may find the Allies could get to Cherbourg before some of your southern units can get back.

A general observation also is that there just isn't much digging going on, with a lot of units in the open and not dug in at all.

Concentration of force here, other than small tactical reserves if you can afford them, is a killer. One because they make great targets for interdiction and two they make great targets for ground forces to surround and then kill. Lastly because concentration means you can't form the defence in depth that's needed because the units are all bottled up in various towns or hexes.

To win IMO you do need a defence in depth, with units where possible always trying to dig that second line with engineers helping. Then as organized a fighting withdrawal as you can, with arty well sited to cover, making the Allies pay as dearly as possible for each hex (remember casualties count towards victory) and just holding out long enough to beat the clock at 12-13 turns.

Hope this helps.

[Benbur]

Hi General Staff,

Thanks again for your advice. My problem is getting time enough to form a defense in depth. I'll try it though. The hole in my center was there before I could do anything about it, unfortunatley.

I'll keep pluggin away. But to be honest with you I haven't got a chance.

Never say die!

When u say defense in depth, u mean dividing units into 2 or 3. 2 out front one in back, all dig in! Right?

Thanks in advance.

[General Staff]

When u say defense in depth, u mean dividing units into 2 or 3. 2 out front one in back, all dig in! Right?

Yes, exactly. Look at my turn versus Elmer to get an idea of what I mean, particularly around Carentan where you can see it in a 'pure' form before combat influences it. Benefits include:

1) You are digging a second line already with the unit behind. If units in front get badly shot up they can retreat through this unit, leaving it to hopefully hold while they get a chance to recover.
2) If one unit gets hit hard you can rotate it out to the rear and switch in the rested one.
3) On from 2 hurt units get a chance to rest and recover some.
4) The rear unit can provide protection to rear arty.
5) If you recombine the unit, they recombine at average values. That means supply can be boosted for the front units that have seen combat just by recombining.
6) Also equipment will be pooled when you recombine and next time you break down passed out equitably- so that unit down to 1/6 Rifle Squads gets the benefit of what the others have in excess of what it has.
7) It hampers the ability of units to breakthrough your lines and then dash to your rear. ZOC costs add up, and the rear unit will contribute if they try and smash through.
8) You can put the rear unit on Tactical Reserve though in TOAWIII with the MRPB switch, this is not as useful as it used to be, when it could burn a whole turn.
9) It also helps in withdrawal because troops have a rear unit to rally on if routed/retreated.

I actually got this idea from reading a 'HANDBOOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES (MARCH 1945)' issued by the US War Department and based on original Wehrmacht materials. It also discusses a range of other issues such as withdrawals. I'll start a separate thread and attach the document there for those with interest.

[Telumar]

I actually got this idea from reading a 'HANDBOOK ON GERMAN MILITARY FORCES (MARCH 1945)' issued by the US War Department and based on original Wehrmacht materials. It also discusses a range of other issues such as withdrawals. I'll start a separate thread and attach the document there for those with interest.

Uaahahah! Cool! A german original available?

[Heldenkaiser]

The hole in my center was there before I could do anything about it, unfortunatley.

That sounds familiar!!

[General Staff]

Uaahahah! Cool! A german original available?

Sorry no. But that's partly why I posted it. I was hoping someone with English and German as a native language could translate it.