PBr CGI Who Are These Devils? AAR in Progress

[Rindis]

And this one is likely to go on for quite a while. Patch and I just started the full 12-date CG for Primosole Bridge from Journal 6. I'm taking the Italian & German forces.

It's going slightly slowly for us at the moment. It's been a decade since Patch has played with Night, Gliders or paradrops, and it's my first time for all three. However, the unit density for the initial scenario is low enough (compared to PB6) that once we're past the night rules questions it should move pretty fast.

The initial scenario seems like it would make an interesting regular scenario, with a German convoy showing up in the middle of the Brit paratroopers taking out the Italian garrison. Setup was complicated for both sides, and odd for me, since the normal night options are in turn restricted by the fact that I have to be adjacent to the paved road and in a pillbox or building. And all the pilbox and trench locations are specified, so I didn't bother HIPing them, as it'd only force Patch to re-read the SSR as he moved.

One turn into the date, and not much has happened north of the river. The paratroops scattered all over, and should be about to head for C Di Stephano.

The gliders landed in the south, and he got his reinforcements on turn 1. Not exactly what I was hoping for. However, Things have gone decently well. He discovered a minefield by losing a HS to it, and the losing the other half of the squad as they tried to rout out of it. The M23 pillbox's MMG managed to nail a stack of his during my turn, breaking a 8-1 and two 648s. He managed to self-rally one of the squads on his turn and get the leader out of DM, so I'm not keeping them down for long. Meanwhile a lowly 346 squad has managed to keep another squad in melee for two CCPhs despite being Ambushed. I moved another group from O24 to the north end of the bridge. I did this in full (concealed) view of Cloak 'A', so I'm starting to wonder about him....


Situation south and around the bridge, beginning of British turn 2.


Town and British landings, beginning of British turn 2.

The really troublesome news is that the NVR has already gone down to 2, and I have yet to get a starshell off. Three attempts, and I think they were all 5s. This means he could get scarily close to the town north of the bridge before I see him.

We're using the PBr VASL map available for download here, but we've noticed that the game-internal hexgrid has trouble. Much of it matches, but right at hexrow 'O' it suddenly shifts off a hex....

[Honza]

Sounds interesting.

[Patch_Bunny]

I suppose the best thing that can be said about this turn is that the Italians didn't push the southern Brits off the board, though they certainly had the opportunity. That would have been embarrassing.

Turn 1 was a bit of a mess as Rindis and I got used to Night and Airdrop rules. Once the initial landings were done, things sped up. Now we're just keeping track of Starshell rules, which are a bit simpler.

I dropped both parachute sticks up north, hoping for fast-entering reinforcements to clear the south approach. Luck was in my favor as they entered turn 1. Parachute drift was minor, and both sticks came down fairly accurately. Both gliders also landed successfully.

I drove the cloaked units right at the first buildings and pillbox to try and gain some ground, completely forgetting about the fact Rindis has minefields. Rindis rolled a "3" when one squad blundered into one, and he died when I tried to route him out. I got one cloaked squad into CC with a 346, ambushed him, and in what I'm calling typical rabbit luck has been stuck in Melee ever since. Can't I catch a break this turn? Obviously not, as Rindis then broke the leader and his two squads with a 6(+2) and a 4(+2) shot, leaving that little attack force in serious trouble. Fortune did smile on me when for my first self-rally attempt I brought a squad back on his own, and the leader is no longer DM. With a NVR of 2, I'm in better shape to attack from the north, though the southern end will still take some doing.

[Perry]

The initial scenario seems like it would make an interesting regular scenario, with a German convoy showing up in the middle of the Brit paratroopers taking out the Italian garrison. Setup was complicated for both sides, and odd for me, since the normal night options are in turn restricted by the fact that I have to be adjacent to the paved road and in a pillbox or building.

It sounds like fun, but we couldn't make it work.

[Rindis]

It sounds like fun, but we couldn't make it work.

Well, that explains that....

[Patch_Bunny]

Turn 2 could have gone better as the Italians continue to defy the British. I threw the newly rallied squad to the south into the melee against a single 346, and succeeded in only reducing it in CC. Rindis moved the second MMG across the bridge to reinforce the north, and I suspect he's heading towards the bunker in N16. Rindis tried engaging a rather large stack of mine with a squad and HS in Q14 to no effect, and my return fire broke both with a 4MC (which I now realize should have been a 3MC, but to no difference to result). We can call them safely out of the fight as both ELR'd, and there are no hidden units in *that* hex. I've identified 5.5 squads thusfar. Where can the others be?

Turn 3 will entail trying to eliminate his forces in the village north of the river. My paratroops are finally entering the fray, but if their die rolls are as bad as I had to the south I may not clear the damn town. Further problems are to be had as I realized too late that the movement penalty for entering concealment terrain applies if you're on a path. My clever flanking maneuver will take longer than planned. To the south, a slow creep against the bunker begins. Losing the squad in the minefield hurts.

Beginning UK Turn 3

[waltermcwilliam]

My pal Steve and I started this campaign about a year ago but he was deployed to iraq after we finished the first campaign game. I had the Ital/Germ. By turn 2 or 3 the NVR was 1, so his para's got in close and were no match for my italians in CC, but it was a lot of fun and I hope we can begin again when he returns this month. Have fun, and I look forward to your AAR.

[Patch_Bunny]

Turn 3 was the opening onslaught against the northern town as multipleunits moved into range. My 9-1 and three squads moved into the Q14 building cluster where they continued to reveal dummies and CR the already broken units, reducing them further. More units moved into the R16 buildings. My two squads south of the river again assaulted the pillbox, but were thrown back with one broken squad. Damn! Rindis' defensive fire failed to inflict damage, and in CC I captured the truck and further improved my positions to clear out the rest of the town.

UK/Italian Turn 3 activity



In his turn, Rindis saw the writing on the walls and commenced Operation Leave. The two ATGs made an appearance and tried to move out of harms way. One failed and had the crew broken in my return fire. The other was successful and moved into O16. Rindis continues to try and get his second MMG into the N16 pillbox, but strayed with Jitter Fire and got stopped short. His pillbox squad and MMG south of the river fired on my units to no effect.

Turn 4! So much left to do and more units are entering next turn! I've a lot left to do and so little time. The O20 pillbox is going to be a pain.

Start of UK Turn 4

[Rindis]

...My orders for the village have been 'try to still be putting up a struggle when the Germans arrive.'

It's certainly interesting. I don't think either of is happy with what's going on. The defense south of the bridge is down to a squad in a pillbox. It offers good protection, but it's a matter of time before the two ATGs aimed at it cause at least a MC. The MMG there broke this turn, which probably spells the end of meaningful resistance.

North of the bridge, things are worse. NVR 2 allowed him to get way to close before I saw him. I made the mistake un-concealing the north-side defenders to fire on his concealed paratroopers. The firepower difference is scary! So now he has about 3/4ths of the village, the truck and one of the ATG (well, he hasn't actually possessed it yet, but he's in the hex). I have... not much. For some reason, I didn't come up with the obvious thought to have one Gun pointing north up the road, and one pointing south. So they've been both pointing the wrong way.

Off the screenshots, Patch has a few people on the road north of town. Presumably, they'll give a hot point-blank reception to the convoy in a little over a turn.

Just need to remember, with these forces, it's a victory if he doesn't end up capturing the 88....

[Patch_Bunny]

Off the screenshots, Patch has a few people on the road north of town. Presumably, they'll give a hot point-blank reception to the convoy in a little over a turn.

The problem I have with VASL. Big boards, little view windows. I may have forgotten to move him this turn.