Road to Rimini 1944- Allies

[General Staff]

TURN 6 RESULTS- GERMANY

Well the DAF certainly went out in style- of 389 movers on Playback, over 130 were Interdiction sorties- around 1/3rd and with a unit or 2 (e.g. 557th Artillery Battalion) evaporated.

Losses going in to the turn stand at 31-0 in Allies’ favor with an SV (47/100). We lost 3rd/1st Household Cavalry in the far north 10 clicks short of Rimini, but it and the 2nd served their purpose in keeping 26th Panzer Division from moving further south down the coast and restricting movement down the Coriano road further west.

ROUND 1

1) Usual SOP with Typhoons on CS to aid in any AVs. Survivors in the Gothic Line seem shattered- we get a number of AVs and are able to herd units into a couple of single hexes (9,12 and 16,11) and a few larger pockets around Gemmano and Mondaino further west, which though not entirely cut off in the case of Gemmano will be extremely difficult to escape from. We’ll try to blow the bridge north of San Marino (2,9) to hinder reinforcement and/or escape. We’ll leave 10,13 alone because we don’t want it retreating into Mondaino.
2) The AVs allow for a lot of movement, and we move as much up north as possible- particularly arty concentrated around Cattolica to cover defensively pretty much everything and prepare for assaults next turn.
3) I’ve grouped units into 3 main task forces- Indians and some British, mostly infantry, units deal with the West in the hills and mountains, the Canadians deal with the central sector, including bearing down on remaining units in the Gothic Line from the North while British units approach from the South, and the Poles with a lot of British armor head for Rimini along the coast (and block 26th Panzer Division).
4) Attacks set up against 5,14, 9,12, 9,15, 11,14, 12,12, 16,11. 9,12 and 12,12 are Full Assaults/ML, the remainder LA/ML- the former because they’re almost guaranteed successes, the latter to minimize ‘turn burn’.
5) SUPPLY- OFTEN IGNORED OR RELEGATED. In moving units, there’s an effort to place in good supply- Road, RR Lines and adjacent to a relevant HQ. May seem minimally important, but over time in a scenario it’s a little like compound interest in that it all adds up without you really noticing. Here, with RRs at 60 supply value (we get RR Repair of 3 which this turn should repair the line all the way up to and including Cattolica (16,10/17,11 are busted too)), it’s quite a considerable boost to supply and readiness levels, hence combat effectiveness, and particularly recce values which are highly useful in attack to make/exploit breakthroughs. Without rail, supply up north would be 15 as it is now in 13,10 for example, with it we’ll get 30-60 odd.

Results: 90% of turn remaining.
1) Attack results: 5,14 (retreats) 9,12, 9,15, 12,12 (destroyed) 11,14 (holds), 16,11 (holds, 2 units destroyed).
2) Bridge at 2,9 remains- in hindsight probably a mistake given chances (12%) and new German engineers arriving who can repair immediately. I suppose it might take them from another task and zero out their MPs.
3) Casualties now 33-0. 55 VPs. 6 to go to an OV.

ROUND 2

1) More units move up as attack results permit, including more arty now there’s less traffic south and some clearance of German units allows.
2) Attacks set up against 5,13, 11,14 (Mondaino- 2VPs), 16,11- all LA/ML with the usual Direct Arty Fire Support where possible. Arty units that have moved are placed to cover these hexes as much as possible to be able to provide Indirect Fire Support and defensively support units during the German turn again be wary of ranges, as sometimes a good % of guns are lower range than advertised (9 hex range units particularly).
3) Attack against 8,6 with Direct Fire Support from the Navy- all guns ‘reach’. Just to take the edge of their recce unit if possible, though this could be a mistake if it runs too long.
4) Typhoons to interdiction.

Results: 70% of turn remaining (90% - 2 rounds at 16,11).
1) Attacks: 8,6- we lost 3 armored cars, the Germans 3 squads and a truck. One round. Okay… 5,13 retreats.
2) 16,11 where the SP guns worry me regarding ‘turn burn’- the 2 Nashorns are destroyed but these ****** Semovente 90/53s seem impervious- perhaps we should have left them a way out to give all those reverse gears room for manoeuvre. 2 rounds, 2 evaps (2/1/993 and 2/525). Maybe armor next round (if I get one) will shift them. We took 10% casualties among the infantry here.
3) Mondaino took some heavy arty pounding but held- one round.
4) Casualties the same. Taking Mondaino and 16,11 will get us to an OV.
5) VICTORY LEVELS- LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP. I always calculate these before I even start a scenario, to know firstly what I’ve got to keep to avoid an OL, SL, ML and secondly what I might be able to claw back and gain or retain to earn a D, MV, SV and OV. This determines initial strategy, whether offensive or defensive, because there are times when you can set yourself what turns out to be an impossible goal that leads to disaster when more modest expectations might have been fulfilled. Taking Rimini in this scenario is an example given your desperate loss intolerance as the Allies- at this point we could leave Rimini altogether out of the equation and focus on taking Gemmano, Croce and Coriano, then keeping them for a probable OV.

ROUND 3

1) Attacks: 3,12, 11,14 (Mondaino), 16,11.

Results: 20% of turn remaining.
1) 3,12 held. Mondaino vacated by Germans, taking 50% casualties in 2 rounds of combat. At last!
2) 16,11. Semovento 90/53s finally destroyed after 5 rounds of combat. These SPGs plus infantry in towns are killers. As it is the hex is still held by a single- I kid you not- halftrack, even with a flank attack advantage here. We’re lucky to still have time to dig in- and of course launch some final assaults which will only go 1 round…
3) Taking Mondaino and 1 extra German LP take us to 61 and an OV.

ROUND 4

1) Attacks: 3,12, 4,11, 5,12, 7,12, 7,13 (Gemmano) to start the final assault phase, 10,13, 16,11 to clear. All with Direct Arty Fire Support and Limited with those arty units without the MPs.
2) Air on Interdiction- check. Everything else dug in/on TR- check.

Results: Turn end.
1) 3,12 holds. 4,11 retreated, 5,12 holds, with 2 units retreated to 4,11, 7,12 2/278th Engineers eliminated/units advance.
2) 10,13 all units eliminated/unit advances, 16,11 and doing a somewhat incredulous double take here- that single half track survived an infantry/armor multi-brigade 2-round assault with direct arty support.
3) Gemmano (7,13) vacated- German 2/2/993rd evaporated, but no advance (Limited Attack). 3 Semovente 75/18 SPGs out of 11 destroyed.

Summary: Save for one halftrack, Gothic Line finally and completely destroyed. Moves are already afoot in the West to move out of the hills and up the river valleys towards Rimini.

Losses running at 36-1 and 63 VPs for OV.

[L`zard]

Good Stuff!

Keep it up, eh?

[General Staff]

TURN 7 RESULTS- GERMANY

Well, the Typhoons managed around 50 Interdiction sorties. The German 162nd Turcoman Division arrived and moved up as did elements of the 98th Infantry Division.
Losses going in to the turn are down- given replacements- at 31-0 in Allies’ favor leaving us with 59 VPs, an SV 2 short of an OV. We need to recover and gain some margin for error too.

ROUND 1

What to do next? (a) We can occupy Gemmano- giving us 69 VPs and an 8 VP OV margin- and sit tight. (b) We can shoot for Croce and/or Coriano in addition to- or instead of- (a) giving us a different VP margin. Both (a) and/or (b) assume we keep the casualty differential as is and don’t take too many ourselves. (c) Shoot for Rimini over and above (a)/(b) or instead of. (d) Any combination of (a)/(b)/(c).
I think the best here is to regain and hold our OV, then continue with what worked on the Gothic Line- use Direct Fire arty in support of LA/ML combined arms attacks all along the line but with a particular focus in seizing the VP urban areas- we can occupy Gemmano immediately and have a flank advantage on Coriano and can make an effort to bite off and surround units south near Croce. Then see what targets of opportunity or gaps present regarding Rimini itself- I’d note we’re 20 days (turns) ahead of the historical schedule (Rimini fell September 21st). So:

1) Usual SOP with Typhoons on CS, and arty/navy on TR (if not D/E/F) to try for AVs. We get 1 AV south of Gemmano, another south of Croce (we now have a flank advantage here too), but that ****** half track in 11,16 is still not budging- the crew must be on some sort of WWII PCP-equivalent.
2) We’ll try and swing some Gurkhas wide SW of San Marino to draw off a unit- it’s a disproportionate waste of German resource and we’ve got lots to play with. So 2/3 to 0,11 in mobile mode so they don’t get drawn back if 1,12 is attacked and they’re on TR.
3) Attacks with heavy doses of direct arty wherever possible on every adjacent hex save the German units south of San Marino. Flank attacks where possible also.

Results: 60% of turn remaining.
1) We seem to have killed a lot of horses, but not a lot of- if any- armor.
2) 7,7, 7,9 (Coriano) and 7,10 vacated by the Germans. The half-track in 16,11 finally decided discretion was the better part of valor and surrendered.
3) Casualties now 34-0. 84 VPs, moving into Coriano and 16,11 for 12 VPs.

ROUND 2

1) Attacks set up along the road to San Marino (3,12), 5,12 and 6,10 to clear Croce surrounds, Croce itself to start to clear, 6,7/8 to hit infantry heavy stacks dancing on retreat in the open, and 8,6 (+navy here) to see what we can do up the coast towards Rimini.
2) Reinforcements and arty moved up as available/(un)needed, in preparation for arty range/assaults next turn. The detail is difficult to describe, but it’s a balance between what we need to hammer away arty and combined assault – wise and a look ahead at what we might need and where next round or turn.
3) Typhoons to interdiction.

Results: Turn end.

1) Attacks: 5,12, Croce, 6,8 successful and hexes vacated.
2) I had hoped to get one last round. A last round is often useful because at 20% left you know your lads are only going to go one round, so you can launch those all-important all-out (FA/IL) assaults to seize the hexes you really need knowing your casualties are limited by the one round ‘brake’. As it is you see the halfway house here- hexes abandoned but not seized. Whether the Germans have the MPs to reoccupy, dig in and recover is yet to be seen. It was certainly a characteristic of most of their campaigns against overwhelming odds.

Summary:

We have an OV with a comfortable margin now- 82 VPs and 37-5 LPs. If we see an opportunity we’ll take it, otherwise sit tight and hold on. German offensive capability should have been pretty well crippled, and I hope we have enough arty on defensive fire support to make any counterattacks painful.

As Germans once the Gothic Line was compromised I think I’d have defended behind the rivers using the escarpments. There’s a Terrain Effects Chart (by Kevin Peltz) I find useful and have attached (see also 13.9.7. or search on ‘escarpment’ in manual). But it’s touch and go here for the Germans and every hex between here and Rimini is vital to them- in particular to inflict casualties on the Allies- so as Allies try to find ways to use this against them.

[General Staff]

TURN 8 RESULTS- GERMANY

Catastrophe in the Cornfield at 7,7. We pushed the boat out here (literally) to get out and about towards Rimini, but left an early turn-end not entrenched and with a pile-up behind us waiting to go. Once hit, units had nowhere to run, though the 6th Lwów Regiment hung in there. The rest got caught short on the river bank- details sketchy though the Poles started off the offensive under-strength, perhaps post-Monte Cassino.


But one way or another there will be payback for this. Though it is a historical Allied mistake- overconfidence, hubris, the stupidity in hindsight of 9-deep stacks in the rear in anticipation of a walkover, resulting in disaster when a clever opponent turns that deal against you. Mea culpa. We do however still hold 7,7 at some considerable cost.


Losses going in to the turn are 36-0 in Allies’ favour, which would tend to show that our arty strategy even post-7,7 is the correct one. VPs 86- still OV and though 7,7 hurt, in the scheme of things little damage.


Let’s just keep hammering away with arty and see what that opens up, if anything. Otherwise what have we got to lose?

ROUND 1

We are going to hit them hard. The Poles in particular took a beating, and personally liking the lads myself, we’re going to try hard to hammer the opposition.


1) Usual SOP with Typhoons on CS, and arty/navy on TR (if not D/E/F) to try for AVs. None- morale is low. But we’re gonna hit them hard.
2) Left, nothing doing since nothing worthwhile here, other than San Marino as a nice publicity stunt and views. No wonder Marinus- a stonecutter and clever fellow to boot it would appear, high views and all- decided to settle here. I’ve no such plans.
3) Attacks with heavy doses of direct arty wherever possible on every adjacent hex save the German units south of San Marino. Flank attacks where possible also.

Results: 50% of turn remaining.

1) Again, we seem to have killed a lot of horses, but not a lot of armor. We have to stop doing this.
2) Croce taken- again. We’re going to keep it this time, though feel free to try to take it back. 5,8 and 5,10 vacated. 2 hexes up the east coast road clear.
3) Casualties now 44-1. 97 VPs, With Croce taken, catching them in the open really hurt them, and helped us. I’m not sure how bad, but it looked like it hurt- a lot.
4) We got a few AVs down in the valley just short of San Marino, pre-round 2, courtesy of the Saint.

ROUND 2

Again, let’s hit hard but with a focus on moving units up for a last ditch assault to try to take Rimini, though I doubt we’ll make it. But no particular need now- we have an OV without it, are well ahead of historical schedule, and why throw the lads' lives away at this point in the war? Typhoons remain on CS- useful addition, but no particular need for Interdiction now. I didn’t even bother trying for AVs this turn, since the German line is so stacked and thick I doubt I’d get any. Much of the arty is on indirect fire support since I need them for any last ditch move on direct fire support. Units in a couple of lines/columns since I don’t want to overstack.

Results: End of turn.

1) 5,11 attacked and eliminated. That’s 15 Mark IVs and a ad f other already badly crippled stuff which is a first but probably due to air on CS, for loss of 4 tanks.
2) Bombardment of 6,5 but damn- forgot to put in a combat unit too so that’s going take me down to 20% remaining of my turn- or worse- end it.
3) Attack 6,6- this worked better. 60% German losses for 7% Allied, but the did hold it.
4) Attack 4,11. Again they held it for 22-3% differential. It’s those damn Semovente SPGs again. I thought I’d got rid of all these further south.
5) Attack 5,9. Germans hold and lose 16% to Allied 13% (3 Churchills).
6) Against Marano, no luck either.

Summary:

Not a good turn at all. Probably because it’s been a while since I last looked at it. 2 was really stupid, because it meant I couldn’t consolidate any gains. We’ll see.

[General Staff]

TURN 9 RESULTS- GERMANY

Just regrouping it seems to me with a view to just holding Rimini.

ROUND 1

This may sound strange, but I’m just gonna do nada. Just a few AVs, dig in, the reinforcements down south are useless given what I’ve got except the arty which can’t make it anyway.

I can’t I believe take Rimini in a turn, and at this point in the war discretion seems the better part of valor.

Besides why waste lads’ lives on both sides when it’s clear which way the wind is going.

The only thing I’ll do is a final salvo from the RN (6,4) and Air Support on CS, in case he comes back- it’s doubtful he’s gonna move much.

I’d then regroup and ask for conditional surrender.

I could be wrong though.

Results: Not much- 2%. 70% of turn left.

ROUND 2

Repeat.

Results: 2% again. Just killing horses, not my cup of tea. 50% of turn left.

ROUND 3

Repeat. But 7,5 now.

Results: 6%, but again mostly just killing horses. 30% of turn left.

Let’s call it a day. Air on CS at IL, just in case.

[General Staff]

GAME OVER

Last gasp assaults, which hurt as you can see.

Thank you to my opponent- a pleasure.

Result- Allied OV with 99/100 points.

Axis held objectives 23, casualties 49,

Allied held objectives 77, casualties 4.

POST MORTEM

IMO for Germans key is to keep digging multiple lines all the time and siting arty for maximum impact both on defense and offensively against large red stacks in the open- Think Monte Cassino of which the Gothic Line was a part at the western end. Break units 3 so you've one in the line and two digging and resting at any one time- you need a big hole blown in my head like a hole in it. And anticipate Alllies' feints and real intentions. Play for time and their casualties without any expensive counterattacks, in which you will or should get mown down. .

For Allies it's sort of the reverse. Keep advancing ASAP so they can't dig in effectively and use arty in direct support offensively, but mostly on targets on roads and objectives or on the way. Bypass what you can- you've so many troops you never really get to use in the rear anyway except their arty assets. And all air on interdiction is a delight to watch on a replay turn early unless you've a desperate bridge to blow to delay reinforcements in which case everything back on interdiction at turn end.