View Full Version : Contemptible Floundering! - CMBN PBME AAR (Allies vs. Axis)
Here we go again. Dowly wants to win again so I'll use my imagination to make it as satisfying as possible. The last game's map made us eventually abandon the game because of its dullness. This time we shall play custom map made by Dowly himself. As the map is tiny, we agreed that only one tank is allowed. The dice decided that I will be playing as allies. And as usual, we don't read each other's AARs. Oh, and there's no objectives.
OOB:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/OOB.png
Plan is this:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/Plannen.png
Third platoon's first and third squad along with machinegun team will conduct a diversion move on the right flank, hoping that it will draw Dowly's forces and get attention off of the main attack. Two infantry squads and a machinegun team are able to put up a fight so the plan is to get in contact with the enemy and engage them immediately. And because the diversion forces have at least decent firepower I hope Dowly will think his left flank a serious threat. Although, most likely Dowly will get tons of unknown contacts on the left and so he will concentrate most of his forces there. However, he has already given his first orders so he will respond a bit late. I on the other hand will launch the attack at once my troops are in position (well after the diversion forces get in contact), regardless of Dowly's moves.
I will be aggressive and I will be fast in hope of catching Dowly off guard. The biggest worry is Dowly's tank and where he deploys it. I plan to drive my rhino through the hedgerow on the right. I doubt he expects that. 2nd platoon will attack through the forest on the left. 1st and remnants of the 3rd platoon will attack through the Junction with mg support.
The plan is a gamble. If our, most likely very similiar, main forces will meet head-on on the left it's hard to tell who is going to win. If Dowly move his forces as I hope, emphasizing his left and the center, I think I have a good chance to beat him (even though our previous matches suggests different results). If he really moves like I hope, he will try to bring reinforcements and counter-attack from his left and center for sure when I launch the attack. However, I hope that my diversion forces manage to occupy the farm ont he right so my mg will guard the orchard, denying Dowly to attack my main force's flank.
Another miserable failure or finally a grand victory? Time will tell.
Turn 1 (1:00:00-59:00)
Luckily I got a glimpse of Dowly's tank, Panzer IV. The question is: does he know where my tank is?
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AAPZIV.png
Main force moving into position. And a feeble attempt to edit a screenshot ála Dowly.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AATankInf.png
Nothing else to report really.
Turn 2 (59:00-58:00)
Dowly's Panzer IV sits at Creton farm and I'm also getting quite a few reports of enemy infantry in the near forest which unfortunately indicates that he's concentrating his attack there. Or he wants me to think so...
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AAACMNormandy2012-07-2620-11-49-36.png
Diversion forces are almost in position. Hopefully they will draw Dowly's attention. Even though I believe he knows that the field where most of my troops are, is indeed infested with my troops...
Turn 3 (58:00-57:00)
Third platoon engages the enemy!
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AAcontact.png
Main force is waiting for the attack command.
Turn 4 (57:00-56:00)
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AAAAACMNormandy2012-07-2620-49-12-65.png
My estimate is that Dowly has distributed his forces evenly across the map. Now, when he has noticed the threat on his left flank I hope he brings forces from his right flank to meet the it. I advanced an ammo bearer squad to Duries Farm to make the diversion look like an aggressive attack and also to scout Dowly's movement.
After I've seen how things develop on the right flank I will commence the main attack. The aim is to advance as fast as possible to Creton Farm across the left side forest and the Junction and envelope his troops. I highly doubt I will succeed but it's still the aim. There's also a high possibility that Dowly doesn't answer to the threat I have given him and that he will keep most of his units in and around Creton Farm.
Turn 5 (56:00-55:00)
Neinrrrrr! Dowly mowed down my ammo bearers in seconds. At least now I know he has quite a lot of troops around that small lake.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AAACASUALTYY.png
He has also moved squads to forest near the farm I have the rest of my diversion force. My riflemen have engaged them. Now I shall just wait and see what Dowly does next. And then... At my signal, unleash hell!
Turn 6 (55:00-54:00)
Dowly is moving the panzer to support his left flank! He also seems to be massing his troops there. Especially to that forest. Attack on the farm looks to be on the way.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/AAPZ.png
Heard too familiar whistling sound as well. He has mortars. Good thing he's wasting ammo on my diversion troops. I'm also getting more and more confident that he took the bait. Or he is just deceiving me cunningly :hmmm:. Nevertheless, I will commence the attack in few turns and fail completely and utterly or face a horrendous defeat.
Turn 7 (54:00-53:00)
Quiet turn. Diversion force exchanges occasional shots with germans. Also I believe Dowly has a pretty good idea where the majority of my troops are as he has directed mortar fire to the field in the left. I'm moving the troops on the right side around to make the sector look a bit more active. Still, I want to hold on the attack for a turn or two and see if Dowly has indeed took the bait. Most likely he's preparing an ambush for my main force. While waiting, I hope those mortars don't make any serious damage...
Turn 8 (53:00-52:00)
Panzer IV engages my troops on the right as expected.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/PzEmerges.png
...
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/surprise.png
4 dead, 5 wounded...
http://img4i.www.spoki.lv/upload/articles/40/401780/images/Jim-Carrey-GIF-PACK-10.gif
Turn 9 (52:00-51:00)
3rd platoon pulls out just in time.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/Justintime.png
Meanwhile Dowly continues to exterminate my troops.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/uraa.png
At turn 8 I gave attack orders to the first and the second platoon. I had to launch the attack now as otherwise my troops would have been decimated by Dowly's accurate mortar fire. Unfortunately I could advance only one squad through the Junction as the two other squads were pinned down. Tank shall remain in place and hidden until needed. I don't want to give away it's position yet. But of course, he knows that it's there anyway...
(note: the screenshot is from earlier turn as I forgot to take one prior to the attack)
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/plannen-1.png
As I suspected, the forest on the left is infested with german troops. However, I believe I have enough firepower to punch through.
Turn 10 (51:00-50:00)
Right... I've (surprisingly) achieved status FUBAR.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/mg.png
Dowly basically annihilated my three squads with mortars.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/death.png
Soldiers advancing on the left.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/troopsadvancing.png
Soldiers fleeing on the left (before german MG mowed them down)
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/flee.png
I believe the conversation went like this:
"Hey, what's that?"
"I think it's a german."
"Noooooooooo!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc-gh-3TkR0#t=2m50s"
Turn 11 (50:00-49:00)
German troops retreat from the forest on the right and I get a chance to continue my attack. Now backed with two squads from the Junction.
And the gamble:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/plni.png
I have to take out that Panzer. That's the only option as Dowly has definitely more troops than I (I've only 5 somewhat capable squads) currently.
E: Hmm, Dowly logged out of steam. Rage quit because I knocked out his tank? :D
Turn 12 (49:00-48:00)
I tried to get Pz IV's attention away from my incoming tank with infantry. Maybe that was a mistake...
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/opposite.png
I might know thee reason for Dowly's sudden disappearance...
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/reason.png
Overall situation.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/situ.png
I'm bringing an MG to support the assault on Creton Farm. I have three squads attacking from the forest and two and a half squads attacking from the Junction. I'm quite positive that I have more troops than he has but that doesn't really tell much. Especially when I'm playing. But we'll see how eager Dowly will be to continue the game after I've taken out his tank. Unless I get so see the all too familiar inept tank commander's marvellous decision making...
Turn 13 (48:00-47:00)
Aand the result is:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/dest.png
I guess it's quite safe to say that there's a good chance I win this one. Well, IF I manage to utilize my tank in coordination with the infantry right. So there's a good chance that I will still fail miserably.
My attack on the left flank was soon stopped by enemy small arms fire and mortars. Squads in the Junction didn't even manage to move. I ordered my tank to move through the Junction to support my second attempt to take the Creton Farm.
Turn 14 (47:00-46:00)
Nothing significant happened. On the right flank Dowly is moving some troops around. On the left, my troops in the forest are slowly retreating due to heavy small arms fire. Meanwhile my tank is craaaaaaawling through the Junction to aid my troops. I noticed that at some point the tracks were damaged so the movement is quite hindered. Which reduces a bit its advantage. Once the sherman gets into position I will launch an another attack towards Creton Farm. Only this time it has to succeed. I doubt Dowly has any significant forces on the right side which he could sneak up on me. I will not take any unnecessary risks though so I have a squad or two watching the flank.
Turn 15 (45:00-44:00)
As usual, my attack failed before I had even given the attack commands. Dowly mauled my troops and hard, as can be seen here:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/dfhzdfhzdfh.png
Multiple casualties. Don't know if there's anyone left to ever attack again. Especially because I'm unable to retreat and the barrage isn't over yet. Well, I have only myself to blame. Those troops sat there quite a while.
Turn 16 (44:00-43:00)
Dowly advanced on all sectors with around eight men. And it ended as expected.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/afas.png
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/fasf.png
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/asfasf.png
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/asffa.png
Meanwhile my hammered troops in the center retreats. Remainings in the forest on left flank are ordered to attack with tank support.
Turn 17 (43:00-42:00)
Something happens which I never would have anticipated:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/over2.png
I actually won. Although, Dowly might have surrendered out of pity.
Pity or not, I shall rejoice my first CMBN PBME victory:
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5foq7anfP1r2vph1.gif
Situation at the end:
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/ac231/Schiavona/Over.png
Truth to be told: I won because Dowly charged his tank recklessly and I luckily had just moved my tank there. If he hadn't, there's no way telling who would have won.
Well played. :salute:
Well played= With an astounding luck drove my tank to meet your tank just when you had done the same AND at the most critical moment your tank turned its turret to shoot my two or three soldiers in the opposite direction? Meanwhile failing to punch through the forest with 10:1 odds? :D
It was all about which one takes out the other's tank first. And this time I happened to be the one :).
Next game's (which defines the winner as the situation is 1-1) settings will be:
Length: 17 years
Map Size: 110000km x 125000km
Type: Meeting Engagement
Force Type: Mixed
Map: Milky way
Tank limit: gazillion
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