View Full Version : La Grande Finale - Dowly vs. Crécy Final Match (CMBN)
And back!
As our wins are 1-1, we obviously have to play one more game, so here we are, again. :oops:
For our finale, we decided to go with a "huge" battle on a QB map called "Meet Large Town QB-217".
Crécy will be playing as the British and I shall be the (victorious) Waffen SS.
Time limit is 1h30m and the time of the battle is dusk.
Crécy won't be writing AAR for this one (AFAIK).
As for my AAR, I'll keep it closer to the style of the two SP AARs, maybe post
a report every 7-10 turns or so.
* * *
German OOB
1st SS Panzer Battalion
-1st Company
--1st Platoon
--2nd Platoon
(11xPanther)
-Tiger tank
-2 x SPW 251/7 D halftracks
2nd SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
-5th Company
--1st Platoon
--2nd Platoon
--3rd Platoon
-6th Company
--1st Platoon
--2nd Platoon
--3rd Platoon
-2 x Sniper team
ORDERS
1st SS Panzer Battalion
I'm going to use the Panthers to pincer Crécy's armor/troops. One Platoon rolling down
both flanks. The Battalion and Company HQ Panthers will move with the infantry.
The only thing I'm debating is the timing, should I go full throttle and hope to catch
Crécy's armor on the move, or should I wait for the battle to rage for a few turns and
then unleash the big cats to hit his flanks.
2nd SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
The bulk of the fighting will be in the town, so that's where I order all my infantry to.
Company size force per flank should be enough.
I also have buttload of off-map mortars, 2x81mm per platoon IIRC plus heavy mortars (again, IIRC).
Just need to check with Crécy if we allow first turn arty with 5 minute delay or not.
Crécy
Not knowing his unit composition doesn't make figuring out his plan any easier, but he will probably
have a mixed build with both infantry and armor. I'm guessing he will want to get into the town ASAP.
The safest and most direct route is on the left, so I can expect his infantry there. The right side
is actually identical to the town we fought over in our first CMBN map, with the crescent shaped forest and all.
Maybe he notes that as well and attacks through the forest like the last time. :hmmm:
Or he might not move for the first 10 turns due to a propaganda film (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmaMWxs3Z74) I sent to him in preparation for this match. :O:
Dowly = RED
Crécy = BLUE
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Plan00.jpg
EDIT: Some additions to the OOB as I didn't notice the amount of points I had left the first time:
1 Pzr-Battalion:
-Tiger tank
-2 x SPW 251/7 D halftracks
2 PzrGren-Battalion:
-2 x Snipers
The halftracks and snipers will scout the way for the Panthers. I'll put the Tiger
on the railroad tracks that run through the map, it's flat all the way to
Crécy's end so if anything moves there, my Tiger will (hopefully) see them.
Just a small update before the game kicks off.
This is the plan I'm going with. The smaller part of the town on the left side
appears to be walled off completely from my side, so I would have to risk a
Panther to plow through it if I were to occupy that area. Instead, I'm going
to hit the larger section of the town with the whole 2 Battalion. They are
supported by 3 Panthers.
The Panthers move as planned initially, down both flanks. 1Plt will probably
remain unseen, although Crécy will most likely hear them. 2Plt's going to
stop at the road, where there is an excellent hull down position for them.
With them, I sent the halftracks, carrying a sniper team each. Once the sniper
teams have been dropped off, the HTs will continue forward until they make
contact with Crécy's forces.
As mentioned earlier, the Tiger will stay on the railroad tracks and will shoot
anything it sees. The time of day might be an issue, but once my side of the
town is secured, I can always move it forward. :yep:
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Plan01.jpg
Re: The OOB, I seem to have made yet another mistake. 2 Battalion's companies
don't have 4th platoon at all, I must have removed them. So, that also means
there is no mortar support.
The match starts like any other: waiting for the inevitable contact with the enemy.
For the first 2-3 turns, I keep my orders as I gave them during the deployment phase, only
the Halftracks and the sniper teams need some babysitting.
During the 4th turn, after dropping off the sniper teams and giving the HTs orders to drive
towards Crécy's set-up area, I order the 2.Plt Panthers on my left flank to start the attack
on Crécy's flank. 1.Plt Panthers will have their orders sometime during turn 6 or 7, currently
I'm assembling them on my right flank and waiting to see what the HT finds.
The one thing I find worrying early on is the lack of contacts, I'm playing this one very
aggressively and was expecting the two HTs would get into a firefight very quickly as they
advance deeper into bad guy territory.
Come turn 5 and the halftrack on the left spots a Loyd carrier and two 57mm guns in the woods.
I caught him with his tea cup empty, the guns haven't been deployed yet. The HT opens fire with
it's MG42 and retreats back towards the sniper team's position. As expendable as the HT is, I
rather not lose it just yet.
The find has me worried, why would he take ATGs? After the less than spectacular performance of
his last ATG during our 3rd match, I would've thought he'd steer well clear of those things.
Maybe it's just the darkness, but the lack of armor contacts has me worried as well. I got a
baaaad feeling about this...
PICCIES!!
2 Battalion advances (or tries to catch that guy dressed differently :hmmm:)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/01.jpg
2Plt Panther in a partial hull down position on my left flank.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/02.jpg
6 Kompanie reaches the town with 1 Battalion Panther watching over them.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/03.jpg
Sniper Team is dropped off by a halftrack on the left flank.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/04.jpg
Turn 4 orders for the 2Plt Panthers and the HT on the left flank.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/05.jpg
Turn 4 orders for the HT on the right flank.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/06.jpg
The mess of orders for the infantry.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/07.jpg
HT spots the British guns and opens fire.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/08.jpg
Turn 5 orders for the left flank. HT pulls back, while the Panthers push on.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/09.jpg
Positions of my forces prior to turn 6, shown are only the large elements.
1 = 1Plt Panthers, 5 = 5. inf company and so on.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/10.jpg
My Panthers continue their advance seemingly unopposed on the left.
That is, until a 76mm shell whizzed over one of the tank commanders.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/01-1.jpg
Responsible for this scare are Mr.Achilles and Mr.Firefly.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/02-1.jpg
My Panthers give a 2-gun salute for their opponent's good try.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/03-1.jpg
Oops, think I aimed too low. Sorry about that!
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/04-1.jpg
Third 57mm gun is spotted and destroyed to the left of the British tanks.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/05-1.jpg
Crécy is now painfully aware of my Panthers moving down his right flank. I decide to keep
the pace up and repeat their 'Hunt' order.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/06-1.jpg
I tighten the grip by ordering the 1Plt Panthers to advance down his left flank with the HT.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/07-1.jpg
Situation in town remains quiet. 5.Kompanie has now reached their positions, 6.Kompanie is
moving deeper into the town along with one Panther.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/08-1.jpg
2Plt Panthers destroy yet another 57mm on the left flank. How darn many of these peashooters he got??
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/09-1.jpg
I had ordered the other HT to head back to get some fire on those two 57mm's he spotted earlier,
but even after the ATGs had fired 2-3 shots, the HT never saw them. Good riddance. My sniper team
however sees the ATG, hopefully he goes all Pvt.Jackson on it.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/10-1.jpg
My advance on the left comes to a halt as Crécy's PIAT teams destroy the two lead Panthers.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/01-2.jpg
I order the remaining two tanks to pull back.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/02-2.jpg
Minor skirmishes on the right as my HT eliminates Crécy's sniper team and one of the Panthers blows up a PIAT team hiding in the forest.
I also spot some of his infantry moving into the town. Question is: Are those his forward troops or his rearguard?
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/03-2.jpg
Learning absolutely nothing from the disaster on the left flank, I order the Panthers to advance on the right. What could go wrong, right?
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/04-2.jpg
Losing another Panther, that's what. Crécy's PIATs were able to pop 3-4 rounds off before my stationary Panthers saw them. Hate PIATs!
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/05-2.jpg
Think that's enough Panthers lost. I call off the advance on both flanks. Orders are passed on to pull out of the PIAT's range and hold position.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/06-2.jpg
Situation prior to turn 11. Still no idea what Crécy's grand plan is, if he has one that is. I can possibly block his infantry's advance on the right with the Panthers,
though the darkness makes it hard for them to spot anything. I haven't seen any of his forces in the main part of the town, which is pretty much under my control now.
Smells like a déjà vu of our first match where Crécy had to attack against the town after I had occupied it already.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/07-2.jpg
I'm going to try and block off his infantry with the 1Plt HQ Panther. I also have a sniper team ready to engage any infantry that tries to move across the road.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/01-3.jpg
I don't want to turn the match into a stalemate where Crécy shoots from his side of the town and I shoot back from my side, so I order 2/6 Coy to start moving towards
the smaller part of town. The plan is to get them right up to the wall and have them hide there until the time is right. When the opportunity comes, I use either the
Tiger or one of the Panthers to drive through the wall and let my infantry pour in.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/02-3.jpg
2Plt Panthers get some target practice by blowing up Crécy's 3-in mortar Loyd carrier that had been sitting there for awhile. (Took this long for the Panthers to notice it...)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/03-3.jpg
I spot Crécy's HQ team on the edge of the town. He's definitely not in the town yet, good news for me.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/04-3.jpg
I had left some 2 Battalion infantry behind, which I now order to start occupying the buildings on the south/southeast edge of the town. The one Panther I have in the town is going
to move up the road and hopefully catch Crécy's infantry as he moves them in. I'm pretty confident that I'll win the fight for the town, the SS troops range from veteran to crack and
their motivation levels are higher than the regular Heer would have. Though, Crécy's looks to be airborne infantry, so they will surely put up a fierce fight.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/05-3.jpg
Crécy's forward scouts are spotted nearing the west part of the town.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/06-3.jpg
One of his 3-in mortars opens up on the HT crew I sent out to scout the south side of the town, revealing it's position. I order one of the Panthers from the left to get into a better firing position.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/07-3.jpg
First enemy scouts are spotted in the town.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/08-2.jpg
First enemy scouts are horribly murdered in the town.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/09-2.jpg
Meanwhile, in a forest far far away...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0tDPTFlGvQ
The Panther crew in the far far away forest finally turns around and shoots at the HQ squad. I counted 2-3 killed or wounded with no own losses.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/01_zpsb1607a3b.jpg
My sniper team or my Panther haven't noticed that Crécy would've reached the walled off bit of the town yet, so I'll try to get there first. The Tiger will drive a hole through
the wall, letting my infantry move in in the cover of the buildings.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/02_zps20000725.jpg
2Plt Panther firing on the last know position of Crécy's mortar team.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/03_zpsdec6d2b8.jpg
I send the Panther forward, maybe it can catch the second mortar too. (After I ended the turn, I remembered there's those 2 ATGs in the forest...)
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/04_zps88af7db9.jpg
The Tiger wants to take the long route. I thought the walls could be driven through by heavy tanks, guess I was wrong. Or the Tiger commander is just a bit thick. I tell it to get back to the tracks.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/05_zpsc077bbbf.jpg
Crécy's 57mm penetrates the front armor of the Panther's tower. However, no systems are damaged. The ATG is suppressed by infantry firing from the town.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/06_zps88d15505.jpg
The Tiger also receives a direct hit from what I assume is Crécy's PIAT. As with the Panther, the Tiger remains undamaged.
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/x462/Dowly/Combat%20Mission%20AAR/CMBNFinale/07_zpscd2e89d8.jpg
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