COTA AAR: Gamble and Scramble

[Raptor1]

I've been playing Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Aegean lately (An excellent operational-level wargame, BTW), so I figured I might as well use my spare time to make an AAR on the scenario I'm playing now

The scenario is called "Gamble and Scramble". It's basic premise is that the Allies learn from partisans that the Axis rear is weakly defended during the Battle of Greece and order a reinforced division to cut off the Axis lines of communication at Ellason. The Axis in turn, learn of this attack, but they cannot afford to pull back units from the front-lines and therefore have to dispatch a scratch-built force to deal with it. The entire area is covered with rain and fog for most of the time, so aerial support is minimal and sighting is often wrong.

Day 1

General Raptor sat with his staff in the rain-soaked headquarters of the Australian 6th Infantry Division, it is 0000 and the division was making final preparations for the attack. A map of the area was laying on the table, showing the plans for the coming attack.



The plan called for a 2-staged attack on Ellason and Timavos. In the first stage, the 16th Infantry Brigade would sweep to the north of Ellason and rendezvous with the Greek 1st Cavalry and 80th Infantry Regiments, which were supposed to arrive in that evening or night. Meanwhile, the 19th Infantry Brigade would attack Timavos head-on, while the British 1st Armoured Brigade would dash to sieze the vital road connecting Timavos and Ellason. The bulk of the division would advance to Stefanovounon and set up the HQ there.

The second stage would see elements the British 1st Armoured Bde sweep south to assist the 19th Infantry Bde, while the rest of the forces attack and crush Ellason. Subsequently the forces would mop up resistance, dig in and wait for the inevitable counterattack.

The Attack Begins

The troops are given order and the division soon gets underway. The first unit to encounter the enemy is the armored column of 1Bde, meeting 2 German companies, but due to the darkness of night and the incessant rain, the Brigade manages to pass the Germans without much fighting.



Nothing eventful happens until morning, when the first news of success reach the Division HQ. 1Bde has succeeded in capturing the bridges assigned as the objective at around 1000, they have also met and severely mauled a German artillery battalion.



Meanwhile, the massive column of the main force moves across the main road to Ellason, sweeping aside any opposition they encounter.



Meanwhile, 16Bde in the north encounters nothing. The way is suspiciously quiet as the troops look around fearing imminent ambush.



Meanwhile, the first elements of the expected Greek reinforcements arrive, but without the rest of the regiment this Battalion is not very useful to the plan.



The first serious combat occurs as 19Bde reaches it's assigned target of Timavos, reports indicate that the area is defended by at least 1,500 German troops (Though, in the rain and fog, this number could be entirely wrong). The Australian troops slowly inch their way towards the center of the city.



Meanwhile, the Greek Cav. Regt finally arrives, but it cannot rendezvous with 16Bde according to the plan due to the fact that German troops have been sighted along the main road to the north, the Regt moves to cut them off.





Meanwhile, 19Bde and part of 1Bde, which has initiated it's part of Stage 2 early, finally capture the strategic town of Timavos, leaving much of the Axis garrison cut off.



Meanwhile, the main column reaches it's destination, the troops are deployed, and the division digs in for the coming night.

End of Day 1

The Division's command staff reviews what has been achieved during the first day. The Allies had suffered practically no casualties, and achieved most of their objectives. The only element which is not in position is 16Bde to the north, which has been slowed down by the lack of good roads, and will have to make it up until morning.

To be continued, hopefully...

[Raptor1]

Day 2

As the second day dawns on the Ellason front, Allied staff frantically runs around the Division HQ trying to adjust plans for an unforeseen adversary, mud. The division woke up to find that the rains of the last day have turned the area into a sticky bog where tanks and men dig into the ground with every step.

Luckily, the first ones to suffer from this are the Germans, who, in their rout from Timavos, got themselves bogged in the city and the plains to the north.



The Allies prepare to launch their final offensive against Ellason. Intel reports suggest that a German Fallschirmjäger regiment is approaching the town from the north (The same one that forced the relocation of the Greek cavalry) while a Whermacht force blocks the road from the south, where 1Bde is located.



The Allies spot the incoming Paratrooper regiment and order a general bombardment from the artillery positioned on the hills to the west, the regiment is caught on the road and forced to a crawl as the muddy conditions and artillery restrict their movements.



Meanwhile, Allied infantry begins advancing on the town. Revised plans call for an encirclement of the Paratrooper regiment in the hills northwest of the town, where they will be annihilated.



By 1300, much of the German resistance around Timavos has surrendered, seeing no way to escape in the mud and under heavy fire.



The main assault force on Ellason reaches the target in late-noon, having been slowed down severely by the mud. Nevertheless, the tactical envelopment of the German force is successfully completed, though much later then expected.

Day 3

Combat settles down as night falls, with visibility so low due to the darkness and rain that no serious combat occurs.

As day rises once more, the Germans fight on for Timavos. But by now thoroughly trapped, they begin retreating out of the city.



But soon after those good news, the Division HQ is flooded by calls from the southern forces for reinforcements. A force of German infantry has appeared directly south of Timavos while a large force, estimated as at least 2 regiments, is under way from the east.



The Germans complete their withdrawl from the city and flee northwest to the hills (Exactly as planned), Australian troops raised their flag over Ellason marking it's capture.





The German force to the south, now estimated at an oversized brigade, advances and HQ decides to reinforce Timavos with forces held in reserve and another brigade from the north. The British armoured brigade will remain in the center of the road, ready to act as operational reserve.





While the Allied defense reorganized, another German force appears to the northeast.

End of Day 3

With Axis reinforcements now in sight, things are looking to be much tougher from now on. But so far Allied losses have been minimal, especially in vehicles and guns, and all of the objectives have been secured.

Four days to go...

[HunterICX]

Give'm hell!

Nice day reports

HunterICX

[Raptor1]

Day 4

That night brought an end to the constant rain and the lifting of some of the fog, whether that will help or disrupt the Axis remains to be seen.

Last minute orders before the day rises, the 3rd Royal Tank Rgt is ordered to attack the Axis spearhead north of Timavos.



But as the dawn arrives, the lack of falling raindrops is quickly replaced by the thunder of artillery shells, the Axis counterattack has begun.



Alarm! German units are sighted trying to disrupt the all-important supply line to 6Div, but luckily an infantry regiment has been kept in reserve just for such an event.



In the south, the Germans run into determined defense by the mixed Australian/British force, their first attack is repulsed.



The much smaller force in the North advances (Likely to rescue the still-trapped Paratrooper regiment), sweeping 2 Greek companies out of the way before falling under fire from 16Bde.



The Germans attack again in the south, but once more they are bloodily repulsed.



The Greek Cav. Rgt in the north is ordered to attack the northern German force, thus trapping them in a crossfire from the north and south.



The trapped Paratrooper regiments attempts to attack Ellason in support of the rest of their northern force, but they are quickly beaten back.



1Bde moves south to reinforce it's regiment in retaking the road.



The Greek Rgt finally moves to attack the Germans in the north.



The reinforcing 17Bde is making painfully slow progress to the south. Meanwhile, Axis troops are sighted trying to outflank the defenses in the south, a regiment is detached should they try to come near.



Despite the Greek cavalry's apparent...overcaution...German forces in the north are now trapped in a deadly crossfire and come to a complete halt.



The German troops who tried to cut off the supply lines now find themselves surrounded by Allied infantry and take cover in the town.



The trapped Paratrooper regiment attempts to continue it's attack, only to come under massed artillery fire, the entire regiment is soon broken and routing back to the hills.





In the meantime, the Germans continuosly try to attack in the south throughout the day, only to get beaten back again and again.

End of Day 4

Not allowed to celebrate yet, cheers are still heard among Allied troops, the German attack has been decisively stalled. While Allied losses are higher than all 3 previous days combined, German losses are much higher, coupled with the fact that the Germans failed in capturing any ground. Though the ultimate fate of the offensive remains uncertain, victory looks to be in the Allies' grap.

The massacre will continue...

[HunterICX]

Did the guy with the crazy mustache apoint this German General who is foolishly attacking from the south over and over again?!
otherwise it wouldn't make any sense (making sense is overated thought)

HunterICX

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by HunterICX

Did the guy with the crazy mustache apoint this German General who is foolishly attacking from the south over and over again?!
otherwise it wouldn't make any sense (making sense is overated thought)

HunterICX

Well, considering they just doubled their casualty rate to 27% of their effective force over Day 5 (Coming soon), I would say Herr General isn't the brightest of the bunch... (Note, the AI in the game is excellent, if the German commander acts stupid, it's usually because he is meant to be or for some other reason)

I think the real reason for the Axis casualties in the south is the mud. By the time the Germans realize their attack is lost, decide to tell their commanders to pull back, and then the time it takes for the orders to actually get to their units, they are so thoroughly bogged down in the mud and under artillery and gunfire that risking their heads to pull back becomes a thoroughly bad idea

[Raptor1]

Day 5

Victory is not yet certain, but it certainly in sight. The German attacks has severely depleted their infantry force, including elite Fallschrimjäger units, but most importantly, the front-line Panzer formations have been all but wasted in the attacks to the south. Axis artillery has also been subjected to intense counter-battery fire and lost some of it's combat strength.

Close range night-fighting briefly sees the destruction of some of 1Bde's supply columns, but the route is soon cleared.





A part of the German force attempts a thrust at 1Bde, but is quickly repulsed by 1Bde and 17Bde which was still making it's way south.



The Axis thrust to the north has made way in the night, trying desperately to save the Fallschrimjäger Rgt still trapped near Ellason.



The northern force, however, is still caught in the crossfire. Casualties mount as the force cannot extract itself, lacking good roads in the mud.





Axis attacks continue, with similar lack of progress and high casualties.



The combined 2nd/3rd Australian Infantry Bn attacks the demoralized, unsupplied and trapped Fallschrimjager Rgt. Many German troops surrender, but some try to escape to the west.



The Greek Infantry Rgt also moves to close the pocket from the north.

End of Day 5

Though apparently not as action-packed as the last day, Day 5 saw massive casualties on both sides as the deadlock in the south and annihilation battle in the north dragged on.

[Dowly]

Raptor1, is this somekind of sequel or something to the Highway to Berlin(or whatsamacallit) series? Looks great!

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Raptor1, is this somekind of sequel or something to the Highway to Berlin(or whatsamacallit) series? Looks great!

This is the sequel to Highway to the Reich, which itself is a sequel/remake of Red Devils over Arnhem (Which wasn't as good as the latter two)

Yeah, both HTTR and COTA are great games, and they're making a new one about the Battle of the Bulge now

[Dowly]

ah yes, Highway to the Reich was the one I played abit.

[Raptor1]

Day 6

With victory in clear sight, Allied HQ orders all units to hold all objectives come what may.

The muddy, shell-torn plains east of Timavos, by now littered with bodies and destroyed tanks, continue to see minor skirmishes in the night and morning.





The morning sees the fog and rain lifted enough to allow an Allied airstrike to get over the area, no time is wasted calling it on the Axis pinned near Timavos.



A major Axis pullback from Timavos is sighted, 1Bde is ordered to attack and cut off the retreat of the forces pinned nearest to the town.



By the time the orders get through and the brigade started to move, dark has already fallen.

End of Day 6

A wholly unremarkable day, completely unlike the massacre of the previous day. Allied HQ attributes that to the fact that the Axis ability to stage a major offensive has been severely diminished.

[Raptor1]

Day 7

As the last day of the operation begins, General Raptor steps out of the Division's HQ in Ellason. It takes a few minutes for the fact that something is wrong to register, and a further minute to realize that his boots aren't sinking into the ground with every step anymore. The mud has completely solidified, allowing unimpeded movements throughout the battlefield.



Seeing that the lack of mud will allow an unlikely final push by the Germans against Timavos, the Allies decide to take the initiative and strike at the thoroughly depleted Germans first. The plan is to build upon the minor thrust that the 1st British Armoured Brigade was commited to the first day into a major offensive against the Axis to the south.





The 17th Au. Inf. Bde will join the attack in the morning, with the 19th attacking from the west and south later in an effort to push the Germans into a killing zone along the river.



Minor skirmishes continue in the north, but most of the German strength there has already been crushed in the previous days.



17Bde is given attack orders at 0734.



19Bde is ordered to move 2 hours later.



Greek and Australian units mop up in the north.



The gap on the river begins to form as all 3 brigades move to attack.







The gap cloeses, at this point there are approximately 1,500 German troops trapped in the pocket.





The Germans attempt to extract their units and form a defensive line to the east.



The pocket is under heavy bombardment, with practically no cover for the Germans on the river, they are quickly annihilated. (Grey crosses mark destroyed or surrendered units)



As night falls, there are approximately 150 troops left inside the pocket, a 90% casualty rate.



The engagement continues for 2 more hours until the operation is concluded.

End of Battle

A clear and decisive Allied victory. With their vital supply routes taken, the Germans are forced to pull out and regroup, giving the Allies time to bring up reinforcements to fortify the mountain passes. Operation Barbarossa is fatally delayed as the Battle of Greece drags on for many months more.

Axis casualties in the battle amount to 40% of their original assigned force.

Picture of the final situation at the end of Day 7:

[eddie]

I enjoyed your AAR! I picked this sim up, and see that it has some great features in it. Now to learn how to use them,lol

[Raptor1]

Originally Posted by eddie

I enjoyed your AAR! I picked this sim up, and see that it has some great features in it. Now to learn how to use them,lol

You won't regret it, I believe

The game is actually easier to get into than most operational-level wargames (TOAW III comes to mind...), mostly because those require you to manually move dozens or hundreds of counters and memorize specific rules for every situation. This game works much more like real warfare than most of those sort of games...