Hell on wheels German reinforcements

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henri51
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Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by henri51 »

Playing the Germans with this scenario is no picnic, as can be seen by checking out the AARs in the other threads. After playing both sides and considering the AARS from other players, I am convinced that it is impossible to get more than a marginal defeat playing the Germans. So how about if the Germans are allowed to get reinforcements? Can they turn the tide?

SPOILER ALERT:Don't read the following if you want to try this scenario without knowing where the German reinforcements come in and what their strength is when German reinforcements are turned on.You should at least have read at least one of the other AARs of this scenario or played it yourself to best appreciate this AAR.

The very bad and weak German starting disposition, fatigue at the start and lack of heavy artillery is such that almost any competent Allied strategy will work. Other AARs show 3 different strategies for the Allies: 1) Chad's classical attack oriented towards gaining objectives with a reserve that is committed when German strengths (at least front-line units) are known; 2) my own maneuver warfare approach where German lines are first probed, and emphasis is put on neutralizing the German forces as opposed to destroying them, and emphasis on linking up with Patton by exiting units; 3) the all-out lucky knockout punch by SpelkZero where a strong force is sent down the river side and overruns the German supply units, forcing the Germans to surrender due to lack of supplies. Other strategies are possible, but these three pretty much cover the spectrum.

Playing as the Allies with German reinforcements on changes almost nothing, because by the time the first German reinforcements arrive on Day 3, the battle is essentially over, and the best that the arriving Germans can do is harrass the Allied units trying to get to the exit point.All three approaches described above will easily win against the German AI with reinforcements because of the late arrival of the German reinforcements.So what can the Germans do to change this outcome when played by a human?

In my own game with the Germans without reinforcements, I managed to get a marginal defeat by using a flexible defence with delay tactics, which I think is the best result that that the Germans can expect without reinforcements.This strategy involves early abandonment of the Beffe objective where the strongest German units are located, and which is not on the roads that the Allies need to get to the exit objective.These units are instead sent to Devantave, where they will carry out a delaying retreat to Laidprangeleux to the South, the last objective before the exit objective. The units on Hill 400 will carry out a delaying retreat to Devantave, where they will try to hold out as long as possible.The units at Amonimes along the river will hold out as long as possible, to give time to the units at Dochamps to move up to the crossroads halfway up the road to carry out delaying tactics along the road to Dochamps.

So can the German use their reinforcements to improve their result and even win the scenario? The German AI of course will try to defend the objectives, and as mentioned above, this strategy cannot buy enough time for the arrival of German reinforcements to make a significant difference.

The German reinforcements are one Panzergrenadier battalion with 12 tanks arriving at the exit point after 0730 on Day 3, and another similar one arriving in the afternoon of Day 3. It should be clear from the above that the German's only chance is to DELAY the Allies sufficiently for the reinforcements to make a difference.This means that at least Laidprangeleux and Dochamps should be contested when the reinforcements arrive.

So I used the same delaying tactics as described above, and the presence of the former German defenders of Beffe on the Devantave road prevented the Allies from easily breaking through to Laidprangeleux and the exit objective. The first German reinforcement arrived late at 0930 on Day 3, just as the Allies were about to break through the worn out German defenders who had fought their way back to Laidprangeleux. The fresh Panzergrenadiers were sent up the road to Laidprangeleux with attack orders, and pushed back the very tired Allied attackers and captured Laidprangeleux, despite the fact that the Allies were three times as numerous. Along the riverside at Dochamps, a battle raged all day between the outnumbered and battered German defenders who had delayed all along the road and a strong but tired Allied force of some three battalions.

In late afternoon the second Panzergrenadier battalion appeared at Dochamps, just in time to preent the annihilation of the defenders; the fresh Germans pushed the tired Allies out of Dochamps, but went on the defensive during the night, because their role was not to try to beat the Americans but to prevent them from reaching the exit point and if possible to keep them from controlling Dochamps.

Sporadic fighting continued during the night as both sides adjusted their positions.The Allies rested a bit during the night and launched all-out attacks when morning broke, but during the night the German positions had hardened, and there were only a couple of hours of daylight before the end of the scenario.

The scenario ended with the Germans still in control of Laidprangeleux and a marginal victory. It was an expensive victory in terms of casualties, but none of the Allies had reached the exit objective. The Allied force had failed to link up with Patton and had prevented the formation of a pocket.


Henri



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Heva
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Joined: Sat Jul 08, 2006 9:18 pm

RE: Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by Heva »

I managed a draw on my first play as the germans, lots of falling back involved. I cant see it being easy to get a win as the germans with out resorting to trying to steal VP's in the last few hours. Howerver, not every battle is winable and with that in mind i found this scenario quite fun.
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Sheytan
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RE: Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by Sheytan »

Thanks for posting! Could you write a detailed turn by turn AAR when you have a chance please?
Henri
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Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2002 7:32 pm

RE: Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by Henri »

ORIGINAL: Sheytan

Thanks for posting! Could you write a detailed turn by turn AAR when you have a chance please?

Hmmm...I didn't save any games, but I guess I COULD play it again...[:)]

Henri
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henri51
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RE: Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by henri51 »

Here is the best I could do without replaying the scenario. I found a couple of saved games that are not exactly move-by-move, but should give a good idea of how it went.

This image is the starting situation and shows my play. The big picture is to prevent the Allies from exiting any units thus preventing their linkup with Patton. This can only be accomplished by delaying the Allies enough for the German reinforcements to arrive. The detailed plan is to abandon Beffe and move its units East to Devantave where they can participate in a delaying retreat to Laidprangeleux where they will fight to the death. The role of the weak units at Amonimes is to delay the enemy long enough to allow the weak units Dochamps to come up the road and prepare a delaying retreat back to Dochamps where they will also stand and fight. The units on Hill 400 will also slowly fight back to Devantave where they will be joined by the fresh units from Beffe.The single AT unit North of Beffe will snipe at advancing Allies from the woods as long as possible.

Image

This is pretty much how it went. The idea was to throw a monkey wrench into the Allied attack who expected to find a strong force at Beffe. The single AT unit in the woods there delayed them a bit, and also delayed their reorganization, gaining precious time.

By the evening of the first day, the Allies were contesting Devantave and had taken Amonimes, but night came and they rested for the night, expecting to continue their attack successfully in the morning.This gave time for the units at Devantave (now reinforced by the units from Beffe)and those at the road intersection halfway between Dochampos and Amonimes to rest and to prepare a flexible defense for the next morning.

On the morning of Day 2 the attack resumed, but the Allies still could not get their attack to "bite" as the Germans were retreating. At his point I modified my plan a bit and ordered one battalion to hold on at Devantave. They were no match for the Allies in the area and were brushed aside, but they were on the Allied flank and threatened to harrass their supplies, so some Allied units had to be used to keep them at bay. Day 2 ended with the Grmans holding on for dear life to the last two critical objectives Laidprangeleux and Dochamps.

Henri
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henri51
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RE: Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by henri51 »

Day 3 began with Dochamps still holding on, and Laidprangeleux still in German hands. But the Germans there had rested a bit during the night and their remnants were still on the road between the Allies and the exit objective.

The first German reinforements, a battalion-size force, arrived in the South and were quickly sent up to Laidprangeleux as described in the first message of this thread, pushing out the Allies who had just pushed out the exhausted German defenders. Dochamps seemed just about to fall in the afternoon and the Allies were sitting on the German supply line when the second German battalion reinforcement arrived there. The Allies were exhausted after 3 days of fighting and although the Germans were outnumbered, they managed to hold until night, and when the morning of day 4 broke, they held the Laidprangeleux objective until 1000, and Dochamps was still contested when the scenario ended with a marginal German victory as shown in the original message.


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Sheytan
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RE: Hell on wheels German reinforcements

Post by Sheytan »

thanks!
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