The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


TURN #17

Going into Turn 17, again Israeli artillery fire had little effect.

As expected, 1st Troop (red circle, screenshot below) got whacked, first a retreat, then a single SP loss and another retreat. But the Pattons gave as good as they got, hitting back at the Shermans (turquoise circle), and scoring 1 SP hit.

To the south, Israeli halftracks (hex 40,45, lower magenta circle) sallied forth, and were ambushed by twin Jordanian Jeep w/MG recon squadrons. Strike two halftracks!

To the southeast, Crossroads moved up and offloaded in the darkness a platoon of Israeli infantry (green circle).

Tellingly, no tanks participate in these last two probes.

These are all very weak, tentative advances. Does Crossroads have any more amour in this sector? Doubtful, from what I am seeing.

The Status > Strength Dialog reports Israeli losses as, among others, 17 Jeeps w/106mm RCLR, and 27 Shermans. Versus Jordanian losses of 19 Pattons, and only 6 RCLR Jeeps.

Image

I am facing a spent force, I believe.

Even around Jenin, Crossroads is being tentative. He did take the BunKer hex 33,33 (yellow circle). But apart from a weak infantry probe around Hill 273 (upper magenta circle), there is no general Israeli advance.

I'd been thinking of pulling back from Yamun, withdrawing my left flank to a new, shorter defensive line beginning at Hill 294 and extending due westward (see here) -- this in order to free up some units I can divert to defending my vulnerable right flank. But with the fighting petering out there, and with reinforcements soon to arrive from the south, I think: Why bother? I can hold the line everywhere. Nothing to worry about. I think.

Next phase, Jordanian artillery pounds sand south of Jenin between the two opposing lines. I had expected Crossroads to walk right into that artillery barrage, but no, he held back. Has he advanced as far as he dares? Is his plan now just to stop at Jenin, give up any thought of taking the two Qabitiya objectives (again see here), and go over to the strategic defensive?

The situation at the beginning of Turn 17, second Side B (Jordanian) phase:

Image
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


Understandably, I've been focusing on the threats to my right, the Israeli armoured forces there (green circles, following screenshot) most especially. But Crossroads' freshest, strongest armoured forces are concentrated in the center, just southwest of Jenin (turquoise circles):

Image

I look strong in the center, but looks are deceiving. Right around Hill 273, I am outnumbered. Two of my infantry platoons there are disrupted (the turquoise unit highlights show my disrupted units). I do have three tank busting RCLR jeep squadrons in the vicinity (brown circles, first screenshot) but otherwise no reserves, and no tanks.

By means of the K(ill Units) Units Off hot key, I can toggle off the units display:

Image

After abandoning Jenin, my next line of defense is the string of BunKer hexes beginning at hex 26,29 (just east of Hill 294) and extending southeastward. In the screenshot, I currently still hold the blue circled BunKers, but unfortunately I've lost the middle magenta circled BunKer hex 29,33. As you can see (yellow circle), beyond that hex I have no BunKers or other improved or fortified positions standing in the way towards the Qabitiya Crossroads. It is imperative that I hold the line here.

If Crossroads' plan is not to stop but to push on to Qabitiya, he might do well to attack from Hill 273 southwestward. Whether he does so in part depends not just on his available armour but also his infantry support. Does he have sufficient infantry for that? From what I can see, it's doubtful.

Still, if I were Crossroads, and especially if reinforcements are in prospect, I might now hit the Jordanians hard in the center. As the fight around Kafr Dan showed, in open country, the Jordanian infantry is no match for the Israeli infantry, much less the Israeli armour. If I were Crossroads, I might now attack the center and go not just for the Qabitiya Crossroads but also all the vulnerable HQs, artillery, and transports in the Jordanian center rear.

Will he attempt it? Can he?
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #17

In the Jordanian phase, hardly any combat, just careful adjustments to the line, pullbacks on the right, and reinforcing the center.

I target all of my artillery at the Israeli avenues of approach around Hill 273.

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 17:

Image

Reinforcements begin arriving next turn!
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


TURN #18

Artillery fire, both sides, is totally ineffective in Turn 18.

South and west of Jenin, Israelis and Jordanians trade fire, but without casualties. The Israelis stay put. No advances or retreats in this sector.

Enemy Shermans at hex 39,38 (turquoise circle) direct fire at hex 37,39 (magenta circle), destroying one of two Pattons there and forcing the survivor to retreat one hex to the southwest.

To the southeast, Israeli tanks suddenly appear out of the darkness of night at hex 42,47 (green circle). Is this the long anticipated attempt to outflank my far right?

The situation at the beginning of Turn 18, second Side B (Jordanian) phase:

Image

Uh oh!
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


TURN #18

But never fear!

The 40th Armoured Brigade begins arriving at the map's south edge (turquoise circle):

Image

And look at all that's soon to follow!

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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #18

In the Jordanian phase, again hardly any combat, again mostly careful adjustments to the line. I withhold my direct fire, saving my APs for possible opportunity fire in the next Israeli phase.

I did manage to force an Israeli retreat back from hex 28,33 (magenta circle), however.

I target my artillery (half of it can't fire, is out of ammo) at clear hexes around the BunKers southwest of Jenin (yellow circles).

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 18:

Image

With the arrival of reinforcements, 2nd Troop (turquoise circle) is relieved the task of guarding the far right, and will join the rest of its company (turquoise unit highlights, hot key 'z' (OrganiZation)) facing off against the Israeli armour southeast of Jenin.

I have ordered the 40th Armoured Brigade (green ellipse) to reinforce the center. If an unexpectedly strong Israeli push happens on my right, I can easily divert the 40th eastward as need be. In any event, still more reinforcements will be arriving at hex 38,55 (green hot spot hex) over the next few turns. The situation on my right is now much less worrisome. I begin to dream about retaking Jenin, even.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


TURN #19

In the Side A (Israeli) phase, Turn 19, things suddenly got interesting.

Crossroads attacked aggressively on his far left.

In the top yellow circle (screenshot below), Shermans and APCs pushed forward but were easily rebuffed. The two red circles mark the kills.

In the middle yellow circle, I have more than enough Pattons on hand to counter any Israeli armoured thrusts there. I did lose one tank at the red circled hex.

At the bottom yellow circle, my recon units square off against an assortment of Israeli halftracks, tanks, and infantry. I lost an FV701 Ferret at the red circle. The situation looks bad, but really it isn't. At the higher elevations there, there's Rough ground aplenty, and no roads. Few enemy tanks in sight. Hard for Crossroads to exploit any breakthrough in this sector. In any case, I have reinforcements coming up from the south nearby.

Around Jenin, artillery fire again was ineffective, but Israeli direct fire did manage to disrupt one Jordanian RCLR jeep squad and force several retreats.

The situation at the beginning of Turn 19, second Side B (Jordanian) phase:

Image

The Side A Total Points have dropped precipitously from 137 down to 99. Try as he might, Crossroads can't manage to claw his way out of his deep victory hole. Quite the opposite. His predicament worsens.

A lot of sound and fury this turn, but to what significance? For Crossroads, is it a case of Too Little Too Late?
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #19

I have two FV701 Ferret armoured scout cars at hex 45,50 (green circle, screenshot below), with their reachable hexes highlighted in turquoise (hot key 'H'). Do I retire the Ferrets to safety, or fire at the tempting target of opportunity, the loaded trucks at hex 46,49 (yellow circle)? I opt for the latter.

Image

(At the map's south edge, note my just arrived latest reinforcements this turn.)

Two fires, two misses. Ah well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Fortunately, the Israeli infantry nearby fail to opfire. Probably they had expended all of their APs in reaching their current hexes.

More good fortune. Even after firing twice, the Ferrets still have sufficient APs to retire one hex to the south, away from the approaching infantry:

Image

Retire them southward I do.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #19

The FV701 Ferrets, also FV603 Saracens, loaded with infantry, both of them from 40th Armoured Brigade newly arrived last turn: They had been in the vanguard heading towards Qabitiya. With the sudden appearance of Israeli infantry on my far right, I decide instead to backtrack the Ferrets and Saracens eastward (rightmost turquoise circle, screenshot following).

Last turn's armoured reinforcements (leftmost turquoise ellipse), and this turn's (green ellipse) (includes armoured infantry) -- these will not concern themselves with the threat to the far right. I order the main force to Qabitiya, and from there, presumably to head northward, to the fight around Jenin.

Image

In the screenshot above, you see 31 Jordanian Pattons. With at least an equal number still on the way. [X(]
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #19

Southeast of Jenin, I am presented a golden opportunity: three Jordanian Pattons confronting three Israeli Shermans in the hex adjacent. The Pattons (green circle) direct fire at the Shermans, scoring 2 kills and a disruption (red circle):

Image

I have enough APs to retire the Pattons. I decide instead to fire them again. The second time, they fire and miss.

No return Israeli opfire whatsoever.

I have toggled Visibility ON (hot key 'V'). Note that the Israeli Shermans to the southeast are out of LOS. They will have to move closer, expending APs, in order to get a shot at my Pattons.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #19

Except for my artillery which again I order to focus on the BunKers southwest of Jenin (yellow circles, screenshot below), I generally hold my direct fire. Let him come forward, out in the open, where I can opfire him with better chances.

More careful repositioning here and there.

After my Side B (Jordanian) move (Side B is this scenario's second side), the situation at the end of Turn 19:

Image

(Note the thicker elevation contours newly available in the latest 1.02 Open Beta UPDATE.)

In the Schedule Dialog, you will see the reinforcements I am expecting. Things are looking better and better. [8D]
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

In Turn 20, Crossroads turns up the heat.

Mostly, artillery fire has been ineffective. But every now and then, one side gets lucky. One lucky Israeli artillery strike south of Jenin (on the green hot spot hex, forcing retreats to the magenta circle):

Image

An earlier artillery strike forced another retreat (to the yellow circle), but no losses.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

Israeli infantry at hex 38,44 direct fire at Jordanian tanks across the way (green hot spot hex). The impertinence!

The tanks opfire back, destroying Israeli halftracks (red circle). That'll show 'em!

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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

Israeli infantry at hex 37,37 (turquoise circle) direct fire at Jordanian tanks and engineers at hot spot hex 36,37, scoring two kills, and forcing retreats (to the magenta circle):

Image
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


TURN #20

Massed Israeli Shermans at 40,42 (turquoise circle) direct fire again and again at Jordanian Pattons (yellow circle), totally without effect:

Image

Visibility is only 2 hexes. How is it, then, that the Israelis can fire at enemy tanks 3 hexes away? It's because having opfired earlier, the gun flashes make the Pattons visibile up to 6 hexes away.

Firing at gun flashes is less effective than firing at actual, plainly visible targets. Which is perhaps why all of the Israeli fire missed.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

On their far left, Israelis infantry cross the ridge and attack the FV701 Ferret armoured scout cars just beyond. They score 1 kill, and force a couple retreats:

Image
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

At Jenin, the enTRenched Jordanian defenders at hex 33,34 (turquoise circle) fall to Israeli assault:

Image

My defensive position south of Jenin begins to crumble.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

The Israelis push forward southeast of Jenin. MG Jeeps at hex 36,35 (turquoise circle) direct fire at hot spot hex 35,36, scoring 1 SP hit, and forcing a retreat (to magenta circle):

Image

The crumbling continues.
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

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TURN #20

Israelis (turquoise circle) attack at the weakest sector of the Jordanian line, killing 2 Jeep w/MGs (red circle):

Image
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RE: The Crossroads -- 6/5/67 - DAR (no Crossroads)

Post by berto »


TURN #20

The situation at the beginning of Turn 20, second Side B (Jordanian) phase, around Jenin (with my disrupted units highlighted):

Image

And to the southeast:

Image

Things are starting to look rather grim, except ...
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