Them Germans were good

[Imp]

Turns 11-13

Check your arty at start of turn for lost contact. I lost contact with an offboard 155 with plot set that was going to shift 2 hexes. Did not realise till to late so a couple of FJs caught a few hits as on the edge.
On the plus side one of my bateries CBed this turn so I should have shut down 1 set of 75s
About 6 80mtrs have opened up at force to South of bunkers who are clearing out a platoon of infantry.
The FJ scout force has found no sign of infantry support for for the H-39/SA-18s found earlier but are proceding very slowly waiting for the last unit in the formation to catch up as he dropped badly.

The landing zone has been slamed by 75 & 155 fire. Most of the vehicles managed to clear the worst of it, several were on the edge a MKII is immobile & a MKIII lost a weapon. About 70% of infantry made it to some risking a ride. Most of the others have now started crawling but 5 units are getting hit hard. Its touch & go as if they retreat further will probably walk into mines.
About 60% of my core force is over & the 2nd wave is reformed on the shoreline preparing to load up. The force that aborted crossing is making its way to departure zone in trucks & will be one turn behind wave2.

The initial plan was to ignore the North bunkers leaving to wave2 & stop those tanks however there are 2 more of the damn things all within 200m of each other & covered by the Bunkers there & strongpoints (weak bunker tank can kill if close).
I now have the falling on those tanks about 18 tubes & still have not heard one resounding thunk. 1 FJ PAW75 now has only HEAT left but he managed to kill one so "only" 3 left. I digress as path cleared went past North Bunkers they are gone as means I wont need much smoke for wave2.
Turn 14 a good amount of armour in position to shoot at 2 tanks so time for the kitchen sink absolutly everyone fired at them LMG MMG sections halftracks ATGs tanks. They are still not running & as dug in I just cant get side hits on the hulls so any chance of damage seems slim.
Going a little slower than I anticipated
4 engineers are in HTs & can reach 2 screening bunker they have to take out before can make a safe aproach so I just have to stop them getting shot up.
These French tankers are amazing, the Char-B I mentioned earlier & have ignored opened up at a range of 3Km all bar 100m low hit chance of course but guess what 3 side hits on a MKIII main gun gone what the

[Imp]

Turn 14

Enemy mortar fire got an FJ sniper barrage on landing zone dying down but about half a dozen infantry units are not well.
2nd wave is in the water & crossing.
Thought & forgot that mines possible protecting bunkers have spotted some so Pioneers run is on hold. I think there are paths through But Raumpanzer & Pioneers now there slower approach.
That Char scored another hit no damage this time.
The other PAW 75 in the vicinity got a tank, seem to work well at 250m, 2 left.

THE PLAN
My units are in disaray after landing & the large amounts of arty air I took have spoiled me. I have ample time & while did not plan on using a turn or 2 to sort out before attacking makes sense.
1) Smoke Char-B
2) Smoke local tanks & take out easy strong points covering with ATGs & a few MkIIIs. Move PAW75s up.
They will be supported by 4 MkIIIs split to move to either side of so can get a rear turret hit by switching firers.
3) The other MKIIIs are moving to take out H-39/SA18s
4) The MkIIs are going to give troop fire support as will Raumpanzers when done with mines.
5) Most of FJs & core that has made breakout is heading along near river bank this will change.
6) There is a N-S road running about 20 hexes from West map edge main thrust will be along there with secondary along the bank.
This makes finding arty more likely & means should be able to attack several positions from behind, one hopes.
7) 2 Batteries will stay on CB duty I do not need all this arty now but smoke was vital for crossing & FJs were on their own. The rest will assist with dug in troops as & when found.
8) Planes, do not think I have lost any AAA may be light they are going to start passes on likely locations starting North & heading slowly down map. This should help them survive & give away location of AAA before infantry stumbles into & gets chewed up.

FORCE SUMMARY
1)Planes & arty have proved totaly ineffective vs tanks using to soften troops.
2) MkIIs realy need not to get in range of enemy armour, MkIIIs can help but will need an assist as can't get track hits need to be nearly point blank & still rear turret is best option & by no means a guarantee.
3) FJs have heaps of smoke & will therefore be leading ground forces as can pop to survive if need. plus elite so see fairly well.
4) Pioneers are my current tank killers but some will clear bunkers before working in conjunction with PAW75s.
5) PAW75s are effective tank killers close up have a range of 50, 2.5Km so may be effective at greater range but due to poor ammo load need evey shot to count.
Be nice to swap my few AT Rifles for in core but I don't think the FJs commander will take to kindly to a request to lend me them till I have something better.

[Imp]

Not much to report managing to sort the troops out a bit from the chaos they were in, 5 key is a Godsend here as saves keep doing N+P when you have ended up scattered to the 4 winds.
Lost contact with a 155 bat again wonder if its the same one but not a problem as will fire next go on H-39/SA-18s before tanks expose themselves. Also lost contact with a plane but it did its run anyway. AAA is light round here anyway.
Keeping an eye on how radio contact with offboard develops throughout the war.
Will exp help a bit or is it simply the radio code. Will the radio code get better as time progresses, probably not for Germans but I am sure Russian radios were pretty poor at the start of the war if you were lucky enough to have one that is, could be talking out of my rear here.
Have dicovered a sniper near road & think possibly a mortar
A HMG on river bank has discovered me, logical place for realy.

[Imp]

Anybody following this finding comments on weapon effectivness new arty routines etc useful? I am open to suggestions if want things I am not covering or further explanations as brushing over.
Have so far found that French tanks are hard to kill without 88s but we do have alternatives.
Play is a bit quicker than vs a human he would have needed more evidence of a river crossing for instance before main push off & air could have had a look at the river bank there to help fool him. Things like positioning for flank shots tends to be easier but trying to use reasonable tactics. Having said that crossing where I did would probably not have been wise.

[PanzerBob]

Good day, Imp

Great AAR, Wish I had some grand advice ref the Arty Routine but I'm still learning as well.. One thing I do find though and that is from what I've read over the years we are now getting a better feel for the Arty Business.

I have noticed that as the batteries gain experience their reaction still does get better. FO's should do the same as time goes on if they should live so long.

River Xing's have been and always will be a b*tch my friend, but it looks like you are holding it together.

Hey I just lost a Bn (-) of FJ on the Rock of Freckin' Gibraltar mostly due to bad timing and lack of good LZ's

Not to mention the debacle at the Football Field!!

Bob out

[Imp]

Sir Bob

Okay I will continue my observations on weapon effectivness & stuff just wondered if anyone was realy bothered. I will swap 3 onboard with whom I have had very little contact problems so far (but I do place them near each other) for an offboard & see if I can determine if contact improves with timeframe or experience.
First game I have used any amount of offboard so had not noticed contact till now will buy one even if no intent to use from now on.
Ha Para drops near water are never a good idea & I suspect also not that many soft spots for landing & a decent defence.
Risking a FOO with the drop would have made things a lot easier if you have to use a 0 unit check his arty rating first or you could be shooting yourself in the foot. Having said that it wouldnt as most arty has been wasted on those tanks.
A further note if want to use a 0 unit which I rarely do select your HQ & press 5, bingo there they are.

[Imp]

1 PAW team strolled nonchalantly into a mine field, still alive but doubt I will be able to persuade him to take any further part, another lost a man to 155 bat the AI is not silly its figured out dont want it to see for a reason.
Strong points were easy just 4 bunkers & 2 tanks left now.
Forces are in some sort of order & heading for respective locations.
HMG is causing problems so 2 MkIIs heading that way & 80mtrs on far bank have under sights.
FJs hiding from sniper till a vehicle can get there, no update on the mortar but at least 1 squad expect more. AI has covered the route to the road, top dog. It cant have placed some mines that far back on it?
Tanks attacking H-39s next go needed time to get in position for flanks or it would be another wasted effort.
Smoking out distant Char may seem exesive but 4 out of 6 shots hit with silly odds suspect the gunner is of Irish decent (luck of the). But there are most likely other eyes on that hill & 2nd wave is landing including trucks.
Everybody thats coming will be over in 2 turns.
Decided any troop unit whos Icon shows damage is going to sit this out as will just give AI more targets & I will soon have 5 inf comp to play with.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Imp

Anybody following this finding comments on weapon effectivness new arty routines etc useful? I am open to suggestions if want things I am not covering or further explanations as brushing over.
Have so far found that French tanks are hard to kill without 88s but we do have alternatives.
Play is a bit quicker than vs a human he would have needed more evidence of a river crossing for instance before main push off & air could have had a look at the river bank there to help fool him. Things like positioning for flank shots tends to be easier but trying to use reasonable tactics. Having said that crossing where I did would probably not have been wise.

Well - I did mention the volley-fire with 37mm guns to go for the track break/abandon way of dealing with chars B in another post.

Also - the 47mm gun in the Jpz 1 is rather hot, even without any sabot (comes later, but by then you are in the desert and the thing is too vulnerable there IMHO). It is reliable on class 8 (char b1 bis turret front) till 200 metres, class 7 (sides) till 400, and class 6 (turret sides, kilt and H39/R35 best armour) to 550. Under 500 you will get some weak point shots if to-hit chance is 80-90+. ( Best AP is a point or 2 more from WH size, but not reliable e.g you might get an 8 result at up to 800m but I would not bet the farm on it !).

I don't bother with 88s as German in my core - too much bother to cart about and set up in an unnoticed place (or they get shelled). Useful as support if defending perhaps. For France 40, I do bother to get a couple of sections of Jpz 1 and use these in close support of the tank platoons. It needs to operate "up front" as it has no great range. Nice toy.

(You can get the same Czechoslovakian gun as an ATG in 4/40+, it's miles better than the 37mm door knocker.)

2 88 flak 36 and transports = about 230 points.
For that, I can get 3 sections of 2 Jpz1, which are SP and somewhat less vulnerable.

France 40 = Jagdpanzer 1, for the German player who knows his kit.

Cheers
Andy

[Imp]

Cheers Andy that saves me trawling through the units as German OOB is big & gives me a more viable alternative than troop assault. Could not justify getting PAWs on loan.

Fully aware of track hit option not reliable but if can hurt it bail seems more likely.
The trouble is they are dug in so its probably not going to happen unless a plane gets lucky which is why I took em.

Are you saying if have a high to hit chance more probability of weak spot hit. Makes sense aimed for the drivers plate not the tank.

My view on 88s the same if the map looks bad might get a couple for a defend battle.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Imp

Cheers Andy that saves me trawling through the units as German OOB is big & gives me a more viable alternative than troop assault. Could not justify getting PAWs on loan.

Fully aware of track hit option not reliable but if can hurt it bail seems more likely.
The trouble is they are dug in so its probably not going to happen unless a plane gets lucky which is why I took em.

Are you saying if have a high to hit chance more probability of weak spot hit. Makes sense aimed for the drivers plate not the tank.

My view on 88s the same if the map looks bad might get a couple for a defend battle.

- Dug in means less chance of hull/track hits, more turret hits
- firing up from lower altitudes, ditto

Weak spot hit needs to be under 501m, 80+(may be 90+? I forget)% to-hit chance, and I think the firer may needs to be better than pinned status too, and is based on a skill roll as well so a 60 EXP less chance of it than a 100 EXPer.

Andy