AAR: Balkans N. Africa Leg

[Imp]

TF> All originals cleared then squad on hill recieced fire from another sniper at 400m so MkIII covered it & damaged mobelwagon with smoke dis.

Now the problem ATG is 25mm & will not be alone, tanks can risk taking damage in support of troops but every other vehicle can die. Not to mention several of those mountain guns could well be on the moutain & go to direct fire mode.
I can proceed a bit further down the road in cover & have a couple of units near to check as mines would make sense & think AI likes to stick on road.
Otherwise I have run out of cover its wide open, even the woods slightly South are 90% visible to units on the heights as intermitent & varying heights. I probably need to work my way to North village & come down map top of mountain.
The MF the depression seems fine & mine free but leads to the point of the V that forms the heights. Fire will come from everywhere so am thinking have to go North clear anything in woods & link with TF so at least I have a solid fire base. Means his arty has solid targets to though. BF again is going to have to come in on flank to at least restrict fire on. Limited arty I have must be careful not to waste smoke & forces might have to go individualy. Need speed for best use of smoke but mines could then catch me out.
Having a think before continue with this turn limited arty & high vis against what I am thinking is a gun & troop defence means might well pay a high price in Greece as I actualy have to get close enough to find them & not get shelled out of existence in the process.

[PanzerBob]

The Balkans can be a mixed bag and Dug In Greeks are no walk in the park. Good Luck Commander!

Bob out

[Imp]

Finding that out Bob the term complacency kills comes to mind as thought this will be a pushover compared to the French. As it turns out the map & amount of snipers etc has sent me another curve ball & the original plan was somewhat flawed.
As doing most while working needed a few minutes uninterupted to look at, wanted a plan that is not slow & boring but does not just sacrifice men.
Will add turn numbers

[Imp]

The plan, all tanks have SD switched off so can use manualy as could run short of smoke.
TF will head for village
BF will clear ATR then head on about 400m in from road behind a hill but in woods
MF will split sending most units including RAM pioneers transport to BF. The rest will enter woods to get in position to support TF.
Progress will be slower not that its actualy been fast to date but should be able to role up quicker towards the end.
Will not mention mines anymore but troops will be leading the push vehicles only risking unexplored terrain if risk is justified as need the firepower.
This would have been a lot easier if had upgraded fragile JPz1s or had a sensible plan

BF> Troops move forward a couple now with tanks found 1 ATG a MMG killed it for no loss.
Near the road surviving cav sct routed & down to 2 men & my scout found another squad, infantry support is down to JPz1s not ideal but short on transport so tanks doing short range ferrying to woods.

CF> Most are heading South FOO is staying to see if can set up in woods so is heading North with a reinforced platoon. Discover a squad in woods shots traded C> 1 each then a squad moving to assist loses 2 men to a infantry gun on the mountain. A scout is going to see if he can work his way West & see anything

AIT > I replot arty smoke screen up North & to hit the woods down South, cav scout there opens up & dies then the sky falls. 6 Batts & a dozen or more assorted guns let fly mainly on top bottom forces, about 8 men + 2 trucks become a memory. AI is having same trouble as me putting them somewhere out of sight is not that easy half a dozen mortars & mountain guns appear on the map, most I have LOS to but attacking not practical or safe due to range & other unseen guns. Direct fire use is a very real possibility.

[Imp]

Sorry but TF seems to be sitting beside a minefield, a few units inc sniper are hunting his counterpart rest are checking the ground or spreading out behind hill to try & avoid arty. 1 Pioneer is in position to start clearing, his mate & RAM are clearing further back & any faster path to the front runs through last turns arty strikes

MF> manage to take out squad without further loss but progress is hard trying to hide from 2 mountain guns I can see & inf gun that I cant. At least he didnt manage to kill anyone this turn.
BF> Looking for ATR squad moves adj to tank & finds its sitting on mines squads moving to check status of other tanks. Giving up finding other ATR & moving South away from mines when I can. Part of MF moving towards them run into a squad & get him running, force in South woods now moving forward slowly & have killed squad

AIT> Was not looking forward to this as several units pined due to last barage but loses minor from arty, still not found TF sniper & he took out 3 men, there are mines everywhere here even guys looking for sniper have found them. Tank sitting on mine in middle others seem OK but mines are right in front of them, close call.
BF mortar starts direct firing at MKIII with riders.
My 10cm CB fired they will be sticking to that task.
Its like I am in the desert already finding places to hide is not proving easy.

[Imp]

Still looking for sniper & mines while avoiding arty up top.
Guys moving towards TF ran have run into a couple of squads combat in progress.
Scout who headed down depression had a squad with him for support they are heading back after spotting a bunker & squad, found a scout on the return trip.

Units transfering South have run into 4 squads 2 by a 231 which ran into the first & moved to find another, LOS are terrible the best places to attack them from are by guestimates in full LOS of the mountain & the guns on it. No walk in the park this keep triping over the buggers 150m further back a St Et HMG opens up from an angle was not expecting, heck. Taking big risks to try & get to anything but manage to dig a couple out & casulties are about 2/1 ratio but roling the dice big style. Trying to stay out of sight of the mountain but closed top AFVs are risking moving next to pinned units as they only have grenades, an assualt on the reckless ACs is going to work sometime.
BF> Easier here due to being sheilded by hill but lost 2 men when squad moved next to 2 units, surprisingly one of them firer was panicked by my squad, they are out of holes but trying to get to a 3rd found unit lost 2 men walking into mines. Going to try following paths routers are taking.
Further in scout finds ATR & a squad no loses occur here.
AIT> My smoke covers the North quite nicely & South woods is hit hard by arty but now think cant reach hit areas due to mines, AI arty stops apart from a few mortars. Kill a scout for no loss then St Et HMG opens up on forces that killed scout 2 men & Sdkfz7 down

T10
TF> Several mines cleared moving cautiously along by road, RAM is on the way but I hope thats it as have had the odd mine for last 500m & now through the line. AC risks offroad behind wire along with a scout as cannot close distance on sniper elsewhere. Hit him with 2 155s but hes probably still out there.
Force moving towards TF sneak up on a squad, takes big cahoonas to go after men running as on the top of this little rise now, I don't think they can progress much further till TF is ready to go. TF looks like it has shrunk quite a bit.
MF> Getting bogged down making way to bottom force MkIII fires at HMG then squad risks moving up gets adjacent then 2 men down as another St Et HMG opens up, smokes & kills the first. 2 231s risk everything to get near him killing 2 straglers on the way. They are wide open to fire from mountain but that HMG has to go as has a good field of fire.
BF> Fire exchanged with ATR for no effect squads in wood move to follow runners discover 2 more units MKIII gives an assist then it all goes a bit Pete Tong.
Truck moving over safe area hits mine & its passengers die, that was a full squad. 2nd MkIII moves to help first mine immoble & other one is sitting on.
Manage to route all enemy but I need those pioneers have units on mines all over the place here.
Thinking I should pull back till they arrive as prime spot for arty drop. Pulling back without entering view from mountains is not simple though, also thinking its time for my arty to move half move out & all ammo clear the area.
AIT> Just mortars no cas but a FOO & my HQ recieving fire, a few routers rally several shots traded but only loses are squad kills ATR for a man down, 231s do not recieve fire. 1/3rd of time has gone & only a not to healthy looking TF seems near to getting to objectives. A concentrated breakthrough till past mines might have been more sensible.

[Imp]

Seem to be through the mines in a few places,
TF> a couple of sqauds tried running down road vehicles moving to position
MF> tank that was near ATRs hex is clear. Troops moving to that area seem to have bypassed & on the other side.
BF> scout cleared his hex its in LOS of mortars at least but troops will be okay to pass unnoticed.

Think I have found a depresion through which I can move to reinforce TF
Found a squad & dug out then killed St Et HMG, lost 3 men doing so 2 of them belong to a depleted scout. The other StE HMG was killed by a squad under fire from an inf gun & a few runners were taken down. As seem to have a path through mines below centre axis (ATR area) we shall push on here, flags are quite close & if it draws to much fire will drop smoke.
TF> found a squad routed, then sniper dual broke out with mine victorious, smokes going so clearing area
AIT> Nothing realy happened few runners down same arty.

T12 Running for high ground
TF> Before the last of the smoke clears RAM floors it along the road & several vehicles move to mountains L4 crest & unload, around the area the sniper was there are now 1 scout & 3 squads, 1 is running for a man down, they are being engaged on 2 sides from front & trees by the road. Tanks here have turned SDischrgers back on as I think they might recieve fire when the lasts wisps of cover burn off.
Force moving to MMG gets in a fight with ATR takes out a man sniper moves to finish but finds bunker so back were he started, AAwagon finnishes him
Several units have transfered along depresion & are waiting for a squad to clear mines before can assist with squads mentioned above.
Just South of those squads mountain sticks out at L4 for about 500m forming a shield.
The bunkers have no AT weapons but need front to kill so till have a better idea of whats out there leaving, smoke is like golddust at the moment.

Right about now my MF+ BF commanders must be getting hacked off with me, tell them to move for support or retreat then order them to push on in the next breath. Don't know if this happens to other commanders but quite often find I have a unit or 2 that run around in circles for a few turns. More often than not they end up back pretty much where they started, not realy the way to do things. Anyway they are now pushing again.
MF> It looks like A line of mines ran from the wire all the way South & I have been running just behind it, pioneers stop to punch another hole as mortars might need it later. Lead elements of force heading through the woods reach South end of it.
2 squads scout & 3 MkIIIs that were in ATR fight pass through hole in mines. This area will not be to exposed till reach East end of woods which is not far but there are 4 flags around here. Discover 2 squads, ones a wimp a jumps out of his hole virtualy straight away.

BF> Squad in immobile tank hex cleared those mines PDQ so now 2 paths through, scout is having a great time killing runners but pops smoke when finds a HMG, units passing mines to back him up, a JPz1 is still on top of some though.
Doom & gloom feeling has lifted a bit might be able to outrun arty plots.

AIT> chalk one up to the AI he is after my leaders. Most of my arty is in transit but droped 4 tubes on a gun on mountain that could be a threat & he abandoned ship.
AI dropped most of its arty & majority was to far back but still got 2 trucks a couple of pioneers & one of my HQ staff keeled over, I have a bike near by that was on its way to shift him as was a truck.
MF + BF just traded a few shots but TF was a diffrent ball game.
ATG opened up at 222 range 1 Km or so luckily missed several shots at 24%, know location within 100m.
AAgun on mountain outcrop mentioned spotted as fires at 231 from 500m, damaged.
My A Co Leader has ended up in the front line. I do not think he was the best target but sniper zeroed him, want this guys head when I find him 500m & he killed 4 men Co retreated. Everybody else decided he was fair game & lost another 2 men. Think I got 2 forget as more concerned with his fate. Just tried & he rallied to pinned status so he can at least drop smoke.
Wonder if snipers actualy target officers, good if they do