DAR: Bou Arada - Tunisia

[RERomine]

Turn 9

Starting to shift infantry North on the road to reinforce units in the depression. Interval between units is being doubled so I can maintain some sort of line. Three ATGs out of action because crews are on the run. I suspect those will be down for the rest of the battle. Found out I have a second immobilized Tiger on the Northern peak. Shifting some mark IVgs to Northeast corner to try to stop enemy. Two mark IVgs have pulled off the line for ammo resupply. Both had less than 10 rounds of AP left. Supply tracks are nearby. Artillery is almost out of ammo also. They have been firing every turn since turn 2. They should be done next turn. Tanks on Southern peak are moving Northeast slowly, taking a few shots before moving. Infantry popped smoke and are waiting behind it for enemy tanks to poke through.

Tigers took some shots at three Churchill Oke tanks moving Northwest from the South edge. There are a couple tanks unaccounted for down there and are probably hiding in the smoke.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 10 casualties.

Enemy: Seven Lee I tanks, nine Sherman I tanks, eight Sherman II tanks and two Valentine IX destroyed, estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 10

Enemy trying to push through infantry smoke and one tank was immobilized. Others were destroyed by flanking fire from the North end of the hill. Infantry at the North end of the depression are moving Southeast because the enemy isn't moving in that direction. A couple of MG-42 teams are in position to keep watch. Enemy aircraft made another appearance straffing one enemy tanke and one MG-42 team. A couple of ATGs are firing only HE right now. Not much I can do about that. An ammo truck to resupply them or a half-track to remove them would be easy targets.

One Churchill Oke and Sherman II tank were destroyed from the South group. That leaves one hidden Valentine IX and two visible Churchill Okes know to be still in the area. A scout is moving forward to check.

Two mark IVgs are resupplying.

I've attached a screen print of the main action point in the depression right now.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Six Lee I tanks, four Sherman I tanks, six Sherman II tanks and one Churchill Oke tank destroyed, estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 11

My infantry pushed back against the enemy tanks probing the smoke in the depression. They have quite a few tanks around, but they don't have infantry support making the smoke dangerous. One of the Shermans was able to take some shots at one of my ATGs and took it out. Enemy aircraft hit again, damaging one mark IVg, but lost one Spitfire mk.IX in the process. One platoon of PzKw IVg tanks is heading Northeast to add their guns to the defense of the North part of the hill. The enemy advance seem to be checked at this point.

Two Churchill Oke tanks were destroyed down South, so my Tigers are advancing some up the road to get good flank positions on the enemy and to try to see what's behind the burning vehicles. There still is a Valentine IX around somewhere, but recon units will try to find out where it is.

All of my artillery is moving for resupply now, except the one that started the battle immobilized. I don't think they will get resupplied before the battle ends.

Two mark IVgs are resupplying.

Casualties

Friendly: One 50mm PaK 38 destroyed, estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Three Lee I tanks, four Sherman I tanks, five Sherman II tanks and two Churchill Oke tank destroyed, one Spitfire mk.IX destroyed, estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 12

Friendly infantry is slowly pushing into the smoke and burning wreckage on the right flank of the enemy Northern group. Some pinned, retreating and routed enemy leg units were engaged. Infantry also assaulted more enemy tanks as they tried to make it through the smoke. Mark IVgs exchanged fire with some enemy tanks starting to poke through South of the depression.

One mark IVg is resupplying. The other was finished and is moving back online. Serveral others have been pulled off because of ammo problems.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 10 casualties.

Enemy: One Lee I tank, three Sherman I tanks, two Valentine IX tanks and one Crusader AA mk1 tank destroyed, estimated 20 casualties.

[RERomine]

Decisive Victory!!!!

Turn 13

My infantry pushed into the smoke and destroyed four panicked enemy tanks. Others were destroyed by my tanks. The enemy rained in some heavy artillery and then called it a day.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 10 casualties

Enemy: Two Sherman II tanks, three Valentine IX tanks, one Crusader AA mk1 tank and four Lee I tanks destroyed, estimated 20 casualties.

Total Casualties

German

Men: 51
Artillery: 1
Soft Vehicles: 0
APCs: 0
AFVs: 0

British

Men: 945
Artillery: 0
Soft Vehicles: 8
APCs: 20
AFVs: 141
Aircraft: 1

Score

Germany: 13578
GB: 150

Final Comments

Most of the enemy tanks were destroyed. There were roughly 25 left, but many of those were damaged in one respect or another. Because so much happened so fast, it was impossible for me to keep track of damaging hits to enemy tanks. I know some tanks were damaged and then destroyed, while others were damaged but survived the turn.

Behind the enemy's line of burning tanks, there seemed to be a battalion of infantry. If those had gotten through first or at least came through with the tanks, this battle could have been very different. It's difficult to say why they didn't get into action. Maybe because the AI lost so many points in tanks, it got to a point and said no more. My artillery did help in separating the infantry from the tanks. Normally, the AI rides them into battle and dumps then when the enemy is sighted. When artillery hits them, they jump off even if the are 2km+ from the FEBA. Some infantry did get into the fight by riding in fast vehicles. Unfortunately, those die very easily when they out run their armor support. Two things the AI does that I don't: Attack with men in trucks and ride men on tanks into battle. A well timed advance of infantry and tanks would have made this a very different battle.

One more thing is my ammo problem. Well, it really wasn't much of a problem this time. I rotated a total of four tanks off the line for resupply. Tanks selected by the AI to use are more expensive than the ones they used in the battle where I had ammo problems. More expensive means fewer tanks, which in turn means less ammo used in dealing with them. In that battle, the AI had somewhere in the range of 275 armored vehicles. I dealt with that using the same number of guns. The only significant difference between then and now in my force was I replace StuGs with Tigers. Tigers carry more ammo and do get fewer shots bouncing off. The biggest difference in the battles, however is having to deal with 100 fewer vehicles that require AP ammo to kill. I figure that is because vehicle cost.

I've attached the save just before I ended my last turn. In this case, clicking on end turn doesn't necessarily mean the battle will automatically end once the AI finishes turn 13. I don't recall any AI turn kills by my forces, but any little change may inspire the AI to keep going. In that ammo battle I talk about, I killed serveral enemy tanks the last turn during the AI phase. I tried to run it again, those kills didn't happen and the AI didn't give up. Probably not an issue in this case, but I thought I would mention that if someone tries to look at the final numbers after the battle. Enjoy!!