DAR: Sant' Angelo, Italy

[RERomine]

Turn 48

Lead elements of Group 12 are now 50m from G1. Two platoons are in this group. Several squads destroyed the enemy mortar. No other enemy units around. One enemy artillery battery hit G2, but there were no casualties. Enemy squad spotted is running, so their force is broken.

Groups 3 and 4 are holding their ground and still fighting enemy units, but they aren't moving forward anymore. Just to make sure, I brought in a heavy artillery barrage on the area again.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: Estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 49

Group 12 lead elements turned four flags of G1. No enemy units seen near G1. Artillery hitting G2 and that enemy squad turned and headed toward it. It traded shots with about three squads defending G2 and turned and ran again.

The enemy is still trying to push troops down to G3, but Groups 3 and 4 are holding them off. Artillery hit them hard as well.

Enemy artillery dropping at random locations, some near units, but causing no casualties.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 50

Group 12 has turned the last flags of G1 and the area is secured. Rear elements also have G2 secured.

Groups 3 and 4 are still dealing with enemy pushing to G3, but are too far from them to matter. They are still hung up in that pair of intersections. Artillery hit then forces in platoon strength in the intersections. Enemy artillery dropped around G3 and inflicted a few casualties.

All flags are turned, but the enemy must feel it can turn a few or the game would have ended. Their force morale must not be broken.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Decisive Victory!!!!

Turn 51

No activity around Group 12.

Groups 3 and 4 fought with enemy infantry to the very end. Those units on the line had been beaten up pretty good, but the enemy kept on coming.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 10 casualties.

Total Casualties

German

Men: 232
Artillery: 0
Soft Vehicles: 0
APCs: 8
AFVs: 0

United States

Men: 773
Artillery: 8
Soft Vehicles: 0
APCs: 0
AFVs: 18

Note: No aircraft in battle

Score

Germany: 6743
GB: 580

Final Comments

Well, this battle was everything I expected it to be. City attacks can be complicated enough, but the stream added another degree of complexity. It might have been easier if I hadn't been so fixed on using the bridges, but I know rough along streams would have bogged down a fair percentage of my force. It's all speculation, however. It's hard to argue with a plan that worked, even if it might have been harder than it needed to be.

The one pair of intersections I identified in my plan turned out to be a critical one. It didn't take too much imagination to expect the AI to try to push down to the corner objects if I captured them first. The element I hadn't considered was the number of obstacles I had to clear to get to G3 and amount of artillery that was brought in once I got there. That forced a change of plans.

I'm actually surprised I was able to capture the objectives at G2 from the direction I did. This is especially true considering the beating Group 2 took on Hill 1. Two factors helped this change of plans to work. The first is as much as Group 2 got pounded, Group 1 was left pretty much untouched. That element balanced things out. The other factor was shifting units from Group 4 to assist in the move. The combined force of Groups 1 and 2 weren't strong enough to do more than planned. Shifting troops wasn't a stroke of brilliance, however. It really was the only option. Anywhere else, those uncommitted Group 4 units would have had to break through the obstacles with limited engineer support. The worst case scenario would have been I captured only objective groups G2 and G3 and I get a draw or maybe a marginal victory out of it.

One thing the AI didn't do as much as I would have expected was mine roads in town. Just a few mines on that road to G1 would have prevented me from getting there. Vehicles would have been left behind and my high speed approach in town would have been cut off.

For everyone who says they capture the last flags almost at the end of the battle, here's another one you can look at. I had all the objectives on turn 50, one turn to go. Why the battle didn't end there, I'm not sure. Just keep in mind, you don't get bonus points for fast.

My next battle is a defend. Too bad I don't get to defend in a place like I had to take. It's not the best defensive terrain I've seen before. And I've already got bunkers for my troops to hide in during the AI's 30 minute long prep fire

I've attached the save just before I ended my last turn. Enjoy!