AAR: Balkans N. Africa Leg

[curious123]

nice AAR's i' i like your style.
what rout will you choose after N.Africa?

[Imp]

Curious cheers & have no idea never played it before but thinking quick stop N.Africa Eastern Front Italy D Day then back to Eastern at the end to save Berlin see what it offers me

Firstly reported wrong AIT last go casulies were none for 3, 2 to his sniper, so pretty much trading blows so far judges decision giving round 1 to the Greeks time to see if we can redeem ourselves.

TF> Arty pinned some manage to force sqds North of road out of foxholes. Move up following using them as mine detectors & find another sniper.
South of road 222 continues its charmed life & finds scout, sqd moves to engage & finds 2 cav scouts behind wire & another squad is found in the woods. Manage to dig out 2 scouts killing one then spend a full 10 mins trying to figure out how to deal with the rest. Guys in wood are on a reverse slope have possible mines & units behind wire have nice covering fields of fire. Trying to move on units this side of wire is just finding more on the other side another Cav sct, not searched well but some units risk the hill as will need to at least calm these guys down to make further progress. Pop a bit of smoke C> about 7 for 2

BF> 1 scout is routed by arty MKIII is on form & kills other then 2 tanks move to 100m of suspected sniper location, squad moves draws his fire tanks fire then MMG tank moves adjacent & relieves his missery. Find another scout & tank forces him out of hole. This was a bit easier only 2 scouts left both routed & hurting so risk loading into few trucks & heading for the woods. Ignoring road & wire area as leads to open hill.

MF> Units running down South of middle woods are still having a quite day & will include with BF as in their area, its their missing platoon & 3 tanks anyway.
Smoke dropped just behind the wire so this went easy dug out now 3 sqds in front of it with only 1 man surviving so gained 100m. The rest did not go so well though with no gain for the loss of a man, think area is mine free.
AIT> still no arty & went well mainly due to fact my squads have LMGs C>7 for 1

[Imp]

TF> 222 turns snipers foxhole into his grave other vehicles get shots at what they can & all enemy are pinned, squads have a bit of fun then pioneer loses 2 men trying to sneak up but the woods are cleared & Greeks are impaled on barbed wire losing a couple more men. Found a couple of mines & cav LMG plus scout has sighted St Et HMG, they look a bit nasty but sniper thinks hes hard enough pins & MMG team say what the hell & route him, squad moves on LMG turfs out & discovers more man down time to call it a day here.

MF> This goes pretty easy a squad manages to walk upto so risk a HT kill everyone for a man including another sniper, more vehicles risk a run to a narrow depresion that runs West ending in a few trees about 500m from nearest flags. Going on foot been pushing my luck with mines, one squad is working his way round South end of wire to see if anyone is there, my mortars are near here.

BF> Tank took out remains of scout squad the other & found another cav sct routed, just occured to me managing to hit them better as size 2 hence I always buy dismountable variety. Now its slow going some tanks in a line following in from wire, short on transport here & no HTs. Troops running down woods tried moving to tanks to & truck took ATR hit man down but found a depresion, so on foot it is then.
Sorry to keep saying but top 2 forces are just past wire & 3rd is in line with it & apart from few mines mentioned nothing so far, something could go bang any moment & I would rather it be the grunts this time.

AIT> I seem slightly outgunned on the arty front ten or more mortars 65 & 75 mountain guns opened up, pretty sure these are not the 6 batts that went earlier.
4 mortars are being targeted lost a truck another running & 2 ATGs perished.
Sporadic fire no results then mobelwagon on North hill is damaged as an ATG opens up. I realy must stop putting these guys in harms way

[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.