CS Middle East: High Water Mark (Saasa Ridge, Syria; 12 Oct 1973)

Started by Crossroads, November 04, 2017, 07:30:33 AM

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Crossroads

And here's the End Report of Israeli phase / Turn #2.

The Northern Pincer, in form of Centurion tanks of Barak Armored's point company, hit an Anti-Tank position the very moment they turned east. Of course they did.

Only a disruption, luckily. I plotted two Arty missions to their position, and hopefully, as of next turn, I can blast through them. I am sure there's other Bunkers waiting there for me, but so be it.

The Southern Pincer, in form of 71st Armored and their Pattons, advanced 1500 meters, then stopped in anticipation of there being hostiles on those positions. I called Artillery on one of the Improved Positions (IP, from now on), and placed the other fire mission to Tel Shams high point.

One of my 155mm batteries was out of ammo for this phase, too bad, would have really liked to plot those two other IPs in the southern forward slope.

Lots  of diagrams there, what I will try to do come next turn is, in South, to have the B and C Companies do the fire support, and then have the A Company force their way forward using their Action Points purely for movement.

In North, I will just need to bring the remaining Centurions forward, and blast everything and anything that is there to stop me moving forward.

I killed 40VPs worth of hostiles this phase, not bad, the infantry is quite in the open in their forward positions, and the two Tank Battalions carry a terrific punch  O0

I have my infantry arriving next turn, the little there is, I am committing them to climb the height from the position the left green arrow in south ends. There's a Strength 1 Minefield there, so the Engineers should be over it in a breeze.

I am so awaiting for my recce units as well, at the moment I am very much moving forward blind. Recon-by-getting-shot-at is not a fun way to do proceed.

What else... Oh yes, note that I have left tank troops with Action Points for Opportunity Fire here and there, and especially in front of that suspect southern position. If there's hostiles there, they should get a warm welcome for any of their salvos they might think to target at my positions...  :knuppel2:

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

What I've shown is of course just the very Southernmost map edge I am dealing with at the moment. The Northern map is steaming with hostiles, I see Berto's reinforcing Saasa with units taken from the other sectors in the North.

There's tanks too, I saw quite a few T-55 moving but they did not stay in the open to be spotted.

Oh well, I deal with this once I've cleared the Tel Shams heights. At least there's plenty of targets for my tankers  :smitten:

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Here's the end situation from Isreaeli phase / Turn #2.

I don't like the look of it, doesn't look like a good trade off. But it is what it is, I do expect things to turn very hot for the Syrians in the Southern sector, once I have both of my tank battalions blasting at them. I do hope I can tighten the noose before his soft units and HQs can leave the area...

Over to Berto! Stay calm, my friend. Nothing here but us squirrels. (My other favorite Asterix quote).

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

JasonPratt

ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

Crossroads

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Turn #3 - Friction!

Turn 3. That's about the earliest you can get a feeling whether everything's going along the plan, or, not. As I will find out, it is more about the latter.

First, having watched the replay, I witness three more Centurions destroyed. Partly because there was another heavy AT-Gun bunker, North of Tel Shams. Not only that, in addition to losses, Berto scores retreats on my point company, so they pull back, losing the LOS to AT-gun positions. My artillery will scatter now as a result :(

Never mind, now I can send my Southern pincer speeding forward, as I planned during the previous turn...

Except the Minefield extends to the map edge! Gotta love the concealment odds, even when they work against you I guess  >:(

Not a most promising start, this one...

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Artillery indeed scatters, no hits on that AT position. As I lost the LOS to it, I can't see the AT Gun unit anymore either, to fire at it directly. LOS and concealment is calculated in the beginning of turn, remember.

As having no option, I need to drive forward then. The hostile unit(s) will reveal itself when you try to enter the hex, so that's what I'll do. While at it, I decided to try assaulting the position at speed. I should have quite an advantage on assault odds, as each Centurion strength point has an assault factor of 8, as visible as the lower left unit stat on counter.

Here we go then! No success. No hits scored, no losses taken. I should have fired at it at point-blank instead, likely.

Well, nothing ventured nothing gained I guess. (In other words: that sucked  #:-) )

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

I forgot to check the Victory Dialog at the very beginning, so time to do that now.

Not good, from +20VP at the end of my previous turn, to -7VP.

I was counting at having my full battle group taking on this pesky position I could just blast anything out there to kingdom come, as I see them. Guess not then.

Me worried? Never. There's the Syrian infantry units at forward slope, time to say goodbye to them, next...

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Quote from: Crossroads on November 08, 2017, 11:44:13 AM
There's the Syrian infantry units at forward slope, time to say goodbye to them, next...

Except the theme of Turn #3 was Friction.

Maneuvering my C Company forward, I neglect to micro manage the route forward, and the units decided to stay too long on the highway, despite the Block being there.  :tickedoff:

They properly get stuck there, and the Syrian Arm'd Infantry welcomes them by killing the Coy Commander. Ouch!  #:-)

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

'Barak' Armored and their Centurions did not make much headway, then. And as I reported earlier, the door is shut for the 71st Armored and their Pattons, too.

This turn has my support units entering, so time to maneuver my Combat Engineers to place.

I carefully click first at Save AP for Loading/Unloading, then tick the Show Reachable Hexes ON, and find out I just have the Action Points (APs) to move next to the Minefields.

I won't have enough APs to enter the Minefield though, so that will take place next turn. Then they need to spend the turn there, undisrupted, to clear a route through.

In other words, I will be stuck here in Southern slopes for two more turns...

Can't be helped, I will not drive through the Minefield, be it a Strength 1 minefield only, or not.

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

My third Combat Engineer Platoon will not have the APs to move and disembark with my Point Company, as I found out with the Show Movement Range + Save AP for UnLoading toggle.

So instead, I'll simply ensure they will have enough APs to fire if anything moves next to them, and I want to see who sees me.

Therefore, I toggle the Save AP For Firing flag on for the unit, and went back to Show Visible Hexes view mode.

Risky move a bit, but I want to get them forward.

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Time to call it a turn, then.

First, Artillery plotting. Again one my Batteries is Conserving Ammo, so I only have two of them. I target both the AT Gun Bunkers. To hit them come next turn, I need to have the LOS to them in place. Either of those positions need to be occupied, to do that!

I also maneuver the unit facings so the tankers have their forward armor facing the enemy.

That's pretty much it, then.

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Here's the 2D Extreme Zoom-out View of the battle map. After three turns, I am making progress, but much more slowly than what I anticipated for. I wonder what's going on behind Tel Shams, is Berto preparing his forces there, or is he already falling back to next positions at full speed?

I will found out in two, three turns, I hope.

This is it, over to Berto!

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

JasonPratt

ICEBREAKER THESIS CHRONOLOGY! -- Victor Suvorov's Stalin Grand Strategy theory, in lots and lots of chronological order...
Dawn of Armageddon -- narrative AAR for Dawn of War: Soulstorm: Ultimate Apocalypse
Survive Harder! -- Two season narrative AAR, an Amazon Blood Bowl career.
PanzOrc Corpz Generals -- Fantasy Wars narrative AAR, half a combined campaign.
Khazâd du-bekâr! -- narrative dwarf AAR for LotR BfME2 RotWK campaign.
RobO Q Campaign Generator -- archived classic CMBB/CMAK tool!

Crossroads

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY