Jeff Schulte
United States
Washington
New Jersey
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I was able to finally play again yesterday at my club meeting. We played one of the new scenarios from Line of Fire #4 called The Crimson Tide. Brian played the Soviets and I took the beleagured American defenders.
In this scenario, the Soviets start with a formidable armored fist consisting of the 1st and 2nd Tank battalions (T72s), as well as the 13th Guards Tank (T80s). The Soviets need to exit 12 of their 30 platoons off the opposite side of the board by turn ten. The Americans have to prevent the Soviets from making their breakthrough with a thin line of defenders consisting of Alpha Troop with M1 Abrams, and M2 Bradleys plus a section of AH-1 Cobra helicopters. They also get Team Delta which is a armored company which has avoided detection by the Soviets and get to start on the board hidden. Lastly, there is a remant of one infantry platoon from Bravo Company.
The NATO plan is simple. Team Alpha will screen the bridge at Eisenbach and fight a delaying action until Task Force1/68 reinforces with it's M60A3 tanks on turn 4. Team Delta will hide in ambush just southwest of Hugelsdorf in the woods. The Soviets at start elect to advance on a broad front. On the Soviet left is the 2nd Tank which advances through Schlafenbauer. The 1st Tank advances along the road between the lake and hill, while the 13th Guards advances through Hugelsdorf.
The early positions and movement are depicted here:
Early Turns:
Early on though, NATO plans go awry. Team Delta's tanks are quickly discovered by the 13th Guards. Team Delta is able to open fire on the Soviets, but the T80s are much better than the T72s and Delta is only able to disrupt and reduce a few platoons. Soviet mass though begins to tell as Delta is assaulted by follow on platoons. Both sides exchange losses, but the Americans can't absorb an even exchange. The American survivors withdraw up the hill overlooking the fields of Hugelsdorf. Inexplicably Team Delta was caught flat footed by the speed of the Guards advance. (Delta only activated once on Turns 1 & 2, and gunnery even at short range was very poor, also, one disrupted platoon didn't rally even with the HQ).
When Delta finally recovers its balance, it swings around to the west side of Hugelsdorf to avoid the Guards' onrush, hoping they just move on with their advance. As it does so, it opens up on platoons of the 1st Tank climbing the slopes to the northeast. The T72s burn much more easily than the T80s.
In the center, 1st Tanks has a quiet advance towards the hill south of Bergingipfel. Team Delta is engaged, while Alpha Troop is screened by terrain. 1st Tanks climbs the hill and is engaged by helicopters south of Eisenbach, as well as some Abrams of Alpha troop. Several platoons are disrupted and others get reduced. It also takes fire from the rear by Team Delta.
In the North, 2nd Tanks takes some fire from Cobra helicopters, and Bradleys firing ATGMs through the Bergengipfel Gap. 2nd Tanks then proceeds to take the hill north of Bergengipfel and engage the remnants of Bravo Company. Bravo's Dragons disrupt a couple of units, bu is then wiped out by massed tank fire of the battalion.
All this time Alpha Troop is kept busy. The Cobras are firing madly at the wave of tanks coming in. Artillery fire is also called down on some T80s to try to help extricate Team Delta.
Middle Turns:
The situation at the start of turn 4:
At this point, 13th Guards has lost 4 platoons, 1st Tank 3; and 2nd Tank 3. Each battalion also has a few platoons on their reduced side. This totals 10 platoons lost, and NATO needs to kill 19 in order to guarantee a victory. For American losses, Bravo has been wiped out,and Delta has been reduced to one flipped platoon. Alpha though remains unhurt, and Task Force 1/68 is about to enter as well.
The 13th Guards uses their activation to take out the last of Delta. Delta's fire against the Soviet rear had force the hand of the regimental commander to deal with the American tanks. T80s Assault the Americans outside Hugelsdorf, and dispose of the threat with only one unit disrupted. The remainder of the Guards move to concentrate for the attack in the woods east of Hugelsdorf.
Alpha Troop begins a withdrawal from Eisenbach across the river, and also to take positions in the vicinty of Klappebruck.The troop's Cobras continue to chew up any T72s that make an appearance, but they also withdraw to the hills outside Birghoff. With their backs against the wall, American resistance, and even more importantly luck begins to get better.
TF 1/68 enters the fray in the south taking positions east of Lansamen, and around Rumwald.
The 2nd Tanks takes the west bank of Eisenbach while 1st Tanks takes the hill to the south. Most of the Soviet forces near position to make the final push for a breakthrough. Ominously though, 13th Guards appears to be delayed in regrouping from the fight with Delta. (missee activation around this time). Alpha tries to kick them while they're down, but some of their people run out on TOWs. Enough fire gets through though to disrupt a couple. With only one platoon and the helicopters covering the bridge at Eisenbach, Alpha orders in a FASCAM mission to lay down mines on the bridge approaches.
Late Turns:
It is now getting late in the game at around Turn 7. The Americans benefit greatly when they activate with all formations, and 2nd Tanks is the only Soviet formation to run.
2nd Tanks makes the dash across the river. The first platoon is disrupted while crossing due to mines, but the second makes it through creating a gap in the mines for others to follow. Overall all, 4 platoons are across, with almost nothing in their way. Alpha can lay down some fire from their postions around Klappebruck, but there are blind spots. Another minefield is set down on the road going east of Eisenbach in an attempt to slow down the tanks.
1st Tanks follows the lead of 2nd. They occupy Eisenbach and prepare to go over as well. Time is running short now, and 13th Guards has gotten itself into a desultory long range duel with TF 1/68.
It seems that 1st Tanks get jammed up in the narrow streets of Eisenbach, and 2nd Tanks become pinned by fire as Turn 8 is skipped (two EOT chits as the first two out of the cup).
Turn 9 begins with more fire from Alpha. The Cobras are running up a score as Alpha's gunners make their mark. 3 platoons are destroyed in short order. 1st Tanks tries to cross in force, but more tanks are destroyed as the road from Eisenbach is littered with burning wrecks.
13th Guards moves to the northeast to support the other two battalions but it is too late. Soviet casualties now total 17 as 1st and 2nd battalions are essentially wrecked. The game is conceded. Americans hold, for today at least.
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Jeffrey Lewis
United States
Virginia
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Re: The Crimson Tide
Great AAR, Jeff!
And you're wonderfully modest too. Jeff also designed this scenario and submitted it to me for Line of Fire #4. I look forward to publishing more of his designs in future issues.
Jeff
LnL Publishing
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Jim Snyder
United States
Ohio
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Re: The Crimson Tide
A great AAR. I can't wait to see some of the AAR's that flow out of Blood and Bridges soon!
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Fred Schwarz
United States
New Baltimore
Michigan
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Re: The Crimson Tide
Where did the M60A3 counters and TF 1/68 come from?
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Jeff Schulte
United States
Washington
New Jersey
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Re: The Crimson Tide
They came from LOF #2
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Posted Sun Dec 21, 2008 10:06 pm
