AAR - CMRT Corsaire31 vs Strachwitz

[Corsaire31]

General comments :
This was my first PBEM with the CMx2 engine and the first QB I played with russian troops. My experience so far was a few solo games with CMFI but I quickly stopped as I had no feeling for italian troops ( although they were smart enough to stick rear view mirrors on their tanks so they could watch the battle...)
I never bought CMBN as I'm not a fan of Normandy battles, it was the same with CMBO.
I recently bought CMRT and played only so far the tutorial mini campaign.

I considered this one as an "experimental game" to discover what the russians are up to in CMRT.

I mostly played in the past CMBB and some CMAK with the ETO mod. I have a good knowledge of the eastern front battles, but as far as I can remember I think I never won a game playing the Reds or may be one or two at the time when the first T34s appeared and with the help of a couple of KV monsters. I start therefore with the "Red syndrome" which means the best I can hope for is a draw, and even probably not against an experienced player !

The game :
Strachwitz set up the game (and chose german troops) , a classic ME QB with a village in the middle and two road exits, one more on the german side, the second more on the russian side.

.../...

 

[Corsaire31]

Order of Battle :

As I have no real knowledge of the russian troops in CMRT for now, I spend 10 minutes buying troops. As I want to try different things, I go for :

- 1 SMG Company
- 1 Tank Riders Company (or whatever it's called in russian...)
- 1 Recon Company + 1 sniper + 1 AT rifle + 1 LMG (attached to each of the three squads)

Support : 3 Maxim HMGs, 1 AT Rifle Plt, 1 82mm Mortar battery ( off-map ) with 1 Fwd Obs team, 2 snipers, 1 Flamethrower

Armor : 3 T34-85 tanks + 1 OT 34 flame tank.

All these troops are bought as "typical" which means a mix of "regular" and "green" with 1 tank being "veteran".

Question : Is there a way for the player who didn't setup the game to have a look at the map before buying troops ?

.../...

 

[Corsaire31]

Initial plan :

I identified on the map three high ground spots ( marked in grey ) that I need to control at some point in the game before I can assault the village.

- The SMG company with the support of 2 Maxim HMGs and the AT Rifle Plt will deal with the right side of the map. They probably will need a smoke screen to get to the right high ground. From there I will decide following how the game goes if they push on to attack the right road objective or if they will participate in the center village assault ( or split between both ? )

- The Recon company with the OT 34 and the flamethrower team will first secure the left road objective and later defend it, after exploring and securing the high ground on the left of the map. In a second phase if no attack comes on this objective, they will try to take the middle high ground just left of the village and assist in the final assault.

- The Tank Riders company with the 3 T 34s will occupy the group of houses in front of the village to observe what's going on inside the village. They will hide there and will be the main force for assaulting the village in the second part of the game. This will shelter my tanks from long range shots.

* I keep one of the platoons in reserve near the church on the right, so I can decide later if I need some reinforcement in the middle or on the right.

- The rest of support units together with the Battalion HQ are placed in high ground spots with trees from where they can gather information on my opponent's troops and movements.

.../...

 

[Floki]

There is a map preview button on the left hand side of the troop selection screen. But it's only there if the person who set the file up selected "map preview" to "available". I'm sure @Strachwitz did that as most guys do.

 

[Corsaire31]

On turn 1, my three T34s with the first Tank Riders Plt make a rush to the central group of houses. The second Plt follows on foot along the road and the third Plt goes to its waiting position.

.../...

 

[Corsaire31]

Still on turn 1, on the left flank the OT 34 with the flamethrower on board together with the first Reco Plt HQ has rushed to the objective where they will take a short range defensive position. The rest of the company is following on foot. Suddenly a shell explodes not far away from a 2 Plt squad and the guys plunge in the grass. On the other end of the map I spot a Tiger !

I already suspect I will have a hard time. My opponent is playing with big marbles ! I have nothing to counter a Tiger and anyway the map is too small to imagine flank movements. My kingdom for a couple of IS 2s !

On the right, support of HMGs and AT Rifle are going into positions and will observe the map ahead, the SMG Company will shortly follow to the first woods.

.../...

 

[Strachwitz]

I will ask Bootie to cancel my Ladder report. It never crossed MY mind considering you as a newcomer. You told me you where a former long time member of this community before my time and you also are a CMBB veteran who played a lot of games PBEM. Sorry for asking you to make this also a ladder game.

 

[Strachwitz]

And BTW all of your T-34/85 except maybe the Flame tank are able to penetrate and destroy my Tiger and Panther. On this distances they are capable of doing this. Especially with the special ammo this variant has you were using.

 

[Floki]

And BTW all of your T-34/85 except maybe the Flame tank are able to penetrate and destroy my Tiger and Panther. On this distances they are capable of doing this. Especially with the special ammo this variant has you were using.

So true and this is such a cool game that one can never predict what will happen. This is what happened to me in my very short playing career I chose a Tiger and some PzIV to defend. One shot from a T-34/85 took it out and my tank commander had no clue where it came from. In another QB my opponent had a Tiger and I think I pumped in about 10 shells into it. The first penetration had the crew bail, then in the next turn they went back in and took shot after shot. It was cool to watch. That is why I love this game, it is a bit unpredictable where rook does not always take knight. So ya you have the firepower to take out any German tank in CMRT.

Keep it up, I like watching and reading DAR's

 

[Corsaire31]

Sorry you misunderstood my post, I never asked that you scratch the game from the ladder, as I told you I don't care about ladders. I accepted it in the beginning so no problem. I was only saying that it wouldn't cross my mind because I am not a competition type of player...

For the Tiger, you will have noted that I only had the OT 34 on this side of the map, which is why I stated I could not counter it.
From the initial positioning of my T34s, I had made a clear choice of putting them in the middle of the map and they had no chance from there to reach a position where they could fire on the Tiger.

I'm the only one responsible for this situation.

 

[Corsaire31]

I am only reporting what my state of mind is when I discover the Tiger. In the end you know as well as I do that this Tiger was not so important in the battle, only scaring a couple of guys and pouring a few shots into empty houses...

 

[Strachwitz]

No, you were saying it wouldn't cross your mind as an experienced player who knows he is playing a newcomer.
That is something completely different.

 

[Corsaire31]

Sorry again for the misunderstanding, I will write it off if it's bothering you.

EDIT : done.

Let's keep it cool, this has never been a "serious game"... The goal of this AAR is only that more advanced players can help me in understanding how it works with CMx2.

 

[Corsaire31]

And BTW all of your T-34/85 except maybe the Flame tank are able to penetrate and destroy my Tiger and Panther. On this distances they are capable of doing this. Especially with the special ammo this variant has you were using.

Thanks, I learned something ! Will be useful for next battles, this is the kind of info I'm interested in...
The only times I remember being able to shoot a Tiger with a T34 85 in CMBB was at relatively close range and from the flank following a pincer movement with two tanks, which often lead to the sacrifice of one of them...

 

[Strachwitz]

Ok, sorry that I felt a bit insulted about that comment. I had a bad day and thus I am a bit unnerved. I misinterpreted your statement. We had a good game and nice chat besides and I hope to have another go sometime.

And you are right I am an experienced player and always willing to give input on battles and share some of my experience.

If you want I will comment your AAR from my perspective and hopefully give some tips and tricks.

What I find extraordinary helpfull for me and other players not wanting to recall every penetration data of every gun and armour thickness of every tanks and variants is this mod by Marco Bergmann:
http://cmmods.greenasjade.net/mods/5311/details

It gives valuable information direct in the UI of the game about armour thickness, penetration data of ammo (and special ammo) and tons of other extra information. Basically you get back very much infos that were all accessible in the old CM1 days.

I am not a grog and I simply won't/can't remember all that stuff so if I would be allowed to use just one single mod this is by far the number 1 mod for me.

 

[Strachwitz]

So true and this is such a cool game that one can never predict what will happen. This is what happened to me in my very short playing career I chose a Tiger and some PzIV to defend. One shot from a T-34/85 took it out and my tank commander had no clue where it came from. In another QB my opponent had a Tiger and I think I pumped in about 10 shells into it. The first penetration had the crew bail, then in the next turn they went back in and took shot after shot. It was cool to watch. That is why I love this game, it is a bit unpredictable where rook does not always take knight. So ya you have the firepower to take out any German tank in CMRT.

Keep it up, I like watching and reading DAR's

The game is often unpredictable and surprises me again and again. I simply love CM for this! There are so many unexpected things happening. Last time one of my guys was trying to throw a grenade. He was hit during the attempt, dropped the grenade and killed all soldiers nearby. I couldn't believe this happening!

 

[Corsaire31]

No problem, we all have bad days and may be the way I wrote my statement could lead to a misunderstanding. Let's forget about it, it's not very important. I will be happy to play with you again once I feel ready for serious gaming, it shouldn't take too long. I also told you I would be glad that you add your comments on the AAR.

I know this mod by Marco Bergman. I haven't installed it yet, and if I'm new to CMx2 I have been studying and playing WW2 wargames on the eastern front for some 20 + years (started with ASL board games, then 1/300th metal models in the early 90s as a member of a wargaming club where I also played a lot of 15mm Napoleonic battles) so I don't have the excuse of being a newb in the technical knowledge.

I still think that in a frontal meeting between a Pz VI Tiger and a T34-85 at a range around 500 - 700 m the Tiger will win at least 75% of the time, because the 88 is more powerful (even if the T34 has the advantage of sloped armour), because of better optics and because of the crew's reaction time that CM uses. Anyway I personally would never try it in a serious game as it depends too much on a lucky shot...

I use all of Aris vehicle mods ( we also play both Wings Over Flanders Fields, a WW1 flight sim and often exchange on that forum, he is a nice and talented guy ) most of Juju's terrain, bridges, trees etc, Juju's UI mod and red icons, Tanks A Lot's houses, Vin's animated text, VM's uniforms and Oddball's sound mod.

 

[Corsaire31]

Let's get back to the game...

On turn 2, as soon as my "eyes" are in position, I spot in the right corner of the map a PzV Panther and a Hetzer in the woods. We are talking about serious stuff...
The Panther is in a nice hull down position where it covers the open space right of the village... My T34s are trapped for the moment.

My infantry companies are about to reach their first positions with the two first Plts, the third one trailing behind. I had no other shot from the Tiger while crossing the open.

.../...

 

[Corsaire31]

Turns 03 - 04

Considering the cost of the tanks I have spotted so far, I guess that I must have against me a german company with some support. On turn 03 I spot some lorries taking an infantry Plt in the woods on the right flank near the Hetzer which will probably move to seize and defend the road objective.

On turn 04 some infantry movement in the middle of the map shows that probably a second Plt is moving towards the center high ground. We had the same reading of the map. Now I need to know what the third Plt is up to...

My 3 companies have reached their first position with only the shot of the Tiger on turn 01 and a shot from the moving infantry in the middle of the map, both with no damage.

On my left flank, I am sending a recon Plt to explore the large forest patch (and high ground) in front of the road objective to avoid any nasty surprise, could be where the third german Plt is moving. The first squad has already crossed over the road.

.../...

 

[Corsaire31]

Turns 05 - 06 :

The left road objective is secured without opposition and the defense is ready. The OT 34 is between houses and sheltered from any long range shot. The flamethrower team is in one of the back houses, and infantry is spread behind houses and in the garden (with hide orders and short firing arcs) Only one Plt HQ is in one of the front houses to observe the battlefield.

On the left flank, the recon Plt is slowly progressing through the woods with stops to listen for any sounds. On the right flank I have requested a smoke screen from my 82mm mortar battery and been advised it would take 9 minutes ! Wow, russians are slow... in another game where I play the dark side, german 81mm mortar batteries take 4 minutes to fire... I'll have to remember that for future games ! While waiting for the smoke cover, I decide to send a cautious squad through the wheat field to check if there is some concealment in there.

At the same time, I spot movements towards the village in the middle, I think I know where the third german Plt is heading to...

.../...