AAR - Noob vs. Noob in non-ladder CMBB game.

[Cue-Ball]

I just finished up a game of CMBB against a couple of friends and thought I'd share the after action report here. Comments and critiques are welcome. This was a 2000 point meeting engagement on a random map. The parameters turned out to be Oct of '41, mid day, clear weather, heavy trees and nearly flat terrain. Each side was able to pick their own units, and I almost defeated myself at the purchase screen by using PzIV shorts as my main force. I didn't realize how poorly their guns would fare against the sloped armor of the T-34s I'd wind up coming up against. Other than a small village with two churches in the center of the map (with no real flag location centered around the village), the vegetation was dense. Because there was only one small flag towards the center of the map, mostly outside of the village, I decided to avoid the center of the map completely and divide my forces into North and South groups.

The North group would rush to the furthest north flag and entrench in the woods. This group would be relatively light on infantry and supported by two PzIVs and a StuG. I used the armor to transport HMGs and some troops, to gain a toehold early, in case the enemy was also trying to rush the flag point. This screenshot is three or four turns into the game, after some of my forces have reached the objective. No enemy resistance at all, yet.

The South group was tasked with taking and holding a large flag and a small flag relatively close together. Again, these flags were in wooded areas, so relatively easy to defend. This group was slightly larger than the North group since they would be holding two flags worth 400 points versus the North group's 1 flag and 100 points. Again, I reached the flags unmolested. The screenshot is taken from turn 4 or so. You can see I've sent my armor the long way 'round in case the enemy should try to outflank me early on.

A few turns later and North group has firmly entrenched themselves in the woods near the objective. After dropping off the embarked troops, I reverse my armor to get a line of sight towards the village in the center of the map, where Russian troops have begun to trickle in. Just as my AFVs get into position, I get multiple vehicle contacts northeast of the woods. The Russian troops in the village will have to wait.

I order North group's armor to hunt forward towards the enemy contacts. I anticipated a thin line of sight to the targets through the trees and it appears. I immediately take out an enemy armored car. At almost the same instant a T-34 appears. I have 3-to-1 odds and get off plenty of shots, but they mostly miss or ricochet. It's only then that I realize I've got the short gunned, low velocity PzIV. I get a lucky turret hit and take out the enemy T-34, but only after losing one PzIV. There's a second T-34 behind some trees so I order the remaining Panzer and StuG to try to outflank him to the left with a close range side shot.

 

[Cue-Ball]

My Panzer and StuG reach the left side of the woods, but their shots are ineffective. The Panzer is taken down quickly and the Stug retreats. The following turn I send him back around the other side of the woods, hoping to keep the T-34 looking while at least getting in a few softening shots against the enemy infantry. The Stug makes it less than 100 yards before a LOS through the trees gives the T-34 a killshot. All of my North group armor is now knocked out, and the enemy's armor has a free hand to shell me mercilessly. Both T-34s open up with canister shot, and my left flank completely folds. My right flank is being raked with machinegun fire, and enemy troops begin to stream through the woods towards the flag.

My opponent sent me this pic.

While North group has been busy, South group has established themselves in the woods around the two flags. Russians begin to swarm all over the village, but I leave them alone as there's too much open space for them to effectively flank without giving me plenty of warning. I put covered arcs on my men and have them keep quiet in the woods. A few enemy groups try to cross, not realizing how many men I've got ready to ambush. They are quickly dispatched or routed. However, there is no shortage of enemy troops in the trees directly opposite me, and they have two T-34s and three armored cars backing them up. My infantry alone won't be able to hold out if the T-34s open up on them. I hunt my Panzers close to a group of tall pines, hoping for a clear line of sight to the closest armored car and, hopefully, the T-34's profile.

The trees are too thick and I can't get a line of sight. Luckily, one of the armored cars strays too close to the trees and is barbecued by my flamethrower. I back my Panzers up and decide to try for a quick flanking maneuver around the right and directly into the enemy's back. On the way I dispatch one armored car who's been slowly meandering his way through the trees to the front line.

 

[Cue-Ball]

From this point onward, North group is lost. A few squads manage to fight on for a few turns, but most of them are quickly eliminated or routed. Retreating fails as surviving squads are cut down by gunfire and HE rounds as they try to escape. The North flag falls to Russian control and the South group is left on its own to hold the all important large and small flag still under German control.

South group is sent around to try to take out one of the Russian T-34s from behind. Three Panzers hunt forward as a pack, but fail to make it to the requested spot before they spook, pop smoke, and reverse (purple).

I re-route all three Panzers, hoping to ambush a T-34 that I suspect will come around the woods on their left (while simultaneously watching the front for the original target). The tank behind the woods doesn't appear, but as the smoke dissipates the original T-34 target appears at (1) and is taken out for the loss of one Panzer. I'm happy to have knocked it out, but can't afford to lose my armor at a 1:1 ratio of the enemy's. Having dispatched one enemy tank I hunt forward. My two remaining Panzers only move about 60 meters before they see another T-34 through the trees, which has been rushed in from the North as reinforcement (2). It takes three shots apiece from my Panzers, but they get the kill. The Russian tank fires, but his shots all miss the mark. In the span of three turns the tide has shifted dramatically. I have gone from outnumbered with inferior armor to having the upper hand with two AFVs to the enemy's remaining one. Now that both tanks directly in front of me are taken care of, I can scoot away before the last remaining tank comes around and stabs me in the back. Thank goodness for Russian command delay! As I drive away and try to put some trees between myself and the last Russian tank, I take a potshot at the armored car in the center of the infantry battle and it KOs on the first shot. My tanks get away clean.

The remaining T-34 gives chase, but by the time he gets to a position that would give him a shot, I'm long gone. I put a large copse of trees between him and my Panzers as they issue payback for their fallen brothers from North group. They hunt through the village with impunity, blowing up light buildings (orange circles) and cutting down enemy troops with canister fire at close range.

I still hold the large flag and the small flag closest to it. The Russians hold the small north flag and small center flag. I figure that if I can take control of the center flag, or even make it neutral, I'll easily win on points. I rush my tanks near the flag in the last two turns of the game. One Panzer takes a half dozen ATR hits, but is unfazed. The enemy rushes towards the flag, hoping to keep it from turning to the German side. HE rounds and relentless machinegun fire injures and eliminates dozens of men, but there are so many Russians that the flag remains neutral as the game ends.

In the end, I get a minor victory.

I think my tactics were pretty sound, with the exception of the low velocity guns on my tanks. Even with numeric superiority in every single encounter, several of my tank vs. tank wins came about because of a lucky turret penetration. Hull shots just bounced off like spitwads. Once my North armor was finished off, nothing was going to allow me to hold that flag. If I had it to do over again I'd probably buy Panzer IIIs with the smaller, but longer barreled 50mm gun. I'd love to hear other ideas and areas of improvement.

 

[Bootie]

Thanks for sharing... some pretty good pics in their too... love the cannister shots!!

 

[Breaklight]

Great read! thx mate
Personally i always enjoy reading ppls AAR's. Interesting to see how ppl look at the battlefield, make their plans and such.

 

[Sempai]

I´m no crack in that game - sadly! If You look for these You should ask Lord Bane, Nort or someone of the other old stagers here around.

But my suggestion would be - don´t use Your points for tanks if You´re the German. Use it for guns (40mm-AA hungary/finish, 75mm-AT german/italian or 50mm-AT german). You need a few transports as trucks or halftracks. But the advantage is the guns have a fair till very good chance to penetrate the sloped armor of the T-34s. And because the T-34s have no radio the experience level goes down one level in that moment they close the turrets (but only if Your opponent bought platoons and no individuals). And in that case the AAs are very worthful because they have a very high fire rate. And if Your opponent has bought regular platoons of tanks they will calculated as green ones. And green tanks go afraid very quick if under heavy fire - it doesn´t mater if it´s only an AA.
And by the way - if I remember me right in octobre ´41 You can´t buy PzIII with long barrels.

Greetings

P.S.: German tank hunter infantry is very strong to that time. They use "Panzerwurfminen" to kill tanks. In a radius of 40 metres there is no better weapon against tanks.

 

[Cue-Ball]

Thanks for sharing... some pretty good pics in their too... love the cannister shots!!

They're great when you're dishing them out, but not so much fun on the receiving end!

 

[Bootie]

Too true mate!!

 

[Cue-Ball]

But my suggestion would be - don´t use Your points for tanks if You´re the German. Use it for guns (40mm-AA hungary/finish, 75mm-AT german/italian or 50mm-AT german).

I don't have much luck with guns in meeting engagements. They're awesome when you're on the defensive side of an attack, but I find them to be worthless on offense. There never seems to be a good location for them during the setup phase, so you're stuck hauling them around or slowly moving them using the gun crew.

You need a few transports as trucks or halftracks.

All of the halftracks that I find to be useful are unable to tow guns at all. And halftracks are generally so fragile, I'm not a real fan of buying them at all, unless I can't afford another tank.

We'll see how I feel about AT guns after the next game. I just started up another PBEM match with the same opponents (two guys playing as Russians, I'm Germans again), random map, and computer chosen units. This time I'm the attacker and they're the defenders and I've been given several 45mm AT guns. I don't have any halftracks to tow them with, so they are stuck where I put them during the setup phase. We'll see how it works out.

But the advantage is the guns have a fair till very good chance to penetrate the sloped armor of the T-34s. And because the T-34s have no radio the experience level goes down one level in that moment they close the turrets (but only if Your opponent bought platoons and no individuals). And in that case the AAs are very worthful because they have a very high fire rate. And if Your opponent has bought regular platoons of tanks they will calculated as green ones. And green tanks go afraid very quick if under heavy fire - it doesn´t mater if it´s only an AA.

Point taken. Guns have a great advantage in visibility and rate of fire, but difficulty in moving them is always an obstacle for me on the attack. On the defense, especially in heavy woods, I'll take guns over tanks any day of the week.

And by the way - if I remember me right in octobre ´41 You can´t buy PzIII with long barrels.

Yeah, that's what I should have done. But I didn't think about it until it was too late. I'm used to playing later war scenarios and didn't even think about the fact that the PzIV has a short barrel in '41. If I could do it over again, I'd buy the long barreled PzIII instead.

P.S.: German tank hunter infantry is very strong to that time. They use "Panzerwurfminen" to kill tanks. In a radius of 40 metres there is no better weapon against tanks.

I had two tank hunter groups in this game, actually. Unfortunately, they rarely got close enough to do any damage. When they did manage to get close enough, there were so many Russians in the area that as soon as they poked their heads up they were suppressed by machinegun fire. I have used them successfully in the past, though. I played a single player game last weekend and they were the only thing that could take out a Russian KV-1 that had walked through most of my AFVs.

Thanks for your input and advice. Generally, I shy away from AT guns in favor of tanks, but I'm stuck with several guns this game so I guess I'll have to learn how to use them effectively. The map is very hilly and gives me multiple avenues of covered fire, so that should help enormously. But buying AT guns on the attack, especially when the map is set to randomly generate (could be wide open with no trees) spooks me.

 

[Sempai]

Yeah, it´s a bit harder to play with guns and halftracks insteed of tanks. But I knew a few people who prefered to play that style. I think the solution is to think not You have to use it as tanks in a meeting or assaulting match. A way could be You rushed with infantry on trucks or halftracks in or near the flag position and retreat the halftracks after You´ve embarked the infantry. To the same time You let Your guns take a stand with good LOS short till middle behind the infantry. A few of them You could place on good positions at the set up zone for support and slow down the opponents approach. Add a arty fire on the thought main roads of the enemy and You should have a good chance to place and use guns with good effect.
Halftracks are indeed fragile - they are no tanks. But their job of carrying infantry in fighting zones they do very well. And they are a good support for tanks. Furthermore they are good recce vehicles - especially the german 251/1. So if You have that in mind You should find Your personnel way/tactic to use them.

You got 45mm guns as German??? As Finn or Hungar OK, but as German???

If You use tank hunters You shouldn´t use them without other infantry as support and/or diversion. If You in need to use the tank hunters for an assault on a tank off their 40 metres range it´s a good way to place a target (one of Your own tanks or a halftrack or whatever he wants to kill) for the enemy tank and force him to close his turret (for example with HMG fire or mortar fire or Snipers) and a few seconds later You let loose an infantry rush to kill him.

If there are no trees for cover You should use ground waves, walls or hedgerows for cover.

Hope that helps a little. As I said - I´m no crack. So don´t blame me if it doesn´t work all times!

Greetings

 

[Cargol]

Great read!
Thanks for sharing.
PS U have some screenshots there that could win the screenshot competition

 

[Cue-Ball]

You got 45mm guns as German??? As Finn or Hungar OK, but as German???

Sorry, that was a typo. I meant to say *75* mm. I'm only two turns into the current game, but so far the guns are working out quite well. I've got excellent lines of sight and between three of these guns I've managed to take out two SU-76s and one T-34 in the first two turns. If the crews can survive a couple more turns without getting shelled to death, I think I can take out another one or two SUs next turn.

I think this early success is mostly due to favorable terrain. The enemy armor sticks out like a sore thumb due to a lack of trees, and my guns have huge lines of sight thanks to being placed on very high ground.

 

[Cue-Ball]

Great read!
Thanks for sharing.
PS U have some screenshots there that could win the screenshot competition

Thanks! I'll have to see about entering.

 

[Nathangun]

Great read! thx mate
Personally i always enjoy reading ppls AAR's. Interesting to see how ppl look at the battlefield, make their plans and such.

I agree, and I like to hear tales of peoples battles