DAR - City Of Lights (BletchleyGeek)

[Bletchley_Geek]

Fred is without doubt amongst the scenario designers which I admire (which is admittedly quite a long list already, I'm tempted to start a new list, its heading being MOST admired scenario designers).

Some might wonder what's the point of playing out an scenario against its designer. Well, first, Fred hasn't ever played the Germans in this one. Second, I don't consider either that he has any kind of “unfair” advantage. Fred's scenarios can be played out in quite different ways, so I expect to surprise him. If anything, this means I'll have to work hard to snatch victory for this one. And, last but not least, I've taken a look with the editor (actually Fred invited me to do so).

Setup phase

Scenario briefing is pretty detailed – objectives are clearly explained, though no VP listing is given - and is also a good read. One of the reasons for picking this one is because of the drama in the backstory.

Time to stop talking and start doing. This is the suggested deployment by Fred

The scenario poses several challenges for the US, the first of them keeping the town of Lumbres in friendly hands, the second, having to babysit a couple officers that allegedly carry important papers on them. The last part certainly sounds to me like having to save not one, but two fricking Pvt Ryans.

While the scenario briefing seems to suggest that I should rush Lt Garvey into Lumbres, I'm wondering whether this is a good idea at all. I'm 110% positive Fred will have some Tank Hunter or PzSchrek teams placed in clever positions. These are incredibly dangerous for AFV's moving in bocage country, and being this a night battle, the threat they pose is multiplied by ten.

Then there is the thing of the impending German assault on Lumbres. I see three obvious approaches, but the only one that looks to me as a sound one for a combined arms attack is the one on the right flank

The small forests here provide excellent concealment for the German approach march, and the terrain is not as constrained as in the left flank, so the AFV's can coordinate well with the infantry. Besides that, it's the most direct path that would allow Fred to block E Coy advance towards Lumbres

so he can put overwatch – and apply a lot of firepower – on the route for E Coy. Taking a close look at G Coy positions, this is also perhaps the hardest to defend sector.

This is the plan for G Coy

Seniority matters, and Capt. Greer will be the one trying to escape from Lumbres towards the west. He'll be accompanied by a BAR team, that will be leading the escape (and to deal with anything along the road). This is the plan

they will be moving in bounds, trying using the cover of the night and the lack of nearby fires in this zone. This is perhaps the hardest part of the escape, to cross the field between Lumbres and the little forest.

The rest of G Coy has been toroughly reorganized. First, I remove all the Hide orders they had, and set up circular target arcs of about 50 meters radius. Buildings might not provide cover, but they do provide concealment. So the idea is to take a few pot shots at approaching Germans and fall back towards west Lumbres. With luck, I'll be able to delay Fred enough as to E Coy will find some GI's still controlling a – tenous – foothold in the city.

I also change the orders for the two Bazooka teams. I will try to use them in a “scoot & shoot” fashion, rather than “camping”. So I put them well out of sight, and wait for further developments.

Last but not least, is to decide what to do with the mortar. I think will be best to make sure I get those mortar grenades to do something useful before they get killed, and then use them as a “mobile” reserve of sorts. I set up for them this fire mission

this should keep them firing for some time. Since there's only one tube and 37 shells, the mortar should be firing for some good ten minutes or so (if they are able to put one shell through every 20 seconds). This fire should interdict a bit Fred movement in those forests, which I consider the best bet for the Germans.

Now, what to do with valiant Lt. Garvey? Certainly, Garvey surname starts with the same letter as that of late Hauptmannsführer Gräbner. I have a hunch that if Garvey rushes forward, he'll find himself as brewed up inside his Greyhound as Gräbner was inside his Skdfz 223 on that bridge that was a little too far. I decide to do something a bit unorthodox and I hope not too gamey

the Jeep crew parks the Jeep and goes on foot, scouting the way ahead. Meanwhile the Greyhounds will sit still for a little while and the move quickly into the trees and advance slowly – they will literally crawling – while the Jeep crew has plenty of time of discovering any threats ahead.

I press the red button. I'm afraid that I will see these Greyhounds getting bogged down, or worse, bogged down in plain sight for some Germans with PzFausts, or Cpt. Greer being hunted down like a rabbit on that field.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

45:00 to 44:00

The jeep crew gets to the vicinity of the house near the road towards Lumbres without bumping on top of some ambushing germans

they're right now in very good cover, but in this position, they're not seeing anything. As the Greyhounds get a bit closer, I'll make these guys to advance to the house and check it out as a forward observation post. The Greyhounds get out of the road and move amongst the trees

without problems either. I'm reluctant to set Move orders, since I think vehicles get noisier as they move faster. I don't want to give any “?” contact markers for Fredrocker for free.

The BAR team covering Cpt. Greer gets to its overwatch position without being fired upon, which makes me sight with relief

I realize that I should have eyeballed up close this field, since now I find it's offering far better cover than I expected – note the brushes and tall grass. I've got the BAR team keeping an eye on the forest

and I think I'll have Greer to rush to the fence as well. Let's have him use that cover.

Seems I'll have to scrub my plans for the mortar team in Lumbres

two shells land on top a couple Lumbres houses. I'm not sure what these are, but they sound and look like 105mm shells. If Fred is going to pummel the town so soon means that he'll try to assault as soon as possible. Time to get the guys on the streets inside buildings. Besides that, the mortar is firing MUCH faster than I expected. Those guys have lobbed 8 shells in one minute. Not a bad ROF, but faster than I expected.​

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

I send the Jeep crew towards the road, to get eyes where I really need them

this is a very good position to observe the road and check whether there are Germans or not along Greer's route. I make them move in this fashion

That's one Fast, Pause for 20s and the Fast again. I don't believe in the Hunt command as a good order for recon. I'm more about dashing from concealed position to concealed position – making “jumps” - and staying at each position for a little while.

I change orders for Greer to move like this

the two stops are to have them “use” the cover provided by the bushes, more or less. Action spots didn't smile on me this time. The BAR team will stay put for a whole minute, just in case.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

44:00 to 43:00

Greer reaches the orchard without any problem. I'm by now really surprised I haven't get yet a glimpse of German forces

I need to think a bit how to proceed next. Why I haven't find any german troops keeping an eye on the direct route of approach to Lumbres? There can be two reasons. One, that he's setup his troops farther from the town. Two, that he's right now moving some troops to interdict this route. This thing of getting Greer to scurry out of Lumbres is actually serving two purposes. That of securing – or trying to secure, actually – some VP's and also that of doing some recon of this vital road.

The jeep crew reaches the road without having got the slightest glimpse of any guy wearing feldgrau

note that these guys don't really have that good visibility on what lies ahead. I want to get to the reverse slope just next to the farm. However, I'll have these guys waiting for 30 seconds and looking around for a little while.

The discussion about the Mortar usage is about to become moot as one 105mm shell falls something like 20 meters away from the team

and a fragment kills just one of the soldiers in the Ammo Bearer team. I say “just one” because here I've been very lucky. Just 5 meters or so nearer, and then probably there will be no mortar (nor ammo bearers). The replay ends with the teams getting into buildings and putting some thick walls between them and those damned fragments.

Something is moving to the south of the town, near the building that looks like a pub of sorts

I would love to send out a couple guys to take a look on things in that forest, now that the mortar idea has been scrubbed. This is further reinforced by the contacts cropping up north and east of the town, probably scouts

The problem is that G Coy is practically destroyed, I don't think there's left more than 10 or 20% of its estab. I really hate sitting on my hands while on the defense: makes me feel as a sitting duck. But can I spare a couple guys – out of a force numbering perhaps twelve or fourteen – to go and take a good look?

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

This is the plan for Lt. Garvey section

which should give me overwatch – more or less because visibility is something like 25 meters here, so there's little to watch – on Greer escape route. Meanwhile, Greer and the BAR team will do this

so in two or three minutes, I should see Greer meeting Garvey.

After inspecting the mortar team I see that with rush of the falling shells, the mortar guys left behind its ammo – was listing nine HE rounds while packing and none at the end of the replay. So this actually solves my recon problem

I will send the ammo bearers to link up with the mortar team, and I hope the mortar team will suck those other 9 rounds out if I leave them enough time side by side. After that, the three remaining guys in the AB team will be moving out to get some unvaluable information about Approach #3.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

43:00 to 42:00

Greer and the BAR team continue advancing towards Garvey position, without stumbling on some Germans

but I finally get a glimpse of German positions here. Taking a closer look it seems to me that Fred's unit is nearby the tree, overlooking the road to Lumbres

I think I've been very lucky he didn't place anyone on the orchard to the left. The jeep crew has also reached its intended observation position without problems

and on the left it can be seen Greer running to its final destination (it's about 10'' to the end of the replay). The shelling of Lumbres continues without causing any casualties, but if I run out of luck, this will change quite soon

now I think these aren't 105mm but actually 120mm mortars. Has anybody figured this out? As the replay ends, I see one new contact to appear to the west of Lumbres, in a position which would have overlooked the path Greer just followed

I detach a team whose positioning, now I realize, left a lot to be desired, and put him overlooking the southern entrance to the town.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

Greer readout shows “Tiring”, so I need to keep it easy

I don't want to find myself forced to issue a Fast order and see that Greer is too tired and the order becomes a Move instead. The BAR team keeps in position, vectoring towards the “?” marker next to the tree on the other side of the road. Meanwhile Garvey guys will carry on advancing cautiously

the jeep crew stays put for 30 secs and the moves forward just 8m. This should give them LOS on the vicinity of Greer's intended destination. Meanwhile, Garvey's M8s will move to either side of the house in what I think is a good position to intervene with area fire if required.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

42:00 to 41:00

Seems that Greer is going to make good his escape

he's now more or less in sight of Garvey's Greyhounds, and there are no signs of any German activity. The “?” contact marker that the BAR team is monitoring, hasn't moved nor any other new markers have appeared in the vicinity. While Fred continues shelling Lumbres, the team I sent to the west edge of the town has arrived without nothing to report at all

I'll send these guys to recon the enclosure to the north, to check what's going on there. I have far too little info about Fred's dispositions. I finally make my mind up, since I'm seeing the Mortar team isn't sucking away any ammo from the AB team, and pick a two-man bazooka team to go and recon the forests to the south of Lumbres

let's see what do I learn (perhaps I learn not to send out scouts at night like this, heh). I finally send the Jeep Crew to fetch Capt. Greer

while the Greyhounds sit still in their current positions. I don't want to them advance more without having some more infantry to guide them in the dark.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

41:00 to 40:00

Five minutes have elapsed and yet there's to be a shot fired on anger. Greer links up with Garvey's men without problems

and I sighed relieved. I was really expecting to find some opposition along the road. Seems that I forgot to issue the proper orders to the team on the west edge of Lumbres... one minute wasted for these guys. On the other hand, the bazooka team I sent to the forests to the south are about to get to the trees

I'm really looking forward to get a hold on Fred's plans.

The first elemens of Easy Company arrive to the battlefield, consisting of the 2nd Plt and the Weapons Plt - mounted with trucks and all. I'm not amused at seeing that the infantry and the support elements arrive in this disjointed manner

but well, at least I'm not so light on the ground any more. First priority is to secure a good start line for E Coy and Garvey's cavalry platoon

the goal is to secure a perimeter so that I am sure there isn't any German infantry on my flanks or rear. I really need troops on the right flank. I might sound a bit paranoid, but I'm expecting that in any moment German afv hunting teams locate and attack Garvey's position. I'll use the Jeep Crew and the BAR team that was covering Greer to get some flank (and front) security.

This is the plan for 2nd Plt

I have split the flank squads into three elements: Assault, Support and Recon. The Recon element will provide flank security, advancing along the bocage walls in short hops interleaved with brief pauses of 15s (which I think will be enough to get wind of anything on the other side of the bocage). Meanwhile, the assault element will advance in 24m (3 action spots) hops, interleaved with 10 secs pauses, and the support element will advance in 16m (2 action spots) hops, interleaved with 10 secs pauses. Since visibility is so limited, in this fashion I more or less guarantee that if I come across something, sooner or later the assault element will get supported by the support element. The center squad is split into Assault and Support, and advances also in short hops but no flank security, since this is provided by the squads on the wings.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

For the Weapons platoon, things cannot be so tidy

and I order everyone to dismount and setup a perimeter around the vehicles (and the road). Once 2nd Plt reaches its line, I'll detach one of its squads to secure the route of advance, as well as setting up the mortars fire base.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

40:00 to 39:00

The team I sent to check the fields to the south of Lumbres arrives at its positions and founds...

nothing. Will leave these guys here for a whole minute, looking out for Fred's troopers. And the bazooka team to the north finds...

a whole lot of nothing. I need to probe further, now I'm really surprised – or rather – wary, of what's going on.

Now that Greer is in the right side of the lines, I think it's time to move forward with the Greyhounds. I pair the BAR team with the leftmost Greyhound and the Jeep crew with Garvey's

and will start to move forward cautiously. I send the Bazooka team to a clump of trees 50m to their left, from where they should be able to check the road

I'm really worried that I'm moving to the town far too cautiously, but I'm doing so because of not having a clue what's Fred up. So in order to change that, perhaps it's time to risk another of G Coy teams

to check out the other side of the town, especially the circled little forest.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

39:00 to 38:00

Still no trace of Fred's forces

I need to probe further, sooner or later I'll find these Germans. Finally I got E Coy's 3rd Plt, will move up fast – no need to be cautious – now to link with Garvey, and one squad will be detached to keep a look on the right flank.

These are the plot of E Coy

I'm sending 3rd Plt a bit recklessly, but I think there's anybody on those forests, since 2nd Plt right flank guard hasn't get one single “?†contact marker (nor I've heard the pixeltruppen saying stuff such as “Listen Up†or anything). 2nd Plt center and right flank will move faster towards Lumbres, while left flank element will secure the route for E Coy Weapons Platoon – which I would like to have deployed on the center, rather than on one side. I push forward my recon elements on both sides of Lumbres

getting these guys to that treeline should ellicit some info. I send the bazooka team rather than forward, backwards, to check the road to the east of Lumbres

I'm very light on AT assets, and I'd really like to keep an eye on possible movements along the road. I detach yet another G Coy team for recon duty

these guys should cover the gap left by the bazooka team.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

Last, I send the guys I had near the southern edge of Lumbres to check the hedgerow which is the final destination of the bulk of E Coy 2nd Plt

 

[Dutch Grenadier]

It is like readin a good book...

Good job you two

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

It is like readin a good book...

Good job you two

Thank you for reading and the kind comments. Let's see if we get some action soon

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

38:00 to 37:00

Something is up just in front of Garvey's M8

a second “?” marker appeared, right behind the toolshed. In less than a minute E Coy's 3rd Plt will arrive to support. Then we'll go hunting these will-o-wisps with more confidence.

The new team I moved into the forest to the east of Lumbres reports a contact marker

about 300 meters away. I'm not sure if FOW in Cmx2 distorts distances. In any case, given that visibility is no better than about 25 meters, it's a bit surprising that anything is spotted at about ten times that distance. In any case it's a beacon, signaling where Fred might be assembling his forces.

The team I sent to the little forest to the east reports...

nothing. I need to go further forward, closer to the farms.

Orders for E Coy this turn – or in other words - “E Coy in a nutshell”

Looks like the route between Weapons Platoon entry point and the center of the map is clear. In any case, 2nd Plt left wing squad will comb the area to be sure. As I said above, 3rd Plt is about to link with Garvey's Greyhounds. Once that is achieved, two 3rd Plt squads will support Garvey in his advance towards Lumbres. The third squad will be checking the right flank.

Here's the plan for the Recon team to the west of Lumbres

I move along the concealment provided by the trees and undergrowth that Fred so graciously put on the map.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

The plan for the team to the west – the bazooka is going to sit tight – follows similar lines

here I make them to pay equal attention – more or less – to either flank. I could well be walking amongst Fred's lines.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

37:00 to 36:00

E Coy's 3rd Platoon links up with Garvey, and we're ready to finally push forward towards Lumbres

This doesn't mean I'll be charging forward just like that. This turn I need to issue quite a few commands to make sure everybody moves in a coordinated manner.

The team I sent to the east of Lumbres is about halfway its patrol

without reporting any contacts. I really need to be patient with this, and sooner or later I'll be rewarded. Same with the team to the west of the town

still nothing. The team I sent to scout E Coy's 2nd Platoon destination gets to the hedgerow

and surprise!

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

The mystery contact that was vanishing and appearing becomes an enemy with a face... and grenades

*******s!

Just one of the guys in the team survives, huddling by the side of the hedge. But he gets back to his senses just as one team of E Coy's 2nd Platoon arrives, and tells them the whereabouts of the Germans

opening up on them and killing one of the Germans. The rest of them duck for cover and vanish out of sight.

Here's an overview of the rest of E Coy situation

the left flank 2nd Platoon squad has secured the route for Weapons Platoon mortars. Time to get moving!

First things come first, I need to wipe out that German Tank Hunter team

the lone survivor of my scouts gets his slow order cancelled and fires into the general area. I'm not sure he'll comply with this, when shaken, our reigns over pixeltruppen behavior are not only ours. The assault team in the bocage will also be doing area fire for 30 secs before charging into, which should be enough for the assault team just behind to reach the hedge and provide further area fire.

 

[Bletchley_Geek]

2nd Platoon center squad assault team will wait for 30 second before advancing past the hedge

while the support team – to its right – will wait further 15 secs before following suit. Left squad will advance along the road

with its flank anchored in the MG team.

3rd Platoon left squad will move along the road in short hops, while the Greyhound moves with them.

I've set the Greyhound to slow, with 10 secs pauses. If this is too slow, I'll be removing the pauses.

I need to deal with the two shadows in front of 3rd Platoon center squad

3rd Platoon has a BAR team attached, which will move fast forward immediately and will do area fire on the contact sitting behind the toolshed. 30 seconds later, everybody else moves forward. The Jeep crew is tasked with dealing directly with the closest marker, while Garvey will open up on the contact further away. 3rd Platoon center squad will move along the other flank, and I hope will catch Fred's forces here – if any – in a nice crossfire.

3rd Platoon right squad is tasked with a quite dangerous assignment

I really need to get an idea of what's on my right flank. I split the squad into Scout, Assault and Support teams, and I set the Scout and Assault teams to move along the flanks, with 15s pauses between each hop. In the center I will keep the Support team, which will be making 20s pauses between each hop. This should allow me to react properly to any threat that appears on either side of the squad.