Probably no chance... but I have nothing "better" to do with the mortar in this turn anyway 
Drifter Man vs CDavid DAR
- Thread starter Drifter Man
- Start date
To settle this, I blasted an M10 with 81mm smoke rounds in a test. Your scepticism was justified. Even direct hits into the opening had no effect other than a bit of suppression. In one case I managed to produce a casualty.
I guess he got hit by the canister coming down!
Turn 21. An uneventful turn compared to previous ones, but this battle is far from over.
No change on the left flank. The M10 and the Sherman moved forward by a few meters, making my smoke "attack" even more ineffective than it would have been. The smoke is quickly dispersed by winds. The M10 shells the position of the disabled AT gun with AP rounds. The Sherman continues to pour lead from its machineguns on my own MG positions. U.S. infantry shows little activity here.
No change on the center right. The last man of the U.S. MMG team is eliminated, but the five pioneers managed to find a corner with good cover and give me trouble. Together with some U.S. infantry on the left flank, they get off a few shots at my counterattack force. Even these few shots hit two men, out of 12 I was moving. Dangerous business to cross an open field. In the picture below, the MG in the foreground returns fire at the position of the U.S. pioneers.
Some enemy mortar activity out there. A spotting round (a second one, I think) falls right on the dead U.S. MMG team. I didn't hear the mortar that fired it. So it's probably offmap. My opponent probably has two 81mm offmap mortars in addition to the four on the map. And, unlike my mortars, all these have only spent a fraction of their ammunition. Watch out.
Another mortar is heard firing a round from the woods at the end of the turn, and a sound contact icon appears. I think he is targeting my center left. I order the mortar in this sector to attack this position again. This section has already fired 60 mortar rounds and in this next turn it will run dry.
I deploy an MG team against the pioneers - just 30 meters away - but they can't see them unless the pioneers are up and firing. They receive some automatic fire from the woods - a B.A.R. by the sound of it. I order the MG team to area fire the pioneers, hoping to suppress them while I move more troops across the open field.
Confirmed casualties: 58 U.S. / 32 German
No change on the left flank. The M10 and the Sherman moved forward by a few meters, making my smoke "attack" even more ineffective than it would have been. The smoke is quickly dispersed by winds. The M10 shells the position of the disabled AT gun with AP rounds. The Sherman continues to pour lead from its machineguns on my own MG positions. U.S. infantry shows little activity here.
No change on the center right. The last man of the U.S. MMG team is eliminated, but the five pioneers managed to find a corner with good cover and give me trouble. Together with some U.S. infantry on the left flank, they get off a few shots at my counterattack force. Even these few shots hit two men, out of 12 I was moving. Dangerous business to cross an open field. In the picture below, the MG in the foreground returns fire at the position of the U.S. pioneers.
Some enemy mortar activity out there. A spotting round (a second one, I think) falls right on the dead U.S. MMG team. I didn't hear the mortar that fired it. So it's probably offmap. My opponent probably has two 81mm offmap mortars in addition to the four on the map. And, unlike my mortars, all these have only spent a fraction of their ammunition. Watch out.
Another mortar is heard firing a round from the woods at the end of the turn, and a sound contact icon appears. I think he is targeting my center left. I order the mortar in this sector to attack this position again. This section has already fired 60 mortar rounds and in this next turn it will run dry.
I deploy an MG team against the pioneers - just 30 meters away - but they can't see them unless the pioneers are up and firing. They receive some automatic fire from the woods - a B.A.R. by the sound of it. I order the MG team to area fire the pioneers, hoping to suppress them while I move more troops across the open field.
Confirmed casualties: 58 U.S. / 32 German
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Actually, I think that's the most plausible explanationI guess he got hit by the canister coming down!
But this one didn't even hit the opening. It was a rear top hull hit. The rounds that fell into the compartment didn't seem to produce smoke. But I'm not complaining to Battlefront that situations involving smoke rounds going off inside vehicles are not properly modelled
The fact that it was an instant kill disproves this theory
But in truth, while asphyxiation probably wasn't an issue, I don't think that having the vehicle full of chemical smoke would exactly improve the fighting efficiency of the crew.
Another one from Turn 21, showing the two steel beasts in action.
Nice, you did manage to marshal the crew support teams into a mobile counter attack.
If he can't close support his tanks with some infantry, it will be risky for him to push them through regardless. Especially if you have some fausts left for a close in surprise.
It is a possibility, although so far CDavid has appeared as a cautious commander. The fact is that I only have a few fausts, and no schrecks [a mistake, Drifter Man]. And most of the fausts have joined the counterattack. Tanks that get behind hedgerows, in the absence of effective AT, are deadly. He could just roll through the next hedgerow, no one will stop him - and he could cause a local massacre with that Sherman. I've seen that happen in a recent battle.
Turn 22. Some shuffling around on the left flank. Some troops are seen retreating, others are coming in. Looks like individual soldiers or small teams rather than major movements. The commander of the M10 pops his head out, inexplicably, and gets it shot off, instantly. The crew reverses in panic.
With nothing to shoot at, the MG's fall silent. The Sherman cannot locate targets and falls silent, too.
At the crossroads an MG team faces off with a reduced squad of U.S. pioneers, but apparently neither can properly see the other. I give an area target order to the MG team because I need to keep these pioneers suppressed. After prolonged deliberation with his teammates, the gunner concludes that his pistol is the best weapon for the task. But they also use hand grenades, which could produce some kills. The MG team continues to receive fire from the woods (seems to be just one guy with a B.A.R.), but most of it is blocked by trees.
Finally, on the center left my HQ teams & co. reach the hedgerow and, as I anticipated and hoped, they find only a few scattered Americans and a fair amount of dead bodies. Among the casualties there is an 81mm mortar crew member - probably hit in the previous turn by the last mortar shells I had in this sector. Which surprises me. He must belong to one of these mortars that were stationed in the rear - did my opponent move them? And the mortar still shows as deployed. So it's alive and around.
As I said, my mortar team has run out of all ammo, and so I tell them to pack up and be ready to join the fight, together with their ammo bearers.
A U.S. tank crew and a HQ team are seen moving in. It really looks like the Americans are running low on men.
However, I realize I have just exposed my force to a flanking move by the Sherman. There is a dark corner where the Sherman could push its gun through a hedgerow and have my counterattacking force for dinner without me being able to shoot back with AT guns. Maybe my opponent doesn't find out. Maybe he doesn't realize that my AT guns can't see there. But while it is good to be prepared to take risks, it is never good to underestimate your opponent.
And so I pull back a bit with the intention to enter the woods at the bend near the crossroads. But for that I need to take good care of those pioneers. Dammit.
Confirmed casualties: 59 U.S. / 32 German.
With nothing to shoot at, the MG's fall silent. The Sherman cannot locate targets and falls silent, too.
At the crossroads an MG team faces off with a reduced squad of U.S. pioneers, but apparently neither can properly see the other. I give an area target order to the MG team because I need to keep these pioneers suppressed. After prolonged deliberation with his teammates, the gunner concludes that his pistol is the best weapon for the task. But they also use hand grenades, which could produce some kills. The MG team continues to receive fire from the woods (seems to be just one guy with a B.A.R.), but most of it is blocked by trees.
Finally, on the center left my HQ teams & co. reach the hedgerow and, as I anticipated and hoped, they find only a few scattered Americans and a fair amount of dead bodies. Among the casualties there is an 81mm mortar crew member - probably hit in the previous turn by the last mortar shells I had in this sector. Which surprises me. He must belong to one of these mortars that were stationed in the rear - did my opponent move them? And the mortar still shows as deployed. So it's alive and around.
As I said, my mortar team has run out of all ammo, and so I tell them to pack up and be ready to join the fight, together with their ammo bearers.
A U.S. tank crew and a HQ team are seen moving in. It really looks like the Americans are running low on men.
However, I realize I have just exposed my force to a flanking move by the Sherman. There is a dark corner where the Sherman could push its gun through a hedgerow and have my counterattacking force for dinner without me being able to shoot back with AT guns. Maybe my opponent doesn't find out. Maybe he doesn't realize that my AT guns can't see there. But while it is good to be prepared to take risks, it is never good to underestimate your opponent.
And so I pull back a bit with the intention to enter the woods at the bend near the crossroads. But for that I need to take good care of those pioneers. Dammit.
Confirmed casualties: 59 U.S. / 32 German.
You made a grave grammatical mistake, failing to conjugate the adjective 'verdammt' in the nominative plural.
Un-Führer-givable! :shocknaz:
But I think your superior officer will excuse even this, as your counterattack seems to be succesful.
Un-Führer-givable! :shocknaz:
But I think your superior officer will excuse even this, as your counterattack seems to be succesful.
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I imagine my German teacher (almost 20 years ago!) drawing his Luger to put a bullet to my head.
My own German skills are quite rübbish by the way. But since I can't comment on the tactics...
It just feels appropriate to use whatever rübbisch German I have when in command of these pixeltruppen in grey uniforms.
I look forward to your comments on tactics after the end - if you are still willing to share any!
I look forward to your comments on tactics after the end - if you are still willing to share any!
Scheiße! Ich habe es nicht gewusst, das ich keine taktiken sagen darf. ;-)
Yes my German is rusty like a 8mm Mauser cartridge which has been barried since WW2. Although perhaps my old German teacher would be proud that I even remember some stuff.
Der Die Das Dem and all the rest of them couldn't bother me. Same thing for French. Getting high during the break was higher on the list ;-). Although somehow I made it to uni so I must have done some things well enough.
All those years later I wished I paid some better attention during class ( and practiced more). Speaking various languages always comes in handy!
Yes my German is rusty like a 8mm Mauser cartridge which has been barried since WW2. Although perhaps my old German teacher would be proud that I even remember some stuff.
Der Die Das Dem and all the rest of them couldn't bother me. Same thing for French. Getting high during the break was higher on the list ;-). Although somehow I made it to uni so I must have done some things well enough.
All those years later I wished I paid some better attention during class ( and practiced more). Speaking various languages always comes in handy!
It does indeed look like your opponent doesn't have too much infantry left.
With regards to your last PaK soldier on the left flank gun: I wouldn't be surprised if he will actually fire the gun if he gets a solid contact and enough time. An armored arc target might help him remind. IIRC I faced an 88 not too long ago, with only one or two crew remaining, which was still very active (to my surprise, as I thought it was abandoned/decrewed).
No worries about that - I just don't want to get advice from veterans while CDavid gets none.
Anyway, stay tuned! Lead is about to start flying again. Another update comes today - with some unhealthy bloodletting on both sides!
Anyway, stay tuned! Lead is about to start flying again. Another update comes today - with some unhealthy bloodletting on both sides!
Just noticed your motto @Lethaface (Ferdinand Foch?). It fits my situation somewhat...
Turn 23. Another quiet turn on the left flank - but perhaps the last one for some time. My mortar keeps shelling an infantry position on target light and earns the attention of the Sherman, which responds with machine guns and this time takes out 1 crew. The mortar is still operational with 2 men remaining. The M10 crew come back to their senses and the vehicle moves up to the hedgerow. But the big new is an estimated rifle platoon - looks like a full strength unit that my opponent has kept in reserve - is advancing from the woods towards the hedgerow. That's good. I've been hoping for more action :shootero:
At the crossroads I eliminate the tank crew and the B.A.R. The pioneers seem to have had enough of the area-firing MG team at 30 meters (they finally started using the main weapon) and are retreating. However, the leading element of my little offensive - AT company HQ - gets under fire as soon as it crosses the road into the woods, from a previously unseen M1917A1 HMG team. The enemy HMG is not deployed and is waiting by the roadside, but their carbines are deadly. I lose two men and a third one will probably follow soon.
The neglected right flank sees some mortar activity. The enemy 81mm mortars in the rear wake up again, sending a few shells on the sniper's corner that I used earlier for some flanking attacks. But the sniper is long gone. In turn, my own mortar starts delivering an accurate short mission against the enemy HMG deployed in the corner of the map.
The mortar position is confirmed in the woods of the "Arrow" but I can't tell what it is firing at.
I'm bringing more reinforcements to the left flank. A fifth HMG team and my last mortar here will start deploying within 1-2 turns. They must hold against a rifle platoon supported by a tank and a tank destroyer, plus anything my opponent may have held back until this point. Crunch time.
Confirmed casualties: 63 U.S. / 35 German
At the crossroads I eliminate the tank crew and the B.A.R. The pioneers seem to have had enough of the area-firing MG team at 30 meters (they finally started using the main weapon) and are retreating. However, the leading element of my little offensive - AT company HQ - gets under fire as soon as it crosses the road into the woods, from a previously unseen M1917A1 HMG team. The enemy HMG is not deployed and is waiting by the roadside, but their carbines are deadly. I lose two men and a third one will probably follow soon.
The neglected right flank sees some mortar activity. The enemy 81mm mortars in the rear wake up again, sending a few shells on the sniper's corner that I used earlier for some flanking attacks. But the sniper is long gone. In turn, my own mortar starts delivering an accurate short mission against the enemy HMG deployed in the corner of the map.
The mortar position is confirmed in the woods of the "Arrow" but I can't tell what it is firing at.
I'm bringing more reinforcements to the left flank. A fifth HMG team and my last mortar here will start deploying within 1-2 turns. They must hold against a rifle platoon supported by a tank and a tank destroyer, plus anything my opponent may have held back until this point. Crunch time.
Confirmed casualties: 63 U.S. / 35 German