Ducks in the Valley

[loflyh]

Haven't played in awhile and decided I do a random battle between USNG forces and Iraqi insurgents. Forces arrayed were as follows:

US
2 NG Mech Inf Co.
1 Armoured Co.
1 Mech Support Co.
1 Palidin Plt.
1 Armoured Eng. Sec.
1 203mm FG Sec.
2 Apache Helos w/ rockets and mg
2 Apache Helos w/rockets? and hellfire
2 OH-58

Iraqi
At least 6 Inf Co.
6 AA Guns
4-8 RPG AT units
4 Tubes of onboard 122mm FH
Enough mortars to choke a horse. ( I hates mortars )

Map
The map is 80 hexes N - S by 100 hexes E - W

All cities(1), towns(2) and villages (2) are on the eastern side of the map and sitting on top of a ridge running Nw - E -Sw forming a cresent, everything to the east of this line is flat ground, the western half is a valley, which narrows to only 4 hexes in the NE and climbs another flat ridge line, which disappears off the map edge in the SW section. The whole map is dessert with soft sand in scattered places.

Engagement Type
Meeting.

Date: August 2004

Deployment
I've deployed my armour in the northern half of the map. Since must of the victory hexes were on the eastern and SE side of the map, I figured the AI would drive everything down the middle and lower half of the map. With my tanks up north, I could swoop down and behind the AI and catch it in a vice, then sqeeze ...yeah, right!!

Mean while, my infantry would deploy to the middle and lower half of my side. It would be a race, since I was a Mechinzed force, I'd easily win the race to pass through the victory hexes and setup positions further to the west, then wait for the AI to march into my jaws ...I'm such a sucker for the dramatic!!

Turns 1-3
Yep, just as perdicted, thru the hexes to Grandma's house ...and why did that vehicle just drive thru a building and become immobilzed?

Oh, it was dodging an RPG!! What about the 4 immobilized tanks? Two hit by RPG's,1 hit by 122mm HE and 1 unknown and I've not seen a single enemy yet ...where are the choppers?

Move OH-58's forward and see what we can ...DANG!! Shotdown by 57mm AA gun ...second one running for cover ...ok, move the AH-64's then, only this time across the lower half of the map so they will be protected by the buildings in the town down that way ...SPOTTED!! 2 Enemy mortars and 2 AA guns, blast those guns ...wham-bam thank you AH-64's.

Turns 4-6
I haven't spotted any infantry, but I know they are there and decide to drop some arty in the middle of the valley to disrupt their movement.

At this time my armour arrives in the NW town and has come under fire from RPG's, at least 1 122mm How and small arms, no casualites, but no enemy spotted either ...

In the town on the S-SW part of map, my Mechnized Inf has come under fire from advancing enemy, but at least they can see targets and dispite losses of 3 M2A2's, 1 squad and 1 Dragon Sec, are holding their own and dealing damage.

The middle of the map has caused some concern, my forces did not advance fast enough ( don't ask why ) and enemy forces have occupied several buildings in the village unseen ...fly in soup for sure.

Turns 7 - 8
I expected the hammer blow to fall in the middle or lower half of the map ...but, the AI had other plans!!

My armour in the north is being hard pressed by RPG toting infantry, which can get quit close because of terrain.

Except for the enemy occuping a village in the middle of the map, that section is quite ...maybe dropping all that arty in the valley had something to do with that or maybe it's because the AI is attacking in the north and south instead of the middle!!

In the south, my infantry is down to only 4 M2A2's still running and they are running low on ammo!! Now it becomes clear to me, it's time to redirect arty and move units from the middle of the map to the south to re-enforce my units down there but first, I'll have to clear that town in the middle ...this is going to be so much fun

Turns 9 - 10
Don't you love it when your right and don't know your right, so you change your mind thinking you were wrong, when all along you were right

I shifted my arty to the south and began dropping some on the village in the middle so I can move through it and support my units further south ...darn AI won't, will not and is not doing it's part!!

As I began to move units, they came under increasing fire, not from the village SW of them, but from the valley to the west!! My arty must have tied down quit a few units in that valley, cause now they are coming out of the wood works

Fine ...that's F - I - N - E!!!
Forget the original idea, I'm moving tanks out, let's go!!

Turns 12 - 13
I move two tanks, all that's left mobile in one of my armour platoons due west, another 3 in the second platoon SW and the third platoon south. Surprise, I catch what looks like thousands of enemy infantry in the valley floor, all heading straight east for my now thinned out infantry units and what's this, I can see what must be every mortar in the AI's arsenal, time to clean house (I hates mortars)

End Turns 14 - 15
My tanks sweep across the valley floor, only losing two more tanks to immobilization and puts the AI on the run. Good idea, if just a little to late though ...