The Belgian wall

[samba_liten]

Decided it was time to tackle these tasty ww3 scenarios after having messed with some smaller insurgent type actions.

Took a look at the map and decided that the best place to defend the crossroads was from the group of buildings just east of it. Moved 2 thirds of one company in there. Moved the last platoon of that company to some woods south west of the crossroads. Guessing that the attack would come from the north, i sent two scorpions north of the big patch of woods north of the crossroads to give me some warning of what i was up against and sent the rest of that company crashing through the woods, intending to keep them in reserve.

In the event, the attack started so whole heartedly fom the north i deployed the reserve along the eastern edge of the big patch of wood they were hiding in, to try and take the edge off the attack before it got to the v hexes.

That worked well for 6 turns or so. By then i pulled the northern platoon out of the line, fearing an artillery attack, which duly crashed down on the just vacated patch of woods. Unfortunately it was followed by a concentrated airstrike by 4 fighters, which knocked out most of the platoon. by turn 10 the enemy had lost a ton of apcs, but i had only seen one tank, which i knocked out down south, where my own tanks were waiting for an attack that did not seem to want to come.

Shortly afterwards 10 or so t72s trundled out of the woods east of my position in the buildings. They had slipped past my tanks.
It is now turn 15, and my position in the woods has crumbled. I am re-establishing it along the south edge of the same patch of woods for a last ditch defence of the cross roads. The position in the buildings is holding but not for much longer. The t72s have run straight through it, almost to the crossroads, but were stopped 100 meters or so short by airstrikes and my 3 noble leopards, of whom 2 are now knocked out. One survives, and commands the southern arm of the crossroads.

Dont think i can hold the t72s off if there are enough of them left for another lunge. I have that lone tank, about 6 IFVs a machine gun team and 2 or 3 milan teams grouped in defence of the crossroads. My best guess is that about half the t72s are still out there somewhere.

The enemy infantry was destroyed while still in their IFVs. A few squads survive, but seem to pose only a limited threat. My own riflemen are largely untouched by the fighting so far.

Look forward to finishing this one. (After placating my girlfried who is irate at my extended session )

[samba_liten]

By turn 20 the enemy had moved his remaining tanks through my positions. He lost 1 to a LAW, with another immobilized. I tried a counter attack with my remaining MBT, but it was knocked out. By turn 22 the enemy had taken the crossroads. I launched a counter attack from the southern portion of the woods north of the crossroads, as well as from the woods south west of them, but to little avail. My remaining APC's were mostly knocked out by RPGs or the 5 remaining T72s. My infantry managed to briefly take back 2 victory hexes before being routed by concentrated tank fire.

The game ended a draw on turn 26 out of 30.

Next time i get around to this one i think ill do something more with my tanks. Leaving them down south seemed a good idea at the time, but as no attack materialized in that area, i had to aproach the enemy instead of them moving into my rather nicely sited ambush. That cost me my tanks, and i believe, the victory.

[Timmie]

I just did something very strange.

I played the scenario and won by 10 000 points at turn 5.

Turn 1-2: deployed 1 company in the town and 1 company in the north. Used the 3 Leo's as defensive line in the south.

Then they attacked and I really crushed them. Before they could get one shot at me I really smashed their MBT's and AIFV's... I lost 2 men and 2 tanks. They lost 168 men, 28 vehicles and 9 tanks... what a victory

10 000 points +
enemy: 500 points

[brummbaer]

Me too! I almost felt sorry for the poor polish.
I lost a few IFV and 2 Leopards, and also one F-16 downed while trying to save a critical moment just east of the village.
But in the end the score was over 10:1 with a polish batallion knocked out for good.

[Smersh]

I love the scale of this mission. It's very easy to command, unlike some of the much larger missions.

[wulfir]

WWIII�

Germany,�August 16, 1989�.

The Belgian 5th Line Battalion is about to tear into it...


�arrayed against them Polish troops lusting for revenge�








Time for you to get up and attain glory�.

[maniak]

I took the Northern task force and deployed them in the western woods covering the northern approach route. I had left a small contingent covered by a few trees in the open west to the treeline of the northern village, to see if they would push west.

The southern task force took the village east to the objectives. Milan ATGMs were looking over the lake and along the approach road, most rifle sections were deployed at the eastern end of the village. Two sections on the southern entrance to the village. SAM's in the Western Woods. A few rifle sections north of objective village, paired with MMG's, two MILANS and the Scorpion light tanks.

Tanks deployed in the southeastern area, waiting to spot a possible attack axis around the hill or over the hill in the middle of the map.

So long the plan. In the North a few BRDM-Scouts were seen and shot with MILANs. Probably an attack from the north..but nothing large yet. The tanks spot a few BWPs coming from the east, and destroy them. I move a bit north with them cautiously, manage to kill some more BWP's. Then the Leos get killed by freshly arrived T72. I have one Leo left. I move him to the southern victory hex, waiting if the AI moves his T72's here.

Around that time the attack in the north begins. BWP's run into well-set-up MILAN teams and momentum stalls. Soon they get some 152mm arty. My northern lookout causes some damage. AI is pissed and puts three airstrike on about two sections and one APC. The lookout gets wasted. So my northern position crumbles. AI tries to move from the north trough the western woods. I peel back to the village through the safe woods. Now some BWPs pop out from the Hill and I have a hard time keeping them away. I run into some pressure now. I lose a few APC's and there seems to be a good spotter somewhere..very accurate arty. I manage to damage AI planes and down one as they try to bomb the village. No more airstrikes for Mr. Poland. Nothing really happens around the northern approach. BWPs get wasted by MILAN, Scorpion tanks and even the APC's from the woods score some BWP kills. I manage to surpress the AI push to the western woods.

Suddenly some T72 tanks rush out to the eastern approach of the objective village. In the south, the same happens, but along the road. Leo ambushes one tank and moves back to the western wood to ambush more. Situation getting a bit tense. I place some airstrikes a bit close to my own guys. A very accurate F16 cluster bombing killed a lot of T72. The two rifle sections ambush two T72 tanks at the southern entrance to objective village, one MILAN in the western woods scores a random T72 kill (very unlikely hit chance). Leo kills a few more T72 at the southern entrance. Eastern rifle section ambushes the last T72. Relief. Now I put all my force into the north, as the cluster attack stalled also the Infantry/BWP attack in the east.

I open a kill zone where the northern attack stalled and counterattack, again, through the western woodland with some reserve units. They can't hold the position in the northern village exit under constant 152mm arty and pull back. I let the counterattack infantry mount up and drive behind their force, manage to kill their HQ. After that, the Polish force is in disarray. The counterattackers are used to block the retreat (always on main roads, pretty predictable) in disarray now, more points for me.

13000:700 points win after turn 19. I was pretty surprised that normal rifle sections make such good tank ambushers...I normally use units with satchel charges. I would probably have lost without that F16 strike..guess that was pretty lucky