Blue, Gray, and Bocage Scenario-American Perspective

[choppinlt]

All, I apologize for such a large gap with few posts. The plan was to get this scenario rolling much sooner, but that just didn't happen. I was also hoping to have some good programming updates, but I have no news there either. In a sense we have been idle for a few months, though I can assure you I have been making some progress in a number of different areas.

Among other things I have created the scenario visuals using the excellent Vassal engine with a considerable amount of time and effort. It's not perfect, but it is good enough to effectively display this scenario. I will continue to tweak things as we go along, but you should get a real feel for what I am trying to accomplish. So I will have 2 threads for this scenario: one for the Americans and one for the Germans. This scenario will implement various different game algorithms such as combat resolution, command delays, detection, and artillery fire missions. These items still require thorough play-testing which can only be achieved once we have an alpha version well under way. Needless to say we are not there yet, so that means I am applying all algorithms manually using spreadsheets to calculate various things, and using my Vassal scenario to plot it out. This scenario will also highlight the multiplayer concept for TO. We currently have 3 players all geographically separated, with 2 American players and a German player. I am only playing the role of "computer". If we have any takers we can show how battles can be played using a different game and inputting results. For instance if we have some Combat Mission players that want to play out a battle that develops, we can do that! Game turns will proceed for 2 game hours, at which time the players will have the opportunity to tweak/issue new orders.

So without further ado...

0600 11 JUL 44 SitRep- Today we unleash our offensive with the goal of taking St. Lo. The 115th regiment is in line formation occupying a large frontage. 2nd battalion is occupying an area further west, and is not immediately available. A and B companies are currently disorganized (amber cohesion indicator) due to a pre dawn attack from the FSJ. 116th is in column and poised to be the primary attack force. The 3rd battalion has 2 attached tank companies plus an engineer company, while the 1st and 2nd battalions only have an engineer company attached. The 175th is entirely in reserve, but is available and awaiting orders. They can be used to help exploit any success that the 116th has during their assault. We have an excellent supply situation with an adequate number of replacements. The division has been in constant enemy contact since June 6, but is in good condition to conduct the attack. Lastly, while we have undisputed air superiority, though weather has prevented airpower from being decisive recently. Expect more of the same weather, though airpower will be on standby when the weather clears. You have 1 week to take St. Lo, now make it happen.

Enemy Intel- the enemy we have been facing continues to be a weakened regiment of Fallschirm troops, almost exclusively. They are well trained, well led, and highly motivated. They have proven excellent in defending the hedgerows, however they have been in continuous combat for a month with little respite, limited resupply, and virtually no replacements. Due to the complications from hedgerow fighting they have been able to continually form new lines of resistance with prepared defenses as we overwhelm the previous position. Furthermore, the Fallschirm are widely spread, and only show the ability to conduct limited local counterattacks to date. The Germans know the importance of St. Lo, so expect possible enemy reinforcements the more we threaten St. Lo.

Player orders for game start: the immediate plan is to attack on a wide front when 1/115 is ready. In the mean time, the "dogs of war" (i.e. artillery) will be used to harass German positions and pin them. 4 batteries of 105's are given the Harass Fire Mission, with 1 battery engaging each company position. Notice I said "battery" (i.e.firing element). Each battalion had 3 batteries and players can coordinate a fire plan for each battery. The remainder of the arty will be on counter-battery and opportunity fire missions.

The battle is on, stay tuned for results! For more details regarding this scenario you can visit http://dogsofwarvu.com/forum/index.php/topic,2157.0.html As always, feel free to ask questions.

[choppinlt]

Current time 0800 Hours

Turn 1 Staff Report: 1/115 lies idle recovering its cohesion. Full cohesion is anticipated around 1200 today. In the mean time 4 batteries of 105's put harrassing fire on the 4 known German positions (i.e.1 battery each location) for the entire turn in attempt to pin any potential German movements. In all, over 3000 lbs of ordnance were expended on the German positions. No enemy movement was detected, and there was no other action to report.

0800 Plan of Action: the artillery will continue its harrassing fire in hopes of limiting German movements.

We have already deviated from history without an initial assault. It seems the Americans are in a "hurry up and wait" mode as 1/115 continues to recover.

[choppinlt]

Current Time 1000

Turn 2 Staff Report: this turn is a virtual repeat of Turn 1. The 4 batteries of 105’s continue their harassment of the 4 front line German companies by expending another 3000+lbs of ordnance. There is no other artillery fire since no enemy movement was detected. There was no other action this turn except A/115 and B/115 recovers to “degraded” cohesion.



1000 Plan of Action:Cohesion recovery for A and B Companies of 1/115 is progressing as anticipated. With this in mind the American commanders will now give orders to unleash their plan. It is hoped that the combined efforts of a simultaneous general attack will be worth the initial delay. Assignments are as follows: 3/115 will attack south against the right divisional boundary with artillery support from A/92 and 115 Cannon Co. A, B, and C companies of 115 will NOT recombine in to a single integrated battalion. They will attack as independent companies (i.e. less efficient). Each of these companies will have 2 batteries of 105's for arty support provided by 110 FAB and 111 FAB. 3/116 will attack southwest supported by B/92 and 116 Cannon Co. 2/116 (the main assault) will then move south attacking down the left divisional boundary supported by 224 FAB and 227 FAB. 1/116 will follow behind in reserve. 967 FAB will remain in general support. The primary purpose of all attacks are to pin and dilute German efforts while the main assault by 2/116 attempts a breakthrough. The general attack is set to kickoff at 1200 hours, and it will be preceded by a bombardment at 1145.

Game Note-orders are given now to account for command delays. The average command delay is 45 minutes. but there are many factors that affect this...mostly factors that create longer delays. So the orders are given now so the attack can kick off at noon.



The front is about to explode....Stay tuned for the results!!

[choppinlt]

Current Time 1200 Hours

Turn 3 Staff Report-Harrasing fire continues until 1145 when all the American artillery roars to life at once in a preparatory bombardment of the German positions. 24 155mm howitzers, 48 105mm howitzers and 24 4.2-inch mortars combine to expend over 14 tons of ordnance in 15 minutes. 227 FAB and 224 FAB concentrate fire on the German company occupying the position on the far right flank (as we view the battlefield). Moving from right to left, 111 FAB, 116 Cannon Co, and B/92 concentrate on the next German position.  110 FAB and A/92 concentrate on the next German position, and finally the 967 FAB and the 115 Cannon Co. I illustrated where the artillery was concentrating on the map (the yellow dashed lines). As the artillery roars, 2/116 and 1/116 start approach movement to close the gap behind 3/116 in it's prelude to the assault. In the mean time A and B of 115 fully recover to good cohesion. Ready or not, here we come...

1200 Plan of Action-the orders have been given, now all we can do is watch as the plan unfolds and await results. Stay tuned...

[choppinlt]

Sorry about the slow turn around, but there was A LOT of things going on this turn...

Current Time 1400 Hours

Turn 4 Staff Report: As planned, the Americans start their general assault immediately following the artillery bombardment. At 1216 C/115 makes first contact with the enemy. After a sharp engagement C/115 ceased its attack at 1317 hours. It suffered 12 casualties, made no advance, and is currently recovering from degraded cohesion. Of special note the Germans in this area received indirect fire support from a battery of 120mm mortars.

At 1224 3/115, A/115, and B/115 make contact with enemy forces. 3/115 is still conducting its attack, and is meeting strong resistance. They have advanced less than 200m, and their attack is anticipated to end prior to 1430. (This is a way of saying that the unit is going to run out of impetus). Game Note: more information is not given because it is still conducting the attack and has not had time to give proper reporting. A/115 was able to give better reports because their attack ended over 30 minutes ago.

A/115- this engagement was resolved using Advanced Squad Leader(ASL). The Americans advanced 200m and suffered 10 casualties. They are currently recovering from degraded cohesion.

B/115 ceased their attack at 1330 hours after suffering 11 casualties and advancing 100m. They are currently recovering from degraded cohesion.

At 1240 hours 3/116 made contact with the enemy. Their attack is still under way, but they are meeting strong resistance. They have advanced less than 200m so far and their attack is anticipated to end before 1500.

At 1248 hours 2/116 makes contact with the enemy. They are still conducting their attack, and are meeting strong resistance. They have advanced less than 200m so far and their attack is anticipated to end before 1530.

Game Note: all American units had a Persistence Level of ‘Determined’. You can visit the forum thread talking about persistence for more information, but ‘Determined’ is the all-purpose level. Stubborn persistence means that a unit is willing to suffer major casualties in attempting to reach its objectives. Cautious means that a unit is more willing to give ground and preserve casualties.

Unit Dispositions at 1248 Hours


1400 Unit Dispositions



1400 Plan of Action: The advance thus far has been disappointing, however progress is being made. The basic plan right now is to continue the pressure as best as we can. While the other engagements wind down, orders are given to combine companies A, B, and C back in to 1/115. This should allow them to be a bit more efficient in the attack. Furthermore the timing is good, because 1/115 should be ready to go about the same time the other battalions are done with their engagements and reorganize. This way all front line battalions can engage at the same time. Additionally, there are 2 companies of tanks still offboard (1 medium, 1 light tank), and they will be given orders to combine with 1/116. Hopefully we can make the next assault a larger hammer blow!

[choppinlt]

CURRENT TIME 1600 Hours

Turn 5 Staff Report:3/115 continued its assault against a persistent enemy until running out of steam at 1426. They were able to advance 200m while suffering 31 casualties. They are well under way reorganizing after having degraded cohesion. Intel reports that the German ground troops were supported by a battery of 120mm mortars.

3/116 continued with its supporting attack. At 1455 the battalion commander ceases the attack after advancing 200m and suffering 39 casualties. They have degraded cohesion and they are recovering in preparation for another assault. They report being hit by German 105’s.

2/116 continued to grind forward against stubborn resistance. The impetus of their attack ended at 1513 after advancing 300m. They suffered 54 total casualties and lost 7 tanks. They have degraded cohesion, and they are currently reorganizing. Intel reports that our armor attracted a lot of attention from German artillery. A battery of 120mm mortars, 105mm howitzers, and 88’s were supporting the defense.

Companies A, B, and C/115 were given orders to recombine back in to 1/115, and movement started at 1500. The battalion was reformed by 1540 with no German artillery responding to the movement. 1/115 is now recovering degraded cohesion.

Companies C and D/747 Tank Battalion first entered the map at 1521 hours making their way to 1/116 to form a battlegroup. Sir the battlegroup is formed and awaiting orders.

Note: the results are all in and the Americans suffered 156 total casualties and lost 7 tanks in this round of engagements.

Unit Positions as of 1600


1600 Plan of Action: The plan is simple...reload, reorganize, and re-engage for hammer blow number 2! All units will be reorganized and ready to go no earlier than 1740. With this in mind, units are being issued orders to kickoff the next attack at 1800. In addition to the battalions that attacked last time, the 116th is disposing of its reserve (1/116), and the newly formed battlegroup is going to be thrown in the line.

While the units are preparing for the next round, we are issuing orders to bombard the enemy positions to try and soften them up even more. It takes an hour to produce a fire plan, so our units won't be available to fire on the enemy until 1700. This will give us 60 minutes to bombard their positions and further soften them up. We plan to really test our supply system! 

[choppinlt]

Current Time 1800 Hours

Turn 6 Staff Report: All is quiet as units reorganize and prepare until the planned preparatory bombardment commences at 1700. For the next hour US artillery expends almost 70 tons of ordnance on the enemy positions.

The following units come online after reorganizing and are ready to go at the following times:
2/116-1715 Hours
3/116-1655
1/115-1740
3/115-1645

1/116 is sitting in reserve and is awaiting orders. The response of this unit will depend on how the engagements unfold.

American Fire Plan Commencing at 1700


1800 Plan of Action: ...let slip the dogs of war! It is now a waiting game. We will watch the assault unfold and assess our progress.This is our last assault of the day before nightfall, so let it be successful!

[Asid]

1800 Plan of Action: ...let slip the dogs of war! It is now a waiting game. We will watch the assault unfold and assess our progress.This is our last assault of the day before nightfall, so let it be successful!

 


Looking good

[choppinlt]

Current Time 2000 Hours  This report was updated on 21 Nov

Turn 7 Staff Report: at 1800 all forces move out and re-engage the enemy. At 1808 hours 2/116 makes contact with 227 FAB and B/92 in support of the attack. Following shortly are 3/115 and 3/116 making contact at 1810 hours. 3/116 is supported by 224 FAB and 116th Cannon Co. 3/115 is supported by 110 FAB and A/92. 1/115 then makes contact at 1811 and is supported by 111 FAB and 115 Cannon Co. 1/116 stands by in reserve and is awaiting further orders…

We will pause here to see if any battles are fought on the tactical level. If you are interested in participating, all you need to do is volunteer here on the forum! In the mean time I will compute the anticipated results…

Troop dispositions as of 1811 hours

[Mad Mike]

We will pause here to see if any battles are fought on the tactical level. If you are interested in participating, all you need to do is volunteer here on the forum! In the mean time I will compute the anticipated results…

As stated earlier, I would be happy to play one engagement in CMx2 - CMBN H2H against a real opponent.
I'm available if you think one of these battles is suitable.

[choppinlt]

Mad Mike, yes I think that these battles have great potential for CM. Do you have an opponent, or do you need someone to volunteer on the forum? Or did you have some other arrangement in mind?

[Mad Mike]

Mad Mike, yes I think that these battles have great potential for CM. Do you have an opponent, or do you need someone to volunteer on the forum? Or did you have some other arrangement in mind?

I don't have an opponent yet. I think TacticalWargamer has expressed interest in the past. If nobody shows up here, I think I should always be able to find someone on one of the CM-specific websites.

Maybe if we could work out the engagement parameters for a CM battle first and then look for somebody to join me as my opponent?
What kind of engagements do you have in mind? Battalion-sized attacks with support? Or something smaller?

[choppinlt]

Mad Mike, yes there are 4 battalions going in to action. 2 of them are reinforced with an engineer company, and one of these has 2 tank companies! Then all of them have several batteries of artillery in support.

OK, let's give people another day to see, then you can solicit players on other sites. Sound good? Any more questions?

[A Canadian Cat]

I can fight opposite someone - either Mad Mike or we can each find another opponent.  There are several sites that we are both involved in that I am sure we can find an opponent to play.  So, up to you.  Do you want multiple battles or is one enough?

[choppinlt]

Up to you Cat! I can entertain up to 8 tactical players this round. So let's do it this way, you and Mad Mike pair up and then if we have anyone else we can worry about that later! You two quickly discuss which side you prefer and which battle you prefer. If you don't care which battle, let me know and I will assign one to you.