The new German threat needs to be quickly dealt with before they can get to and reinforce the town. The enemy battalion is just two moves away from effectively sealing off the Allied objective. The flanking Polish Paratrooper battalion swings round to meet this threat as the Germans have entered its Operational Zone. All part of the pre-battle planning, good Polish staff work or just luck, you decide. At the very least there is no danger of friendly fire here and the Poles get a crack at the leading elements in trucks! To assist them in their mayhem the Polish FOO is sitting on the top of the hill lining up the 75mm pack howitzers (see below).
The Center:
Meanwhile the effective German resistance outside the town crumbles. To the north of the table (see below, top of picture) the German Recon battalion is in full retreat, to the south (see below, middle right of picture) the Recon Battalion is organizing a last stand in a wood just outside the town. The Paratroopers and Air-Landing troops have the numbers. Inside the town itself the German Engineer battalion has lined the perimeter but cannot defend it all and somewhere it will be flanked.
The Relief Effort:
The German relief effort if thwarted in its rush to the town. The Polish paras get stuck in and wipe out the motorized elements with indirect fire and start a fierce fire-fight in the woods (see top right below). A second German motorized infantry battalion appears (on foot, this time with its supports to the rear of the formation) and is immediately engaged with direct fire. No effect (as per casualties) but an immediate order change to engage the enemy which puts paid to any "rush" to the town. Numbers will eventually tell here but the Polish paratrooper will be a tough nut to get through and will cost precious time for the Germans. That time will be spent attacking the isolated Germans in the town.
The Final Assault:
As the fun starts on the right the the town is about to be assaulted. The wood manning the last point of resistance outside the town is evacuated and the recon elements stream back to the town, the defenders of which cannot engage the leading elements of the paratroopers for fear of friendly fire (see below, right middle) Explanation: The two elements just about to enter the town are German recon, the elements in the wood are Polish, but the defenders lining the town are from a different German battalion/formation from the recon unit, therefore would not know friend from foe. If they were going to shoot they would shoot the closest, so fire is checked.
At this point the game is called (time gentlemen please): A tactical Allied and a very "probable" strategic victory. Four Allied battalions attacking (two of which are huge) attacking a battered recon battalion (approaching half strength) and a small German engineer battalion. The crux point being the Paratroopers/Air-Landing troops would be able to pin the defenders with direct fire and also flank and enter the town unopposed, setting up rear attacks on the defenders (the Allied troops are also elite).
A nice BGC scenario, despite the long Paratrooper "yomp" was well worth all the effort.
Final Comments:
No doubt about it, the Airborne Polish Brigade are a very nice little unit, I may get round to forming this one up myself. Re: scenario it would have been nice to play another two turns to settle the matter. If the Allied players had "gone" earlier (grouping time) I think it would have back-fired as the numbers would not have been sufficient to make an immediate impact on the defenders. It was a tough one for the German player as he had to wait for a variable reinforcement and was "damned if he was too aggressive, but also damned if he wasn't aggressive enough".
Great series of posts Geordie.
ReplyDeleteWell done.