Section Leaders:
Fionn Kelly & Madmatt

Riesberg

American – Reisberg
Turn 7

For the purposes of this AAR, I have assumed the personality of Capt. Turner, unit A-0.

PASSWORD FOR MOVIES = fo4

Save this link for turn 7 movie file

Orders – Turn 7

 There’s not too much I can tell Baker and Charlie Platoons to do other than fight it out.  Fox is to continue it’s flanking maneuver.  Four of the five heavy weapons teams are ordered forward a few yards more to help suppress the units on my vulnerable left flank.  The two left-hand tanks are going to be a big help as they have clear sightlines to enemy units engaged with Baker.  The other two tanks are going to hunt forward through the scattered trees to find better targets.

I’ve told Lt. Jared to plan a fire mission on that AT gun to our left.  It will be at least 2 minutes before the rounds start falling.  Finally, my reserve platoon is moving a little closer to the front but I don’t feel the time is right yet for them to make their appearance.

 
The dilemma this turn is what should I do about the units that have appeared on my left flank? Will he counter attack or just sit tight?  I can’t afford many more turns like the last one.

Action – Turn 7

Overall, the battle is going much better for us than it was just a minute ago but we did take some unnecessary losses that we wouldn’t have if I had thought through my orders a little better.  We’ve eliminated three units and pushed almost all the rest out of this side of the village.  We lost an HQ section and a bazooka team.

Let’s start with the negative and then go to the positive.   We lost the entire HQ section of Charlie Platoon as it was advancing on the houses.  I should have kept him in the ditch by the road where he could have been in contact with his two squads in the houses but still not exposed to the enemy’s flanking fire.  After we lost them, one of the two squads broke and ran back to the ditch.  I don’t think it was the fire from the Volksgrenadier squad in the house with him that did them in but that fire from the left flank.  If I would have moved him on top of the enemy unit to engage in hand to hand combat.  I’m confident that enemy units on his flank wouldn’t have been able to see him.  Charlie’s attached bazooka was lost in approximately the same wasteful manner as the HQ section.

Both the American and German units in this house have panicked due to fire from their respective flanks.  In a few more seconds, they will simultaneously break, run out of the house, and suffer even more casualties.

 Baker Platoon’s fight went much better, mainly due to the supporting fire from tanks Victor-1 & -2.  They only lost a couple more men and the squads opposing them were wiped out.

 
This German squad is about to be eliminated.  I’m convinced that fire from Victor-1 (shown above) was the primary reason even though it doesn’t show up in her kill stats because the enemy unit is still not fully identified.

My tanks have begun to establish their dominance over the battlefield this turn.  As stated above, they supported Baker and then turned their attention to my weak left flank.  Hopefully the enemy has no more AT weapons than the two panzerschreck teams I’ve spotted and that AT gun off to my left.  If so, these tanks will quickly turn this skirmish into a rout. 

 
Here, fire from two tanks has forced a German squad to take cover instead of pouring fire onto my troops.

Speaking of that AT gun, Lt. Jared can now see him.  Unfortunately, he tells me the arty is still at least 2 min away.  I have decided to bring Dog platoon into the action on my left flank as soon as this gun is put out of action.

 
My 105 FO is beside me.  He reports his target is in sight.  The sooner we get rid of that gun the better.  On the left of the picture, you can see Dog platoon slowly moving forward.

Fox platoon’s move around the flank is going to be delayed a few minutes.  Some of them got a little rattled and headed for some unobserved low ground instead of moving where I asked them.  Fortunately, they didn’t take any casualties.  Finally, the Heavy Weapons platoon is now a solid rock on the corner of my L shaped line.  I may want them to move a little in a few minutes, but I like their field of observation right now.

 
Lt. Booth firmly in control of the six active heavy weapons teams.

 “Butcher’s” Bill