Subj: AAR-- Bridge at Cheneux CG
Date: 5/14/98 1:44:37 PM Pacific Daylight Time
From: samb@exchange.microsoft.com (Sam Belcher (Exchange))

>Jim Johnstoneand I just completed the first scenario in
> the "Bridge at Cheneux" CG and thought I'd post a little AAR. I will
> refer to Jim as "Major Newbie" throughout this report... (I've been
> training Jim in ASL, he's picked up well, but I am still the "Master". 8-)
> For some reason, Jim objected to the other names - "That 6+1" or "That
> idiotic German Player" or even "Grasshopper". Actually, now that I think
> of it, he objected to "Major Newbie" too.
>
> Note that I have played ONE campaign game previous to this attempt
> (another playing of this same CG), but this is Jim's first CG - so be
> gentle on both of us if you have criticism.
>
> I don't know what Jim bought, but it included a platoon of Panzer
> Grenadiers (with Half Tracks) and one HW platoon. He also bought mines
> (Too many mines, as it turns out). There is a note in one of the tables
> that limits the points you can spend on mines, you have to be sharp to see
> it. I made the same mistake when I played this as the Germans.
>
> I purchased three para platoons to give me a total of 6 para infantry
> platoons. When we started this Campaign originally, I had rolled for a
> 10-2 AND and 10-3 leader!! The restart left me with three 8-0's and
> three 7-0's (Major Bummer). I left three of the MTRs off board for use as
> OBA, everything else was carried into battle. I left my captured German HT
> off board till about turn 5 or 6 - when it came on and smoked a German
> Flak truck (and my HT survived the scenario!).
>

Jim setup an intimidating - "in your face" defence. All his units (except
one squad) were setup West of row S - ready to lay down very heavy fire on
any paras who would dare to expose themselves at the edge of the woods or on
the hill. Note: The foxholes all had multiple squads/HS and LMG/MMG/HMGs
Really nasty fire groups. On a couple of shots, my paras were taking a 50
IFE shot! (25 doubled for PBF) Shots of 24 and 36+ were common.

> SS Setup:
> Foxholes in I8, J8, K9
> HIP foxhole J11
> Mines in I13, I14 and J12
> German vehicles all setup on the hill near the limit of his setup
> area.
>

> I responded by entering almost all of my platoons in the woods. I
> suspected mines would be in the woods, so I moved and advanced one squad
> at a time into any "new" hexes. (Forgot to search - but I was running
> pretty fast thro' the woods before I came upon his setup area.) Anyway, I
> did eventually find the mines - by stepping on them - cost me a HS.
>

> The HIP foxhole contained a HIP 10-2, a squad/LMG, and a HS/HMG. A nasty
> surprise for the guys that were trying to get around the other mines (I13
> / I14).
>

> I kept concealing squads in the woods and advancing them to the edge of
> the woods to replace the ones that had been broken / killed by his stacked
> MGs. I lost 50% of my troop strength. However, when the time came, I was
> able to pin his forces so he couldn't (A) Reinforce a Melee and save his
> 10-2, or (B) Keep from being isolated. So perhaps my men haven't died in
> vain.
>

> At any rate, I approached thro' the woods, two squads hit the mines and a
> third got hosed by the 10-2. Jim's (Major Nebie's) mistake was that the
> 10-2 was not in position to cover all of the minefield - just one hex. I
> managed to clear a trail thro' the mines (first time I've ever done that)
> and out-flank his positions
>

While bleeding slowly (losing a HS at a time) I managed to break the squad
that was with Mr 10-2 and after he routed away, my 2 and a half squads
advanced into the hex for CC. It took three rounds of CC, but I finally
managed to kill the 10-2 and HS and capture the HMG. Jim attempted to
reinforce the melee, but I had just enough fire power at the edge of the
woods to stop his guys that tried to sprint into the melee hex. I guess that
the guys who died trying to occupy the edge of the woods positions didn't
die in vain. I lost two full squads in CC, but I finally got the guy.

> I started with 18 squads, 6 HS, and 3 x 8-0 and 3 x 7-0. I ended with ten
> and one half squads and all my leaders. I took heavy casualties, but my
> leaders were almost never under fire. They had no DRM, there was no reason
> to expose them to fire very often.
>

> One of my squads sneaked behind his setup to caputure the Delvenne Farm
> . ALL of his troops are cut off in an isolated pocket near Brutet's
> House and Gaspard's House . In the mean time, one of my platoons
> was digging foxholes / revealing objective hexes on at B17, G19, K16, N18,
> and R18. This will give me a nice setup area for next game. Jim still
> holds Brutet's House and Gaspard's House , but all of his
> on-board forces will have to risk shifting if he wants to pull them out.
> On the other hand, his forces are still fairly strong.
>

Jim also lost most of his vehicles - including three HT and all but two or
three of his AA Trucks. His loses in infantry were very light (if you don't
count the 10-2). He lost NO squads and probably only one or two HS.

> Still, I think I have the advantage now. Time will tell. Will Jim try to
> shift his units? What will Jim buy for the night scenario? Will the brave
> Americans defeat the evil Germans? Tune in again next time for the
> answers.
>

Sam Belcher