The Campaign Series: Middle East 1948-1985 - Into Africa! (No Berto!)

Started by Crossroads, October 03, 2015, 03:20:43 AM

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Crossroads

Israeli Turn #13 - Right Flank

Things having gone quiet, I decide to move my Centurion coy forward on the eastern bank. There's still a couple of hills towards the north, maybe I can spot something from there.



Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

End of Israeli Turn #13

So here we are then, with three turns remaining for me. I am getting quite close to VP Objectives at the north, but I am sticking to my plan to secure the pocket first.

With the 50VP objective now in my hands, the point tally is very decisive now.



Looking at the map, I decide to move my IFV on the paved road to the hill there. Hopefully he's withdrawn the anti-tank teams from there after they dueled with my Fire Base a good few turns ago.

Ambushed! Wreck marks the hill the two IFVs entered, but not returned...



Should have known better. And since I already deployed all my artillery to fire missions, not much I can do apart calling one of the two airstrikes on them.

And that's it. Over to Berto!


Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Turn #14 - Piper's Bill

Having seen my concentrated push cutting through the groups of resistance with relative ease, wathing the replay proved the tide is changing.

Quite the disaster, enemy artillery and what now was quite a concentrated direct fire from his units in defence, I lose 5SPs of Paras from Aleph and Beth Companies, with one SP lost from Gimel to tick off my worst casualties from a single turn so far.

A whopping -30VP tally at losses tells me it is time to dig in and secure the advance the earlier turns have gained me.

Situation at the beginning of turn with my tanks on a move to establish a new forward Fire Base:



Planning my turn, the inventory tells quite a grim story.

Aleph Coy is down to 0 + 4 + 3 + 1HMG. Having had their 1st platoon annihilated, they've lost the organic Coy command post, and will remain in low Combat Efficiency for the remaining turns, as we had the optional C&C rule ON. It adds the 1st Platoons to serve as HQ points, so this is bad news for sure.

Beth Coy is recoiling from losses with 2 + 0 + 5 + 2HMG. Brutal.

Gimel Coy remains in good health, with a strength of 4 + 5 + 4 + 2HMG.

There's not much of a plan available now, so I will order Aleph and Beth on defence, with Gimel orders to mop up the 50VP pocket.



Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Turn #14 - Gimel Company

So time to move around and capture the Egyptian infantry units.



Despite of my efforts, they will survive at least another turn, with a loss of only 1SP so far. With nowhere to run, I don't expect them to hang around for much longer. I have one of my platoons disrupted, time to bring in the Bn Leader to rally up them!


Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

End of Israeli Turn #14

Despite some success, I managed only to claw back for 16VP worth of points, vs a loss of 30 VP of mine, so clearly it is time to call it a job done in Africa.



With artillery plotted, after having taken this snapshot I retreated Beth's 2SP 1st Platoon one hex back. Can't afford to lose it too.

I do hope Egyptians have had it too. I still have the full strength Arm'd Engineer there, other wise this would be the perfect moment for an Egyptian counter attack.

Will he retreat towards his remaining 50VP though, or will he attack. Time will tell!

Over to Berto.
Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Turn #15

This is the end
Hold your breath and count to ten
Feel the earth move and then ...


Not quite yet! One turn to go after this one.

Watching the replay was a bit of a painful moment again, as enemy artillery killed 2SP out of my forward Arm'd Engineers. Then a hail of bullets of all ground units in the area wiped out 1SP of my Paras inside the 50VP pocket in the middle. That's it though, so could have been worse I guess. They have rocket artillery somewhere in the North, I could plot some counter battery indirect fire there but so far I've maintained a tactic that I plot only targets I've seen to ensure the effectiveness of scoring direct hits.

So here it is how it all opens up for my turn. Of interest are the trucks, who timbered their artillery and retreated to rear area. Unfortunate to them, some of my units have eyes on them, so that's one of the priority targets for this turn then. The other priority is to mop up the 50VP pocket of the remaining hostiles, for they do keep calling artillery support. Third priority for the remaining two turns is to keep my casualties to minimum. I always put a bit of a role playing into these games, so by now I've come quite attached to my brave little paras, and really wish I could secure the area without further casualties...

I have Highlight Disrupted Units ON, so two of my Para platoons continue to be somewhat out of action. They can fire with a reduced effect, but for instance they can't move towards enemy until they've recovered:



One little step towards that target would be the elimination of the enemy Sagger team taking pot shots at my Forward Fire Base. They did not score any hits on m Sho't Kal troops, but fortunate to them I only manage to cause a retreat as well. They escape my LOS so nothing further here to do, apart to decide whether to yet send the Arm'd Infantry platoon for some Recon mission along the road.



Highligh Visible Hexes ON, as I prefer while moving around.
Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Turn #15 - Mopping Up Action

Then, to rid of the 50VP Pocket of the enemy elements. Without a further delay, at them it is, firing with my HMG support team first:



Their isolated 1SP team is wiped out, so time to add some fire support from behind the river:



They kill 1SP of the hostiles, the rest of them seem to have had it, so time to assault and capture the remaining men there:



Captured. Still some shawarma left overs for you guys, hut hut!
Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Turn #15 - The Left Flank

Hmm, it seems I am reporting things here in not a chronological order, but so it goes then.

My Left Flank continues to see heated action. Berto's secured his rear area in depth, and I have no intention to stick my nose there at this stage any more. So I will concentrate on sniping his soft assets instead. The retreating artillery battery first. Seen by my Arm'd Engineers...



...they quickly call in some Sho't Kal troops to see them off.

"Sir, enemy artillery has been bothering my men. See them off, will you!"
"Right, right."
Direct hit, and a retreat. Strength Dialog reports four howitzers destroyed.
"Well done! Some shawarma, Sir?"

Trucks leave a wreck mark, so success it was. Some of them retreated out of sight, but having checked the Strength Dialog I see four destroyed 122mm Howitzers as among the wrecks there.

My intention is to have the forward enemy unit retreating, to have some more room for breathing. So time to bring in my Meatchoppers in. As they are quite a soft target themselves, I decide to have my weary Paras in the area to charge in one more time. They did not manage a retreat, but to my dismay neither did the Meatchoppers...



Since there's the one enemy T-55 lurking out there, time for another shot. Retreat, or a kill, I am not sure.

Just enough APs for one more shot, and to my relief I see the enemy forward Platoon wiped out. My remaining forward Para with only SP2 can breathe a little easier. Should they survive the enemy turn, it is a retreat for them as well to the village behind them.



As visible from the picture, I am now bringing my men into the village hexes, that provide a better concealment and combat modifier while on defence.

Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

End of Israeli Turn #15

Here we stand, then. Again, the Left Flank sees my units regrouping at the safety of the village hexes, while the remaining action I have on-going is the little search party that is going after the enemy transports that were earlier seen retreating towards the river bend. Nowhere for them to go, so should I have the APs to move one hex into Vineyards, and then still have enough APs to assault them in the Hammada hex, I could capture them all. As movement in this terrain is costly, I can probably only hope for being able to fire at them once.



Quite a costly affair to Egyptians, this one. With my right flank having been secured by the Sho't Kal Coy from behind the canal, I have been able to use Fire and Movement very efficiently in the middle, having my units in perfect positions to disrupt and destroy any pockets they have encountered.

Over to Berto!

PS As seen in the right upper corner of the map, I did have my Arm'd Infantry stick their nose into that village next to the 10VP Objective there. Berto had a HMG team defending it, and I spotted the retreated Sagger team there as well. I quickly retreated out of their LOS before their Op Fire will cause casualties. As said, with situation mostly secured, time to take it easier now. They did spot the retreated remains of the enemy artillery, so I called an Artillery strike on them.

At the time of writing this I now realise I have completely forgotten to use my 2 Airstrikes. Well, too late now  :tickedoff:
Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Israeli Final Turn

Whew! It's been quite a non-stop action for my Paras heading deep into Africa, as the West Bank of Suez Canal in this area was called at the time.

No casualties despite of some direct fire continuing to rain on my troops. Especially, the enemy is trying to prevent my Paras from reaching their trucks, trapped in the middle. I have a suspicion I won't reach them anyways, the trucks I mean, but at least there's some new targets in vicinity, with their IFVs and MANPAD teams coming into fore in a desperate attempt to stop me...



And so it is. Having already double-timed my units last turn, they start Fatigued and do not reach the last hex by the river bend. Since I don't have the Action Points to enter the hex, its contents are not revealed. Too late I realise that hill where I only now moved my Arm'd Infantry platoon was there for a reason, as it would have spotted the whole area.

Oh well, their transports will be saved by the bell, let us see what I can do about their remaining fighting units though...



Nothing with my Meatchoppers, it seems. I see the 50VP hex and the Mortar team together with some IFVs there, but they are just outside my range. I decide not to risk my soft-skinned M3 troop, and pull them back instead.



My forward platoon instead spots them, and while the IFV is just outside my Hard range, the Mortars are within their Soft range. I fire at them, and the lucky dice declares the Mortars destroyed.





Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

End Result - With a Pending Egyptian Turn

And so it ends, at least as far my active part goes.

All my units are out of their LOS apart the forward platoon and the Bn Leader, who are observed by the remaining IFV at the 50VP Objective. The enemy rifle marked by "?" sees them as well, but does not have LOS to anyone else.

So here's hoping they remain out of harm's way during the final action!



Quite a brutal outcome for the Egyptians. So time for a final analysis as for why I was able to nick such a definitive Major Win.

First, I had played this once, so I was somewhat familiar with the original Egyptian set-up. While all plans are out once first shot is fired, I did know that I should be able to quickly send just one Coy to deal with Abu Sultan, all the while if I keep my Sho't Kal Coy East of canal securing my right flank I can concentrate everything else in the middle.

That worked quite well. Every time the enemy tried to put up a delaying action, I had the firepower and the initiative to Disrupt and destroy them with my concentrated show of force.

The other reason might have been the fact my opponent was not happy to trade ground and Objectives for time, and tried to stop me with what forces he had handily available. I have not yet looked at in detail as what the enemy set up in this scenario is (I always prefer to play blind as it is much more fun imho), but he probably should have just pulled back, raining artillery barrage after barrage on my units, and then put up a concentrated counter attack.

Finally, I think this is a tough scenario to play vs an Israeli player who plays this by the book as I did. Yet, as available in the Victory Dialog, it was not the Objectives that decided this scenario but the losses.

Good fun though, over to you Berto for the final turn!
Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

Crossroads

Butcher's Bill

With a help of a little Excel Spreadsheet I put together, here are the respective losses:



Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY

-budd-

Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must.  ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Be Yourself; Everyone Else is Taken ~Oscar Wilde

*I'm in the Wargamer middle ground*
I don't buy all the wargames I want, I just buy more than I need.

Crossroads

End of Play Turn #16

Quote from: -budd- on October 31, 2015, 09:10:21 PM
Well done, nice presentation. Thank you.

Thanks budd, this was good fun!

So it was Berto managed to sneak in a SP1 rifle platoon during the dying minutes to plant their flag at the 25VP objective at Abu Sultan. I had no idea there were surviving elements there, so I had troops in the area, but not at the hex itself. Well played Berto  8)



On display here are the CS Middle East 1.01 2D graphics, so some revisions here and there. Also on show the Black Unit Profiles 1.01 Mod that will be included.



A very tough fight for Egyptians this scenario. Somehow, with their movable object, they would need to fall back and snipe at Israelis, turning their irresistible force into a resistible one. Then, at that minute, to hit them hard and hit them with strength.

This scenario is also probably a good example that Objectives often are not the way to win, decisively at least. Being able to surround and destroy the enemy force is often a more valuable way to go forward, and then, recon and and using the map to ones advantage can be a great help.

Great fun, thanks for playing Berto!
Campaign Series Legion | CS: Vietnam 1948-1967 | CS: Middle East 1948-1985

CS: Vietnam DAR: LZ Albany as NVA (South Vietnam 11/17/65)  
CS: Middle East AARs: High Water Mark (Syria 10/12/73) Me vs Berto | Riptide (Libya 8/6/85) Me vs Berto | The Crossroads (West Bank 6/5/67)  Me vs Berto

Boardgame AARs: AH D-Day | MMP PanzerBlitz2 Carentan | OSS Putin's Northern War | GMT Next War: Poland | LnL Against the Odds DIY