I was faced with AJ’s Australian Infantry force, though with one infantry, two platoons of tanks, and a four gun 25 pounder battery (not to mention a mortar platoon) it was infantry in name only.
On my side I had three Panzer IVDs (including the CO), two Light Panzer platoons each with two Panzer IIs and a Panzer I. I also had a batter of two 10.5cm howitzers; sadly these proved less than effective and I think I would have been better off fielding a two section Panzerpahs platoon instead.
I pushed forward on the center objective hoping that this would cause AJ to come at me. Unlike Chris AJ deployed his 25s up close at the edge of his deployment zone so I faced a lot of AT shots from these and his two platoons of tanks.
Since any shot from his 25s was basically and auto kill (or bail) on any of my tanks I resolved that the 25 pounders had to die first. Over the course of the game I did kill two of his guns and the battery CO (had my battery not had to reroll hits I would have also gotten the staff team and anther gun).
Unfortunately that left AJ with two working guns and six tanks and they wiped out my Panzer IVs and one of my Light panzer platoons over the course of five turns. That left me with only two operating tanks (because I also had one panzer II that was bailed out).
Still with the start of turn six I still had a chance to win the game by moving my two active tanks into a position to take the center objective and get flank shots on AJs tank platoon who had double timed to contest the objective. My shots however did not kill his tanks and the counter strike by AJs two remaining artillery pieces and tanks kill my active Panzer II and bailed the Panzer I so that AJ was alone at the objective giving him the gamem,
I was very lucky in my dice rolls this game but not lucky enough to overcome 10 AT barrels and AJs skilled handling of his force.
For AJ's View of events:http://ajs-wargaming.blogspot.com/2011/11/ew-north-africa-escalation-league-4.html
It was a good game. In the rock-scissors-paper game that is FOW, you'll always have some match-ups that are not going to go your way. This was one.
ReplyDeleteThe only advice I would have given is you should have used your artillery to smoke my two guns on your right. That would have masked them and one platoon of my tanks allowing you to concentrate on eliminating the other platoon and 2 guns.
Still would have been a tough fight.
That might have been a good tactic certainly it could not have turned out worse :)
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, my army started its build with it's armor and AT assets (the 18/25 guns). It only goes down hill from there as I add more stuff. You'll add armor and I'll add more infantry and some crunchy bren carriers. Should get easier for your armor as the points go up.
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