Dinant: Rommel on the Meuse

=FC=Gorgon

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To complete the picture, behind the western outskirts of Dinant in the south the French placed five more Roadblocks across the paved road from the tunnel exit atHH49/II50 back to EE49/FF48.
Thanks for the AAR. I am reading this one and the one from the Dennis brothers with great interest.

I have glanced at the map but have no idea when I will get around, if ever, to playing this CG. So I'm curious as to why you feel the need to put 5 road blocks as such. It is critical to keep the Germans from using that road?

MikeS
 

The Purist

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Luck. My skill at getting across rivers basically consists of my opponent looking at me and asking,:" ...you got to be f*g kidding, Right?? You're not really doing that are you ?"
Ya know,.... he's done that more than once since the 1990s and not just with river crossings. ?

As long as he is getting more troops across the river than I am killing he is ahead of the game. I suspect that his bridgehead at the end of 13 am will not be large but he'll be there. We are in middle of Turn 4 but work has us both "pinned" at the moment
 
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The Purist

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Thanks for the AAR. I am reading this one and the one from the Dennis brothers with great interest.

I have glanced at the map but have no idea when I will get around, if ever, to playing this CG. So I'm curious as to why you feel the need to put 5 road blocks as such. It is critical to keep the Germans from using that road?

MikeS
It's critical to prevent the Germans from using any of the roads (they need Exit VPs).

Those 5 RBs can be manoeuvred around but its a painful trek for any tracked vehicle and the routes are obvious. Clearing them would take time even if not under fire. Delay, delay, delay. Once the French suss out the main attack direction they need to shift troops and to do that they need time.

Even Trenches are viable obstacles to everything but a tank but they can't be used on a paved road.

That said,... the French need to remember that RBs and Trenches are double edged swords. They'll also block French vehicular movement.
 
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=FC=Gorgon

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It's critical to prevent the Germans from using any of the roads (they need Exit VPs).

Those 5 RBs can be manoeuvred around but its a painful trek for any tracked vehicle and the routes are obvious. Clearing them would take time even if not under fire. Delay, delay, delay. Once the French suss out the main attack direction they need to shift troops and to do that they need time.

Even Trenches are viable obstacles to everything but a tank but they can't be used on a paved road.

That said,... the French need to remember that RBs and Trenches are double edged swords. They'll also block French vehicular movement.
Thanks for the clarification. :)
 

The Purist

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Game Turn 4 opened with a bang as the Mist dissipated and the Germans poured fire across the river at anything they could see. While a sniper (activation attempt #4) broke a 37* Infantry gun up on the centre of the heights the German cause was not helped by the 100+ ART pulling a second red chit after just one fire mission. Despite the lack of effective fire the volume did compel the French to step back on their right in order to avoid the worst of it. French defensive fire against the boats again came up (mostly) empty as a 100+ OBA landing in NN27 broke one squad in MM25 but left the other infantry and boats unscathed. Four more German squads made it across the river for the loss of 1.5 squads - the bridgehead continues to grow, especially to the south.

German Left

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French fire directed across the river was far more effective. During the French DFPh a MMG w/ crew revealed in HH32 (Trench) and FG'd with an HMG, 228 and 8-0 at ground lvl in II33 and an MMG w/ 457 at Lvl 1 upstairs. They sought out the German 3 x MMG, 2 x 467, 228 and 8-1 across the river at Lvl 1 in QQ26 but the initial attack only pinned the 8-1. Then the HMG went on a tear and seven shots later that stack had been reduced to a wounded 8-1, broken 228 and a broken 247. During the French Prep a repeat performance did somewhat less damage to another stack in QQ27 before the HMG malfunctioned. Other than that the French did not do too much more damage although the lack of mist is helping the mortars find the range, important now that the French 100+ OBA is done after three fire missions. Finally, at long last, and on the 15th activation attempt, the French snipers woke up and popped a German 8-0 carrying a radio up from the rear.

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On the German right/French left the remnants of the small bridgehead being held together by a wounded Heroic 8-1 and squad w/ LMG managed to get one more squad across the river but the central bridgehead has all but collapsed. Pounded by most of the FFEs from the three fire missions with some support from machine guns to the south, a French 437 (now 2 x 227) had taken 2.5 squads prisoner while being in on the kill of another 1.5 squads of landsers by the end of the turn.

German losses so far (my estimate) is about one company of German infantry (mixed), maybe a touch more, 2 x 7-0 dead (1 an AE) and a dead 8-0. Two more 8-1s are wounded (including the aforementioned hero in the northern bridgehead. My kill numbers for boats is pathetic, considering 3 fire missions with 100+ and two 81* Mortars safely tucked away out of site and using spotted fire. Of the 36 rubber boats I have killed four. That's correct, just one full 3-boat raft counter killed on the water with a second flipped to a 2-boat counter while still east of the river. I have killed 1o f 2 Large Rafts and 3 of 6 Assault Boats but Lee has boats stacked up on the back streets that he isn't even bothering to move to the river.

Bâtard ?

It is taking all the discipline I have not to reveal my remaining hidden guns and infantry/SWs. Of the allowed 3 squad equivalents w/SW and SMCs allowed to set up HIP only an 8-0, HMG, MMG and their crews have dropped HIP to engage so far (HH32, II32). Once lost, HIP can never be regained, even for Guns in the Refit Phase,... so,....

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Turn 4 is behind us and we're now half way through Turn 5, hoping to get through that Sunday morning.

Cheers.
 
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The Purist

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Quoted for emphasis. Too bad he ran off to some barbaric land for what seems like decades.
Well,.... yes, 2009 to 2019 was a decade but just one. I can't believe I remember as much as I do and at how much I have forgotten (even if it's coming back with each playing).
 
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The Purist

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Overall, Game Turn 5 did not go all that well for the German river assault despite the fact that more troops arrived in the southern bridgehead. Now at seven squads with a leader and a few LMGs this bridgehead is probably too large to dislodge considering 2 of 3 37* INF are out of action (temporarily) and the artillery missions are exhausted. Even so a lucky hit by the remaining 37* did break a 468 and a 468 AE pushing through the rowhouses to the south and another lucky French AFPh shot broke the squad on the right side of the line. The south also appears to be the side where the Germans still have additional infantry that can be sent over the river as losses have been almost non-existent on this flank. German H/MMG fire across the river remains heavy and keeps the French from remaining in a position for long.

The Southern Wing

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The German attack in the centre finally collapsed as the last squad surrendered to the French skirmishers. Despite repeated reinforcements the centre attack could never get the traction it needed to get past the LL27-29 buildings. Constantly harassed by artillery and at least one French 81* Mor as well as flanking machine gun fire, the bridgehead finally fell apart in French Turn 5 with a total loss of 5-6 squads (4 prisoner). The remaining French skirmishers had to release some prisoners as they could not guard them all.

For the French the fire being thrown at the their screening force in the centre was getting to be too much. Of the original three 437 and two 457 w/ LMGs, a 437 was killed in the retreat while a second has to try and escape with 30 PoWs. The remaining screen managed to slip away over the heights to the north and south (broken and in good order). The French had an 81* Mor malfunction, which, together with the silenced 37* INF, has reduced French firepower, at least for now.

Despite all the German firepower still east of the river, the attackers seem to be running low on troops in the centre and the north. Most of their boats are also north of the weir, so there is some hope for the French there. The centre was also where the Germans ran into the often seen problem of what to do with repeated ROF and a broken enemy squad in LoS. The Germans fired once too often at a broken 457 w/ LMG in HH29 which, on the 5th attack, BH to a 458 and generated a Hero before slipping away to GG30 after breaking a German squad in the AFPh. To add insult to injury a wounded German 8-1 rolled a 2 on a self-rally attempt only to disrupt. It has since been pointed out that this was an error and the German 8-1 should have rallied (HoB NA during self-rally).

As we are approaching Turn 6 I am starting to think about "Force Preservation". The four starting companies are all I have until the Evening Scenario, with no large infantry reserves at hand unless I'm willing to risk the DR for M1 "Stragglers". The Germans will come on like a tidal wave in the Afternoon Scenario so the French need to be in position to at least channel that flood, if they can't slow it down.


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An interesting incident happened to an SdKfz 7 that was moving 8-ton Pontoons behind the river road. A French sniper result of 1 immobilised the vehicle in bypass (RR24/SS25) which seems to remove both tractor and pontoons from future use. One more thing for the Germans to worry about with a French SAN of 4. The photo below also shows that, other than squads and half-squads manning H/MMGs there doesn't appear to be much spare infantry in this area to restart the assault in the centre. The Berserk 468 on the right does not promise a happy ending for the northern bridgehead either but we better wait on that particular saga before commenting further.

Do we see the Germans step to the left and reinforce the southern assault??

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Here is a zoomed out shot of the centre and right. It shows the Germans have a lot of strength on the east bank by virtue of the H/MMGs and tanks but the supply of bodies to throw across the river seems to be exhausted for now. The French are still in place, concealed and in strength as well.


12845

And a bit of fun I had while clipping counters as they were placed on the map. The Belgian fleet arrives... :eek:

The pre-Dreadnaught battleship "Bruxelles", escorted by two destroyers in case any U-Boats are about. :sneaky:

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von Marwitz

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The pre-Dreadnaught battleship "Bruxelles", escorted by two destroyers in case any U-Boats are about.
? Luckily for the Germans, the hulls of these vessels seem to be constructed of scrap metal and not Krupp-steel...

An excellent example of putting counter clippings to sensible use!

von Marwitz
 

The Purist

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With real life issues interfering this weekend we only managed to get one full turn completed (Turn 6). While the Turn 7 RPh is going on we do have a small update in the battle.

No really big news on the left as another squad made it across to reinforce the southern bridgehead as the Germans shift a significant portion of troops in the centre to the south. German MG fire continues to strip concealment and break a few French troops which is keeping the French leaders busy. Bit by bit the Germans are edging further south.

For the French the concealment shell game goes on. The need to retain or recover '?' means troops have to step back before breaking and possibly losing the 37* guns or H/MMGs. The French have just about withdrawn what they can from the central low ground and brought in what is hoped to be enough firepower on the flanks to discourage another German attempt to infiltrate that sector.

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In the northern section the Germans have had a Pz IIF recalled due to a disabled MA and French MMGs and Mortars again managed to break up a German MMG stack east of the river. The area was then hit with a Smoke round blinding a good portion of the German fire to the northwest. A French sniper managed a pin and a kill on a German 8-0 as the sniper count increased to 8 attempts and 1 success for the Germans and 25 attempts and 6 successes for the French.

The French dealt with the Berserk 468 AE's charge but it took the firepower of four 457, 2 MMG and a HMG directed by an 8-1 to do in the blighter. While they were at it they also finished off the wounded Heroic 8-1 and broke another reinforcing squad.

Back on the heights (off screen) the French continue to shift troops into a central reserve position while a platoon is dispersed across the road network digging foxholes for the main line to retreat to as the pressure builds throughout the coming scenarios.

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The Purist

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Hmmm,.... I'm thinking close to two companies (mixed) plus 2 x 7-0, 2 x 8-0 and an 8-1 (?). Currently has 19 CVP west of the river (wounded hero doesn't count. ).

One Pz 38(t) was killed by an HE CH (81* Mor), one Pz IIF is recalled due to MA disabled (might repair during refit*) and second has an MA Malf'n.

*It appears that even if the MA is not repaired, on a 2-5 the tank can return to the fight without the MA.
 
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phlegm027

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Purist wrote”*It appears that even if the MA is not repaired, on a 2-5 the tank can return to the fight without the MA.”

It doesn’t say returned. It says retained They are kept Offboard until the next CG Interphase. Where they to try again.
 

Carln0130

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Purist wrote”*It appears that even if the MA is not repaired, on a 2-5 the tank can return to the fight without the MA.”

It doesn’t say returned. It says retained They are kept Offboard until the next CG Interphase. Where they to try again.
As Dan says. They simply are not "sent away".
 
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