TacCovert4
Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2004
- Messages
- 699
- Reaction score
- 2
- Location
- Watching Girls Go By..............
- Country
Mangus if you're reading this, Go AWAY! Despite what the Germans might learn from radio intercepts You would never get this accurate. You can read my running AAR after the battle is over, probably with a beer and a lot of laughs.
To everybody else:
This is the running AAR for mine and mangus's battle, nicknamed "whack the crip" because of my temporarily crippled right hand.
It was a hot and calm day over the north african desert, as Major Hines, Commander of the Veteran 56th battalion of the Black Watch steeled his officers for battle. They had suffered many losses at the hands of Germans, but their will remained unbroken. Placed out far on the southern flank of the British lines, they had been largely ignored, and therefore denied sufficient mechanized and armored support. General Wavell had stripped the brigade headquarters bare of tanks for it's operations, leaving only 4 Aging French Valentines behind. But the supplies had began to flow in again, and with a fresh supply of Lend Lease vehicles, including 4 Stuart and 4 Lee tanks, the 56th could do something more than just swelter in their defenses. The order had come down yesterday from brigade, that the 56th was to seize, at all costs, the village of Abu Sirhee. Reports from the Desert Air Force had said that no Axis forces currently occupied the village but that a battalion strength combined arms force from the DAK was manuevering in the area, ostensibly to take the village. Fuel problems restricted further aerial recon, and the possibility of an airstrike committing to the battle was low. Due to potential German attacks at other portions of the line, Brigade would be unable to provide any artillery support. As Major Hines pored over his maps, he knew his battalion would stand alone, and their victory or defeat would rely his skills.
The battlefield was very open that afternoon. Only a few scrub bushes and rocks disturbed the rolling mounds of sand. In the center stood the village of Abu Sirhee. To the left was a mostly flat plain interrupted only by the crossroads of the North and East roads. Spurs of the east road broke off in the village and ran at angles North and South, giving a force from either direction a solid avenue of manuever. the right was a much different story, however, as a 30 meter ridgeline towered above the terrain and the village below. The East road climbed this ridge and ran along its length until it sloped down and disappeared into the desert floor near the right edge of the field. Major Hines knew that whoever could hold that ridge would hold the village.
As he looked at his captains, he could see the worried looks on their faces. They had been there ever since the last flight of the DAF. No one really knew where the Germans were setting up for their attack, but the converse was also true, meaning the German commander wouldn't know what to expect. But Major Hines had a plan, a plan he thought might just allow the fighting 56th to gain superiority over the well trained tankers of the Afrika Korps.
(In Character)
Gentlemen, the weather is hot today, make sure your men are drinking plenty of water.
We have a grave task to accomplish today, it will not be easy, nor without cost. But I have a plan, that if executed diligently, might just provide us with the tactical superiority we will need against the Kraut armor.
Lieutenant Sommers, I want you to dispatch 1 of your Valentines to the left flank along the northern road. He is to hide along the house with Sergeant Smith's 6 pounder and 1 of Lieutenant Roger's Stuarts. If the Krauts attempt to flank along the northern road they are to cover Sergeant Smith as he drives his jeep up to the crest of the hill and emplaces his 6 pounder. Then they are free to manuever however best suits the situation. But ensure that they know they are the only protection we will have along that flank for some time. Once that is taken care of dispatch a second Valentine under Lieutenant Rogers. He is to protect Lt. Rogers Stuarts as they move into the village. We will cover him from one of the dunes with Sergeant Sanders 6 pounder, and from the ridge once it is secured.
Sergeant Sanders better be on top of his game, or we will be in trouble if the Krauts put their main effort into the center.
Lieutenant Jones. Your Lees are the main effort for the ridge. We will cover their approach as best we can from Sergeant Sander's 6 pounder and the remainder of Lt. Sommers Valentines. There is a lot of dead ground between us and the ridge. That means we can operate with near impunity so long as Kraut aircraft steer clear of the area. I want you to start them off concentrated tightly. The smaller the dust cloud we make the fewer tanks our enemy will anticipate. If he only thinks a couple of tanks are headed to the ridge, he might hold back his main effort for another location, giving us numerical superiority. This will be especially true if he's operating any heavy tanks or AT guns in the area. Don't stop and engage targets at long range. Our major advantage is that those Lees have both a sponson mounted 75 and a turretted 37. But the 75 can't manuever effectively and the 37 isn't going to penetrate frontal armor at long range. Your best bet is to halt at the military crest to the ridge and catch the Kraut armor as it comes over, or push hard and catch them in their own dead ground. I'll leave that decision up to your discretion.
I'll divide my tanks just before I crest, to prevent a lucky arty barrage from killing them.
Lt. Sommers, I want you to personally take command of your other 2 Valentines and push them along the far right flank of the ridge. There is potential there to catch the Krauts off guard with a flanking move. If that situation arises, take full advantage of it. Your Valentines have 6 pounder AT guns on them, so go for the long kill if you can get it. Watch out for heavy guns though, we can't afford to lose tanks today.
Yes sir, I'll keep my head down if the Krauts try a new trick on us.
Lt. Rogers. Your Stuart IIs will be instrumental in capturing the village. Use the Valentine from Lt. Sommers to protect you from enemy armor manuevering down the northern spur of the east road. Whatever you do, protect your Stuarts early on. Once the Kraut armor is weakened, we might need them to break out and pursue any halftracks and SP guns they might have left. You'll also be the direct fire asset for Captain James' infantry.
Don't worry captain, my tankers have the eyes of eagles.
Captain James. Brigade didn't give us any trucks for this operation, so most of your infantry will be legging it into the village. There's a draw across the center where they should have protection for about half of their march. Mount up what you can on the Stuarts and the Valentine. You should be able to get about a squad on the infantry tank, but I think you'll be limited to four on the Stuarts. Place emphasis on mounting machine gunners. I cannot express the many times that infantry has been pinned down on approach marches by well place MGs. Brigade only gave us Bren teams, but if they get under cover in the houses of the village, they should be able to hold until our foot infantry arrives.
You're the Major.
Sergeant Norman, your mortars should move up between the village and the crest of the ridge. Keep them together initially, so we can lay down a solid barrage against any advancing halftracks or infantry before our own infantry set up in town.
My boys'll keep the Krauts heads down, sar.
Everybody understand what we need to do?
*Resounding Yes Sirs*
Alright, Get your men ready, We jump off at 1300.
To everybody else:
This is the running AAR for mine and mangus's battle, nicknamed "whack the crip" because of my temporarily crippled right hand.
It was a hot and calm day over the north african desert, as Major Hines, Commander of the Veteran 56th battalion of the Black Watch steeled his officers for battle. They had suffered many losses at the hands of Germans, but their will remained unbroken. Placed out far on the southern flank of the British lines, they had been largely ignored, and therefore denied sufficient mechanized and armored support. General Wavell had stripped the brigade headquarters bare of tanks for it's operations, leaving only 4 Aging French Valentines behind. But the supplies had began to flow in again, and with a fresh supply of Lend Lease vehicles, including 4 Stuart and 4 Lee tanks, the 56th could do something more than just swelter in their defenses. The order had come down yesterday from brigade, that the 56th was to seize, at all costs, the village of Abu Sirhee. Reports from the Desert Air Force had said that no Axis forces currently occupied the village but that a battalion strength combined arms force from the DAK was manuevering in the area, ostensibly to take the village. Fuel problems restricted further aerial recon, and the possibility of an airstrike committing to the battle was low. Due to potential German attacks at other portions of the line, Brigade would be unable to provide any artillery support. As Major Hines pored over his maps, he knew his battalion would stand alone, and their victory or defeat would rely his skills.
The battlefield was very open that afternoon. Only a few scrub bushes and rocks disturbed the rolling mounds of sand. In the center stood the village of Abu Sirhee. To the left was a mostly flat plain interrupted only by the crossroads of the North and East roads. Spurs of the east road broke off in the village and ran at angles North and South, giving a force from either direction a solid avenue of manuever. the right was a much different story, however, as a 30 meter ridgeline towered above the terrain and the village below. The East road climbed this ridge and ran along its length until it sloped down and disappeared into the desert floor near the right edge of the field. Major Hines knew that whoever could hold that ridge would hold the village.
As he looked at his captains, he could see the worried looks on their faces. They had been there ever since the last flight of the DAF. No one really knew where the Germans were setting up for their attack, but the converse was also true, meaning the German commander wouldn't know what to expect. But Major Hines had a plan, a plan he thought might just allow the fighting 56th to gain superiority over the well trained tankers of the Afrika Korps.
(In Character)
Gentlemen, the weather is hot today, make sure your men are drinking plenty of water.
We have a grave task to accomplish today, it will not be easy, nor without cost. But I have a plan, that if executed diligently, might just provide us with the tactical superiority we will need against the Kraut armor.
Lieutenant Sommers, I want you to dispatch 1 of your Valentines to the left flank along the northern road. He is to hide along the house with Sergeant Smith's 6 pounder and 1 of Lieutenant Roger's Stuarts. If the Krauts attempt to flank along the northern road they are to cover Sergeant Smith as he drives his jeep up to the crest of the hill and emplaces his 6 pounder. Then they are free to manuever however best suits the situation. But ensure that they know they are the only protection we will have along that flank for some time. Once that is taken care of dispatch a second Valentine under Lieutenant Rogers. He is to protect Lt. Rogers Stuarts as they move into the village. We will cover him from one of the dunes with Sergeant Sanders 6 pounder, and from the ridge once it is secured.
Sergeant Sanders better be on top of his game, or we will be in trouble if the Krauts put their main effort into the center.
Lieutenant Jones. Your Lees are the main effort for the ridge. We will cover their approach as best we can from Sergeant Sander's 6 pounder and the remainder of Lt. Sommers Valentines. There is a lot of dead ground between us and the ridge. That means we can operate with near impunity so long as Kraut aircraft steer clear of the area. I want you to start them off concentrated tightly. The smaller the dust cloud we make the fewer tanks our enemy will anticipate. If he only thinks a couple of tanks are headed to the ridge, he might hold back his main effort for another location, giving us numerical superiority. This will be especially true if he's operating any heavy tanks or AT guns in the area. Don't stop and engage targets at long range. Our major advantage is that those Lees have both a sponson mounted 75 and a turretted 37. But the 75 can't manuever effectively and the 37 isn't going to penetrate frontal armor at long range. Your best bet is to halt at the military crest to the ridge and catch the Kraut armor as it comes over, or push hard and catch them in their own dead ground. I'll leave that decision up to your discretion.
I'll divide my tanks just before I crest, to prevent a lucky arty barrage from killing them.
Lt. Sommers, I want you to personally take command of your other 2 Valentines and push them along the far right flank of the ridge. There is potential there to catch the Krauts off guard with a flanking move. If that situation arises, take full advantage of it. Your Valentines have 6 pounder AT guns on them, so go for the long kill if you can get it. Watch out for heavy guns though, we can't afford to lose tanks today.
Yes sir, I'll keep my head down if the Krauts try a new trick on us.
Lt. Rogers. Your Stuart IIs will be instrumental in capturing the village. Use the Valentine from Lt. Sommers to protect you from enemy armor manuevering down the northern spur of the east road. Whatever you do, protect your Stuarts early on. Once the Kraut armor is weakened, we might need them to break out and pursue any halftracks and SP guns they might have left. You'll also be the direct fire asset for Captain James' infantry.
Don't worry captain, my tankers have the eyes of eagles.
Captain James. Brigade didn't give us any trucks for this operation, so most of your infantry will be legging it into the village. There's a draw across the center where they should have protection for about half of their march. Mount up what you can on the Stuarts and the Valentine. You should be able to get about a squad on the infantry tank, but I think you'll be limited to four on the Stuarts. Place emphasis on mounting machine gunners. I cannot express the many times that infantry has been pinned down on approach marches by well place MGs. Brigade only gave us Bren teams, but if they get under cover in the houses of the village, they should be able to hold until our foot infantry arrives.
You're the Major.
Sergeant Norman, your mortars should move up between the village and the crest of the ridge. Keep them together initially, so we can lay down a solid barrage against any advancing halftracks or infantry before our own infantry set up in town.
My boys'll keep the Krauts heads down, sar.
Everybody understand what we need to do?
*Resounding Yes Sirs*
Alright, Get your men ready, We jump off at 1300.