Frühlingswind I (Iron Mike USMC vs CM ant)

CM ant and I just finished our first CMAK game against each other, Frühlingswind. I played the Germans approaching an oasis and orchard defended by US troops.

His defences included 5 M-3 Grants, a slightly reinforced company of infantry, a few small ATGsATG - Anti-Tank Gun [ENG]

and 2 gun HTs. He was later reinforced by a platoon of 5 Shermans.

I started with about a company of infantry, accompanied by four light ACs, a few HMGsHMG - Heavy Machinegun [ENG]

, an FOFO - Forward Observer [ENG]

, and some recon. I was reinforced by three gun HTs, 2 platoons of Pzkw IIIs, and then 4 Marders and a smattering of additional infantry.

My approach was over a rise overlooking his defenses. At first gloss the approach seemed fairly flat, with just scrub and open ground for about 400 meters. A closer inspection showed a small ravine running from left to right, diagonally from just below the crest to the center of the battleground. I split my infantry into three groups, left, center, and right. At the top of the ridge I set up my HMGS and FO, as well as my three ACs, initially in hull down positions.

As the action opened, I sent my infantry straight into the brush, left and right, and the ravine down the center. I took a few hits, but was able to get my infantry into what concealment they could find. Once in the ravine I was able to approach unmolested a few hundred meters before his left flank troops brought my units under fire.

I tried to run one AC down the far right, andinto the brush, hoping to outrun any defensive fire, and raw out his defenses. I didn't get far. I suffered the same fate down the left. A thrid AC took a gun hit, and spent much of the battle being used to raise dust to confuse the enemy, or conceal my movements. The fourth AC was able to dash into the ravine, then spent the rest fo the battle suppressing enemy infantry in the center.

My FO zeroed in on the 5 Grants on my left, and was successful in dispersing, and even immobilizing one or two.

My first reinforcements took up position just right of my center, and hull down. To no avail. My opponent was able to take out all three within a few turns.

My first platoon of Panzers I sent to my left, into hull down positions. They started to pick off the remaining Grants. My second platoon, I sent to the right, again to hull down positions, to fire at anything that moved. All the while, I was slowly moving my infantry forward, trying to get within effective rifle range.

I made a quick dash with all ten panzers, each with infantry riding atop. I left two panzers at the crest on each flank, while the remaing six sped in two teams of three. This worked fairly well until I got within range of his infantry. We got a good taste of what a Bazooka can do in the right hands. We also took losses from his tanks.

Hull-down Marder

At about the same time his Shermans arrived, my four Marders arrived. They took hull down positons on the ridge, and began picking off the Shermans, and remaining Grants. Meanwhile, the Panzers and infantry were steadily, approaching and pushing back the enemy. We discovered he had taken some reverse slope positions to my left, as well as at the top of a small rise on my right front.

We were eventually able to displace his forward infantry. Once that was done, the outcome was all but inevitable. The marders on the ridge kept his remaining armor under cover, allowing my Panzers to approach reasonably unmolested. My remaing pair of Panzers, on the right, were able to tag team and pick off his last Sherman, with some assistance from a pair of sqauds and an HQHQ - Headquarters [ENG]

, that were able to reach the oasis to his far left. Once his armor was eliminated, it was just a matter of time before what remained of his troops would exit the map.

Even in the beginning when it looked hopeless, as one after another of my AFVsAFV - Armored Fighting Vehicle [ENG]

was picked off there was always hope I could pull it off. Not until we were past the halfway point did the outcome appear apparent. I am looking forward to our rematch, as we swap sides.