Gembloux Gap campaign

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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 06 01 20)

Post by MLB »

We now reach scenario 4 Get the Guns! So far the Germans have enjoyed a string of three successive scenario victories, all bought at a cheap price with no permanent casualties. With a weak French platoon trying to hold on for support to arrive, is this another chance for the Germans to maintain their momentum? Full AAR here http://thetacticalpainter.blogspot.com/ ... -guns.html
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 06 01 20)

Post by MLB »

And the obligatory picture:

Image
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by BaronVonWreckedoften »

Another exciting AAR - you really do those well, my dear chap. Always sad when a good plan gets shafted by the dice (see my signature line! :lol: ) - I know it's a bad thing to say, but I'm often disappointed when your Germans don't get the breaks - I like to think it's an affinity with you, rather than them (yes, I think I'll go with that!). Had a similar thing happen to me the other night: having got two of my three sections across open ground into a village, the third threw really poor movement, then had to sit in the open and endure FIVE consecutive turns of Russian fire! As if that wasn't bad enough, all of my three "shit (Schmidt?) happens" throws - section wiped out, JL and SL both killed - saw double drops on the FM table (8 down to 2)! I almost wiped out one of his sections, but his three FM throws were 0, 0 and -1!

Ah well, better luck next time. On the subject of which, if the French chose not to counter-attack, but stay where they were, how would they set up for your next attack? I don't think the PSC rules allow you to keep units on the table, do they, but would it be easier for them to redeploy (eg would another Stuka attack/pre-game bombardment still keep them off the table), and could they add extra defensive positions?
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by MLB »

BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:46 am Another exciting AAR - you really do those well, my dear chap. Always sad when a good plan gets shafted by the dice (see my signature line! :lol: ) - I know it's a bad thing to say, but I'm often disappointed when your Germans don't get the breaks - I like to think it's an affinity with you, rather than them (yes, I think I'll go with that!).
Thanks, too kind! I don't feel a great affinity to my Germans either, but I'm their commander and will use that old excuse from Nuremberg and say I'm only obeying orders.
BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:46 am Had a similar thing happen to me the other night: having got two of my three sections across open ground into a village, the third threw really poor movement, then had to sit in the open and endure FIVE consecutive turns of Russian fire! As if that wasn't bad enough, all of my three "shit (Schmidt?) happens" throws - section wiped out, JL and SL both killed - saw double drops on the FM table (8 down to 2)! I almost wiped out one of his sections, but his three FM throws were 0, 0 and -1!
Ouch. That was my fear about rushing from the woods, it would only take a few bad movement rolls or a French double phase and I'd be sustaining casualties I could ill afford, particularly from that pesky Panhard.
BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 10:46 amAh well, better luck next time. On the subject of which, if the French chose not to counter-attack, but stay where they were, how would they set up for your next attack? I don't think the PSC rules allow you to keep units on the table, do they, but would it be easier for them to redeploy (eg would another Stuka attack/pre-game bombardment still keep them off the table), and could they add extra defensive positions?
I think with a replay we pretty much start afresh as we would any other replay, except for a couple of things - the collapsed building remains rubble obviously and according to the campaign notes the 75 is still available but only with the crew that survives previous games, so if they are wiped out it's gone. In this case it would be back but minus the three crew that were casualties.
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by BaronVonWreckedoften »

MLB wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:17 am I don't feel a great affinity to my Germans either, but I'm their commander and will use that old excuse from Nuremberg and say I'm only obeying orders.
As a former lawyer, might I suggest that you perhaps don't rely too much on that? :lol: (That said, the Scots/Nepalese Dean of the law school where I studied thought Nuremburg was merely "victors' justice" and should have no legal standing - actually wrote several articles, all well argued, on it.)
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by Dog who drinks paint »

Now that I've gone to all the trouble of actually joining the forum, I will echo the Baron and say what an excellent AAR this was. In fact, I have enjoyed all your AARs from this and previous campaigns, and aspire to the same quality for mine.

I'll admit to my preference for your opponent's French, and congratulate you on the admirably even-handed reporting, despite you appearing to have the 'luck of the Baron' when it came to dice rolls this time. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

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Dog who drinks paint wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 4:27 pm I'll admit to my preference for your opponent's French, and congratulate you on the admirably even-handed reporting, despite you appearing to have the 'luck of the Baron' when it came to dice rolls this time. :lol: :lol:
Thanks. I think luck is what you make of it. I had some bad luck, but I also had a triple phase and I wiped out a team in hard cover despite moving and firing at half effect. The challenge for me is how to manage the luck and not let the bad luck bug you (otherwise before you know it, it becomes the subject of your signature line 😉. Yes Baron, I’m looking at you).

Dave is a great opponent and while he doesn’t write any of the AARs I try to reflect events from his perspective when I can (and talking of bad luck, he’s had some dreadful luck with his deployment rolls, so I suspect it all evens out in the end).

Thanks for reading the blog and the other AARs, glad you enjoyed them.
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by Capt Fortier »

Another great AAR - and a truly see-sawing campaign. The German's difficulties over the first four games seemed to have been made a distant memory over the last three games, and then this one going right down to the wire and with both sides taking quite a battering. I have found my support switching back and forth between the two sides - mostly rooting for the underdog, and reflecting that you've each had turns at that!
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by Truscott Trotter »

I too am playing the Germans cos no one else wants to ( when we were playing FoW the Germans were popular , same in Bolt Action not at all in CoC) and stuggling against the French.

Even in Many Rivers campaign were you get more choice of support let alone the Gap, thats next, with limited support.

My opponent often picks up his Char B to admire the paint job but the Panhard / R-35 combo is enough to make his defence of a town very hard.

I have tried rushing it with armoured cars and bikes or blasting him out with Panzer IV but to no avail.
Am thinking of a different approach for my third attempt at the bridge....but perhaps us Germans should discuss this offline ...for securtiy purposes? 😀

PS reading first hand accounts rather than Rommels memoirs the Germans did have a tough fight of it at times.
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Re: Gembloux Gap campaign (updated 09 02 20)

Post by BaronVonWreckedoften »

MLB wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 8:54 pm ..... (otherwise before you know it, it becomes the subject of your signature line 😉. Yes Baron, I’m looking at you).
:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
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