CASTLE HILL 1650 15/3/1944

The NZ troops are down to about 25 men. The FJs have only about 20. It's fairly even, but the Germans do have that killer stack with 4 heroes. A lucky hit could devastate them though. It could still go either way, but both sides will be nearly wiped out! Such is the way with determined troops.

CASTLE HILL 1606 15/3/1944

It is looking very close. Both sides have suffered heavy casualties and the 'winner' will only have a few survivors. Statistically, this is what is expected to happen. The advantage in FP and TEM gives the Germans about a 2:1 advantage, and the NZ have a 2:1 numerical superiority.

CASTLE HILL 1550 15/3/1944

The gutsy New Zealand attack is cresting the hill and running into devastating fire.  The Kiwis have created no less than 5 heroes and the Germans have one (which more than offsets the loss of their sniper). Plenty of Kiwis left, and it looks like they'll make it. We'll see!

CASTLE HILL NEW FJ COUNTERS

CASTLE HILL 1532 15th March 1944

After a few quick trials I've embarked on the first proper test of this scenario - which depicts D/24NZ Bn as they captured Castle Hill on 15th March 1944. It is quite a struggle to climb up the hill sides with all the rocks and 25m contours. Also, the Germans have good FP and resonable cover to fight from. 2" mortars are useful for HE and smoke to keep heads down or screen the attackers. But it's looking tough for the NZ troops.

CASSINO MAP - finished?

4 CASSINO TILES

CASTLE HILL - Monte Cassino

 

I've been working on this for a while, but only just managed to settle to it and tackle the rubble and rocks graphics which inevitably dominate. The exact positioning of the castle is still in question - depending how I solve the 'in the castle' or 'on the battlements' issue.

Though often not mentioned, small bushes covered the slopes, but were blasted and burned away. I am adding 'scrub' as a way to break up the swathes of open ground and because it is a big feature of Cassino today, and must have been present in 1944 albeit perhaps less prevalent. I've drawn a reduced size rock graphic to show the stony ground that must have been a hazard to the troops footing and added to the HE effects. 

Baraque de Fraiture 1638 and 1644 23/12/1944 - Sunset

Baraque de Fraiture 1610, 1618 and 1630 23/12/1944

Baraque de Fraiture 1538, 1550 and 1600 23/12/1944

This sequence if screenshots shows the US defence crumbling. They now have only one M4 left and it is manned by just 2 men. Trying to reverse out of its position is tricky - they lost another M4 trying this just a few minutes ago.

Baraque de Fraiture 2 - 1518 23/12/1944

Baraque de Fraiture - 23rd Dec 2nd go!

 

This second attempt is going much better for the US. They didn't lose so many on the pregame NMCs. The bombardment had very minor impact [I remembered to add a +2 AIFT drm for the deep snow]. And now the German attack has suffered some coordination problems as the tanks are delayed due to not activating their orders! This has allowed the US tanks to recover from their pinged and sometimes breaking off status and they are ready and waiting! Hmmmn. A much closer fight is in prospect. Pity it's late and I'm too tired to do much more tonight. TIAD.

Baraque de Fraiture 1614 23/12/1944

 

The bitter end for the US. All US tanks are on fire. Only one 105 is manned and it has no HEAT left. The southern flank has collapsed. A PzIV has broken into the middle of the US position and has an immobilized M16 at its mercy. The Glider Infantry company has achieved little - suffering heavily in the bombardment and are now struggling to send out some troops to counter the German advance from the East. I forgot to bring on the othe Germans who are due at 1600 hours from the North! but they are not needed anyway. I think it's all over.

Some errors I made that would help the US if not repeated.

• Germans entering at 1500 hours cannot use the road bonus or the NIC bonus but must add +1 for Deep Snow. This means they need a DR <= 8 to enter. OK easy -  but if they fail then the US have a turn to recover. Entering in 3 groups there is a good chance one will fail (70%x70%x70% = 35%)
• I should put all the US M4s on the EASTERN edge or able to move there at the first initiative. The wide flanking attack by the 2 M4A1s was really effective, but the Germans just had too many PzIVs on the map by then.
• Foxholes under orchards suffer airbursts which is nasty. They do gain for direct fire, but it is moot.
• Using the historical deployment is interesting, but spreading F/325thGIR around in smaller groups would bolster the 106th and maybe make the bazookas more useful.

The US are outnumbered and outmatched and have to win the armour battle to win the game. Even one or two PzIVs or StuGs left will run riot and kill off all the light armour, leaving the infantry easy prey to the PzGr... 

Baraque de Fraiture 1600 23/12/1944

Baraque de Fraiture 1538 23/12/1944

 

After some heavy losses the Germans have finished off the US M4s and 105mm covering the eastern edge of BdF. 7 US tanks are in flames and 3 Panzer IVs. Another 4 PzIVs are KO'd and we might expect one to return to action.

In the South, a StuGIIIG was KO's by a 105mm HEAT round and all the crew have 'been recalled'. The Germans have only an hour of daylight to go - can the US hold on?

Baraque de Fraiture 1510 23/12/1944

Baraque de Fraiture - 1500 23rd December 1944

 

The defence deployed for my 'The Alamo in the Snow' scenario. This is the last attempt to hold back the 2nd SS at Baraque de Fraiture. Losses prior to this were quite moderate, and some powerful forces have joined the US - including 9 tanks and the Glider Infantry. I've put them roughly were they were deployed at the time. They are about to suffer a 24FP attack to simulate the German bombardment. Then heaps of PzIVs will trundle into view, followed by Panzergrenadiers. The armour battle will decide the scenario as far as I can foretell. If the Germans cannot emiminate the M4s and then the 'Meatchoppers' then their infantry cannot survive long in the treelines let alone in the pastures.

Baraque de Fraiture balance issues

This game went heavily in the favour of the Volksgrenadiers. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the US were rather unlucky with their FTC DRs. The aaHTs achieved very little and wasted a lot of ammo. I put some vehicles too far forward and these drew fire from the mortars and the 75mm l.IGs.

I don't think the Germans are too strong. But they do have the option to be far more aggressive than they were in reality. That is up to the player. 560th VG division was inexperienced. Made up of Luftwaffe personell and not well trained at all. I have them as ML7 Confident and Cohesion 4. This follows my principles. I don't have any reasons to deviate from this. I gave them 2 full companies plus support from 2 sMG42 Gruppen, This makes about 16 squads. On average they will lose a squad due to the pregame NMCs. So I think they are about right.

The US tend to be very passive - playing a sit and shoot game. They do have options to counterattack though. Sending the M8s out to disrupt the German plans is one idea. They are vulnerable to the 75mm if they are at the woods edge - but also via indirect fire. The Germans don't have much firepower to spare to protect their mortars and l.IGs. They certainly shouldn't leave any infantry at the woods edge - all the infantry platoons need to move as far as and as fast as possible. They only have 2 1/2 hours of light to play with.

Baraque de Fraiture - 1746 20/12/1944

 

It looks like a German win. They have about a platoon in BdF south of the main road. The US are down to about 20 men with only one M16 able to fire and it low on ammo. The 105 is deadly and would cause any Germans coming down the road some trouble. Furthermore, we know from the history that the US got reinforced by TF Kane soon after this - and a company of a GIR arrived later. So - while the Germans have done very well, it is still not decisive.