Operation Veritable CG

Background

Finally, 12 months from the time I first learned of OVHS, Jim Roche and I kicked off the campaign. It had been delayed several times of late, most notably due to my possible military activation. But after reading Rhineland: The battle to End the War, the historical notes, online AARs, asking many rules questions and whining to the designers about barrages and smoke, ‘go’ time had arrived. In this AAR, I will NOT give a move by move, dice roll by dice roll, recap, but will try to hit the significant events.

[Canadian Game Plan]

[Goals] [Game Start] [Canadian Goals Reviewed] [Canadian Mistakes]

[German Game Plan] by Jim Roche

[After Action Comments]

[House Rules]

[Reverse Slope]

Canadian Game Plan [top]

Really, with all the starts and stops and delays, had lots of time to look at map and compare to how the Riley’s historically tackled this task. I was pretty dead set on coming up the west, open side of the map – those woods just seemed so enticing for a base of operations and good defense for later on. But as I got closer to the start, those hedges on the east side just beckoned to me, and I obliged. I could further protect my vehicles by having and addition +1 for hedge if I crept up beside them. In addition, I wanted to immediately un-ass at least part of my HQ section so they could call down some OBA and have a LITTLE cover from some of the fire.

I planned on bringing on A Co on the far left, with B Co next to them. both companies would be behind a creeping barrage that would start in hexes NN7 and EE8. The barrages would move every fire phase and existed more for cover and HE impact. (Please don’t rain!) Will send third creeping barrage, moving slow (Prep Fire only) up the middle of the map to hit Milk Factory and cause hindrance to any possible long range fire from west to east. 

Setup [top]

No purchases required. Rolled well for leaders, getting a 9-2 and a 10-2 (which was great because I really wanted to use the historical LTC Whitaker counter). Also got two armor leaders (9-1 and 8-1) to be placed in my Shermans that got nine of 12 possible gyrostabilizers (that would help later).

Goals [top]

Game Start [top]

I look down, and see something VERY interesting. It appears that my opponent is going to use a “Reverse Slope” defense. Very intriguing, and not a bad idea at all. (What is reverse slope? See below) You see, my opponent also used rehearsals. And in them, his forces on the front slope were quickly neutralized by return fire from OBA, creeping barrages, gyro Shermans, MGs, MTRs and firegroups. While he said he could definitely inflict some losses, he had nothing left after turn 3. He did not want that to happen. 

He appears to have set up some multi-hex, entrenched festungs as anchors for his defense. And he does appear to have manned the Milk Factory and mined the paved road on the west. So……

Turn 1 [top]

Barrages start rolling and NO rain. Feeeeeeeeeeeewwwwww.

Turn 2 [top]

Sticking with plan, I line up C and D companies along with the other 6 Shermans. I will also set up a Support By Fire position next to the road with two Shermans, two MMGs and a MTR to suppress the Milk Factory. 

C and D companies, along with the support platoon, move in un-molested.


A and B move up to the crest line and I “peek’ over a couple moving kangaroos and a carrier. This Kang reveals an 88 (MM14) in a trench that was HIP until I came into LOS. Okay, have found one of the 88s, in return, bye-bye kangaroo. But not so fast - I learn here how tough it is to hit my Kangaroos and carriers. Especially with the barrage still floating around. +2 for barrage, +2 for moving, +1 for small target and it is not a guarantee. (the carriers are even tougher with being double small). And I do end up losing one carrier. I do unload a couple of vehicles to try and sneak some guys up the crest during advance phase.

The cool factor – as the pictures show, HOW cool does it look to see 30 vehicles and 40 squads moving forward like that!?

Turn 3 [top]

Well, I decide that going over piece-meal will just allow him to pick off one by one my guys and vehicles. So up and over go about five Kangaroos, four Shermans, two carriers and a wasp on the east side. In addition, I unload about five squads that will advance move up to form a big-ass fire group from hexes MM11 to II10.

Another 88, in DD14 reveals itself, pivots and fires. There too, he has a little festung with about a platoon and HMG. He is missing with most of his shots. (needing 4s and 5s). He fires some PF’s at my Kangaroos, but at range of 2, he needs a 3 to hit. Once they PFs are gone, I rush a Wasp at his far east 88. The 88 hits and dispatches him, but the Wasp and other dead vehicles do form a nice corridor of blaze/smoke for others to hind behind. 

The only vehicle I stop is my 9-1 AL and Sherman behind the hedge in PP9. I am hoping that he somehow survives to his Prep Fire to start firing Smoke and WP. The Gyro’s are great, but not being able to fire smoke while in motion does not help much. I have also got some vehicles that are hugging the east board edge almost out of harm’s way. If I had been German using this defense, I would have put that little Festung right up against the east edge. Instead, now he has to pivot a lot to keep up with all my movement.

In the middle, I plan on a rush of infantry and a Wasp to take out that 88 that has pivoted towards the east. 

He is firing a lot of his LMG’s and even inherent FP at the carriers and Wasps. Not a bad strategy – both to whack the CE crews and TK with the MG. On the far west (Milk Factory). My support platoon is getting ready to assault the Milk Factory itself. My 9-2 and other 2 MMGs are almost in place to lay down fire for an assault on the Milk Factory area.

Turn 4 [top]

From left to right, and east to west:

I successfully lay WP on his 88.  Nice shot.  I get both of my FO’s over the crest with radio contact, but realize, anything they do now will really just hinder me, so I just keep SR’s on the board.  Of my big fire group of infantry that I advance up the hill, only about a half are left.  I have broken most his infantry in that festung and they will have tough time routing since I have moved some kangs and carriers behind them. I moved up my other Wasp, flame and break that 88’s crew (White Phos, then Wasp attack - just like they teach you).  The Squads in building II12 just wont break and are putting up a hell of a fight! 

In the middle, I assault move some infantry up and run a Wasp at his 88.  This draws the fire of his 3^rd 88 in hex U14.  He misses.  I flame and break the 88 crew in DD14 but he fires infantry at the Wasp and it gets pinned (ie, no longer moving…uh oh). 

  On the far west (Milk Factory). 

Seeing OBA coming my way, my 8-1, 2x228s and their dm MMGs advance up the hill, over the barbed wire and into the milk factory.  12 fp Mine attack!  They all survive.  But now, is that a real stack next to them in the factory???  Bottom of turn 4 it turns out it is.  1 of my 228s survives but breaks and then has to rout out of the factory into his OBA.  Bye-bye support platoon. (and 2 MMGs).

Turn 5 [top]

From left to right, and east to west:

Feeling good!  Got 3 Shermans and 3 Kangaroos past his Festung and they are moving south. I unload my guys in Schwanhof. I break his 88 crew in MM14.  That festung is smoked and taking fire from all sides. I take 1.5 squads of prisoners for his failure to rout. 

Those bastards in that stone building are just not budging.  They take out a carrier that I tried to VBM them with.  Will bring up WASP to get them.

I move up the middle towards his DD14 88 and he fires 24 FP vs. my infantry – and rolls 12.  Such a shame.  J  I fire the Wasp at his infantry and capture his 88 in DD14.  His crew surrenders to me.

I do an infantry charge to get the 88 in hex U14  (I wish Canadians could do human waves.  His 88 hits 2 squads at range of 2 and they break, but 8-0 survives and keeps charging.  Others are moving up too.  I advance the 8-0 into the 88’s hex and get locked in melee with his 2-2-8 .

The Milk Factory is going to be tough to crack.  I just cant get out of melee with one of his 548 squads.  (I forgot that I have 4fp and he 5fp for CC – makes a big difference. Oh, by the way, amazing, old curmudgeon that he is, Jim has agreed to use IIFT – mainly due to 548 squads and such. Fine me with me though)

Mid Turn 5 [top]

Really starting to wrap things up.  His big hexes left are either covered in SMOKE or have a broken MG.  But wait, Jim rolls a 10 in rally phase - here comes the rain!!!  No more smoke AND he fixes his broken HMG!  Uh, oh, this is gonna hurt.

German Turn 5 [top]

Turn 6 [top]

Turn 7 [top]

Not too much significant. II12 Blazes. I dig foxholes around Schwanenhof and keeping expanding my perimeters. I stop my last moving Roo on Crossroads Vic AA 23, hoping for one more turn so I can unload and control adjacent hexes. If not, will have to escape.

I stupidly move a Sherman to get fire on his HMG in N16 but do not notice that his 88 has LOS. The nearby troops though, are now warmer thanks to the brew up. Doh. 

Jim, during his half turn, wildly runs some guys east on the southern part of the map perhaps in anticipation of the next CG Date. He then desperately rolls for game end and succeeds.

End of 19 AM (Click on image to expand it.)

End of 19 AM in the south (Click on image to expand it.)

End of 19 AM in the middle (Click on image to expand it.)

Canadian Goals Reviewed [top]

Losses [top]

Thoughts on Canadian Perimeter [top]

Well, my mistake on not totally understanding the crossroads control criteria cost me a nice, big connected set up area (JJ 11). Oh well. One funny strategic location turned out to be an 88 possessed by a Canadian 8-0! He could not fire it, but he could possess it, so it was a strategic hex!

As it stands, I have 5 areas and everyone successfully escaped or moved back into each area. I only got 7 points, which now means I will have to average 11.5 from here on out. When I take the Milk Factory next CG date I will have a very defensible 12 LVPs, but NO room for error. I will buy and build foxholes to connect these 5 areas.

Canadian Mistakes [top]

• Should have used Carrier sD more.
• Should not have assaulted with 228s and MMGs into Factory
• Waited TOO long to bring in my “Exploitation” Platoon in Roos
• Forgot to self-rally 2 rather than 1 squad per turn
• Lost a Sherman stupidly on poor LOS eye of mine.
• Should have been more cautious with my engineers. (I lost 50% of them)

Final Thoughts [top]

Well, time will tell how my strategy played out. I seemed to have lost WAY fewer than most of the Canadian AARs I have read, but do not have much territory in return. By only getting 7 LVPs, I fear that I will be hanging by a thread for the rest of the CG. Maybe I should have traded another Sherman and maybe 3 more squads to get the Milk Factory. 

On a funny note, I have NEVER taken so many prisoners! 6 squads and 3 leaders and I get NOTHING for them. No points, no ELR bump, no battle-hardening. What a bummer. 

I am pleased with how my barrage and rolling attack worked. I never felt that I was a helpless sitting duck to German MGs and 88s. I love my force that remains and seem to have good jumping off points for my 19PM push. 

German Game Plan [top]

by Jim Roche

My final game plan was a reverse slope defense, with my entire force setup behind the crest line which roughly parallels the Goch-Kalkar Rd. My 88's and entrenched infantry were set up as far back from the crest line as allowed, in areas where they had the clearest and longest lines of sight to the crest, so they could fire as long and effectively as possible into the swarms of Canadians as they moved over the crest line and swamped my outmanned defenses. 

The Germans are outnumbered by better than 2-1 in infantry and have the 4 88s and two PSKs to taken on 20 Shermans, 20 Kangaroos and 6 carriers, including 3 Wasps. The Germans are also greatly restricted in their set up options. Most of the German force including the 88s must set up within 3 hexes of the Goch-Kalkar Rd. When I first digested these conditions, it made me wonder about the converse of the comment made in the historical notes, about how any Canadian would be able to survive the first scenario. Specifically, how were any Germans supposed to survive the first scenario, much less hold onto any LVPs? 

I decided very early that I would not disperse my force in small groups to defend every LVP or every defensible position. Therefore, I decided not to set up the six squads and MG platoon as far back as the rules allowed. I did not want to stretch my force any thinner than it already was. So everyone was going to defend the frontline. My fear was that by dispersing the German defense, that you would simply allow it to be overwhelmed piecemeal. 

I only really had two goals in my defense. When considering the numbers and limitations on setup, my first goal was to take as many Canadians with me to Valhalla as possible, since it really appeared to me that the Germans had a distinct possibility of losing almost everyone and almost every LVP. The goal I set was to try to eliminate Canadian squads on a 1:1 basis with German squads, so that if I lost all 20 squads that the Canadians would lose 20 squads. Since I did not really think I could hold much, I wanted to weaken the Canadians as much as possible so it would be easier for me to counter attack to retake LVPs after the first scenario. 

To do this, I decided to concentrate my 88 fire on loaded Kangaroos. The Shermans, really did not scare me that much, since I will be able to purchase more 88s, Panthers and Jagdpanthers. Additionally, the Shermans will be withdrawn during night scenarios, when the Germans will probably be doing most of the attacking. Once the battle started, I was able to implement this, except when the Canadians drove their Wasps two hexes away from my guns, and stopped to fire the flamethrowers. Then they became the primary targets. 

In setting up my defense, I had already decided that I could not defend all or even most of the LVPs, and I was worried that the Canadians could effectively isolate portions of my defense, use overwhelming force on a small area, then move onto the next cluster and overwhelm it in turn. To prevent them from doing that, I decided that I was not going to try to defend any LVP as such. I thought that what the Canadians must do at all costs is eliminate the 88s. Therefore, I chose spots for my 88s with the best fields of fire, and then entrenched my infantry in supporting clusters to defend the guns. That way, I thought that the Canadians would be forced to attack me, and I would have the best chance to inflict serious casualties on them. It turned out that much of my force defended in or near some of the LVP buildings and locations, although I was prepared to lose any or all of those LVPs, hopefully for a price. 

My 88s were set up in hexes D13, U14, DD14 and MM14. Only MM14 was in a trench. This was risky, because it exposed the non entrenched 88s to attack by the creeping barrage. I would have set the other 3 guns up in trenches if the hedges adjacent to each of those locations did not block the fire significantly. So I took the risk and did not lose any guns to the bombardment. By setting up a reverse slope defense, I had already nullified the threat of his artillery attacking my guns. He was not allowed to use an offboard observer, so the only way he could bring down artillery on my guns, was by driving his observer on board in a Kangaroo and unloading over the crest line, in line of sight to me, then bringing the artillery down on me. Because of the reverse slope defense, I knew he could not attack the 88s with the artillery until turn four, or more likely turn five. By then I figured my 88's would have long since been overrun or completely nullified by Sherman's placing smoke on them. 

Once I decided on the reverse slope defense, my next and only other goal was to delay the Canadian attack. Maybe, I thought, that by delaying his attack significantly, I could hold some of the LVPs on the south side of the board by default. The reverse slope defense by it's very nature is a delaying tactic. Here, because of the soft ground which doubles the cost of vehicular movement in most hexes, I bought myself at least a two turn delay. When the Candies drove on board, he saw nothing, and was not fired upon. The same thing happened in turn two.

As part of this defense, it is imperative to deny the Canadian vehicles the use of the paved road running north to south from H0 to H10 where it connects to the Goch-Kalkar Rd, which is paved and runs along the crest line east to west, which I had decided to defend. The soft ground does not slow down movement along paved roads, so it can be a super highway right into the middle of the German defense. To prevent this, I purchased AT mines and placed them at H6, H9 and H10 I also put a foxhole with a squad and PSK at H11. The AT mines are known on a paved road, but their strength is not known. In any event, it should force the Canadians off of that road. 

Since the Canadians cannot use that paved road, they probably cannot drive any unit over the crest line to see the German defense, or engage in any combat until turn three. So the reverse slope defense buys you automatically a two turn respite from attack and a two turn delay. Turn three then becomes a reconnaissance turn for the Canadians, although the significant combat does begin then. 

One other delaying tactic was the use of AP mines, which I placed in building hexes along the crest line, specifically HH10, and Q10, which is the milk factory hex right on the edge of the crest line. Once your opponent in a campaign game discovers you have placed mines, it makes him cautious and more deliberate, thereby slowing him down. 

I had no other goals or objectives in the first scenario. If I lost everything, I was just hoping to seriously weaken the Canadians for later in the CG. I had no goal to try hold any LVPs. 

The reverse slope defense was actually the second one I had set up. My first try was a defense with all the 88s having a relatively clear LOS down into the valley that the Canadians must cross. Since there was a two month period from when we agreed to start this CG until our actual kickoff, I was able to do a solo Canadian attack on my defense. The 88s did make some kills in turn one, but mostly of Shermans. The first act in Canadian turn 2, was for the surviving Shermans and artillery observers to put smoke rounds on all the 88s, pretty much taking them out of the game. All would have been overrun before the smoke had cleared off their positions. With the 88s out of action, the German infantry is easily surrounded and eliminated. 

After Action Comments [top]

The first scenario played surprisingly fast. We did it in two sessions of about 9 hours total. I was afraid that it might take 16-20 hours to play. The reverse slope defense was partly responsible, since the first two turns went fast as the Canadians moved onto the board, and were not fired on. Another significant factor, is that the board is so open that you rarely have to check LOS. You also do not have to run to the rule book to look up complicated terrain rules, or things like street fighting, etc. 

On the whole I was very satisfied with the results of the reverse slope defense. I lost 12 German squads, but took about eight or nine Canadian squads to Valhalla with me. I was a little short of my goal of 1:1 casualties, but it could have been a lot worse. I did kill three Shermans, two Wasps and two  carriers. I also lost two  88s, two of which the Canadians captured. One 88, I did manage to destroy just before it was lost. 

There was one surprise in the Canadian attack. I suspected I might see some form of a board edge creep, which I thought would come along the west edge. Consequently, when I set up my 88s, all the CAs were pointed to the west. The actual board edge creep attack came in on the east edge. I expected the west edge attack, since it leads to the wooded defensible area of the board. Either side can use the west end as a more defensible base area for later operations. 

As it turned out, I held the west end of the board, and would actually rather be there because there is much more cover and it is more defensible than the open east end of the board. The surviving 88 is the one that started furthest west, at D13, specifically. The Canadians attack area was from the east edge to the milk factory area. There was no attack west of the milk factory. 

My second goal of delaying the Canadian attack was very successful. I think that the delay is the reason that 8 squads and two MGs survived. Additionally, the Canadians only controlled seven LVPs at the end of the scenario. Due in large part to the successful delaying tactics, the Germans also held the milk factory and the four LVPs that go with it. 

In retrospect, the Canadian attack is more difficult than I originally thought. It requires a great deal of planning and forethought to be successful. For instance, the Canadian did not control either LVP at the intersections at JJ11 or AA 24. At JJ11, my nearby hedgehog held out much longer than it should have, especially the infantry which heroically and doggedly held out at the stone building at II12. They all received medals, posthumously. The Canadians eventually eliminated them and the rest of the hedgehogs defending the 88 at MM 14, but did not have time to move infantry through each hex adjacent to the intersection at JJ11 to control all of the hexes. So, under the CG SSR, that LVP was controlled by the Germans. 

When the scenario ended, the Canadians had a Kangaroo and mounted squad occupying the southern LVP intersection at AA24. The was no German any where near that location. However, under the CG SSR, the Germans still controlled the intersection, since the Canadians never controlled the adjacent hexes. The Canadians also suffered the loss of the Kangaroo and a half squad during the refit phase when they were required to attempt to escape from that location. Too bad, so sad! 

The lesson I learned from the first scenario, is that it is possible for the Germans to significantly delay the Canadians attack, so that the Germans can hold some LVPs and have some of their force survive, to die in scenario two. I think the reverse slope defense accomplished that so far. What the future holds, we will see. My early guess is that it will be significantly harder and more costly, for either side to attack from here on out.

House Rules [top]

• Barrages came on Turn one as per the ISR (this will be changed in errata)
• Starting in the next CG Date, two red chit draws will not end OBA. Instead, a red card is added and a player can continue to attempt battery access.
• Anything HIP at the end of a CG Date stays HIP.
• Hedges will be on considered to be on whatever level they are shown on. That is, a hex that has Level 1 and Level 2 and a hedge on both will be a 1.5 and 2.5 level obstacle respectively.

Reverse Slope [top]

Current US Military doctrine is to always use reverse slope on defense.  That way the attacker, can not see or fire on you until they are very close (until they come over the hill so to speak).  It takes away indirect and other supporting fires.  In ASL, it is sometimes hard to get over the fact that you give up some open shots versus the attacker, but in the long run, usually it is more effective.