TANKS AT PLATAMON

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

By 18.10 the single soldier left of my engineers had surrendered.

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

It was a grim, interesting scenario, which only became frustrating during day 3, really, when it all became very passive. I had to wait for the exit points to open and couldn't do much to stop the slaughter. But throughout the scenario there were interesting and challenging decisions to be made. It would have been possible to stage this fighting withdrawal in at least three different ways, and I feel had I pulled some units back earlier I could have saved them. I could have saved the Engineers, I think, and was particularly sad to lose them after they fought so hard. Ditto my 25 pounders, lost to a massive airstrike.

The terrain I had to fight day 3 from was exposed and awful. I was repeatedly barraged and there was no cover. I wonder if, for example, I had just let the Axis exit their troops the result might have been the same? Then I could have chosen more favourable terrain for our last stand.

 

[Iconoclast]

Great Peter! Thanks for this report!

That is the sweetness of a simulation, especially a conflict simulation like CO. Winning is one thing, but reliving history and experiencing somewhat the inner struggle of a BnCdr another. Enjoy the emptiness you feel after such a battle, and imagine what the people must have felt like who actually took part in this battle.

Thanks again.

 

[john connor]

 

[john connor]

My pleasure, Iconoclast. Thanks for following it.

My hat comes off to the AI (and its creator) which held me to this miserable marginal vic, even though I reset a few times early on and was, after all, trying my hardest. I'm not very good, perhaps, but still - I'm human!! And a compendium of code managed this. That's a fantastic achievement in a game, especially these days, when AI is increasingly thin on the ground.

It would certainly be possible to play it through again and learn from my mistakes. I was conscious of many mistakes, though only with hindsight, of course.

I noticed units locked up about five times - haven't logged the instances or anything - just mention it in passing. I had to re-issue different orders to break them out of it. Not a major issue in something as tiny as this scenario.

Arty, as ever, was the king of it all. The Axis arty isn't shown as being responsible for the bulk of my losses, but I can tell you that it was, not just because it killed directly, but because it forced units to break from dug-in positions and that was always a prelude to disaster.

I will have to try a scenario where I'm not on the defensive next.

 

[Dave 'Arjuna' O'Connor]

Great stuff Peter. You did alright mate!

 

[DerGrenadier]

Great outcome. I mean, a victory is a vicotry,am I right?

 

[john connor]

I would have been happier if I could have lost less men.

Thanks Dave, DerGrenadier!

 

[Daz]

Well done mate!
You did great, in what I think is a small, but very difficult scenario to get a decisive victory in, playing as Allies.

I enjoyed reading it from start to finish, and learnt a lot.
Good job

 

[john connor]

Thanks Daz. Someone more militarily skilful than I (you, for example) could get a Dec Vic, I'm sure, and show me how it's done! Be very interesting to watch. I still feel I should have blocked the ridge, held out there.

The win/lose meter changed dramatically when the Axis exited units. It might be that that was my biggest mistake - not camping out on the exit points sooner. Might be possible to get a very different result just by covering that angle better.

 

[Daz]

My first play through, I got exactly the same as you mate, a Marginal Victory.

In actual fact, I ran into the exact same problem.
I never kept moving once I started to pull back.
I stayed to long on the lesser objectives, and they zoomed right past me!

As you have surmised, I think you either need to find a way of holding them at Castle Ridge, or pull all the way back to the exit, as soon, or before, they break through, ignoring the other objectives.

 

[Soviet Pachyderm]

That was awesome, do more of these mate.

 

[john connor]

Thanks Soviet Pachyderm. Great forum name. What's the picture - something from the Moomins?

Glad you liked it. There's another one ongoing at the moment - the D-Day Airborne AAR in this AAR section.

Peter

 

[Soviet Pachyderm]

Thanks Soviet Pachyderm. Great forum name. What's the picture - something from the Moomins?

Glad you liked it. There's another one ongoing at the moment - the D-Day Airborne AAR in this AAR section.

Peter

Nope, not the Moomins, it's Sakamoto from Nichijou.