Rommel's Project 3: Phase 2 was next. First problem was cognitive. Phase 2. Hmmmm... Where did that come from? Should I be taking a hint from that, something I was missing? I looked at the reinforcement schedule: Att 330/ Def 290 - casualties as a result of careless aggression would weigh in my favor. No one plans in their initial thoughts to do anything careless, right? So at least I'd passed that hurdle. Would the VP's be nearby? Was that the catch, an enemy who started with a great deal more points than I did and me forced to take the role of the, shall we say, 'carelessly aggressive'? Hmmm....more complex if that were the case.
Keep in mind I know Rommel personally. Not uncommon for me to do one of two things: spend way too much time reading his long descriptions trying to sense the tone of what's to come, or in putting the scenario on the shelf until such time as I'm ready to face what I know ultimately will be a challenge for me. He thinks and designs with a great deal of logic. Me, I play like the manual was included to keep flies away from the monitor. And so the pregame becomes a bit more involved than for some other author's works. Not altogether different, but different.
I'm glancing at my notes, which quickly became psychotic scrawlings, and recollecting their original intention. In the first phase of the engagement, I was reminded of the last Project3 scenario I'd played, Bobb's - but mirrored with me assuming the attacking role from the corner southeast with expansion in mind. The enemy controlling, as seems to be thematic thus far, the central city and in this case the southern airbase as well. Of course first thoughts were that two airbases to my one was completely unacceptable. I was tied up enough in the corner without airstrikes to further reign me in.
The first phase I elected, for some inexplicable reason, to pull my forces back from a complete movement's reach up the rail. In hindsight, it's likely that recalling Bobb's defender in this position racing up the rail to an untimely demise might have caused me to seek a more defensive posture from the onset rather than seek immediate victory point occupation. Mistake number one.
As a result of the collision of forces on the rail, luckily far west enough of the north road to the lower central city, artillery barrages and long distance fire enabled me to launch the secondary assault northward in hopes of occupation and ultimately crossing the bridges to the 'central city' including its feared airbase power. Southern central city was mined. A problem easily overcome provided an engineering crew had been enlisted. And it had. One. So protecting him became another problem. Not the last of the dilemmas in this region.
To recap the southern region confrontation and to offer some preliminary to what became large kindergarten swipes across my notebook pretending to be letters, let me recap. Two forces have split their firepower nearly in half. One assaulting/protecting the railway leading west, and the other - east of that engagement - attempting to form an attacking line along the road that will enter the south central city once the mine blocking the road has been cleared. Light tanks are stationed in the woods to sentry the engineer's progress and draw fire while heavy tanks, medium armor, and transport units prepare on the rail to assist in either direction. Keys: stay out of your own artillery barrage plot, keep the enemy west believing you're vulnerable enough to engage rather than leaving via rail to further support the south central city, hurry up that engineer to get these forces off the road to avoid artillery fire you gotta know is coming.
The next phase elicits the wild commander in me shouting, "Now what the hell's the problem with you guys?! What does it take to occupy a city for crying out loud?! You're IN there, so what's the deal with the 50 points!!?? Is there a 'p o l i t i c a l' problem??" We let our attention fall to the growing pressure on the rail after successful, yet unsuccessful, occupation of the city. The southernmost troops, recently deployed retreat east far enough to tempt enemy units to meet them at point west of the road leading north, already barraged and blocking both entry and line of sight. The thought is to invest even MORE troops to the occupation of that city in the event that more hexes need occupied, but 'what' more hexes? Back to this in a minute. In any event, the ruse works. A strong platoon of light tanks follows my bait to the bend in the rail heading into my own camp. Scary business. If my artillery misses, these tanks will be driving home the wreckage of my planes and sending home VP's in a manilla envelope. First, send all but the 'magnet crew' north into the city - the artillery barrage will seal them off from any rear attack.
The elimination of the rail units goes as planned. Artillery falls just outside the railway and avoids blocking my own progress for later, if available, movement northward via the western end of the rail. As it happened, the coastal city was occupied shortly with minimal unit investment but the trip north was halted by enemy heavy artillery fire. Back to the south central city. In a five to six turn debacle the truth is ferreted out of the situation by process of elimination and continued trial, error, shouting, and wondering if Rommel was home. He'd have to be -- if I were going to find him and kill him.
The result of the war, that is the 'continuation of policy', in that infamous southern central city was this: ultimately I conquered it, controlled it, and attempted feebly a continued march north to join the forces attacking the central city proper. Control was the bone of contention within the ranks, within the continuing struggle, and within the commander of the forces. Shout as I would at the injustices levied upon the occupying forces, rightful award for occupation of the region was withheld from me until all city hexes both north and south of the railway bridge were enemy-free. The 10 point victory marker was for the bridge! Not the northern sector of the city. Major, major, mistake number two. Too much time politicizing to be sure of final victory. Too much force, too little rational investigation. The signs were posted, albeit in an unusually obscure fashion - especially for Rommel - but the ploy had deceived me, lured me into a preoccupation that took longer than time constraints rightfully allowed. The thinking process quickly became a minor casualty of war.
The last phase of the engagement, specifically the last half, became one of keeping balanced the acquired positions and struggling to rectify at least three remaining deficiencies: 1) the enemy heavy artillery had caused major losses at the rail crossing north of the coastal city. A barrage had left a platoon of medium tanks stranded there in their attempt to join in the fight over the "bridged city's" occupation. The second barrage nearly eliminated their future impact altogether. 2) Consequently, those same barrages had left the rail damaged and the engineering unit had become a casualty in an attempt to repair the northeast bridge in the central contest arena. Follow up units would be slowed in their attempt to reach the heavy artillery hidden in the woods near central proper. 3) The unit casualty count was great enough to wonder whether an eastern platoon of ACMG could eliminate bridge-holding forces by distant or passing fire and/or the platoon of light tanks following the damaged medium armor could take out the heavy artillery and reach the central city in time to effect the outcome.
As events unfolded and the expected clashes ensued, the light tank platoon was successful in eliminating the assault of the heavy artillery. One unit remained to execute an occupation of the central city. But it would be two turns. The eastern machine gunners rolled northward and took the casualties anticipated by the defending medium armor. By the time our own attacking artillery destroyed or rendered useless enemy armor, one ACMG remained. It would also take two turns to reach the central city and time its attack with the light unit west. A mere ten points now separated our forces. A last task would light the victory torch or dim the day's only light.
The light tank rounded the city and took sight of the MG fortified at the airstrip. Dangerous in passing fire, but deprivation was a necessary second objective to total occupation. We'd count on the following ACMG to occupy the airstrip and eliminate the infantry. Two chances to one in fires, not even counting a final fire from the light tank if he landed in range. The MG let the tank through with barely a glance, seemingly fixed and knowing this was not the last warrior he would face. Then the bazooka hit, tucked away in the niche of a hex cut into the woods as the light tank headed north. Without hesitation, instinctively, the tank fired back. Mistake number three. The airstrip could be assaulted, but the MG was going to be left to the last battle, the ACMG. The last countryman. A damaged tank, the remains of a bazooka platoon, and fortified enemy MG waited the assault.
The armor unit crept upon the scene pausing at each hex checking line of sight, rethinking the order of movement, finger on the (a)ttack key, eyes racing over the landscape to account for any heretofore unseen units that might fire and crush the dream. One quick movement, one glance to the corner of the map, and came - the opportunity. I was in the city, the light tank was in the airport strip - MG was in my sights. FIRE! He seemed simultaneously to fire in return. The awful SMWAPPP! of the metal breaking apart and the unit disappearing was a fateful final blow. His fortified position endured. The enemy gunner turned his sights to the light tank, but could only offer the solid unmoving stance that had won him victory.
Final score: 3350 - 3360. Minimized endgame, Optimized enemy. A four star battle. Fine work.