RTT'42 Campaign: Calendar Day 22 NOV 1942-End of Day

[collier4]

I have concluded turn 4, awaiting Collier. Hoping to rattle through this one on Sunday if Collier is up for it.

Pdaddy - What time zone are u in and we'll see if we can co- ordinate to up the game rate? Currently UTC +10 here and the weekend is 3/4 gone.

[Navaronegun]

I have concluded turn 4, awaiting Collier. Hoping to rattle through this one on Sunday if Collier is up for it.

Pdaddy - What time zone are u in and we'll see if we can co- ordinate to up the game rate? Currently UTC +10 here and the weekend is 3/4 gone.

.

He is in the UK so it is 4 AM there now.

[collier4]

And Nava I loved that footage of the German swines...... ..........not sure where my commandos are though.

Wasn't that a wonderful touch! Let's see if the swine can get some payback

[protectivedaddy]

GMT matey, I'm trying to stay awake at nights but at least you are present on the battlefield, unlike your compatriots over in France.

[Navaronegun]

GMT matey, I'm trying to stay awake at nights but at least you are present on the battlefield, unlike your compatriots over in France.

Hey, they are on *your* side, not ours.

[protectivedaddy]

It was a reference to those German generals hiding behind their Frauleins skirts over in the GJS campaign. (Sorry for the cross reference and invasion of your thread)

Though while your on Nava is there anyway could you give an update of how our battle results compare to the actual historical results for each turn - by which I mean with your knowledge of Tunis etc have our movements mirrored those that actually took place and if so are our battle results similar...........the Allies seem to be taking heavy losses early on, is this indicative of what actually occurred.

[Navaronegun]

Hmm....first of all a couple things have happened differently.

Firstly the French entered earlier than historically. They fully threw in with the Allies on 24 NOV not 20 NOV like here.

Historically, the first engagement occurred at Djebel Abiod, like in the Djebel Abiod scenario I was playtesting late last year. Ours was at Sedjenane. Both on the same date and the same forces (6 RWK and XI. Fallschirmpioner). That battle was more even historically, but the Germans had 2 tank Companies and a Marder company. The Brits had the bulk of 56 Recce with them and a 25 Pounder section. It was a draw, but the Brits were worse for the wear. And the Germans were attacking, not defending. Ours was at Sedjenane and the Germans were defending. XI. FP has good troops, but was also a well put together BN, tactically, with the 8cm, 12cm and 150mm Infantry Gun sections. XI. Fallschirmpioner was rushed from training for the Invasion of Malta, where it was supposed to play a role similar to what FJs did at Eban Emel in 1940 namely Commando-type stuff. Its structure had the same l logic behind the stucture of the British Para BNs and Commandos and their use of with 3 3'" sections and 3 Vickers Sections. Assault troops need man-portable Firepower. No. 6 Commando landing where it did was Cavehobbit's inspiration. The Allies never did that.

At this stage of the game the Allies were still building strength. Historically they planned their offensive 24-25 NOV. From Dr. Morton's Official US History ( A good summary) and an assessment of the plan Bold emphasis is mine:

General Evelegh's plan was to move his forces eastward to the objective line in three widely separated columns, two of which would converge in the vicinity of Tebourba. (Map 5) These three columns were to consist of the British 36th Infantry Brigade Group on the left (north), Blade Force in the center, and the 11th Infantry Brigade Group on the right, each reinforced by American armored and artillery units. To seize Medjez el Bab and advance along the northwestern bank of the Medjerda river, he designated the 11th Infantry Brigade Group, protected at first by detached elements of Blade Force. The main body of Blade Force, including the 1st Battalion, U.S. 1st Armored Regiment of light tanks, was to thread its way through the mountains past Sidi Nsir into the valley of the upper Tine river and thence via Chouïgui pass in the eastern hills onto the plain northwest of Tebourba. During this advance it would block any hostile blow against the Allied northern flank, and might grasp an opportunity to seize Mateur, but it was expected to seize the bridges over the Medjerda river at El Bathan, south of Tebourba, and at Djedeïda, northeast of it. Subsequently, it would turn over defense of these bridges to the 11th Infantry Brigade Group.

Beginning during the night of 24-25 November, the 36th Infantry Brigade Group was to proceed eastward from Djebel Abiod along the twisting road to Mateur and Bizerte. While it appeared to threaten Mateur, its ultimate objective in exploiting successes was a section of road from a major road junction six miles west-northwest of Mateur to the bridge over the Sedjenane river seven miles farther north, possession of which would block one of the main routes between Bizerte and Mateur. Execution of these missions would complete the first phase of the Allied attack.

On the night of 25-26 November, as the first step of the next phase, the 11th Infantry Brigade Group was expected to leave one reinforced battalion to hold Tebourba, El Bathan, and Djedeïda, and to move the main body to an assembly area south of Mateur. Supported by all available artillery, and with Blade Force in 78th Division reserve, the infantry was to attack Mateur on 26 November. During this phase, the southeastern flank would be protected by a mobile armored force (part British and part American) and by French infantry, as a responsibility of General Barré.

Once the Allies held Tebourba and Mateur, with the important river crossings near them, the final attack could be launched from the new base line. The plan for those operations was withheld for later issuance in the light of intervening events. Royal Air Force units were to provide tactical air reconnaissance under 78th Division control, mainly to observe the movements of Axis reserves and, through a control unit with the division, to provide such cover as one fighter squadron could furnish for the daylight advance by Blade Force and its concentration near Chouïgui.

This plan had some recognizable weaknesses, attributable partly to postponing selection of the zone of attack in the next phase, and partly to disregarding the relationship of the terrain to the utilization of armored units. Attached to the 36th Infantry Brigade Group in the mountains was a company of medium tanks which it could never use. Blade Force lacked infantry and was consequently unable to cope with some normal tactical situations. If the 36th Infantry Brigade Group had been limited to a holding attack, it could have spared some of its infantry for employment with Blade Force. The mountains which separated Blade Force from the 11th Infantry Brigade Group intervened at least as completely as would the Medjerda river if Blade Force had been sent forward southeast of it while the 11th Infantry Brigade used the road along the northwestern bank. The main road from Medjez el Bab through Furna and Massicault to Tunis, with side roads to various river crossings, ran through terrain on which armored units could maneuver. A blocking detachment near Sidi Nsir might have protected Bédja while releasing forces to make the assault on Tunis with the main effort on the right (southeast). Finally, the plans forfeited any possibility of surprise; Nehring could ascertain the zone of major Allied offensive effort and consolidate his defenses accordingly. No plan could have made better use of the inadequate Allied air support except, perhaps, to husband rather than overextend it.

In terms of the Northern advance, the 36 BDE Group crawled along Monty-style, didn't make contact to draw forces from the center until the 28th (3-4 days?!?) and then:

The northern attack along the coastal highway by the 36th Brigade Group spent its force on 29-30 November in one last courageous effort. Observers could not spot the many camouflaged enemy machine gun positions on Green Hill north of the road even with the aid of low-level air reconnaissance. A night attack on that hill by the British 6th Commando (-) and on Bald Hill by the 6th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment (-), put men on the upper slopes, only to have them pinned down in daylight. By nightfall, 30 November, the whole undertaking of the north column was stopped. The 36th Brigade Group withdrew toward Sedjenane, leaving Group Witzig (XI. Fallschirmpioner and an IT AT Company) in control.

"Spent its force" is a fancy-pants historian way of saying "got shagged". In Game terms it would be two hexes west in 0720.

In the words of another Article:

The ambush was a complete success for the Fallschirmpioner. In ten short minutes, an entire company had disappeared under precise fire. The battalion commander for the Argylls ordered a second company into the valley to relieve A company, while two more companies were sent rushing up either hillside to the twin peaks. All of these attacks were quickly snuffed out, with accurate mortar and machine gun fire pinning the entire regiment. The following day the other battalions had joined in a concerted brigade level assault on Bald and Green Hill, but this failed to make further progress. All told, a little under 400 German soldiers stopped the entire brigade dead in its tracks. Jefna would not be taken for another six months. Many of the dead still remained in the valley for months as a reminder of what Allies were up against if they wanted to drive the Axis out of Africa.

[collier4]

GMT matey, I'm trying to stay awake at nights but at least you are present on the battlefield, unlike your compatriots over in France.

We'll we,ve upped the rate to 3 a day, so we,re humming now. They must be too soft over in Europe.

[guardsman]

Sit rep.

Pont Du Fahs has fallen the Italian defenders fell to a man they inflicted losses of 3 Free French infantry units one French leader and nine allied trucks. The Commando Battalion albeit battered suffered no losses.

God Save The King....out

[Navaronegun]

Concur on Pont du Fahs. Will calculate point costs and update OOB this evening EST. I have the final tally as a screenshot, whuich gets into specifics on losses (French Lorries vs. GB Trucks).

Nav

[guardsman]

Nav

Thanks for the game mate well played but the numbers were against you.
Cheers
Mick.

[Navaronegun]

Nav

Thanks for the game mate well played but the numbers were against you.
Cheers
Mick.

Thanks to you too, it was a lot of fun! Some days you eat the Bear and some days the Bear eats you. I always enjoy a "Thin Red Line"-like delaying defense. In fact, if you pull it off against overwhelming odds, it is the most satisfying victory you can have. But even in a loss, you learn. and I like to learn. Of course you have to give it a go and take the risk first.

Nav

[Navaronegun]

Pont Du Fahs - 22 NOV 1942:

Result - Allied Victory. Annihilation of II./92 Superga BN.

The Butcher's Bill:



Guardsman notches one victory in his belt on the way to Elite Status for his BG Leader, as the Battle's BG Commander, given that that leader survived.


OOB Post-Pont Du Fahs 22 NOV:
Note - I applied 7 GB truck losses to the Commandos. Allied Commander, please let me know what BN (s) you want those losses applied to.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/619 ... attle.xlsx

[Navaronegun]

I received two qeustions today.

1.) First a clarification Regarding BG/KG Leader promotions, KG/BG leaders who *fight the battle* and win 6 victories (while surviving) will be promoted to Elite status. It's the man who does the fighting and takes the risk who can win the laurels.

2.) "What makes a BN Motorized on the Map or Not?"

From the rules:
Motorized BNs - a. The Standard Operational Movement rate of all Motorized BNs is 18 Movement Points (MPs). Note that all British and American Infantry BNs start the Tournament or arrive as already either Motorized or Mechanized BNs, with a few exceptions noted in the “Special Foot BN” section above. Also note that few Axis BNs arrive Motorized. To remain Motorized, a BN must have more than 50% of its component units Wheeled or Tracked or transportable by Wheeled or Tracked units. Note: Motorized is the default BN status if a BN has transport or mobility for all its component units, has some tracked vehicles, but has less than 50% of its overall strength is rated as Tracked, or has 50% tracked, but does not have transport for all its component units.

Mechanized BNs - The Standard Operational Movement rate of all British, American and German Mechanized BNs is 24 Movement Points (MPs). The French Mechanized BN has a rate of 18 MPs. Italian Mechanized BNs have a rate of 15 MPs. To remain Mechanized, a BN must have *all* its component units Wheeled or Tracked or transportable by Wheeled or Tracked units. Also, at least 50% of its units must be rated as Tracked or be transportable by a Tracked unit. Note: Units which have transport for all units, but contain less than 50% its units as Tracked-transportable regress to Motorized BNs as stated above.

So, if I had a BN with 10 INF and say 2 Armored Cars, An Arty Piece, and a SP AA Gun.
You take the SP AA gun and the Armored Cars out of the equation.
The Arty Piece, if larger than 75 mm MUST have transport or the BN can't move. Here let's assume that it is a AT Gun.
So you have 11 units which can be transported. For the BN to move as motorized, you'd need 6 trucks (11/2=5.5 rounded up is 6).
If you had 6 Halftracks, it would still be Motorized.
To be Mechanized, ALL units need transport and 50% of *all units in the BN* must be halftracked. (So 7 halftracks and 4 trucks in the example above would Mechanize that BN. All units have transport and 50% of 14 (total Units in the BN) = 7) are Tracked or Halftracked.

Nav

[glenghiscan]

Only just downloaded these games and half way through the first battles a big pat on the back to whoevers responsible for them there challenging games I'm sure I'll get better once I've played them a few times

[collier4]

That is Navaronegun, who has spent a lot of time and effort developing what are excellent maps and a fantastic tournament!

[glenghiscan]

How do you enter these tournaments ? Is it open to everyone or invite only ?( I'm not a time waster by the way )

[pomakli]

How do you enter these tournaments ? Is it open to everyone or invite only ?( I'm not a time waster by the way )

a good question..

[Navaronegun]

Anyone who is interested in joining the tournament, please contact me by PM. Anyone who can meet the Campaign deadlines is welcome. In RTT, commanders in battles must accept challenges within 24 hours and all battles must be completed within 10 days and the pace of play must meet at least 1 turn a day. Know that this is not a tournament but a Campaign. Battles are not always balanced, as events on the big map drive what happens on the battlefield. Sometimes, dying a good death (as I did at Pont du Fahs), fighting a delaying action, or taking few casualties in an attack, are more important than a victory.

A little intro about RTT'42:

Race To Tunis ’42 Campaign
What is it?
More than a Tournament, RTT’42 is a Campaign for Many players who will be involved in Multiplayer Battles. It is probably best described as an Operational Level Multiplayer Meta-game with Battle Academy as the Combat Resolution Mechanism. RTT’42 simulates the early stages of the Tunisian Campaign in late 1942 as the Allies attempted to take Tunis and Bizerte, cutting off Rommel’s retreat from El Alamein, and the Axis desperately attempted to prevent this. Players command forces on both sides as this Campaign is waged, fighting battles, but having to live to fight another day.
Basics
• Campaign Length-The Campaign will last from Tuesday 17 NOV 1942 through the day turn of 25 DEC 1942, inclusive. That is 39 turns.
• Gamemasters – The Axis and Allied Theater Commanders are Gamemasters. There is a third, unaffiliated Arbitrator who will aid in resolving any rules disputes or quandaries that may arise during play.
• Turns – There are 3 turns per day: a Command Turn, an Operational Turn and a Planning Turn. Each Turn is performed in order.
• Battles - Battles begin after dawn, end after dusk, and are 24 turns long. The Attacker may be able to make a Night attack or a Pre-Dawn Assault. Pre-Dawn Assaults begin before Dawn and last until the Afternoon. They are 24 turns long. Night battles begin at dusk, end at dawn, and are 16 turns long. The Allies are always the first side in battles.
• Support – There are Air and Artillery support rules which guide the use of Air and Artillery in battles.
• Players – Many. The more the merrier.
• Roles – There are 2 Theater Commanders, The Allied First Army Commander and the Axis XC Korps Commander. There will be Area Commanders who are subordinate to the Theater Commanders, and Tactical Commanders, subordinate to the Area Commanders, who will command the Battlegroups (BGs, This is a British Term, also colloquially called Task Forces or Kampfgruppen to use US or German terminology, respectively..). No fear; everyone will get to fight battles!
• Units and Terminology – Those who have played in the GJS’44 Tournament are familiar with the term BG, Battlegroup. In that tournament, this was used to describe a BN-level unit. In RTT’42 they will be termed BN (for “Battalion”). The term BG will be used as a standard to describe one or more Battalions under the Tactical command of one player. So as an example, if I as an Axis commander command a force containing III BN/7 Pz Regiment and II BN/92 Regiment/Superga Division, the whole force is referred to as Battlegroup III/7 Pz RGT, or BG II/92 or BG Navaronegun (my forum name).
• Nationalities – There are Germans, Italians, Vichy French, Free French, British and American Units.

[LandMarine47]

I'd be willing to give my spot up if anyone wants it!