FT SmR4 Passage of Lines After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario
Victory Conditions
The Marines started dispersed across the rice paddies and had to take at least 2 out of 3 HDP (“Hilltop Defensive Perimeters”) in 8.5 turns. In retrospect I might have thought about HDP’s wrongly. You don’t have to take all the HDP hexes to control a HDP. You only have to take most of a HDP’s hexes to take the whole thing down.
The Marines had a 81mm mortar and 2 HMGs (6-12) with a 9-2 posted on the hill on the top, giving 2 flat shots in most cases to the Korean positions. They also had a 60mm OBA which would be useful later in the game. The North Koreans had 2x82mm mortars, a 45L gun and a 76L gun. They also had 2 HMGs, 1 MMG and 6 LMGs covering their digs. The North Koreans win when they take 13 CVPs on KMC personnel or 40 CVP on UN personnel.
After Action Report (AAR)
There was a group of South Korea Marines (1st Battalion, 1st Regiment) retreating at the start of the turn. The Marines were all deployed into fireteams and started moving towards the North Koreans. The going was brutal. Four fire teams and an 8-1 bought the farm early on. I should have the South Koreans withdraw slower and put their firepower in use a bit more. As it went, the North Koreans didn’t bother with the KMC at all.
The North Koreans malfunctioned both of their 82 mm mortars! The Marines kept their heads down and tried to move as quickly as possible through the rice paddies. Regrettably, they drew a red chit on their first call to Artillery, and then they broke their radio! Our 1-time OBA hit the 2nd HDF from the left but failed to do much.
During US Turn 3, the Marines on the right were almost at the village. You could almost hear a collective sigh of relief. That was of course, if you could ignore the bloody curling scream from one of the fireteam that went berserk! Folks on the left were in the open and running into 2 murderous HMGs. Good thing both guns were down and one of the 82mm mortars went dead. Not getting much cover from the HMGs, the fireteams spread out further to not be in the same CAs. Anyone carrying an MMG was hit particularly hard. Fireteams from both flanks were doing massive “amoeba” style Advance Fire groups as they move closer. The big old US mortar on the hill first went out of WP and then out of action.
US Turn 4 saw the pair of Pershings on. There being 5 antitank mine factors, the Pershings decided to go down the same path. The railroad takes 2 MP out of every hex, so the road got the vote. Marines in the village were bringing their firepower to bear. The Koreans tried to move forward to interdict them. Some of the Korean units were moving right, so we hoped we could get the tank machine guns in place to hinder the use of that road. The Marines on the left continued to get decimated in both our turn and the opponents. The good news was that they were in fireteams, but the bad news was that they were getting taken out at an alarming speed.
But hey, the 60mm OBA was back in play.
The 60mm OBA failed to suppress 1 of the 2 HMGs in US Turn 5. Fireteams on the left desperately tried to move to the houses on the far left corner, from which it might turn the Korean flank. One of the Pershings malfunctioned its gun on the first shot and was now trying to move as close as it dared to so as the other Pershing could get a better shot. The Marines on the right decided that it’s better to hit the HDP on the far right and shifted their people over. The Koreans moved back up their hills. The Korean mortar came to life and laid a smoke round on the path in front of the right most HDP to cover their retreat.
When we reached North Korean Turn 7, one of the Pershings is already gone because of a broken main gun. The remaining one popped off round after round and yet failed to make it’s 90L presence felt! It did, however, cut off the 2 HDPs on the right from the left. The 60mm OBA managed to bring down WP which helped a lot. The wind picked up and made things even better! The survivors on the left finally managed to get to the buildings on the far left and started to put up a more effective firefight. At least now the Korean HMG fire was halved as one of them was blocked. The Korean smoke round on the right that was now billowing down the road proved to be quite helpful. Marines pushed towards the right most HDP, just in time to greet the Korean reinforcements.
Two more US Movement phases to go. We might well be out of time.
Last US turn! The Koreans on the HDP on the left were broken but we didn’t have enough time to walk up. The Koreans on the rightmost HDP were taking a beating but put up a “human wall” that’s going to take a couple more turns to kill. The US conceded. My opponent revealed all his mine placements in this last picture.
The Marines needed more smoke rounds (than HE rounds) in order to be successful in this scenario. I did the right thing by moving everyone in fireteams. Some of the chaps on the right of course, recombined into squads when they reached the village. I was hoping the Pershings with the malfunctioned gun could navigate through the road (trail break through the AT mines) and get on the hill where we would promptly turn left and get around the back between the 2 HDPs on the right. That was not to be when the leading Pershing X’d out its repair. My opponent is a very tough one but I feel I am finally getting a glimpse into the proper way to play the Marines in this LFT Fight for Seoul package (we already played through all the Fight for Seoul scenarios, and are now doing the Smith’s Ridge ones.)
M4: The original design with radial petrol engine, M4A1 had the same engine but a cast hull, so I will deal with them together. Initially the preferred engine, both M4 and M4A1 (75) saw service from Torch to war’s end. They would have been the sole combat models until late ’43, early ’44 and between the two would still just have been the largest percentage of M4’s by VE day. Both later got better front hull armour (thicker at 47° vs older 56° from vertical). From early ’44 the M4A1 got the 76mm while some of the M4 were 105mm armed. From memory of photos the 105mm M4 always had the later 47° hull whilst many of those late 75mm M4 had a cast front (aka composite hull). A composite hull M4 would be a M4A1 in ASL terms. The 76mm M4A1 first saw service in Operation Cobra. Not sure when the 105mm M4 saw combat, but I suspect late French campaign. The British fitted 17lbr to M4 but not to M4A1. What looks like a 17lbr M4A1 is actually a 17lbr M4 (composite hull).
M4A2: Diesel twin engines. Starting with 75mm and 56° hull, they progressively went to 47° hull and finally 76mm. Used by the US for training, saw US combat service only with the USMC. Most LL to the USSR, Britain and France, in order of priority, indeed one of the USMC batches was “stolen” from a USSR allocation. Only the USSR used the 76mm versions.
M4A3: Ford petrol twin engine. Had all the variations of the M4A2, but also had a 105mm version. Indeed it is quite difficult to tell the 2 apart, only the different horizontal engine decks are a good guide. Though some may have been used mid-Italy campaign, it was really D-Day onwards when they would have seen much service. 75mm, 47° hulls, I suspect Cobra+ and the 76mm and 105mm versions only becoming common by the end of the French campaign. The USMC eventually switched to the M4A3 from the M4A2. The US switched from considering the M4/M4A1 engine as the preferred one to the M4A3’s Ford.
M4A3E2: Doled out in handfuls to (mainly) M4A3 battalions. I think they were preferentially given to separate tank battalions allocated to infantry divisions, though some saw use in armoured divisions. NW Europe only.
M4A4: 5 car engines fused together!!! US training only, LL to Britain and possibly France. Only 56° and 75mm, though the British fitted their 17lbr.
Advanced Squad Leader AAR Blog / Advanced Squad Leader After Action Reports 