The Assault of Alcazar - A CMAK DAR

[Montmorency]

This is a blow-by-blow account of the Siege of Alcazar 36 scenario, stock with Combat Mission III: Afrika Korps. I expect it to be done entirely in text and screenshot. I'll start off with a prolegomenon this weekend, then the first turn the next few days, and hopefully one turn a day after that. Each turn in this hybrid wargame is one minute, by the way.

The mission briefing:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The objective:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Don't be fooled:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

This here is also something to capture:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The setup:

I have at my command a reinforced Republican battalion, or even the better part of a regiment.

--14 rifle platoons
--2 assault engineer platoons
--I don't know, 6 or 8 snipers?
--3 medium mortars, give or take
--4 independent LMG, give or take
--4 MMG
--8 3-inch tubes
--4 4.5-inch tubes
--4 6-inch tubes
--4 Schneider CA-1 Assault Tanks
--5 Bilbao armored cars

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

A. 2 engineer platoons, 1 MMG, 3 sniper
B. 1 rifle platoon + Ind. LMG
C. 1 rifle platoon
D. 1 rifle platoon
E. 2 MMG, 2 sniper
F. 2 mortar, 1 MMG, 1 sniper all arty spotters
G. 1 rifle platoon, 1 Bilbao
H. 1 rifle platoon
I. 1 rifle platoon + mortar, 1 Bilbao
J. 1 rifle platoon + MMG
K. 1 rifle platoon + Ind. LMG, 1 Bilbao
L. 1 Bilbao, 2 CA-1, 1 rifle platoon, 1 mounted rifle platoon in mobile reserve
M. 1 rifle platoon + Ind. LMG, 1 CA-1
N. 1 rifle platoon + Ind. LMG
O. 1 rifle platoon + Ind. LMG + Mortar
P. 1 Bilbao, 1 CA-1
Q. 1 rifle platoon


It's at this point that I should mention that CMAK does not model the SCW, so the Republicans are represented by Free French units, and the armor is British/Italian.

The tactics:

I only get a bit over half an hour to cover 200-350 m of dense urban territory. These short time limits are a common design flaw in CM scenarios. Obviously, no one would deem such an operation a failure if it were not concluded in just a few minutes!

Nevertheless, I've found that haste in such tight, or "crowded", infantry-heavy scenarios can be fatal. Never commit in force when the enemy dispositions are unknown. I'll likely violate that principle...

If I do this right, I'll set up decent overwatch with the MGs, mortars, and snipers in the south (N is down, S is up in this map). The enemy will probably be spread throughout the town, so perhaps sending all my arty spotters where they can for the most part see only the fortress is a mistake. Oh well... The good news is that if I can break through in any one spot, I could likely make a beeline for the objective and rout the defenders.

My engineers are the best troops I have, and they will advance along the same axis as the main thrust, though from the opposite end. They have the advantage of relative proximity to the fortress.

There is not much room for fancy manoeuvre in a map as dense as this one, so I'll have to reduce my overall tactics to "advance everywhere from the red line toward Alcatraz Alcazar".