AAR32: The Slugger Gets Slugged

The battle for Objective B32 was the last battle of the third day of the war.  The battle had started with an expensive air encounter, and ended with a brutal clash on the ground.  Objective B32 was key to blocking any future Mugabian counter attack from the south, and Uwanda was expending the the two most capable units available among the southern portion of their invading forces.

B32 (Accidentally co-named B20) is in the lower right corner of the map.

Objective B32 consists of a small town and cross-roads located in a shallow valley south of Objective 21.

Uwanda's view of the battlefield looking east.

Uwanda's attacking force consisted of two army task forces:

Task Force 1:
2x Saracen Overall HQ
1x mixed tank company of 6x Fireflys and 3x Centurions (3 under-strength platoons)
1x Infantry company (partial) with 7x Saracens and 6x squads of infantry
3x Ferrets
2x M42
1x Universal Carrier (Artillery HQ)
4x M7 Priest

Task Force 4:
2x Firefly platoons of 4x tanks each
1x infantry company of 13x M3 halftracks and 12 squads
1x Recce Squaron (reduced) with 3x Saladins, and 2x Ferrets

Air Support:
4x Skymaster loaded with 4 bombs each (if and when air superiority has been established)

Mugabia had three ground units available:

Garrison force B21 (much depleted from prior battles):
1x BTR60PK (overall HQ)
1x T34/85
1x BTR60PK w/squad
1x BRDM2
1x ZSU57/2
1x 122mm Gun w/truck
1x 120mm Mortar w/truck
3x BTR152 w/squads

Garrison Force 32:
10x T34/85
10x BTR60PK w/squad
2x BRDM
1x ZSU57
2x SU100
4x 120mm Mortar w/truck

Garrison Force 32-20:
7x BTR152 w/6 squads
2x Gaz67 (HQ)
2x ZU23/2 w/truck
4x 120mm Mortar w/truck

Air support: 
4x Vautour with bombs (if and when air superiority was achieved)

The Plan:

Mugabian forces deployed around the town, in multiple lines of defense, hoping to force Uwanda armor to fight at close range with Mugabian infantry at every opportunity.  The SU100s were deployed on a low rise to the southeast of the town.

Mugabian forces deployed.

The SU100s looking west (left) above.

Uwanda's forces initially would sweep around the the west side of the town before making contact.  Then, TF1 was to attack straight down the main (west) road, intending to draw Mugabian forces toward the center of the town.  TF4 would circle around the south side of the town, taking control of the south road, and cutting off any escape route for the Mugabians, then advance and clear out the Mugabians forces re-positioning to fight the frontal Uwandan attack from TF1.

The Mugabians knew the situation around them was chaotic, and had reports of Uwandan froces in every direction, so positioned their forces such that they could defend all three entry roads into the town. 

The battle started as planned with Uwandan scouts deploying on the rise west of town, spotting a number of Mugabian positions.  TF1 then attacked as planned, deploying Fireflys and Centurions off of the road as soon as contact was made. 

Mugabian forces in the distance.

The Mugabians scored the first hits, destroying a Firefly.  Soon more  were hit and destroyed on both sides of the road.  In turn, the Fireflys destroyed T34s and BTR60s mostly along a tree line south of the road. 

The shooting begins.

Mugabian mortars fired ineffectively at the Fireflys; while, the M7 Priests (deployed off table) fired with some effect against infantry in the tree line opposite the Fireflys.  Centurions moved down the road, killing T34s in the town near the road, and then swung into the field to the south supporting the Shermans.

The battle progresses.

The Centurions eventually crossed the road into a field north of the road.  T34s hit the Centurions, but could not destroy them, while taking losses to their numbers.  Uwandan infantry deployed across the field from the Mugabians, behind the Centurions.  The Centurions forced a morale failure on the part of the Mugabian infantry in the treeline, but two of the three Centurions took track hits about the same time, stalling their advance.  Both vehicles continued to fight, and destroyed two more of the now withdrawing T34s. 

Centurions crossing into the field north of the road.

Infantry from the south treeline (originally facing the Fireflys ), by this time, had redeployed along the road at the edge of town, and began engaging the tracked Centurions with RPGs.  All three of the tanks were destroyed in time, while the infantry took few losses.  The Uwanda infantry were positioned too far north to have significant effect on the Mugabians near the road.

Tracked Centurions.

Dead Centurions.

As this fight was reaching its climax, Uwanda's TF4 had begun its advance to the south.  Mugabia had also mobilized its small reserve of infantry to defend the western edge of the town just north of the west road.

Uwanda's Task Force 4 advances.

TF4's advance was eventually spotted by a scout deployed on the hill with the SU100s, and they began to receive mortar fire.  As the leading tanks of TF4 advanced to within 16oo meters of the SU100s, the SU100s opened up at long range.  At first , they had no effect, firing at such long range, but then began scoring hits on the Shermans, knocking out several of the tanks, which were helpless against the SU100s at this range, while on the move.

Shortly after TF 4's tanks began brewing up, the mortars started scoring some hits on some of the half-tracks, and at about this time, word came from the battlefield commander, that the attack along the west road had completely stalled. 

Uwanda's Infantry start to withdraw.

The commander of TF4 lost hope,  as he watched his tanks burn up ahead, and gave the order to withdraw.  By this point, the battlefield commander had ordered his forces to disengaged, losing his last tank in the process.

The Uwandan battlefield commander had request air support, but it was delayed by the fight for control of the airspace overhead.  Word had never gotten to the Mugabian commander about the flight of Vautours, but as he didn't need them; it was not an issue.

Loses:

Uwanda:
10x Firefly
3x Centurion III
3x M3 halftrack
1x Saracen
27x KIA
9x WIA


Mugabia:
8x T34
4x BTR60PK
7x KIA
13x WIA

Captured:
1x Centurion III
2x M3 halftrack


The Uwandans got destroyed, paying heavily in the air, and on the ground, with surviving forces withdrawing back to objective 21.  Despite the victory, the Mugabians are in disarray, and may not be able to take further advantage of the victory.

Uwanda's ground forces are badly depleted, particularly in the southern part of the invasion; while, Mugabias interceptor force is now nearly gone, out-numbered at least 5 to 1 by Uwanda's (now generally) superior F5 fleet.