37 replies to this topic

[jinxx71]

Historical Battle Battle of Novyy Manych
After Action Report

I decided to attend the Historical battle on December 17^thand see what all the excitement was about. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking to spice up their World of Tanks experience.

I logged on to the Teamspeak server dedicated to the battle and double checked the forum thread to make sure I had an appropriate tank for the battle. I didn’t sign up ahead of time so I didn’t know if I was going to be able to play, but all the guys were nice and there were a few extra spots open.

I joined my fellow comrades in a SU-85 (with 122m HE cannon)to fight for the motherland and push back the fascist hordes. Tanks allowed in the battle were: Russian T-34, SU-85 (122mm) and SU-76. The Germans had Tigers,Panzer IIIs, and StuG IIIs.  There was a certain ratio of tanks that each side had to try to keep a historical balance.

The field of battle for the day was Komarin, and the match was set best three out of five. The historical battles are interesting as they use the Training Battle option in the game and the first five minutes are used to talk tactics. There is also no base capture.

Each game had the Germans starting in the north and the Russians in the south.


Game 1

The Russians huddled up and decided to move left at the start over the bridge and into the town. We had the T-34s lead the way with the SU-76s providing flank cover to watch the island in the middle of the map. The SU-122s were to follow the group at a distance to provide a reserve and counterattack after contact.

Contact came fast as we moved over the bridge and the T-34sran into the advanced scouts of Pz IIIs coming in from the north. The T-34spushed the Panzers back into the northeastern forest.

We then started picking up fire from the center island,picking up contact from one of the Germans’ two Tigers. The Tiger went to work on us, and we continued to move north in pursuit of the Germans there.

Things then got a little hazy as I started to pick up fire and my world shrunk around me; things started to move very slowly and at a million miles an hour at the same time! We pushed forward north, as I heard screams of my fellow comrades in my ear.

“I am on fire.”

“Pull back, try to stay alive.”

“Contact north!”

“Contact east.”

“Push Forward, we need to make it to the forest.”

Half the tanks around me exploded and I struggled to keep up in the drive north. Just as I reached the small town the world went black.Dead.

The rest of my team almost got into the forest when they found the rest of the German forces waiting. Game over.

German Victory!


Game 2

Game 2 was interesting. The team decided they didn’t like picking up fire from two sides, so formulated a plan to change things up.

The plan involved getting to the center island with everyone, D-Day style. Two SU-122s would go first blowing up the blocking hedgehogs with HE fire and then the whole team would follow behind in two lines.

We figured if we could mass the whole team on a small portion of their force at point blank range we would prevail, and then mop up the rest of the Germans at our leisure. I guess some of our team had seen the beginning of Saving Private Ryan and were less than enthused with the plan.

I volunteered to be in the lead and blow one of the hedgehogs. The team followed behind ready to attack and destroy. I promptly failed in the most epic way. I shot at the obstacle and missed. I then kept hammering at the ground trying to dislodge the stubborn defensive obstacle. My teammate took down his objective and our fearless leader ordered everyone to go single file through the fallen debris. I continue to sadly not do my job.

I finally gave up as I saw most of the team, the ones still alive, massed on the island before me.  I then realize why my team was half dead. The team had run directly into the maw of both the German Tigers.

Screaming, dying, and general mayhem followed.

The Match was over in about three or four minutes. ‘Loss’ was an understatement, and I was at the center of the failure.

German Victory!


Game 3

It was decided at this point that the forces may be a little out of balance and an adjustment was made. The Germans would only get one Tiger this battle.

We sat in the staging area still in shock from the devastating loss of the last game. There was talk of going back to the plan of game one, or maybe trying it on the other side. I spoke up and suggested a more defensive approach.  I said we should just defend the forest a couple of yards to our east near the staging area.Just sit there and let the Germans come to us and use the killing grounds to the west and north as a way to wear them down before they got to us. The team listened to me (why I don’t know after my epic failure the match before) and it became our plan.

We drove to the forest and dug in. We waited. Then we waited some more.

Finally they came. They attacked from the north and the west and we laid down devastating fire. We took some losses but the forest gave us the shelter we needed to even the odds. We continued to contract our lines back deeper into the forest as they attacked us, trading lives for time.

The time was used to focus fire on the Tiger, trying to keep it tracked as long as possible and wear it down to eventual death.

We collapsed and fired. Fired and killed. Fired and died.

And when the smoke cleared from the maelstrom of death,there were three tanks remaining. Two badly damaged T-34s and a StuG III.

Where was the German tank? Surely if it would have been near it would have tipped the battle into a German victory?

It seems the poor driver had gotten stuck in the center island and was not able to join the attack.

The Russians were not in a mood for mercy and found the StuGIII driver and dispatched him.

Russian Victory!


Game 4

If it’s not broke don’t fix it!

We decided to try the same plan from the last match again.

We set up and waited. We thought they may just try to out wait us and hope we broke cover. We however were patient and they eventually attacked us.

They must have used that extra time to set up an attack that would have made Rommel proud.

As we sat in the forest a lone Pz III attacked us from the West, a scout for the attack obviously. We tried to gun him down and fired and fired. As we tracked him the real attack started. The Germans poured everything they had in one glorious strike from the north.

Our maps lit up red as multiple contacts were confirmed. We pulled forces to meet this attack, trying to deflect the vicious strike and hold on to the ground and our lives.

We fired and slammed shell after shell into the enemy. Everything hung in the balance as we tried to stave off the furious attack.

But wait something wasn’t right. Something was missing.

Just then the Tiger slammed into the forest behind us and took us to task, calmly racking up kill after kill. The hammer hit the anvil and we were stuck in between.  It was quickly over.

German Victory!


Conclusion

So the Germans won the day three to one, and fun was had by all.

I would highly recommend players check out historical battles and try to participate if they have the time. It’s a great change of pace. The organizers are wonderful and have done some good research to come up with these battles for the community’s enjoyment.

The historic battles really are a different pace from your average random battle.

Look for news in the forum and on the front page about the next Historical battle and when it will take place, as they normally run about once a week and they really are worth checking out.

Hope to see you there next time!


-Josh (Jinxx71)

[jackal40]

Jinxx,

Nice write up! I have enjoy the historical battles since I was first exposed to them during Beta.

Please pass on to management at Wargaming, just how fun and interesting these battles are - we could use a historical battle mode in World of Tanks!

[Marseille]

Oh hey, this thread showed up on the WoT client.

Does that mean any thread we post in this forum goes on the main news?

Anyway, sounds like I missed out on quite a bit. Certainly would have had more fun there than at Vegas, that's for sure!

[DonSmegma]

"I am on fire" - that was my contribution to the first battle. I'm glad the war reporter took it into account.

I'm also proud to have the hedgehog I blew up go officially on record.


Glad you enjoyed yourself, Jinxx. I did as well. I did, however, notice a real lack or Russian drivers that day. If anyone reading this has a garage full or Russian tanks, think about joining the next historical battle. Soviet army needs to show off its strengths!

[jinxx71]

DonSmegma, on Dec 20 2011 - 00:30, said:

I'm also proud to have the hedgehog I blew up go officially on record.

and i did report on my complete failure given the same task, whats the trick? where do i aim?

[Malcolm225]

jackal40, on Dec 19 2011 - 23:51, said:

Jinxx,

Nice write up! I have enjoy the historical battles since I was first exposed to them during Beta.

Please pass on to management at Wargaming, just how fun and interesting these battles are - we could use a historical battle mode in World of Tanks!

That will be a great idea if they actuly made a historically realistic game mode.

[ionviol2]

Good read. +1

I'd like to play, but it is usually too late for me. (not complaining)

[psychokraut]

You're the one who I saw in game while half the battle yelled at you to fix stuff. Sorry I was one of them.

Great right up though.

When will the next battle be? You can put me down for any panzer or a StuG or a Tiger, or a M4. Well just put me down.

  

[jinxx71]

Marseille, on Dec 20 2011 - 00:23, said:

Oh hey, this thread showed up on the WoT client.

Does that mean any thread we post in this forum goes on the main news?

Anyway, sounds like I missed out on quite a bit. Certainly would have had more fun there than at Vegas, that's for sure!

No. We manually posted that to the news.

[Alamode]

was alot of fun me and fear will have the next battle up after Christmas

so be sure to drop by the historical forums section after then

happy holidays  

[F34rmen00bz]

jinxx71, on Dec 20 2011 - 00:39, said:

and i did report on my complete failure given the same task, whats the trick? where do i aim?

I think you were trying to actually hit the hedgehog while you should be shooting at the ground below it, using the HE splash to destroy it

No battle next Saturday since its xmas eve

Also, we will be running a few old ones while we wait for the Europeans (the main brainchild of these events) to catch up with us (they got trolled and WG shut down the servers in the middle of their event for 7.0)

[Tiger131ace]

your words made me eager to participate in the next historical battle, thx mate

[F34rmen00bz]

http://www.mediafire...xhato14i5bi0mfn

^ Some videos made in the new battle replay system that Agentice made. Just download and play

I also made some... just gotta make a mediafire account

[cz6]

Yep, the historical battles can be lots of fun. I'll be rejoining them once I get my new system up and running....eyefinity here I come muahahahahahaha

[psychokraut]

Any HE round or must it be that big?

[Jaws210x]

I felt like a Maus in that Tiger... But HE rounds from 5+ tanks can smash you like a bug.

[luko]

Its hard to describe how fun these events are. Jinxx did a great job though. I mean you'll never see this kind of gameplay in a random battle - ever seen a single Tiger spell doom on an entire enemy team? And even though I was on the receiving end of this, I enjoyed every single battle. Many thanks to the guys who organize these events!

Regards,
Luko

[luko]

F34rmen00bz, on Dec 20 2011 - 02:00, said:

http://www.mediafire...xhato14i5bi0mfn

^ Some videos made in the new battle replay system that Agentice made. Just download and play

I also made some... just gotta make a mediafire account

Can you help me out? I downloaded and tried playing it but nothing happens. What should I open these files with?

[Flashram]

Would be awesome if the historical battles would have a much higher frequency. Right now its a week+

[F34rmen00bz]

luko, on Dec 20 2011 - 02:49, said:

Can you help me out? I downloaded and tried playing it but nothing happens. What should I open these files with?

Try throwing them into your WoT replay folder if you have 7.0 installed