Tom Mueller and I played this one some time ago {14 May 97}, and here's the AAR (finally):
This one uses the LG map from KGP (only hexes numbered greater than 28) flipped 180 degrees so south becomes north. The Germans get 6 conscript squads (who are removed from play if they fail a MC above their ELR of 1), two leaders (7-0, 8-0), two Jagdtigers, one Pz IVF2, two StuGIIIG, and two FlaKPz IV/37, some SW, and a 9-1 AL. This force enters first on Turn 1 on the south edge by Borgoumont. All German AFV have inexperienced crews [EXC: the AFV with the AL].
The US gets 8 squads, two leaders, 12 tanks (ranging from a couple of M36's to a couple of M24's, and including one M4A3E2(L)), and 7 HT's. These come on the North edge on/after Turn 1 with 1/2 of their MP expended. 105mm OBA (one tank is an OP) helps, and on turn 6 one FB with bombs arrives. Finally four eligible tanks can have gyros.
The goal essentially is to get at least 13 squad/equiv of GO MMC in Borgoumont. Mobile non shocked/recalled full tracked AFV w/working MA are worth 2 squads.
I had the US, so Tom started the game by driving his toys onto the map. The Jagdtigers (one with a riding squad) drove down the paved road to get the to relatively open area (with good LOS's) near the 5 stone buildings. The PzIV, with both leaders & PSK drove straight north up the unpaved road. The two StuG's drove slightly north of the town, and took up defensive positions. The two Flakpanzers hung back a bit, but began to seek out up-slope positions to take potshots at my boys. ** The leaders are the only Infantry capable of using the PSK competently; besides, their services will NOT be needed back with the "troops." {Actually, there are other scens where this deployment is preferred, and I like the tactic quite a bit.}
I chose to drive "up the gut" and barreled all my forces up the paved road from the map edge on turn one. I created a fantastic traffic jam, but didn't really slow myself too much (a few of the tail end vehicles had a couple of MP wasted). The lead vehicles (the HTs) were able to get all the way to around hex R45. ** In this scenario, the Germans get to try lots of LONG range shots. Only trouble is, at 25+ hexes even the big ol' Shermans are only a '5' TH... if you see 'em for 3 MP! 3 MP is not likely, given the in-season Orchards all along the valley road that cause the enemy to blink in and out of LOS. I didn't realize this until after my turn 2, of course...
On turn 2, Tom got his stuff into position. One Jagdtiger went north to FF37 and turned NW to have a good CA. The other Jagdtiger (with the riding squad) drove north towards HH39. On the way, I took a really long range MG shot, and pinned the riding 436, forcing it to bail out. It then boxcarred it's MC, and was removed from the game; I was off to a good start, as the happless squad was crushed under the treads of the Jagdtiger... The PzIV with riders made it all the way up to W51. One StuG went to II48; the other to II54. Tom thus had the initiall approaches up the hill well-covered. The biggest pain was the PzIV right up front... ** With the PSKy leaders dismounted and hidin' out...
I started to move my guys across the stream (treated as gully), losing an M24 in the process to a Jagdtiger. I got the HT's across the stream to attack the PzIV from two sides, and some supporting tanks were making their way up too. But the bulk of my powerful forces were still on the east side of the stream on the paved road moving up (and thankfully finding enough blind hexes to survive). In my movement phase, a HT with its passenger gets a shot at the CE PzIV and stuns the crew. This allows me to move up more stuff, and more closely, and scare away the German leader with the PSK and the 436. The PzIV ceased to be much of a threat since being stunned, BU, and inexeperienced gave it little chance to hit a moving target...but I was concerned about it anyway. ** I'll just toss in here that the M3s are virtually impossible to hit when on the move. The Inexperienced crews, size, and moving alone make it hardly worth a DR at 13+ hexes.
Also, I erred in taking the gamble of going CE. With a '6' Morale, a NMC becomes a stun automatically (for me, at any rate). In fact, being CE within 32 hexes of the U.S. CMGs is asking for trouble - except perhaps with the AL. Blecch!
Turn 3:
Tom whiffs some more shots from the Jagdtigers and a Flakpanzer in JJ37. The PzIV moved to X50. Tom moved the sqaud/lmg to X50 as well but I broke the 8-0 with the PSK in the region (he routed to Y54). Things were looking a bit better for my attack (which I wanted to continue directly south to get on the road in BB48).The main thing blocking me was the StuG in II48 and the Flakpanzer that Tom drove to PP47.
In my player turn I begin to really charge. I deployed the infantry from their HT's to keep them from getting wasted if their HT went up in flames. I also had to attack Y54 with HTs and infantry since Tom rallied his 8-0 with the PSK (I would break him again in advancing fire). Repeated attempts to get the PzIV in bounding fire failed (about 4 different tanks tried) until an M24 with a gyro nailed it. The 436 went down to MG fire. Meanwhile, the StuG in II48 had malfed its MA, making things A LOT safer for me. However, the last few tanks to cross the stream were having a a difficult time: one M4A3(76) got roasted, and the M4A3E2(76) got flamed as well. With its 18 front AF, I had designated this my OP tank; I never got to use the OBA. I was able to put a M4A3(76) in U48 to duel with the Flakpanzer in PP47 and the StuG in II48 in case it fixed its MA.
So, by the end of Turn 3, all my AFV were on the right side of the stream, looking to drive straight up the hill directly toward the town; I had only lost 3 tanks.
Turn 4:
Tom tries to fix the StuG's MA but rolls a 6, sending it trundeling home off the map... In his prep fire phase both Flakpanzers try to kill HT's but miss without getting ROF (they are ROF 3!) The Jagdtiger with the AL flames a tank, but the other one misses. In his movement phase, Tom brings the other StuG over from II54 an puts in II48 to replace the recalled StuG. This leaves the far west flank open, but there isn't much he could do, since my main attack was coming up toward the road starting in BB48. My "dueling" tank in U48 toasts the Flakpanzer in PP47 and gets rate to put an acquisition on the replacement StuG.
In my player turn, my "dueling" tank takes out the second StuG. Eveyone else moves; I get a sizeable force hiding in blind hexes moving up on/toward the road starting BB48; faster vehicles are already up in the sunken road. One HT got roasted by a Jagdtiger as it loaded its passenger squad. Those "dud or burn" situations hurt! Other HT's and tanks were moving up the far west flank, getting to the road near FF55, but I lost another tank (an M36) to a Jagdtiger. At the end of Turn 4 I was in good shape: 5 turns to go, nothing directly in my path toward the town, and only one squad, one HT, and 4 tanks down (leaving me with 23 squad-equivalents, i.e. 10 to spare).
Turn 5:
Tom, realizing that the Jagdtigers and Flakpanzer around HH38 had been outflanked and were unlikely to get any more shots, tried to shift back toward the town. Things were getting difficult for him, as he only had those vehicles left (the 5 squads in the Town were unlikely to help out much) and it would take the Jagdtigers 2 turns to get back to the town.
The Flakpanzer drove up the paved road to PP45; My M24 in JJ48 traded shots with it, but we both missed wildly. Then Tom tried to start the Jagdtiger in HH39 but boxcarred the mechanical reliability DR putting it out of the game. Tom had essentially thrown in the towel here, but he stuck it out, since his other Jagdtiger had the AL in it. So he tried to start that one, and boxcarred it too! Game over.
Before his two 12's in a row, I had the better chance to win, but had the Jagdtigers been prowling around it wouldn't have been a cakewalk. ** More likely the 4th of July, as the FB coming in would've almost certainly turned the working Jagdtiger into the scenario photo...
I never got to use the OBA or the FB, but I never really needed them either. I hesitate to draw any conclusions about how this plays, since Tom's dice were altogether horrible. But one thing I can say: it was fun. Lots of goofy AFV's, and a rare chance to do some long range dueling outside the desert. Good refresher on LOS too: let's see, I'm 3 levels above the obstacle, but the target is two levels lower than it, and I'm 24 hexes away...ah hell, I'll just roll and we can see if we need to figure it out!
** Some Lessons Learned as the Nazis:
Don't bother with the long range shots, except with the AL. The Inex. crews and the need to BU are hamstringers; the 37Ls can't hurt anything, if they could hit, at 19+ hexes.
The only realistic U.S. approach is the center and west. Get on those avenues with STUFF fast, in time for a HD manuever or three (or four, given the +1 drm).
The AL looks sharp sitting with a 128L, eh? I think he might be better in one of the 75Ls, esp. the mark 4. He'll get HD easier, and the mobility is possibly more valuable than the extra 16 TK. This is most true facing those cursed halftracks, which are hard to hit as it is, and burning ht wrecks make fine "hasty roadblocks"!
Mike Licari
** Tom Mueller