Panzer Grenadier Battles on March 29th:
Spearhead Division #16 - Final Accounting
Dissolve
Author Matt W
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2011-11-24
Language English
Scenario GofB003

At this point I have played a large number of PG scenarios and I continue to be amazed how strong defensive positions can be degraded so that, in a single 15 minute period, they simply disappear. In this one the Germans are facing a force about 60% larger than their own but one that arrives disjointedly. It is also night and the Germans have hidden units so their very presence is clouded to the Americans. The final piece of the puzzle is that the Americans have to assault through a very constricted front so the Germans can mass sufficiently as to prevent any infiltration.

The Nisei battalion stumbles into a prepared German position about a kilometer from the hill which is their objective and suffers 4 step losses in a single turn with the expected disruption and demoralization that comes with that. The Germans have come through the initial contact without a scratch. Feeling a certain amount of comfort that they have the Nisei on the ropes (and the knowledge that they have an hour or more before the American reinforcements can reach the battle) the Germans commit their reserves with the hope of savaging the Nisei sufficiently to effectively remove them from the battle.

At this point, the American commander is thinking that perhaps a withdrawl to recover is in order. On the other hand, there is one flanking German platoon that looks a bit vulnerable. What the heck, we're in position to try one assault, let's hang on for another 15 minutes and see what develops.

Of course, the assault acheives some success and the artillery has some effect on the defenders who become disrupted leading to more assaults and an hour later the loss of seven German steps in two turns as the units which had become disrupted, subsequently become demoralized, fled and were hunted down and destroyed. The Nisei also experienced significant losses but were able to retain their effectiveness and support the assault of the reinforcing battalion about an hour and a half later which broke the back of the second German line.

The nighttime action causes nearly everything that occurs (including artillery fire) to have immediate and deadly effect. Outside of the night action this is a straightforward infantry assault. The short front precludes any dashing maneuvers. I give it a "3".

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