Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 24th:
Grossdeutschland 1944 #17 - Spoiled at Pascani Road to Berlin #72 - What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?
But if you got a warrant, I guess you're gonna come in
Author dricher
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2015-01-06
Language English
Scenario FaLu001

In this scenario the Germans are tasked with clearing the east-west road (and adjacent hexes) of both Luxembourgian troops and the steel door blocks. To stop them Luxembourg fields a small, poorly led force with weak firepower. What they lack in size, leadership, and firepower they make up for with abysmal morale. The defenders place the doors in pairs, one to the east and one to the west. The eastern doors are guarded by the majority of their troops, with a reserve force guarding the western pair. The Germans bring their numerous troops, backed up with artillery, onto the east edge in three groups. The north and south groups each mainly contain a door hunter group of two inf and one eng, which can blow up the roadblocks. The south also contains the mortar group. The center is the heavily armed force, with two door hunter groups and another stack of two HMGs.

The Germans bring on the north and south forces, and then ease in the center trying to draw defender fire. The defenders don't bite, and the Germans finally charge the first roadblock. The hidden defenders adjacent open up with opportunity fire, and roll nothing but sixes and sevens. Early on this is a theme, and allows the Germans to get into assault range easily. Which spells doom for the Luxembourgians. A little prep fire followed by assaults leaves the poor morale defenders in shambles. Soon multiple demoralizations are removing counters at a terrifying rate. The Luxembourgians get lucky only twice. One solid step loss to an eng, which never recovers from disruption for the entire game. Second, the first German eng charging the first roadblock doesn't manage to blast it until turn 7. But the entire eastern defender force is obliterated, or runs away to be later obliterated while tired by arty.

The north and south hunter groups move towards the western roadblocks. The defenders here are made of heartier stuff, and manage to make up for all those six and seven rolls. Consecutive snake eyes takes down an entire German inf platoon, but there are too many targets, and on turn nine all four roadblocks are blown, one unit of defenders is running with the Capt, and one is desperately holding an assault hex adjacent to the road. On turn ten both remaining Luxembourgian units are destroyed, and only the Capt and a Lt manage to escape the carnage.

I rated this a three because with a different set-up and a little more luck the defenders may have managed to retain at least one roadblock on or one unit adjacent to the road through turn 12. But that would only have brought about a draw. The defenders need to lose fewer steps than the Germans in order to win. A mobile defense is the only time-buying opportunity, but in defense of a fixed location even a small poorly armed and led force with low morale will eventually need to turn and fight, and for Luxembourgians that spells doom. Leaving your dugouts to be mobile when arty shells are dropping all around means getting anchored in place with no first fire during the inevitable assault, and you die. I can see a possible draw, but I can't see where the Luxembourgians can ever hope for a victory. Best to just lock the doors and stay at home.

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