Panzer Grenadier Battles on March 28th:
Spearhead Division #15 - Dillenberg
Airborne Nearly All The Way
Author thomaso827
Method Solo
Victor Draw
Play Date 2016-05-13
Language English
Scenario AirR004

The 5 is because this was a 28-turn nail biter, no telling if it was going to be a win for one side or the other or a draw right to the 28th turn. With such a small counter density, I saw this as a quick game, even with that many turns, but the German reinforcements came in on the first turn available, changing everything. The Germans start out holding 3 of the victory hexes with very light forces. A single Gren platoon and LT in 0613; a Gren, a reduced HMG and a wagon in 0313 with an LT; and a Gren and reduced HMG in hedgerow terrain at 1015 with another LT. Reinforcements may come in starting on turn 14 with a roll of a 6. US start with 2 Paras and 2 reduced Paras, a Col and an LT within 2 hexes of 0604, and get automatic reinforcements of 2 more Paras and a reduced Para, a CPT and 2 LTs on turn 4 from the north edge road at 0501. The Airborne get an OBA of 16, but Para leaders may not spot for it. Since they are all effectively Para leaders, I ignored that special rule, else the guns would never have fired. Visibility lengthens as daylight comes but with the US moving into and through swamp part of those first few turns, the reduced visibility didn't really effect anything. The US started with the initiative and split into two forces, the LT taking 1 full and 1 reduced platoons towards the town at 0613, and the COL taking the other full and reduced platoons towards the lock in hex 0711. The Colonel got his target hex occupied quickly enough but the LT and his force wisely exchanged fire from a distance waiting for the reinforcements to arrive, and the US Paras maneuvered through the swamp rather than on the road so that they could approach the town in 0613 from multiple directions, and the Germans defending could only fire back at any one of those stacks. The US managed to assault into that town well enough but the reduced Gren held out with the help of a 10-1-2 leader, while part of the US para element with the COL chose to move forward through the swamp and try to take the next town at 0613, nearly succeeding. Things changed quickly when the German reinforcements came in, and the Germans holding the eastern area at 1015 decided they could try to race (if you can call it such in the swamp) to the lock hex. The US Col decided to break off with 2 reduced platoons and secure the lock hex, which worked out well, but this sacrificed the town hex at 0613. The Paras succeeded in taking the town at 0412 causing the Germans enough casualties to reduce their initiative to zero just in time as the German reinforcements approached in two stacks, trying to first soften up the town from one side and then take it from the other. The town in 0412 became pretty bloody as the Paras first lost a platoon, but then a roll of 2 defending it caused the German attackers to lose half of their force, followed by another 2 in the next assault phase, the Germans losing the rest of the stack. The German major in the other stack that had been trying to provide fire until the assault then took over the attack and lost half of his force quickly. The Paras by now had had their casualties slowly accumulate to where their initiative was only a 1, but lost no more while the Germans became bogged down, fighting in 0412 doing no more than exchanging morale damage and watching both sides rally and be demoralized again. The US Colonel called OBA and directed fire defending the lock, adding to the carnage to the east of the lock. On the final turn, one side or the other had to take the town for a win, but in the end, the town remained contested as both sides rolled poorly in that last exchange. The US still controlled the Lock but without holding anything else, the best they could do was a draw. The Germans were not in control of the 4 hexes they needed for a win. So, game over in a draw. Great game.

0 Comments
You must be a registered member and logged-in to post a comment.
Page generated in 0.047 seconds.