Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 27th:
Arctic Front Deluxe #40 - Children's Crusade Broken Axis #14 - Târgu Frumos: The Second Battle Scenario 3: Sledge Hammer of the Proletariat
Army Group South Ukraine #6 - Consternation Road to Berlin #73 - She-Wolves of the SS
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Holding the Lock
Airborne #9
(Attacker) Germany vs United States (Defender)
Formations Involved
Germany 919th Infantry Regiment
United States 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for Airb009
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 7
Overall Rating, 6 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3
Scenario Rank: 749 of 913
Parent Game Airborne
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-06-07
Start Time 06:00
Turn Count 12
Visibility Day
Counters 22
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 3
Maps 1: 13
Layout Dimensions 43 x 28 cm
17 x 11 in
Play Bounty 124
AAR Bounty 153
Total Plays 7
Total AARs 4
Battle Types
Bridge Control
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Rural Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Airborne Base Game
Introduction

Back at the La Barquette Lock, the paratroopers of the 501st Parachute Regiment had been unable to move from their positions all D-Day night and most of the second day due to heavy enemy fire. At 1500 in the afternoon of the 7th a large force of Germans was observed approaching their position from the northeast.

Conclusion

Intent only on escaping the American forces advancing off the beaches and surprised by the heavy fire, the Germans went to ground and fought half-heartedly. After exchanging fire for a few hours, the Germans began to surrender. If not for a particularly zealous leader, they would have given up more easily. In all 350 Germans were killed or captured.


Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
United States Order of Battle
Airborne

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Scen 9

Replace Special Rule 3 with the following: The Germans were shaken by their sudden change in fortune. The American player may ask the German player to surrender at the beginning of any turn. When asked, the German player rolls two dice, subtracts his or her current initiative value and adds the current number of German eliminated and demoralized units (not steps) AND leaders. If the result is more than the morale value of the highest-ranking German leader (or more than 6 if all German leaders have been eliminated), play ends. If the result is equal to or less than the leader's morale, the Germans do not surrender, German initiative increases by one and play continues.

(rerathbun on 2012 Jan 30)
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)

Display AARs (4)

Holding the Lock
Author driddle01
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2012-09-27
Language English
Scenario Airb009

A quick and small scenario. The Americans set up at the lock awaiting the Germans. Because of the swamp, there is no long range fire and slow movemewnt, so the game starts slowly as the Germans advance towards the objective. The Germans split into two forces, one to hold the attention of the defenders and one to circle around across the river and approach the defenders from the rear. As the Germans advance to contact, the Americans fire and with the adjacent bonus and swamp column shift, the Americans inflict many morale checks. The Germans low morale of 7 coninually results in disrupted and demoralized attackers. The flanking German force runs into the same situation. The Germans regroup to try again, but the American causes the same result. This prevents the Germans from dislodging the defenders, and the Americans win!

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Holding Fast
Author rerathbun
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2014-11-08
Language English
Scenario Airb009

The Germans started strong on this one, knocking out a step of the paratroopers' machine gun platoon on consecutive demoralizations. After that it was all the other way. The Americans disrupted and demoralized the attacking Germans, preventing them from getting any further results. The Americans had trouble inflicting any step losses, largely because the Germans kept fleeing out of range.

After a step loss and two of the three German leaders deserting due to compound demoralization, they did manage to take out the other machine gun step on a lucky shot (snake-eyes on the '7' column).

One more German step loss and the Americans called for them to surrender, which they did with two turns left. The American position was never seriously threatened.

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Breaking Point
Author Matt W
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2012-07-16
Language English
Scenario Airb009

In this scenario a large group of Germans is charged with the task of pushing the Americans out of the way so that they can continue to run away from the beach landings. They outnumber the defenders 2-1 but must advance through swampy areas. The "good" thing is that they start out quite close.

The Americans start out with a firebase in advance of the lock with the HMG and two platoons of paratroopers. The idea here is that, if the Germans get too close they can always fall back into the lock before it gets assaulted.

Of course a perfect strategy never exists. The Germans move forward and the Opportunity Fire is not very effective. The Germans then assault the firebase in order to stop the Americans from firing at the two separate groups passing by to attack the lock. As they get past the firebase, the Americans at the lock cause some losses to the advancing Germans and disrupt their advance. The German assault on the firebase is not very successful but does not cause much damage to the attackers.

On the next turn the Americans completely forget their preferred approach as the Germans assault the firebase again, suffer losses and become completely demoralized. The Americans, vastly encouraged ignore the strategy and counterattack the German force, completely eliminating two units and leaving the other with the need to recover from demoralization. The rest of the German force converges on the lock assault but lacks the force to force its loss.

The following turn the Americans request surrender and are successful. If the request was not accepted the Americans would have pulled the machine gun into the lock hex and pursued assault against the only remaining German reserves for the lock assault.

This one is definitely stacked against the Germans. Even with a 9-1-2 major the Germans were unable to hold themselves together. I give it a "2".

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Tower Defense, PG-style
Author dricher
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2014-03-22
Language English
Scenario Airb009

A very quick small scenario with a large but fragile German force attempting to escape through an American defensive position. Right up front, not a single arty shot from either side rolled anything but a 6, 7, or 8, so arty was never an effect. Everything in this play was up close and personal.

The Americans put their Capt, the HMG, and one Para in front of the victory hex, flanking each side with one para, and a half step of Para with the Col and 1Lt in the victory hex. The Germans bum rush the American position. The Americans deal death with close range direct fire, and wipe out three steps of Grens and smack the morale of a couple HMG and Grens units, as well as breaking the German Lt with a starting morale of 6. The German Maj, 9-2-1, gathers up what is around him and jumps the front American position while sending some flanking units against the American right. The American right reinforces with the 1Lt and half step, holds well, and eventually chases down and kills the German Lt and another step of Grens, while a full Gren breaks and retreats. The American left forces a slow retreat of what Germans are on that side, but the German Capt keeps things tidy.

The center assault starts out well for the Germans, killing two American steps while suffering the same. But as the American flanks clear, in come reinforcing Paras. It's too much for the Germans. Despite taking out another American step (three of five required for victory), the total German losses from assaults and direct fire total four units, with the loss of the Lt as well, and one demoralized Gren, means the American demand for surrender only requires a four or higher. The Germans surrender for an American victory.

Since the scenario was only half over, I played through with the assumption that surrender rule did not exist. At that point both sides had had enough and total morale failures on both sides left everything a shambles, to include an American 1Lt desertion. In the end, the Americans fled with half an HMG and half a Para, while the Germans were down to 2 Paras, 1.5 HMG, and the mortars. Only the mortars were in good order.

The scenario really wasn't that bad for what it was, but it just wasn't dynamic enough to catch my interest. The surrender rule is really the Americans' best hope for victory, but that means the scenario largely rests on a single die roll. Not my cup of tea. With poor morale even the 9-2-1 Maj couldn't hold the Germans together. Interesting little diversion, but it felt more like a tower defense game than a PG scenario.

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