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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Counterattacked
Go for Broke #4
(Attacker) Germany vs United States (Defender)
Formations Involved
Germany 3rd Panzergrenadier Division
United States 100th "Purple Heart" Infantry Battalion
United States 133rd "First Iowa" Infantry Regiment
United States Army
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for GofB004
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 3
Overall Rating, 3 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.67
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Go for Broke
Historicity Historical
Date 1943-10-21
Start Time 12:30
Turn Count 14
Visibility Day
Counters 108
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 4: 14, 16, 5, 8
Layout Dimensions 86 x 56 cm
34 x 22 in
Play Bounty 180
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 3
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Hill Control
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Rural Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Eastern Front Maps + Counters
Elsenborn Ridge Counters
Go for Broke Base Game
Road to Berlin Maps
Introduction

Despite the best efforts of command the 133rd Infantry Regiment was caught out in the open come daylight. They tried to penetrate the hills early in the morning and were unable to breakthrough. Fountain was relieved of command and replaced by Lt. Col. Carley Marshall (Fountain's career would recover and he commanded the 34th Infantry Division after the war.) Soon the German armor was seen to the west gathering for a counterattack.

Conclusion

With few antitank pieces to combat the tanks the 125th Field Artillery Battalion used a Piper Cub spotter plane to target the enemy armor. For the cost of 736 shells they destroyed one assault gun and disabled four others. It was not enough to keep the Germans from inflicting heavy casualties on the Americans. Long after dark the two battalions finally managed to infiltrate the hills and dig in.


Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
  • Towed

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
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)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (2)

Well it is the title of the game...
Author Matt W
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2011-11-26
Language English
Scenario GofB004

If you want to be picky, it is the title of the supplement but what the heck, poetic license, eh? In this one, two bloodied American battalions are caught in the open by a spirited German counterattack, the Nisei to the west and the 3rd to the east. To add to the disaster about to befall them the German reinforcements arrive immediately from the western edge of the battlefield.

Important to keep in mind is that the original goal of the American force (see scenario #3) is to reach the high ground to the north. In scenario #4 there are three German objectives; to retain the high ground to the north and take the three hex hill in the Nisei area, cause at least 2 more step losses on the Americans than they experience themselves and drive all the Americans south of the road on the southern portion of the battlefield. The Germans set up for a west to east sweep, leaving two companies to keep the 3rd off the hill to the east.

The battle with the Nisei is particularly grusome as they are slaughtered in the open. The Germans do take some losses but by turn four the Nisei have lost 12 steps to the German 6, and nothing happens in the ensuing turns to change that. One brave platoon, however, makes a dash for the high ground after the Germans had left it relatively ungarissoned. While they made it to the hill, two turns of 56 factor OBA managed to leave them terribly dazed and a company of Germans saw to it that they no longer were on the hill, or anywhere for that matter.

This brave dash, however, was seen by their compatriots of the 3rd and when the German assault reached their positions their western company put up a spirited defense and their eastern company lauched a true assault towards the German defenders of the high ground. Kind of a Marshall Foch at the Marne moment as their situation was dire and attack was probably the last thing on the minds of the Germans. A true "Go For Broke" moment, even if the units wern't Nisei.

Those who noticed that the Americans won the scenario by now realize that this assault was successful, at least from a game perspective. The position gained was tenuous and the attackers had lost 60% of their strength but they had gained the hill and withstood two strong counterattacks. Time ran out and the Germans had only reached one of their three objectives (losses). Two more turns would probably suffice to root the Americans off the hill but, alas for the Germans there were not two more turns.

An interesting puzzle for the Germans. I probably should have left another platoon or two in the east to avoid the counterattack but the defense actually looked plenty strong enough and there was no guarantee that the reinforcements would arrive as soon as they did (although within the first three turns is quite likely, they are not guaranteed until turn 5) so the force in the west needs to be able to begin the attack by itself.

In any event, it was a scenario that seemed likely to carry a 3 until the drama at the end. I give it a "4", given the fact that there are options for the outgunned Americans.

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Germans win battle but lose game
Author waynebaumber
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2012-08-02
Language English
Scenario GofB004

Played solo over two sessions. This scenario has the Nisei supported by elements of the 34th Div trying to hold ground against a combined arms attack from the 3rd Panzergrenadier Div. The German units come from both the north (on board units and the west edge) and have to take a the hill hex on board 8 and push all the US units south of a east west road. The US have good off board artillery support and air support though in my game the US air support appeared once and missed their target. The German reinforcements arrive quickly but accurate defensive fire cause early losses for the Germans and they have to regroup and attack again from the north this was more successful and pushed the Red Bull units back towards the Nisei. From the west the German Stugs were slowly disrupting the defense and the hill fell on GT 9 however the US troops had quickly dug in again behind the hill, this was a decisive move as the Germans poured over the hill and encircled the US forces, the extra cover given by the dug outs prevented the overwhelming German fire power from causing US losses. So when the assaults went in the attackers would have to face first fire from good order INF with leaders. This meant that in every attack there would be German units disrupted or demoralized before they could attack. By game end every un-demoralized US unit was in an assault hex but the Germans could not wipe them out, the result a US minor victory. Solid scenario this looks tough for the Germans to gain all their objectives. However this was a solo effort and we need to see more FtF plays to condemn this as unbalanced

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