Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	goosebrown (AAR)
Play Date	2022-05-06
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD018

This was a 4-session play-through with the resourceful and wily, Matt Brown, as the US Commander. We used the optional smoke, consolidation, excess initiative, extended assault rules, and thankfully dispensed with the defense-biased, Fog of War rule. I played the Germans defending the Ain Rebaou Pass area with the grizzled remnant elements of the Afrika Korps’ 21st Panzer Division.

Before beginning this play-through, the German Commander shifted from a relatively brittle, forward defense array to a more appropriate defense-in-depth setup that emphasized initial armored movement to secure as many 40 and 60-meter contour hexes as possible – along with the 3-hex town of Rebaou – in the first 3 game turns.

The initial US movement-to-contact in the northeast corner of the map was executed nearly flawlessly, with the bulk of a Sherman tank battalion (6 platoons) leading the way. Wisely, the US Commander kept a large portion of his total force off the east edge of the map, thereby pinning the vast bulk of the German forward-deployed troops in-place on Map 79. Amazingly accurate German OBA, slowed the advance of the American infantry formations that accompanied the armored spearhead. Surprisingly this artillery support, eliminated the senior American leader at the end of the first game turn. The methodical, US probe-in-force drove due west, straight down the north edge of the map, making effective concealment use of the convenient wadi and low hill terrain. Slow-driving German armor and a handful of infantry units moved north and east onto higher ground to parry this combined arms thrust. By the end of game turn 3, the US had lost a mere 3 steps. During our second session, American losses in this right flank attack began to mount in turns 4-5 as the forces drew closer together and German mobile counter attacks and AT fire intensified. Casualties among the M-3 halftrack contingent in this columns were particularly heavy, and a German probe began moving directly behind the bulk of the American task force on this edge of the map.

Starting on game turn 5, the balance of the American task force began moving-rapidly-to-contact in the southeastern corner of the map. This strong combined-arms attack began almost immediately after the German Commander had prematurely moved one of his AT gun platoons from the southern map margin on the large hill in the southeast portion of the map in an effort to bolster their hard-pressed AT defenses on the north east map edge.

At this juncture, all US forces were deployed on the map in two widely-separated and mutually-unsupported, left and right flank pincer attacks. Ferocious fighting and multiple close assaults ensued on either edge of the map as Task Force Kern sought to push the German lines back to the west.

By the mid-point of game turn 6, step loses for the US was 16 and for the Germans side was 3, this in spite of well-directed American OBA fire and clever deployment of smoke in support of the northern pincers armor-heavy attack.

Our 3rd session (game turns 7-8) were the crucial, make-or-break period in this play-through for the enveloping US attack. As it turned out the Germans resolutely repulsed both pincers and continued their deadly close assaults in the north. Two additional steps of German tanks were eliminated by intense, short-range Sherman tank, but this prong was rapidly running out of momentum as US tank and halftrack losses continued to mount. In the south, fierce hill top fighting slowed the bulk of the US attack to a crawl. By the end of turn 7, step losses stood at: 31 for the US, and 7 for the Afrika Korps.

The hard-fighting, US Commander conceded at the end of the 8th game turn when it became apparent that there were insufficient remaining American units and leaders to gain enough victory points to win the game. Then final step losses were: 8 for the German side and 41 for the Americans.

An exciting and fun-filled scenario. I give this one a 4.