Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	goosebrown
Play Date	2022-06-10
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD006

This was a 6-session play-through with the resourceful and wily, goosebrown, as the Allied Commander holding a pass and several adjacent hills. We used the optional smoke, consolidation, excess initiative, extended assault, as well as the dreaded Fog of War rules. The Blade Force was setup in mutually supporting blocking positions on the two central 20-meter hills, just west of the main pass, with a company of supporting armor nearby. I played the role of German General Fischer of the newly-arrived, 10th Panzer Division.

The initial German movement-to-contact from the east was on a broad front with three prongs: Luftwaffe paratroopers in the north, a mobile combined arms group in the center, and a scouting/observation group in the south. The latter established a fine overwatch position for their Forward Observer (FO) on the southeastern 40-meter hilltop. The Germans were supported by OBA and occasional air attacks that grew in intensity as the game progressed.

During our 3rd session (game turns 5-7), the Germans began inflicting serious losses on the Allied armor as 2 platoons of Lee tanks that were caught in the open were quickly eliminated by the 88 AT gun platoon and the slow-moving Tiger I unit. Allied reinforcement did not show up on time, but the first two American air attacks provided suppression of the 88 emplacement. Luftwaffe stukas were successful in eliminating the British 6-pounder AT gun platoon and also in suppressing the major portion of Blade Force on the hilltop just southwest of the main pass. While the German ground attack on the northernmost of the two hill in the pass came on supported by heavy machine gun covering fire.

During our 4th session (game turns 7-11), the Germans continued inflicting grievous losses on Allied infantry formations in close assaults, to artillery, and to air strikes by Stukas. Allied reinforcements continued to lag, but two more American air attacks again provided suppression of the 88 emplacement. Blade Force leadership suffered a decapitation when the only Captain was captured as he fled from an assault. As play wore on, the German ground attack slowly gained ground and drove the remains of Blade Force off the more northern of the two hills, while the sole remaining British mortar platoon continued to miraculously hold out against repeated close assaults. The sole remaining American Lee tank platoon scored a long-range success and eliminated a section of the Pz-III platoon in an assault hex, but did so at a cost of half-of its strength lost in air and artillery strikes.

The fifth session (game turns 11-15) was characterized by the destruction of the heroic remains of the Blade Force after multiple turns of air strikes, OBA concentrations and fierce close assaults. The widely scattered German force then began slowly concentrating on the three hill masses in the northwest corner of Map 77, and resolving a large number of morale recoveries. With the battlefield quieter due to the elimination of all British artillery observation and the end of the 4 turns of American air support, the Germans were able to re-organize for the eventual entrance of the Allied reinforcements on the north margin of Map 77. This movement-to-contact commenced at the beginning of game turn 13 at the north juncture of maps 77 and 78 with the charge of a battalion of Stuart light tanks quickly moving west along the north margin of Map 78, and the unsupported armored close assault on the dug-in 28mm AT gun, and paratrooper HMG platoon in Hex 77-0201. The latter quickly resulted in the destruction of 3 steps of Allied tanks and reinforcement by other paratroopers. Elements of the 10th Panzer redeploying to the west onto Map 78. With the direction of the Allied tactical movement becoming clear. This Allied movement proved decisive, in the end, as the it took the German side far too long to decisively engage the fast-moving US armor. At the end of turn 15, the total of steps lost was: 27 for the Allies, and 5 for the German side.

The 6th session (game turns 16-20) featured the continued German movement to the west culminating in 12 steps exiting the map on the final game turn. However, the cunning Allied Commander was able to save the bulk of the remaining US Armor by scuttling to the far northwest of Map 78 behind the hill. At game end, there was still one Stuart Tank Platoon occupying a hex on the actual hill, resulting in a German minor victory. Final step losses were: 7 for the Germans, and 39 for the Allies.

I give this scenario a 3, since it has gamey victory conditions making it virtually impossible for the Allied player to do more than huddle in safe hexes and stymie the Germans on the last 2 game turns by denying them at least one of their 3 victory conditions.

Suggestions for Victory Condition revision: 1) require that the Germans exit at least 1 leader with their 10 steps of combat units off the west edge of the map, and 2) avoid the gamey, "cower-in-the-corner-behind-the-hill tactic" by requiring the Allied player to ALSO exit at least 8 steps of combat units off the west edge of the map.