Author	treadasaurusrex (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	goosebrown
Play Date	2022-07-01
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD014

This was a 3-session play-through with the bold and redoubtable, goosebrown, as the German Commander holding a pass and several adjacent hills on both Maps 76 and 78. We used the optional smoke, consolidation, excess initiative, extended assault, strategic movement, but not the dreaded Fog of War rules. The German Force was setup in mutually supporting positions on the two central 40-and-60-meter hills, just north of the main pass, with a company of supporting armor nearby. I played the American side with the newly-arrived and very green, Combat Command B of the 1st Armored Division.

The US Force began with a spread out movement-to-contact in two columns between the westernmost, two 20-meter hill masses on Map 78. Germans OBA and long-range AT fire began targeting the advancing (skirmisher) elements almost immediately in our first session (game turns 1-4). American forward observers climbed up two of the closest of the 2 hills to provide OBA fire direction. It was not long before a pair of M-3 halftrack units were eliminated by long-range German AT fire in the second turn, as the US force paused to dismount infantry and begin climbing the first 20-meter that was shielding the bulk of the advancing elements. Surprisingly, a left flank counter move by a company of German tanks, an accompanying mechanized infantry platoon and a scout platoon of motorcycles led off in the 2nd turn. These were met by close range infantry supported by an assortment of tank destroyer halftracks and a unit of light AT guns on the ridge east of the US right wing column. The German motorcycle platoon was halved as it crossed the ridge top while chasing the forward observer to the hill’s western margin.

In the center, US armor moved forward into a storm of German AT fire, and it was not long before the first (overwatch) section of Lee tanks brewed up on the north slope of the northwest hill mass on Map 78. Advancing US infantry deployed to the same hill and veered left to get a foothold at the bottom of the hill crowned by German AT guns and dug in HMG and INF units. This was prepatory to getting into position to close assault the German positions on this bi-level hill. In another surprise move, two German infantry platoons that had been dug in on the lower slopes, suddenly moved to the rear to avoid being decisively engaged, leaving the remaining HMG and AT platoons to their respective fates. Heavy OBA destroyed the dug-in German 28mm “squeeze-bore” AT gun platoon on the crest of the opposite hilltop at the start of the 4th turn, when we ran out time.

The 2nd session (game turns 4-7) was characterized by substantial German successes in all areas of the map thanks to accurate AT fire; exceptional morale recovery & initiative die rolls; and excessive American zeal in attempting to press home close assaults on the summit of the southwestern 40-meter hill on Map 76. A series of American APC units were destroyed, as well as 3 platoons of ill-fated tank destroyers that were attempting to setup AT crossfires on the right flank.

The German Commander withdrew the bulk of his left flank feint, after successfully drawing 2 companies of American infantry off their intended attack on the large, eastern hill mass on Map 76. The STG-IIIG platoon in a dug-in position on that hill mass, proved itself to be a major thorn in the side of the US Commander throughout this play-through. It was beginning to look like the US left flank thrust had been rushed prematurely into combat, before proper OBA fire was brought to bear on the defending German positions.

By the beginning of turn 7, step losses stood at 10 for the German side and a startling, 28 for the Americans, who had lost a number of key assets! This noticeably reduced the combat effectiveness of the remaining US units, and ultimately would prove decisive.

The third session (game turns 7-9) was marked by very bad luck for the struggling Americans that were stymied at every turn by the combination of poor morale, the loss of initiative, well-placed Axis OBA, and well-led German counterattacks. While the German side suffered a command decapitation when Major Lueder was killed leading a hilltop counter attack in Hex 76-0404, this event did not appreciably improve the situation for the Americans. In the end, Axis firepower proved overwhelming in nearly every close assault instance.

We jointly decided to end the game at the end of turn nine when we figured that that was no way for the American side to achieve even a minor victory due primarily to the extent of their combat losses. The Final step loss counts were, 16 for the winning Germans and 49 for the US force. This assured a German minor victory.

I give this unbalanced, but fun to play, scenario a solid 3, as there is very little chance for the American side to succeed against a skilled opponent. This one is probably best suited as a SOLO play option.