Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	Blackcloud6 (AAR)
Play Date	2022-07-07
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD027

This was an exciting 4-session play-through with the crafty and redoubtable, blackcloud6, as the American Commander seeking to hold off a combined arms German kampfgruppe on the move along the north margin of the game map.

The first session (game turns 1-4) featured a somewhat, jumbled German movement to contact with APC-borne infantry and a spearhead of tanks on the north edge of Map 78. They faced a resolute set of defenders, well-positioned to inflict maximum casualties.

This approach proved costly for the Germans, as alas, their overly-enthusiastic mechanized infantry was pushed forward too soon, and amazingly their supporting tanks managed to miss nearly every shot at the American’s 2 screening Sherman platoons that were dug-in, hull down in the northernmost wadi. Ah, if only they had been the more vulnerable M-3 Lee tanks of Combat Command B!

The American side slowly wore down the German infantry formations and transport as they advanced and were forced to deploy. For Battle Group Gerhardt, the good news was that twilight hours had begun, and the Germans were able to move to west the darker it became. In addition, the Americans were forced to redeploy north and out of their original set of wadi and hillside dug-outs. The bad news for the Axis was that the US Force was destroying German halftracks, and halving their tank units at an alarming rate! While this scenario refreshingly becoming a game of maneuver, by the end of the 4th game turn: the score was 17 for the US, and 11 for the Germans. Both sides had zero initiative by the end of this session.

The second session (game turns 5-6) was characterized by continuing German movement west as dusk approached. The final half-strength platoon of Sherman tanks was eliminated in the northern most wadi on Map 78, along with a company of US M-3/75 tank destroyers, clearing the way for a combined arms stream of Axis troops bent on setting up close assaults in the hilly northern portion of Map 77. As visibility decreased, the German advance picked up speed, and a company of their tanks broke off to the south in yet another attempt to setup AT crossfire opportunities to catch the remaining 4 platoons of M-4 tanks. Oddly, there we no German casualties this session, and the victory point (VP) total for steps lost at the end of turn 6 was: 15 for the German side and 17 for the Americans.

The 3rd session (game turns 7-10) began after darkness fell, with the Afrika Korps in pursuit of the adroitly withdrawing elements of Combat Command A on Map 77. My opponent’s methodical, tactical withdrawal only cost the US force 3 steps, with a matching loss to the advancing Germans. In an epic feat of defensive fire power – and incredible die rolling – three platoons of German tanks were all demoralized in a failed close assault attempt against a dug-in, half-strength infantry platoon in Hex 77-0904! In addition, thanks to a successful illumination mission, yet another SPW-251 APC was eliminated by effective Sherman platoon AT fire.

By the end of the session, the leading Germans elements were a only 4 steps from the map’s west margin. The US force had formed an extended, north-south, Napoleonic “thin blue line,” of units across the NW quadrant of Map 77. Step losses (victory points) totaled 19 for the Germans, and 21 for the American side by the end of turn 10.

The 4th session (game turns 11-14) with the remaining German troops seeking to leave the western edge of the battle map as fast as possible and not adhering to their original plan of setting up a base of fire on the northwesternmost hill.

When we called the game at the beginning of the 14th game turn, the final victory points were: 45 for the Germans (22 exited steps & 23 American step losses); and 22 for the American side (all German step losses). This resulted in a major German victory. Unexpectedly, both sides had only lost 4 steps of tanks during in the play-through by the end of the game. Had we continued, and played the last game turn, there likely would have been more Panzer losses.

This was a fun-to-play, exciting scenario with lots of maneuver and many decision points for both sides. I give it an enthusiastic 4, and agree with my distinguished opponent that the optional extended assault rule gave the German side a decided advantage during daylight hours, in spite of his methodical and inspired play.