Author	treadasaurusrex (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	goosebrown
Play Date	2022-08-18
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD030

This was a 5-session play-through with the cunning and earnest, goosebrown, as the attacking German DAK Commander. I played the hapless American Task Force Stark Commander assigned to hold the 60-meter high Djebel Semmama in hill top position on Map 76. We played without the FOW, but with the smoke and excess initiative optional rules. The American side suffered from poor leader draws in this play-through, but brought along a cur dog that they had adopted in Oran, named Bumper who barked vociferously at Rommel’s troops and leaders. In contrast, the Germans drew a fine set of leaders with high morale and combat modifier values.

The initial session (game turns 1-4) featured a broad German movement to contact, straight forward with a reinforced battalion marching due west, with the strongest elements on the left flank including their single platoon of Pz-II tanks. The German right flank feint did their job as skirmishers and diverted opportunity direct fire and bombardments that would have been better employed in slowing their advance on the other flank. The most important firepower assets of Task Force Stark on Djebel Semmama’s hill top were decisively engaged by the 3rd turn in the center and right flank. US opportunity fires and OBA made the first set of close assaults costly for the Afrika Korps infantry and supporting weapons. The light tank platoon was eliminated during the 3rd turn. At session end: step losses stood at 10 for the Germans and 1 for the besieged American side. The Germans were already contesting 2 of the hilltop’s five 60-meter hexes and nearly all the US troops were pinned in place.

The 2nd session (game turns 5-6) was characterized by continuing German close assaults on the eastern face of the summit of Djebel Semmama, along with a German left flank advance by another assault stack that was waylaid by intense American OBA, mortar and short range direct fire. By the end of the session end: step losses stood at 12 for the Germans and 2 for the besieged Americans.

The Third session (game turns 7-9) was focused on the continuing series of German close assaults on both the east and southern margins of the summit of Djebel Semmama. The stubborn Americans continues to hold out on the eastern edge of the hilltop, but were now confronted by strong left flank move, and two more hexes became decisively engaged. Of these, the heretofore unreachable mortar position was close-assaulted, and one platoon of mortars was eliminated in turn 7. A combined total of SIX combat 7-die rolls were registered this session. At the end of turn 9, the steps lost totals were: 14 for the attacking Germans, and 3 for the defending US side. The final result was still in doubt as the number of 40 and 60-meter hexes controlled atop the djebel was almost even. Bumper, the dog was still barking wildly at the onrushing Teutonic wave in one of the assault hexes, but was temporarily deaf from the shelling.

The impromptu 4th session (game turns 10-11) was basically a repeat of the previous session in about the same hexes with both sides OBA raining down among the assault hexes. The difference this time, was the there was a successful American counter attack in the NE contested hex in which 3 steps of Germans infantry was eliminated after an incoming off-target friendly artillery concentration weakened their comrades in that hex. At session’s end, the total of step losses stood at 17 for the attacking Afrika Korps and 3 for the American defenders.

The 5th session (game turn 12) was the last gasp for the American side in which the Germans overran & controlled the required single 60-meter hill hex, having already occupied the vast bulk (18) of the 40-meter hexes. The final total of step losses stood at 17 for the attacking Afrika Korps and 6 for the American defenders. Here’s another hard-fought, German minor victory in the win column for goosebrown!