Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	Col. Sonichu
Play Date	2023-07-16
Language	English
Scenario	AAAD008

This was an action-packed, 6-session play-through with the careful & wily, Col. Sonichu, commanding the lead elements of the US 1st Armored Division. I led two widely dispersed German battle groups with paratroopers on the far northwest corner and combined arms elements of the 10th Panzer Division entering the battle map from the east in two separate prongs. Both sides drew decent leaders We played with the FOW, consolidation, smoke/illum, extended assault, tank riders, strategic movement and excess initiative optional rules. The final result was a major German victory.

In addition, we experimentally used the following four house rules: 1)Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up or down slopes hexes, 3) Dug In Units are Automatically in Limiting Terrain in Desert GamesUnless prohibited by special scenario rules, ALL units that are dug-in on slope hexes are considered to be in limiting terrain and are spotted if enemy units approach to within 3 hexes, or 4 hexes for reconnaissance units – – unless they are marked with a spotted marker, see 8.22, and 4) Tank Leader Forward Observation Efficient tank leaders (full strength only) may spot for ALL artillery & air strikes in accordance with the normal spotting rules (8.0, page 19). Just as in the case of leader units spotting, this action does not require an activation. Nonefficient tank leaders may also attempt to spot for ON BOARD ARTILLERY ONLY by throwing a single die per attempt to spot a target. This action does require an activation. They spot the intended target on a die roll of 4-6.

The initial session (game turns 1-2) featured the beginning of a relatively lengthy German movement-to-contact from the eastern edge of Map 77, and the paratrooper column approaching from the NW corner of Map 76 onto the 60-meter high, Djebel el Guessa hill mass. The 10th Panzer elements came on the map with a strong-side, left flank (southern) thrust and a much lighter right flank (northern) thrust. A series of long-range shots resulted in only a single American step loss to an M-6/37mm portee unit. The Germans were much less lucky and lost 2 steps of paratroopers, plus their airborne Major, who deserted in game turn 2. No US reinforcements arrived and there were no Axis air strikes in the first 2 turns. There were FIVE combat 7-die rolls thrown by the Americans. The end of the session saw the Americans in dominant positions and holding a substantial lead of 40 to 12 victory points.

Our second session (game turns 3-5) was an action-packed and exciting episode with a significant amount of combined arms maneuver. A brisk & well-led American counterattack & redeployment against the German paratroopers on Djebel el Guessa in the northwest quadrant, pushed back the Germans and almost resulted in a leader capture. This was in spite of a successful Luftwaffe airstrike, remarkably accurate Allied OBA, and very lucky long-range HMG fire on the US mortar emplacements on the eastern slopes of the Djebel. In the center and northeast, the German right flank advance began washing over the banks of the large wadi and into decisive contact with the remaining American units. Two platoon of US SPAT guns were able to escape this area, as another pincer from the German center peeled off and overran the southern margin of the wadi in an attempt to outflank the already pinned GIs. In the south, the strong-side German advance continued with their mobile forces probing along the map margins and beginning to isolate the US infantry reserve that was digging-in on the 40-meter hill in the southeast quadrant of Map 79. Step losses at the end of game turn 5, were still 2, for the attacking Huns, and 9 for the defending GIs. Four combat 7-die rolls were thrown in this session. The updated victory points were now: 42 for the Yanks, and only 16 for the Germans.

The third session (game turns 6-7) was another action-heavy, but grim episode (14 step losses) for the defending GIs as the two sides continued to grapple at decisive range in three different areas of the battle map. Starting in the big wadi on Map 77, the pinned American mechanized infantry company lost their accompanying M-3 halftracks, and an infantry platoon to a combination of AT fire and adjacent-hex, direct fire. In the north half of Map 76, the large, 60-meter hill mass was still mostly in American hands, although two Pz-IVH platoons were able to dispatch the last remaining American self-propelled 105mm artillery (SPH) platoon and a tank destroyer unit. In the south half of Map 76, probing German mobile units and their armored spearhead eliminated the remaining US tank destroyers, but were too late to prevent the bulk of the combined arms American reserve force from digging in on the smaller & easternmost of the 40-meter hills. This hilltop was now fiercely-contested ground, as the Landsers and their armored escorts closed to decisive range. The Americans had the misfortune of throwing SIX combat 7-die rolls, and lost a pair of truck platoons in this session. No Luftwaffe air strikes occurred, and the reinforcing US armor still did not show up on the west edge of the battle map. The step loss tally was now 23 for the Americans, and still a mere 2 for the fast-moving, Germans. The updated victory points were now: 36 for the Yanks, and 34 for the surging German side.

Our delayed fourth session (game turns 8-9) was another action-packed, maneuver-fest across the hilly Tunisian terrain. There were intense, adjacent-hex firefights on the same hills in the north and south on Map 76, and a costly close assault in the big eastern wadi on Map 77. Once again, American reinforcements and Luftwaffe air support failed to show up. The fiercest fighting was in the south, were the combined arms German force advanced into decisive range, while their supporting AT fire resulted in the loss of four M-3 halftrack platoons. On the northwest hill mass, multiple maneuvers & heavy short-range fire exchanges continued as the German wave slowly encroached on the eastern and northern hill margins. The step loss tally ended at: 32 for the Americans, and 2 for the rapidly-moving, German side. By session end, US armor was reduced to only 3 steps of halftracks on the battle map. A combined SIX combat 7-die rolls were thrown. Updated victory point total was: 31 for the Yanks, and 56 for the surging German side.

The fifth session (game turns 10-12) was yet another costly episode for the defending Americans who lost 22 steps, but their armored reinforcements finally arrived during game turn 10. In the south, the Germans were able to overcome an American position in one close assault, but were repeatedly stymied in the other, and lost 2 SPW platoons in the process. In the north, a pair of American counterattacks and some well-directed OBA was able to slow, but not stop, the German onslaught on the Djebel. Accurate tank fire on this hill mass eliminated 4 steps of Lee and Sherman tanks shortly after their debut on the map. In the east wadi, the German close assault, slowly ground down the remaining US infantry company. In the meantime, the last few Axis reserves move steadily to the west. The step loss tally ended at: 54 for the Americans, and 6 for burgeoning German side. As before, a combined SIX combat 7-die rolls were again thrown. The revised victory point total was now: 34 for the Yanks, and 75 for the surging German tide.

Our sixth session (game turns 13-16 ) was a very grim one for the advancing Germans who suffered an additional 7 steps and a leader loss. The final victory point tally was 97 for the Germans, and 39 for the defending Yanks. By mutual agreement, the American commander conceded at the start of game turn 16. I give this one a rating of 4, and recommend it for both SHARED and SOLO play.