Author	treadasaurusrex (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	United States
Participants	Isra3lite (AAR)
Play Date	2025-05-20
Language	English
Scenario	ElsR002

This was an abbreviated, 6-session play-through with the careful, yet daring, Isra3lite leading attacking elements of the 277th Volksgrenadier Division. I led defending elements of the 99th Infantry Division, seeking to hold as much of the east-west road as possible.

We used the FOW, consolidation, smoke/illum, hidden units, tank riders, excess initiative, strategic movement and extended assault optional rules, as well as these 2 house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units - All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of ½ of a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 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, across, or down slopes hexes.

Our first session (game turn 1) featured a near-flawless, deliberate German movement-to-contact in the predawn gloom with a visibility range of 6 hexes. An unexpected American counter-probe resulted in a foot race for a leading edge German Lieutenant, as well as the capture of a wagon unit that was caught towing a limbered 75mm IG platoon. A flurry of German illumination rounds followed, a then artillery concentrations began falling on the eastern-most, pair of GI-held entrenchments on the big hill mass on Map 25.

During the second session (game turns 2-3) the Wehrmacht advance continued, and the siege of the easternmost two US-held entrenchments began on the large, 40-meter, hill mass on Map 25. Visibility was still only 6 hexes as the Germans moved their mortar teams forward and began emplacing their tubes on the southern 40-meter knob of the same hill mass. Only a single American step was lost this session, along with an overeager forward observer. The step loss count was tied at 1 apiece. Accurate GI opfire and OBA strikes, blunted the German approach to the twin entrenchments as the session ended.

During our third session (game turns 4-5) the German attack came perilously close to collapsing, but suddenly revived as the result of a string of successful morale recoveries, in what was a nearly bloodless session. Only a single German and 3 American steps were lost as the Wehrmacht tide continued flowing west. The surging Volksgenadiers were reinforced during the 5th game turn, and the GI’s initial repulse of the German wave began to falter in the face of accurate artillery strikes and a right flank movement that circled north of the paired American strongpoints on the 40-meter hill mass.

The fourth session (game turn 6) saw the elimination of the very troublesome section of GIs that had delayed the German advance for several turns on the road at Hex 25-0908, as well as the loss of a step of a Hetzer SPAT unite in the open that had just unloaded a platoon of Volksgrenadiers in Hex 25-0316. The German right flank (bypass) approach in the north continued unabated this session as they were joined by a pair of leaders. The embattled Americans continued holding out in their entrenched positions on the 40-meter hill mass on the same map board.

Our costly, but high-mobility, fifth session (game turns 7-9) featured the loss of an additional 7 steps for the advancing Germans, as they continued their inexorable movement to the west in a pair of flanking pincers. They successfully disengaged from the firefight on the 40-meter hill mass on Map 25, thereby bypassing the entrenched American company, and also covered their left flank (southern) approach with a timely smokescreen.

During the very brief, sixth session (game turn 10) the attacking German side conceded the victory to the Americans after losing a second step of Hetzer SPAT section in the south margin of the battle map.

This was a slightly gamey, but very entertaining, scenario that was played with a challenging & tactically flexible opponent. I think that it deserves a 4 under normal circumstanced and recommend it for both SOLO & SHARED play. However, I give this prematurely halted, play-through a 3.