If he has the time, Doctor; if he has the time. | ||||||||||||
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Firstly, apologies are due as I made an error with the victor with my original play. Germany wins a minor victory here by one objective. Also, playing solo, the hidden units rules were in abeyance. I played that all US units in LT could only be spotted at range = 2. But this certainly does not equate to the German side having to "wonder" - assuming they care - where US units are located. This might have an effect on the US VC #3 as unlocated US units would allow for potential late turn road control per VC #3 for the US side. US set ups the 2xHMG "extras" south of the large hill on board #25; and the Board 25 company in the center and center north. The larger force including the ENG cover Trois Ponts including LTC superman 11-1-2 with a pair of PARA-HMGs in the hamlet to the east of the river. Germans split into a center and southern attack groups with both STUGs and 2xENG in the latter, whereas all the HMGs are in the former. The SS plan was to push the southern group along the board edge just missing the range=5 spotting limit to trigger US ability to blow the main bridge. Turns 1-4 mostly approach and assaults in the center hill of board #25. US 57mm just misses a rather shocked SPW+HMG (I tried playing that I didn't know it was there), but kills one SPW post-unloading. SS assaults go well with strong rolling. By turn 7, Germans finally clear the dogged PARA-HMG's holding the southern flank and clean up remaining US units in the center. Turns 7-10, Germans organize and push westwards. US OBA and the 3x81 stack begin a series of very accurate fire missions causing what, I think, in the end made the difference insofar as a sufficient number of DIS/DEMs to keep the German center from persecuting its attack until the last third of the scenario. The German southern force moves westward cut-off by a lone PARA+SGT! Unfortunately, the STUGs + a pair of SPWs prevent this unit from interfering, much, with pushing an ENG and other GREN units. US begins pulling blocking PARA units west over the bridges to set-up a blocking force in the western town hexes against this SS sortee. On turn 11 SS units cross the river in hex 0717. On turn 12 the US gets an aircraft - and what an aircraft, the P47. Drama unfolds as the '2' factor AT fire whiffs, but then rolls a '2' on the 22-col DF killing a step of STUGs (now moved up to support the center attack); a step of Gren; and DEM the Standartenfuhrer directing the center action! The southern sortee heads for Trois Ponts from the south. On turn 15, SS troopers overwhelm US blocking force with devastating DF ... US decides to blow the bridge (poof!). Despite one DIS from OF, the southern force now engages the 2xPARA holding the western town hexes. Germans control one town hex and contest another. Bridge blown and hex contested. 6 Germans step losses; 17 US. However, at game end there were several key German units (especially the HMG contingent) with DIS/DEM markers so the step loss differential is a bit misleading. So Germany has one VC (eliminate more steps than opponent). US has none. Even had I not "blown" the bridge on turn 15, the US would not have controlled it as an assault was in place. So a well-timed scenario in my opinion. The Germans are pressed for time. The US paid for time by separating out units rather than in a few more powerful groupings (save for the powerful stack in the village east of the bridge). So the step losses favored the Germans with their ability to concentrate firepower, but in doing so, ran a few turns short of achieving major victory. I'll leave it to the Star Trek geeks to place the AAR title. |
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