| Stuart's Sleeping? | ||||||||||||
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This scenario presented several challenges. Firstly, a hidden unit scenario played solo. Secondly, I do not particularly like road-control scenarios. In this particular case, the US must hold three N/S road avenues against a larger, but foot-bound German relieving force. US Set-Up: TF Lovelady in Petit Coo on board 10 as stipulated. 1^INF on 0809-22. 1^INF on 0709-25 (dug-in holding x-roads). 4^INF + 1^HMG + 1^81mm + M4 in Ster/11. 3^INF + 1^HMG + 1^81mm in Renardmont/24. German Entry: Board 24 force splits into three groups: Company to seal the E/W road between 11/24 and pin forces in Ster (includes the SK234/2). Company to move north towards Renardmont (incl. all HMG) Company to flank Renardmont to the E. Board 9 group moves north in a five-hex swath along the road. US initial redistribution: one M5 moves E to loop to Renardmont; two M5's move S with ldr to spot/interdict SS battalion moving north. the INF at 0809-22 moves W to reinforce Petit-Coo. First four turns go all the US way. OBA and on-board mortars DIS/DEM four HMGs in the first two turns. I played the Germans as a bit desperate (=rushed = stupid) so they attacked Renardmont with little attempt to "soften up" (few tries did nothing as the US had a 10-morale LT with a +1 morale bonus along with a 9-morale capt with +1 morale bonus). US OF results in a total of four step losses due to extraordinary rolling on the DF table. There was a face-off between company sized units of the US east out of STER and the Waffen SS holding the inter-board edge. The US sent the M4 and single INF West towards Board 9; this force was blocked by 2xGren+1HMG. The real US disaster (hence the title) was my miscue keeping the M5's+LDR within visual range of the advancing German force (for the purpose of calling down OBA) - perhaps the US player (cough) was a bit too distracted by all the good stuff going on in the defense of Renardmont. On a German impulse, I realized that I could split up my 2xGren stacks and literally surround the 2xM5's ... US OF for once failed and those units thence succumbed to assault and INF-AT fire. This left Petit-Coo with the Recon and Reinforcing INF from board 22, but they were unable to hold the town again the forces the SS were able to bring northwards from board 9 leaving a few units to cover any encroachment by the US M4+INF. |
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| 2 Comments |
The M5's seemed fated to disaster !
Wayne had his ambushed by SS troopers in our play ?
They're cursed I tell you ! Cursed !!
If solo play can contain surprises, this was it. Three stacks of 2xGrens in a line two hexes away ... the Stuarts were carrying an LT as a forward artillery observer.
It was strange suddenly realizing that should I unstack those Grens, I could simply surround the stack of M5's. Sort of a cognitive dissonance moment for me really: one gets so used to keeping stacks together and adjacent for leader activation and fire combination.
I could imagine one of the Stuart commanders spitting a quid: "now where d'ya suppose those fellers be a'run'n off to there?"
But by God, the US OF over on board 24 was a grim thing to behold: roll: 2X!; roll: 2X!. More like running into a AC-47 gunship.