Retaking Romagny simulates an American combined arms attack on Romagny defended by motivated SS Grenadier units supported by a Pz IV platoon and some AT /Artillery. This was an enjoyable 2 session Skype game played against Wayne Baumber. Victory conditions were straightforward, relying on VP count which is accumulated with step losses and town control, with the Germans controlling the entire town at the start. With 10 turns (2 hours, 15 minutes), the Americans would be hard pressed to attack and take Romagny.

SETUP

The SS setup all units within Romagny except for the PzIVF2 platoon and a company of GRENs, which setup on the western edge of the 40m hill just NW of Romagny. The AT 75/41 was setup hidden in the hedgerow in hex 0714 with its transport. Engineers blocked the northern approach whilst GRENs and the 75IG protected the south. the SS 81mm platoons took positions deeper in the town (0415). The US forces decided on a two-pronged approach, entering the board between hexes 1311 and 1313 inclusive with 6 INF platoons, 2 HMG platoons and an Engineer section, while slightly further south at the foot of the hill, the company of M4s entered south of the woods in 1306 while 2 INF, 3-81mm platoons and the 57mm AT/Truck entered along the road in 1309.

BATTLE

The US forces moved onto the battlefield by having the infantry platoons deployed in the north moving east up the hill and straight at Romagny while the units in the south moved down the road through the woods and the M4s moved along the forest edge in the south, attempting to get to the southern road. The PzIV took an early opportunity to Op Fire on the moving M4s and missed. The northern group continued its forward movement and when moving to within 600m of Romagny, spotted the 75/41 AT gun in the hedgerow in 0714. OBA was called in succeeded disrupting the Gun, The US forces continued their eastward movement and the units in the south slowly moved northeast to come up on the town. At this point, the Pz IV and GREN units on the large hill were ordered to move into Romagny to strengthen the defensive positions after it was clear the US was not going to go for the high ground. In the first hour, Germans were able to inflict 3 step losses while the US inflicted 2. Disruptions to units on both sides occurred here, from OBA and Aircraft fire from the US and from Op fire and the 81mm fire on the German side. At the end of turn 4, The US infantry forces were in position to assault from the south into hex 0511, having survived heavy German point-blank and op-fire. The units in the north were able to make the edge of town but had been disrupted or demoralized to where they could move no further. The M4s had pulled in just behind the assaulting troops (CAPT 910, 2 INF) on 0511. After intense house-to-house fighting, a platoon of M4s entered the fray and tipped the balance enough to force a demoralized SS Grenadier platoon to flee and be subsequently cut down.

In the north, peculiar things were occurring. Where large-scale OBA and Aircraft fire made modest gains on enemy units, the small, pinprick attacks are what turned the tide. Several times, small bursts of mortar fire from both sides continually found the mark, along with a long-shot small Aircraft attack on a stack of HMG, GREN and OSTFR (rumored to be Adolf Hitler's nephew, Heine) proceeded to disrupt and demoralize them to step losses and soften them up for a follow-up US assault. The peculiar thing here was that Wayne rolled a 12, 10 and 11 for morale checks on these units, one of these on a previously demoralized HMG, causing the step-loss. While these assaults were taking place, The remaining US armor moved north into the now unoccupied hexes (0614 and 0514) and threatened the 81mm units in 0415. Things began to get tense, as German OBA and mortar fire continued to deplete the US attackers by causing demoralizations and flees, ultimately resulting in 4 different INF units huddled at the foot of the hill in hexes 1010 and 1008, effectively out of the battle. However, it was the remaining officers and infantry/HMG units, along with the M4s that turned the tide at Romagny, continuing to assault and pepper the German positions with fire. The M4s from the north rumbled through Romagny and moved into several assaults and one unit becoming demoralized but holding. A fire volley from a combined group of INF and HMGs, coming at the end, caused step losses and a demoralization on the PzIV, allowing an American assault on the next turn which wrested control of hex 0411, also killing the best OSTFR on the German side. This left the SS with control of 1 town hex with 1 in contention and 5 under US control.

AFTERMATH

This was a short, fun scenario to play via Skype that was finished in two- 4 hour sessions. Both Wayne and I seemed to feed off each other with die rolls, where we would have a particularly vicious volley of shots, followed by relatively inept fire. I feel both sides played well and up until the US was able to make headway with the assaults, the best it looked for the Americans was a draw, with a probable German victory, however, some very unfortunate dice rolls followed by some extraordinary shots with low column OBA/Mortars swung the victory to the Americans. An absolutely entertaining scenario (and adversary in Wayne) to play and is highly recommended.