Author |
waynebaumber
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Method |
Solo |
Victor |
Draw |
Play Date |
2014-07-24 |
Language |
English |
Scenario |
LIBE002
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Played solo as due to unforeseen circumstances I had a spare morning. This scenario has a strong British forces trying to take towns and exit units against a German GREN force with some A/T support.
The Brits get A/C on five turns and possibly Navel bombardment support on GT 5,10,15 and 20. Which is strange as there are only 16 turns. This kind of stupid proof reading error really makes me pissed (in the American sense). I played it that it was a typo for the navel support and played 16 game turns. Those extra 4 turns would have turned this into a Brit victory I believe but there you go.
The British commanders plan was to advance strongly on the Southern flank take town hexes 1014/1114/1113 and 0611 then exit that force for the win. The Sherman's were kept in reserve until the A/T guns had been disposed of. A company sized force with the Crab platoon would keep the Germans busy on north of the map.
The German commander had put up hedgehog defenses around all the towns on board 56 and the tow hex town of board 57 and hoped to inflict enough losses and morale checks to slow the British juggernaut.
The first few turns saw little happen in the way of death and destruction even the promised Navel support failed to appear. The Dorset's advanced methodically in true English style pushing back the few German picket units, after 90 mins the northern diversionary force were in position to assault the first town, fail tanks moved forward to dispose of the small minefield covering the front of the German positions while INF assaulted the A/T position in the town. A larger attack with WPN support also piled into the rest of the town. In fact this town then held out almost to the end of the scenario and was as far as the British troops in this sector would advance. In the south though accurate German MTR and OBDA had disrupted the main British advance. This forced the British commander to throw in the reserves (3 Sherman platoons). The remaining Ger 75 A/T guns had on good shout which it missed and then the tanks were out of range, the LT in charge of that battery decided to move it in daylight this attracted a Typhoon squadron who eliminated the last of the German A/T batteries in a hail of rocket and cannon fire.
The advance seemed to gain some momentum from then on, but British casualties were beginning to mount and time was running out. The assault on the major town on board 56 began with a dramatic shift in fortunes as German units warn down by Navel bombardments, Off board artillery, On board mortars and Sherman HE shells began to give up and either flee or surrender. But one part of the town under a charismatic leader rallied and held out to game end. When all the dust had settled the VP count was Germans 25 points Brits 27 points so a draw was declared.
Good solid action this ideal for solo play (I did not use hidden units but added 3 GREN and 1 MG to the German forces as suggested in the special rules). Probably more exciting if played FtF. This was my first game from Lib 44 and I must comment on the components of the game. They are the worst of the PG genre in my opinion. The maps are a dark green with the hills looking like moon craters, the counters are way too thick and even in this smallish game I was getting 2" high stack in assault hexes I also noted that several counter facings were beginning to lift. AP must do better or I will stop buying new PG products.
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