Author |
thomaso827
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Method |
Solo |
Victor |
Draw |
Play Date |
2014-11-01 |
Language |
English |
Scenario |
ElsR020
|
This is another small scenario, 16 turns with a handful of US Paratroops and SS. The SS set up holding town hexes with a mix of support from a StuG IIIG, a 20mm AA gun and a halftrack AA weapon. Conditions are late daytime with only 2 hex visibility all through the game. US enters the south of the board escorted by an M-18 and a single step German AA halftrack captured some time before the scenario and put to use. I put the German AA weapons on the two outside town hexes of the central town and put 2 SS with leader in the central hex and a single SS with leader in the German left hex and another without a leader in the northernmost town hex just in case the US made it that far. The last leader I put in with the 20mm gun and it's tow vehicle, along with the StuG III. The US advanced for 2 turns keeping the armor out in front where they might trigger hopefully ineffective fire and make their presence known for followup fire. It worked, bringing the StuG out for an attempted duel with the M-18 while the AA halftrack started working on the troops in the town hexes. This is a tough scenario, as there is no cover for the Paras and their support. Once they can see the town, the Germans can see them, so it seemed like the best thing to do a little bit of direct fire damage to the defenders and then assault. In the course of the tank duel, both vehicles lost a step before a para stack assaulted and finished off the StuG so the M-18 single step could get to work on direct fire towards a town hex. The captured halftrack AA exchanged shots for a bit with the AA halftrack in town before destroying it, but then it was destroyed when it went around to try to add it's fire to the M-18 against the German right. While the Paras had near parity in their assaults, German die rolls were slightly better, and turn after turn Paras had to take a breath and repair morale, with one platoon failing morale checks over multiple turns and walked off the south edge of the board. In the end the US had a slight advantage over the Germans in step losses with 8 German to 6 US, but the Germans maintained control of 3 of the 4 town hexes, so were ahead by two points, not enough for a win but securing a draw. Another interesting puzzle, pretty well balanced for those who look for that, but one calling for different ideas for the attack.
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