My 8th Airborne scenario in a row, and this took 3 weeks of play because I've been so busy at work, but it was well worth it. An outstanding scenario...

• Played: solo
• Time: 8~10 hours (more like 3~4 for a dedicated player though)
• Special Rules: Fog of War (3d6 16)

Background

I've been playing Airborne chronologically, and while the small unit engagements are nice for a quick fight, after 7 such scenarios - a few of which were pretty unbalanced - I was starting to eye the other games in my collection for some meatier fare. In that respect, Scenario 8 came along at just the right time. With 81 counters in play, tough objectives, and 52 turns at your disposal, there is a LOT of blood to be shed, and a lot of room for flexible planning.

Initial Deployment

The initial setup leaves little room for personal choice, a lot of (within one hex of...) stuff. And you'll find as the Americans that you start with so much hardware in the NE corner of the map that the first few turns are more about how not to trip over yourself than how to address the enemy positions.

To describe it broadly, the American main force enters from the far NE. A small but potent American detachment paradrops into the far SE. In between are lots and lots of Germans, especially once the reinforcing PzIVF2s show up.

Strategy

I read Trotsky's great AAR of the same scenario before I began play, and the primary lesson I took from it was patience. As the Americans you have 52 turns to work your way down one map. Furthermore, at the outset you do not enjoy an overwhelming force advantage. Because the Germans are spread about the map, you can bring much more fire to bear in one location, but you need to carefully and methodically work through the terrain and maximize each and every combat opportunity such that when it comes time to take the final objective - a bridge in a town on the other side of the wide swamp - you still have the strength to actually do it.

The secondary consideration is what to do with the isolated bunch of PARAs in the SE end of the map? I elected to have them hold in place and take a beating for as long as possible before withdrawing into the swamps. I felt that if they could draw attention down there it'd prevent Herr Shad from overcommitting to my main northern force.

In short:

1. patience at all times
2. move carefully
3. fight seldomly
4. but hit as hard as you possibly can when you do engage

Opening Moves

Turn 7 End - GSL: 7, ASL: 2

The south American force is holding out remarkably well against heavy attacks. The northernmost town has been taken with only minimal losses. The main American detachment is moving to surround and punish the second town when... German reinforcements arrive. They enter and immediately dash towards the southern detachment - which is now outnumbered and outgunned by at least 3 to 1. An extraction is probably in order...

Turn 8 End - GSL: 11, ASL: 3

A crushing American assault in the second town yields a rare 3X and the northern half of the battlefield is now in American hands. The southern detachment has run off screaming into the swamps, but managed to do so without losing a man. They'll take time to reorganize, but no strength was lost despite 8 turns of heavy enemy fire. Someone deserves a medal!

Turn 14 End - GSL: 13, ASL: 12

Thank god we're not the Soviets, someone would have been stood up against a wall and shot for the 9 steplosses against only 2 inflicted over 6 turns, complete loss of initiative, and destruction of all American armor...

The PzIVF2 platoon crossed the swamp bridge and moved to support the town guarding the northern end, the last German position on the north side of the swamp. General Shad, knowing he had +3 initiative at this point, sent his M4s and M5s into the open against the panzers. They managed about 10 shots between them, inflicting no visible damage, while the panzer gunners methodically destroyed both platoons with 4 hits in 4 volleys.

The PzIVF2 then retreated into the town to support the infantry already holed up. This 90 minutes of battle was an absolute disaster for the Americans.

Mid-game

Turn 22 End - GSL: 23, ASL: 14

The town on the north side of the swamp, protected by German infantry and the panzers, is finally taken. Better American leadership resulted in only 2 steplosses this time. Because of their proximity to the southern German force, many American units are getting pounded by artillery. No losses, but lots of disruption and confusion as the Americans try to organize their forces for the second half of the battle - how to get to that bridge across the swamps and blow it to pieces...

As the Americans faded back into the hedges to regroup out of sight of the German artillery spotters, the Germans could do nothing but watch and wait. Unit historians would later describe this as the Trojan Rabbit phase of the battle...

Regrouped, reassigned, and rallied, the Americans were soon ready to go after the real prize - blowing up the bridge.

Mid-game OOBs

Germany

• Major
• 3 x CAPT
• 4 x LT
• 5 x GREN
• Reduced GREN
• ENG
• HMG
• SdKfz 222
• Motorcycle
• 2 x 81mm
• 50mm

America

• COLONEL
• LT COL
• MAJOR
• 2 x CAPT
• 2 x 1st LT
• 2nd LT
• SARGE
• 14 x PARA
• Reduced PARA
• 3 x PARA HMG
• Reduced PARA HMG
• PARA ENG
• 57mm
• 75mm
• 81mm
• Jeep

In short, at this point the Americans possess an overwhelming manpower advantage - thanks to patience and careful management of disrupted and demoralized units during the battle. Even so, they must cross a long swamp and assault a town across open ground - a town with a garrison led by a 1-10-1 CAPT.

Turn 38 End - GSL: 33, ASL: 20

General Shad opted to split his forces into 3 groups: the bulk of the muscle would flank along the east, taking the widest possible route through the swamps and then pushing hard to the west over dry land. A smaller but potent 5 PARA platoon detachment would flank to the full west and take up ready positions very near to the town. The final detachment, smallest in size, would sit in the middle of the swamps to spot for artillery and provide reinforcements if either side began to falter.

It was at this point in the game that I, as Herr Shad, began to annoy myself so much that I wanted to punch myself in the face. Herr Shad had a Sergeant at his disposal who had retreated into the swamps from the last northern town to fall, and who at 0-8-0 was not worth bringing back to the fortified line. This man became a suicidal artillery spotter for the Germans. He shadowed and spotted the Americans throughout the swamp crossing, surviving a half-dozen lone leader checks in the process, and calling down all sorts of indirect and direct fire onto their positions. It was a legal, but unbelievably annoying, play to make. Every time he'd spot for artillery I'd sit there silently cursing myself as I made morale check after morale check!

Final Moves

Taking advantage of a particularly effective artillery shot, the western and central detachments closed on the garrison and initiated assault. Initial success destroyed the 50mm emplacement, but it was a false victory as that made room for another GREN unit to jump into the hex (a net gain of 4 DF points!)

While the large eastern flanking force ground down the poor Germans dispatched to stop it, it became clear that the town assault was suicidal against 3 full strength GRENs led by that 1-10-1 CAPT. The Americans assaulting pulled out without only one steploss and waited for the eastern force to arrive (again, PATIENCE!)

They soon did, and several rounds of point blank direct fire on the highest column reduced the city to rubble. The PARA engineers walked in and blew the bridge at the end of Turn 49

• Final German Steplosses: 42
• German Survivors: only a LT and an 81mm platoon
• Final American Steplosses: 21
• Turns Played: 49 of 52 (<-- patience!)

Shad's Thoughts

This was a wonderful scenario and I rated it accordingly. There were several times throughout the game that I felt the Americans had blown their chances, and these were almost all related to moments when I got a bit too hasty or impatient. Even so, I nearly reached the turn maximum without getting the job done!

This would be an excellent scenario for either solitaire or head-to-head play, and I'd be very surprised to find a better scenario in all of Airborne.