Panzer Grenadier Battles on November 21st:
Desert Rats #16 - The Panzers Pull Back Desert Rats #19 - The Panzers Return
Desert Rats #17 - The Tomb Of Sidi Rezegh Jungle Fighting #7 - Line Of Departure
Desert Rats #18 - A Pibroch's Skirl South Africa's War #5 - Irish Eyes
Overly Aggressive Airborne Fail
Author thomaso827
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2015-09-16
Language English
Scenario AirR031

This scenario has Germans holding in the hedgerows against Airborne and Glider infantry. Germans have more than a battalion of Air Landing troops (8 full and 5 reduced Grenadiers, 3 full and 2 reduced HMGs, and 2 81mm mortars) spread out in towns and woods, supported by a 75mm AT gun, a 75mm Inf gun and a 20mm AA gun. The US have the greatest part of 2 battalions of airborne troops (8 full and 4 reduced Paras, 2 full and 1 reduced Para HMG and an 81mm mortar)and 2 companies of glider infantry (6 Infantry and 2 HMGs). Both sides drew some really good leaders. US has a great advantage of OBA (16x2 and a 24) to the Germans single 16. The US has to enter in either or both of two hexes in the northeast edge of the board, and need to removed all German troops from within 2 hexes of hex 0406, which is in the middle of hedgerow country with several towns that can be used to stop the paras before they get there. I set up the German 20mm AA in the northwestern town hex with a clear view to both entry hexes, along with one Grenadier and a good Captain. I placed an eastern outpost in 0908 to fulfill the requirement to have something within 2 hexes of 1008 and some reduced troops and HMGs within sight in the hedgerows just to the east of that position. In the northwest, I set up a defense line in the hedges and dug in to the west of the town in 0604, and leaving a good force with Gren and HMG in that town hex to hold the shoulder of that force. The 75 INF gun was placed in the defense line to the west of the town in 0604, the AT gun itself being placed in the hedgerow hex 0504. I took an aggressive approach with the US attack, perhaps too aggressive, and pushed in everything but 2 stacks, left out due to lack of room in that corner and within the movement allowance of all the troops present. The glider troops were immediately brought under fire by the German 20mm AA gun in the town. The US OBA strike on the town eliminated the AA gun and demoralized the remaining troops and leader, leaving the US troops time to continue to move in and deploy. The US Paras spread out to the east and the Glider troops to the west and both sides moved for any opportunity to have a DF shot followed by an assault on town and hedgerow hexes being defended. DF and OBA fire was extremely successful, but German defense in assault was even more successful. For the Germans, ever time a gun or mortar fired, it was eliminated within a turn or two. German casualties accumulated because of DF shots rolling well. US casualties accumulated because Germans rolled 1s and 12s in assaults, killing steps and demoralizing whole stacks. The leaders of the airborne troops were good, but even a 10 morale gets beat by rolling a 12 morale check. As the Germans had to do either of 2 things to win, prevent the US from taking the area around 0406 OR take seven or more steps or individual leaders, when the US casualty list hit the 7 step mark, it became a German win. Looking at the number of US troops bogged down in assaults, there was little left to penetrate 2 lines of German defenders in the bocage. Germans win the day. Up until that last casualty step, I believe it was anyone's game, and had my US rolls just been a bit better in assault, and the Germans just a little bit worse, this game could have gone on and seen a US win, since the game ended with just under halfway to the 18 turn scenario end point. Great game.

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