Panzer Grenadier Battles on September 20th:
Counter Attack #45 - Crossing the Han Polish Steel #9 - Our People are Beating the Drums
Land Cruisers #6 - Bring me the Head of St. John the Baptist
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None Returned
An Army at Dawn 2nd Ed #25
(Defender) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 10th Panzer Division
Germany 21st Panzer Division
United States 1st "Old Ironsides" Armored Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for AAD2025
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 0 votes
5
4
3
2
1
0
Scenario Rank: --- of 936
Parent Game An Army at Dawn 2nd Ed
Historicity Historical
Date 1943-02-15
Start Time 12:30
Turn Count 20
Visibility Day
Counters 123
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 0
Maps 3: 77, 78, 79
Layout Dimensions 84 x 43 cm
33 x 17 in
Play Bounty 249
AAR Bounty 222
Total Plays 0
Total AARs 0
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Reinforcements
Smoke
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
An Army at Dawn 2nd Ed Base Game
Introduction

II Corps commander Lloyd Fredendall took immense blame for American failures in Tunisia, both at the time and in later histories. And it's well-deserved. But Dwight Eisenhower, commanding all Allied forces in North Africa, also had a penchant for sticking his thumbs into his subordinates' business, and he convinced himself that the German main thrust would come in the north due to a misunderstanding of an ULTRA intercept. He compounded his misunderstanding by belittling the II Corps’ intelligence officer during a visit to corps headquarters. With Eisenhower moving divisions about much like Fredendall fretting over battalions and companies, II Corps had to arrange relief for the infantry trapped on Djebel Ksiara and Garet Hadid. The commanders of Combat Commands A and C, accompanied by a number of other officers and newsmen including the famed Ernie Pyle, climbed Djebel Hamra to watch Lt. Col. James Alger’s Sherman battalion teach the Germans a lesson.

Conclusion

The watching Americans learned a lesson they did not expect. A small German blocking force, heavily equipped with antitank guns, pinned the Americans in place, though Company D managed to briefly enter Sidi Salem before being forced back out when German tanks fell on both their flanks. When summing up the day’s action the tank battalion’s diary noted that out of the 52 Shermans sent forward, “none returned.” The infantry managed to avoid encirclement and pulled back at 1800. II Corps headquarters advised the infantrymen they had been sent to rescue to make their way back to friendly lines as best they could. In two days the Americans suffered 1,600 casualties, while losing 29 artillery pieces, 57 halftracks, and 98 Shermans for negligible gains. The Americans' supposed "learning curve" in Tunisia was quite flat.

Additional Notes

Update of same 1st edition scenario.


Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Anti-Aircraft Weapon Carrier: apply a -1 modifier to an air attack if within three hexes of the targeted hex (15.14).
  • Anti-Tank Gun Carrier: half-track with anti-tank gun, NOT a Tank Destroyer
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Motorized
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 41

All SS PzIVH tanks should have a movement of 8.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
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