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
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Like a Stone Wall
Aachen 1944 #9
(Defender) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 116th Panzer Division
United States 29th "'Blue and Grey" Infantry Division
United States 2nd "Hell on Wheels" Armored Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for AaGI009
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 1
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
4
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Aachen 1944
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-10-13
Start Time 08:45
Turn Count 20
Visibility Day
Counters 130
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 2: 12, 23
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 173
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Aachen 1944 Base Game
Battle of the Bulge Maps
Cassino '44 Counters
Elsenborn Ridge Maps + Counters
Road to Berlin Counters
Introduction

When Gen. Leland Hobbs claimed his division was too weak to leave their defensive positions, the Stonewallers were ordered forward instead. The 116th Infantry Regiment was the direct descendant of the 2nd Virginia, which had been the senior regiment in Gen. Thomas Jackson's brigade at Manassas the day he earned the moniker Stonewall. They had taken their licks in the first wave to hit Omaha Beach on D-Day, and they had learned quite a bit since then. They'd need all that hard-won knowledge today against an equally determined foe.

Conclusion

The Stonewallers quickly reached Wurselen, where unbeknownst to them the 116th Panzer Division had concentrated yesterday. Heavy fighting developed and the American advance stopped cold. Captain James Burt of Company B/66th Armored Regiment would earn the Medal of Honor for his exploits here during the next few days.


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
  • 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).
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)
  • 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
Luftwaffe
  • Towed
Schutzstaffel
  • Motorized
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
  • Towed

Display Errata (5)

5 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 543

The SK 7/2 appearing in 1940: Fall of France is actually a SK 6/2, but misprinted by APL. Hence it should be unarmored in that game. The SK 7/2, which appears in other games is correctly printed with an armor of 0.

(plloyd1010 on 2022 Apr 28)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Stonewall Brigade stopped short
Author campsawyer
Method Solo
Victor Draw
Play Date 2011-04-24
Language English
Scenario AaGI009

This solo effort was very interesting with plenty of Americans including M4/76s to try to take on the German tanks. The scenario highlights the Stonewall Regiment, made famous by its history during the American Civil War. In this engagement they are attacking the German 116th Panzer Brigade, it to had build up a history during the war.

This scenario has the American Regiment attacking two towns that the 116th is holding. The Americans have the numbers in INF, HMG, ENG and armor. The morale is equal for both sides and the Americans have twice as much artillery and also ground attack aircraft. The Germans have the setup and can pin the Americans back to the edge of the board if played well.

The American advance is tricky as the Germans can pin them back and there are three approaches to the towns. The first is right up the middle of the boards. This is more direct but open to cross fire from both towns and reserve positions behind the towns. The second is on board 10 through the light woods on the hill. This will be protected but it is the farthest away from the towns. The last is on the east side of the board this has some cover but will be open to fire from Germans on the small hill, but it will be quick to get to the first town. This is the approach the Americans took to attack.

The American advance had combined stacks of armor, INF and HMG's to push on the hill. Germans OP fire was well trained and started to cause disruptions and demoralizations quickly. The mass of Americans were able to get to the hill and with some heavy assaults and OBA cleared the hill and moved toward the town. But casualties were heavy and the Americans had to pause to recover units. Small groups continued to push toward the town and the remnants of the Germans streamed back to the town. The towns defenders had some advantages, such as a 75/41 AT gun, remnants of an armored car platoon and good leaders. The Americans massed there troops including a M4/105 to assault the town with.

Once the assaults began the Germans had a hard fight, the American numbers were taking a toll on the Germans, but they still managed M1 and M2 to disrupt the American assault teams. There hope would come from the reinforcements of Panthers, PzIVH's and Grenadiers. These appeared on turn 12 and went straight into the battle for the town. The PzIVH moved behind the town to prevent the American tanks venturing into the assaults. The Panthers positioned on the north-south road just outside of the M4/76 range. The started hitting the advancing Americans.

The Americans had pushed up the middle of the board but were hit with OP fire from the other town and the Panthers. They made the best of it taking some of the dugin German positions outside of town but could not press on. In the other town, fight was out of control. American assaults destroyed several GREN's but they were disrupted. German counterattacks took the control of the newly won town hexes. Even a German PzIVH ventured into the the town to face the M4/105. Winning the initiative, both shots missed and the M4/105 escaped. Assaults continued and the Americans were able to win only two town hexes and contest the other three. The other town was left in the German hands in the the VP's were equal 45 VP's each. Leaving the game as a draw.

A very good medium-large counter scenario with plenty of twists and turns with the urban assault. The Americans must press their advantage of numbers while the Germans must keep plugging holes and counter attack at every chance to hold the Americans. I am not sure they can win a major victory unless they get some great OBA or OP fire rolls as the Americans have a very large number of troops. The Americans fought to a draw due to some key initiative losses that let the Germans counterattack and stop their initiative. If the rolls went another way the Americans could have had a win.

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