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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Advance on Santa Cruz
Afrika 1944 #2
(Defender) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for Af44002
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 1
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 2 votes
5
4
3
2
1
4
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Afrika 1944
Historicity Alt-History
Date 1944-04-02
Start Time 06:00
Turn Count 80
Visibility Day
Counters 55
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 3
Maps 1: 83
Layout Dimensions 43 x 28 cm
17 x 11 in
Play Bounty 179
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 2
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Scenario Requirements & Playability
An Army at Dawn Counters
Afrika 1944 Base Game
Saipan 1944 Maps + Counters
Introduction

In accordance with their plans, the Marines now marched northward on the colony’s capital Santa Cruz, which also had a crucial airfield. Tanks and artillery had already come across the beaches, as years of training and planning bore fruit. The speed of the Marines’ recovery from the landing surprised the Germans, who attempted to block the advance as best they could.

Conclusion

The Marines forced the Germans out of their positions, flanking their roadblock and continuing the advance against Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Marine rifle platoons with their cadres of long-service regulars and steady infantry training could not be held back. But the Germans had not expended all of their defensive abilities.


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).
  • 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

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Heer
United States Order of Battle
Marine Corps
  • Mechanized

Display Errata (3)

3 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 63

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

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 1466

The 8-3 Marine Infantry counter appears in most of the Saipan 1944 and Marianas 1944 scenarios, replacing the 10-3 DF valued Marine counters for those scenarios and is currently published in the most recent Saipan printing.

(JayTownsend on 2015 Dec 26)

Display AARs (1)

Afrika Korps shouldn't fight in jungle
Author scrane
Method Solo
Victor United States
Play Date 2022-11-09
Language English
Scenario Af44002

In this battle, a reinforced battalion of Afrika Korps infantry try to prevent a battalion of Marines, supported by two platoons of tanks, from advancing up a road through dense jungle and hills. They failed.

The Germans deployed in multiple weak company positions, with some AT guns positioned in covered spots to challenge any tanks advancing up the road. The Marines advanced in two companies supported by the tanks up the west side of the attack sector, while the remaining company prepared to assault the town commanding the south end of the road.

The town assault developed quickly as the Germans in part of the town sustained heavy casualties from artillery and mortars, eventually abandoning that part of the town. The Marines advanced behind smoke to take those buildings. On the west side, the other two companies with tank support attacked and defeated a series of German positions. The thick jungle prevented the Germans from counterattacking effectively, though their strategy had been to look for those opportunities. Instead, their artillery took a toll on the Marines when they exposed themselves along the edges of the jungle.

Two hours into the battle, the Marines had advanced through the lighter jungle on the west to the hills that commanded the rear of the German position. To avoid being flanked, they rushed their reserves to these hills, but they were defeated in detail by the Marines. In the center, behind the town the Marines controlled, a single position of German infantry had held up the advance of the remaining Marines, but their heavy firepower and tank support wore the defenders down.

In the end the Germans were wiped out, with the Marines swarming their position from the west. The Marines only sustained light casualties, mostly from artillery. Major US victory.

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