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
PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > BlSS027
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Back to the Junction
Black SS #27
(Attacker) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 2nd SS "Das Reich" Division
United States 30th "Old Hickory" Infantry Division
United States 3rd "Spearhead" Armored Division
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for BlSS027
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
5
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Black SS
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-08-09
Start Time 13:15
Turn Count 12
Visibility Day
Counters 71
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 0
Maps 1: 29, 31
Layout Dimensions 43 x 28 cm
17 x 11 in
Play Bounty 141
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Beyond Normandy Counters
Black SS Base Game
Cassino '44 Counters
Elsenborn Ridge Counters
Fall of France 1 Maps
Introduction

Road Junction 278 controlled some of the road net in the area, but almost seven decades later it is hard to see what made controlling it paramount to both sides. But blood had been spilled there yesterday, and so blood would be spilled there today.
Conclusion

Both sides attacked and counterattacked throughout the day with little appreciable gain for either side. "It isn't very easy," read the 30th Infantry Division 10 August Notes for Company Commanders, "to tell the man in the front lines that the battle is going well when he's still up against that old combination of machine guns, burp guns, mortars, 88s, artillery, tanks and terrain... The battle is going well; it's worth saying."
Additional Notes

Use leaders from Elsenborn Ridge. Playable without using the black SS counters.
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
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • 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).
  • 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)
Display Order of Battle
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
Schutzstaffel
United States Order of Battle
Army
Display Errata (3)
3 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 424

The reduced direct fire value of the SS HMG is 5-5 in Beyond Normandy and Road to Berlin.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 408

The Units in Beyond Normandy were misprinted with a movement factor of 5. The movement factor should be 8.

(rerathbun on 2012 Mar 21)
Overall balance chart for 408

Liberation 1944's counters are mislabeled 'PzIVF2.' The counter's ratings are correct (Armor 5, Move 8, DF 11-6, AT 6-8).

(rerathbun on 2014 Feb 14)
Display AARs (1)
Attack; Counter-Attack: US oh-so-close
Author Poor Yorek
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2012-03-07
Language English
Scenario BlSS027

Just a great scenario.

Second of the four RJ 278 mini-series.

Unlike Scenario #21, the US now has significant armored forces and improved air power (which turned out to be dramatic). Leader draws likewise for the US were much improved compared to Sc#21. All but one leader had a combat or morale bonus; two had both. The Germans kept their Kharkov fighting veteran Hauptsturmfuhrer (11-1-1) and another Eastern Front Sturmbannfuhrer (10-1-1) took overall command. The rest of the leadership was typical.

German set up included 2xGren in village 1206; gren+75mm; gren dug-in behind the two villages for reinforcing; 2xHMG in 0907 (RJ 278); 2xGren dug-in in 1106; 1xGren in 0806; the Pz-IVF2 dug-in on 0908 & 75/41 in field 0708 with mortars and the 20mm behind.

US sends the light armor + 2xINF for southern "end run" including the M10. ENG+INF+M4/105+2xM4 go over the 20-m hill/fields due west of the two-hex village; the remainder of the US force comes NE up the gap between the villages and large field.

US starts taking expected disruptions and armor kills from Waffen SS gunners, but the US draws an aircraft (using the BN British mix as per Scenario Instructions). So, in order, the US: (i) rolls for the next-to-best aircraft, the 28(2) Typhoon; the aircraft "hits" its hex (just happening to hold a PzIVF2 platoon); and whilst DF did nothing, the AT fire kills a step and demoralizes the reduced platoon. Half of the German's AT capability is gone in a few minutes. Cheering Tommy, the US rushes up its light armor northwards up the road to RJ 278. Likewise emboldened, M4 platoons now push adjacent to the village hexes to reduce down German defenders preparatory to assault.

The combat that followed over the next few turns was some of the most savage I've "seen." In game terms, some incredible series of "twos" or "twelves". By turn four end, the US has village hex 1206 captured. By turn seven, they have village hex 1207 and by turn eight, RJ 278. On this turn however, SS reinforcements come on board. Total step losses to this point, Germany = 16; US = 20.

The US problem at this point is that its infantry is largely now half stepped (rather than either full strength or gone). Whilst US armor remaining kills off the SPW's, the PzIVH's push the M4's back away from RJ 278 killing several. The Waffen SS engineer company, with its full strength morale of 8 vs. mostly US reduced platoons of 6 recaptures RJ 278 leaving the US holding the village hexes. As a US victory was predicated on holding all three objectives at game end, this is a German victory. But it was exciting.

Was my first time using the infantry anti-tank feature. A fanatical/brave hauptsturmfuhrer lead a platoon of grenadiers in a field assault against US M5+M10+Capt. Whilst the assault itself fizzled (that turn), the Germans did get in an AT shot for a 1-step kill vs. the M10.

Another weird game note: for three scenarios now, the US side has benefited from an incredible lack of FOW rolls. Admittedly, the odds are 10:216(6^3), but I'm "certain" that I've managed to confound those odds.

In any case, I gave this one a '5' rating as the reinforcements were of the scale that left the issue in some doubt up to the end. US aircraft didn't get another AT kill and the Shermans that had survived the initial combat didn't get the early kills vs. the PzIV's (as they approached) they needed to off-set the German's AT firepower.
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PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > BlSS027
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