Author	treadasaurusrex (United States)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	United States
Participants	Grognard Gunny (AAR)
Play Date	2024-09-03
Language	English
Scenario	DrnT003

This was an intense & enjoyable, 9-session play-through with the cunning & redoubtable Grognard Gunny leading defending elements of the German 353rd Infantry Division, in a 2-map battle on the Siegfried Line, among a cluster of small towns in hilly terrain. I had elements of the attacking American 47th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division that are attempting to achieve and maintain a penetration of this defensive line of well-sited entrenchments and fortified towns. Both sides drew decent sets of leaders. This will likely be a very rough go for the advancing GIs!

We used the Fog of War, consolidation, smoke/illum, strategic movement and excess initiative optional rules. We also used these 2 house rule: 1) 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units - All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units - All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes,

Our truncated first session (game turn 1) featured the beginning of a lengthy US movement to contact from south of the east-west road, and an opposing movement of the bulk of the German defenders onto the battle map, in two large masses. No casualties were sustained, as the GIs on the fast moving, left flank liberated their first 3 town hexes.

The exciting second session (game turns 2-3) featured the Americans taking two abandoned entrenchments and losing their first steps, while an overeager Sherman platoon was halved by an opfiring STG-IIIG on Map 23. The Germans lost their first leader, as well as a trio of GREN steps in the 5-hex town on east margin of Map 23. Wehrmacht soldiers began veering to the east across the battle map in a well-executed, tactical redeployment. The preliminary victory point tally was now: 46 for the defending Boche, and a mere 16 for the GIs, indicating the likelihood of an eventual major Axis victory, in spite of the tiny crack that was appearing in the West Wall.

Our third session (game turns 4-5) featured the slow expansion of the American penetration of the Siegfried Line on the west portion of the battle map, primarily due to the continuing shift of German troops to the opposite flank. Step losses this session were 2 for the GIs, and another 4 Germans steps, plus an additional leader was eliminated. German resistance firmed up dramatically on the east side of the map in the vicinity of the 5-hex town as reinforcements arrived, and the plentiful Wehrmacht mortar support began to extract a greater toll on the advancing Americans. The updated victory point tally was now, 38 for the Jerries, and 25 for the GIs, indicating the possibility of a draw.

The truncated, but fun, fourth session (game turn 6) featured multiple, adjacent-hex fire fights, 2 additional step losses for the German side that resulted in a fall in initiative level, as well as the miraculous – but likely temporary – escape from destruction of one of the remaining half-strength US Sherman tank platoons in the NE corner of Map 23. Continued unyielding Wehrmacht defense of the 5-hex town in that same map quadrant was marked by some fine morale recoveries, in spite of the commitment of 2 companies of GIs on the southeast margins of the town. The Germans led in victory points at 38, to 27 for the struggling American side.

Our action-packed, fifth session (game turns 7-9) featured the loss of an additional 4 steps of US, and 7 steps of German troops. The Wehrmacht continued a tactical redeployment out of another entrenchment just north of the east-west road on the left hand side of the battle map. By dint of fierce fighting & heavy casualties, the GIs were able to achieve a precarious foothold in the large eastern town (Hex 23-0907), and for a moment were also able to drive the remaining defenders out of the adjacent entrenchment. On the very next activation, the opportunistic Jerries counterattacked and re-occupied this defensive position. A third of the German mortar units were eliminated during the 8th game turn by accurate American OBA

The sixth session (game turns 10-12) was another grim one for the Wehrmacht defenders with another 6 step losses, compared with the loss of a pair of American infantry steps. After repeated adjacent-hex fire fights, the GIs were able to initiate a second close assault on the entrenched garrison on the SE margin of the 5-hex town. In the west, the initial advance of a pair of GI infantry companies began making progress up the wooded, 20-meter hill mass on Map 22, in the face of stubborn Boche resistance. Regrettably, there were a combined NINE combat 7-die rolls thrown this session. Almost all at inopportune times.

The bloody seventh session (game turns 13-15) featured multiple close assaults and adjacent-hex fire fights on the 20-meter hill in the NE quadrant of Map 22, as well as the eastern 5-hex town on Map 23. The GIs slowly cleared two town hexes in the SW portion of the town, and liberated the adjacent entrenchment (Hex 23-1007). Steps loses this session were 6 for the Germans and an additional step for the GIs. The victory point tally was now 55 for the Americans side and 33 for the Boche.

The eighth session (game turns 16-18) was a grim episode for the Wehrmacht with another 5 step losses as the battle for the 5-hex town heated up with several adjacent-hex firefights and a pair of close assaults. The Germans continued their tactical withdrawal off the eastern slopes of the 20-meter hill mass on Map 22, as the first batch of US reinforcements moved into positions along the east-west road.

The ninth session (game turns 19-22) was a costly one with many close assaults and adjacent-hex firefights. We decided to end the game early by mutual agreement as a US victory. The victory point tally was 31 for the Germans and 68 for the exhausted GIs. There were 8 FOW-shortened game turns of the 22 played.

This gamey – and nonplaytested – scenario needs a victory condition rewrite, as it is possible for the American side to penetrate far enough to be able to create a north-south corridor through the Siegfried Line in the western portion of the battle map (Map 22). This should be added to provide a geographical objective for the US side. I give this one a solid 4 and recommend it for SOLO play, as published, or SHARED play if the victory conditions are adjusted to include the US side creating a clear path that is free of undemoralized German units along either of the north south roads through the West Wall.

There was a bunch of Americans heading North in the German Area Of Responsibility (AOR) and the German Commander didn't think he could hold the battle area. As a result, his initial "idea" was to retreat from the line on Board 22 to take in the hills and woods to the north-east on board 22 and defend there. (In retrospect this might not have been such a good idea!) It opened up the North-South road on Board 22 for the Americans which did not affect the win-loss parameters at all. (My opponent thinks they should be rewritten to make it so.) Unfortunately the move might have given the Americans too much victory points to begin with. What with the loss of troops during the repositioning, the German Commander still didn't have enough troops to hold the line. While it was touch and go for a while, the reinforcements that the Americans got mid game, put paid to the German plans.