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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Parker's Crossroads
Elsenborn Revised #26
(Attacker) Germany vs United States (Defender)
Formations Involved
Germany 2nd SS "Das Reich" Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for EbRR026
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 0 votes
5
4
3
2
1
0
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Elsenborn Revised
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-12-23
Start Time 16:00
Turn Count 30
Visibility Day & Night
Counters 100
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 2: 22, 25
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 243
AAR Bounty 227
Total Plays 0
Total AARs 0
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Rural Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Severe Weather
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Elsenborn Revised Base Game
Introduction

Maj. Arthur C. Parker of the 598th Field Artillery Battalion found himself guarding the crossroads of Baraque de Fraiture with three howitzers and their crews, the only roadblock stopping the fresh 2nd SS Panzer Division form driving deep into the American rear along Highway N-15 to unravel the defenses to the north and block the coming couter-offensive. Ordered to a rest area to help reconstitute the shattered 106th Infantry Division, Parker ignored Army bureaucracy and began gathering scattered pieces of other units as they went past - anti-aircraft gunners, cavalrymen, and glider infantrymen. The 82nd Airborne and 3rd Armored Divisions sent what few reserves they had to help hold the crossroads, just in time to face the SS assault.

Conclusion

The Americans fought hard, but had little cohesion thanks to the presence of troops from three different divisions (3rd Armored, 82nd Airborne and 106th Infantry) and at least three independent battalions. The defenders held up the SS throughout the night - a vital task, as the Germans dared not move by daylight now that the weather had cleared enough for Allied airpower to join the fray - but crumbled by dawn and a regimental commander of 82nd Airborne authorized a withdrawal. Thanks to the confused command structure many American units never received this order, and casualties are impossible to determine but were severe. The road to Liege, the major realistic German objective, lay open but 2nd SS Panzer lacked both the fuel and the command competence to exploit their victory.

Additional Notes

This scenario is completely playable using the maps and pieces from Battle of the Bulge 2: Elsenborn Ridge.

SS transport counters are available as a free download from Avalanche Press. If not using these or other SS transport from other games, players should use regular German army transport as substitutes.


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).
  • 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.

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle
Schutzstaffel
United States Order of Battle
Airborne
Army
  • Motorized
  • Towed

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)
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