Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Go for Broke #27

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 > GofB027

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Banzai Hill Go for Broke #27
(Defender) Germany	vs	United States (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Germany		16th Infantry Division
United States		442nd "Nisei" Infantry Regiment

	Total
Side 1	1
Draw	0
Side 2	0

Overall Rating, 1 vote
5 4 3 2 1 4
Scenario Rank: --- of 940

Parent Game	Go for Broke
Historicity	Historical
Date	1944-10-29
Start Time	13:15
Turn Count	12
Visibility	Day
Counters	61
Net Morale	0
Net Initiative	1
Maps	1: 25
Layout Dimensions	43 x 28 cm 17 x 11 in
Play Bounty	152
AAR Bounty	171
Total Plays	1
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Breakout
Covering Action
Rural Assault

Conditions
Hidden Units
Off-board Artillery

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Elsenborn Ridge	Maps + Counters
Go for Broke	Base Game

Introduction
The Lost Battalion still needed rescuing. Attacking at first with light some armor support the Nisei easily drove back the enemy outpost. The two battalions were then forced to advance along a ridge with steep slopes barely wide enough for two companies to negotiate. This terrain funneled them into the fire of the German defenders.

Conclusion
The 3rd Battalion attempted to drive along the ridge while the 100th Battalion tried to outflank the defenders. They ran into difficulty traversing the slopes and the attack. Late in the afternoon the Nisei tried again to force the ridge and were again stymied at the steep rising slope. Whether it was spontaneous charge or the rest of the regiment coming to the aid of a few brave men is unknown, but the enemy was eventually driven from the hill in a vicious close quarters fight. Once the hill was taken the Germans seemed to lose heart and the 442nd pushed through and rescued about 230 men. The lost battalion was lost no more. However, the Nisei also paid a stiff price, suffering over 800 casualties. During this days-long struggle three more Medals of Honor were earned. Technician Fifth Grade James K Okubo, a medic, conspicuously risked his life under heavy fire, repeatedly providing aid to his comrades. Private Barney F. Hajiro is credited with leading the banzai charge that eliminated the two machine gun nests on the steep ridge. And Private George T. Sakato, whose squad leader was killed, took charge of his remaining men and personally stopped an enemy counterattack, killing 12 Germans and capturing another four on this harrowing day.

Conclusion

The 3rd Battalion attempted to drive along the ridge while the 100th Battalion tried to outflank the defenders. They ran into difficulty traversing the slopes and the attack. Late in the afternoon the Nisei tried again to force the ridge and were again stymied at the steep rising slope. Whether it was spontaneous charge or the rest of the regiment coming to the aid of a few brave men is unknown, but the enemy was eventually driven from the hill in a vicious close quarters fight. Once the hill was taken the Germans seemed to lose heart and the 442nd pushed through and rescued about 230 men. The lost battalion was lost no more. However, the Nisei also paid a stiff price, suffering over 800 casualties. During this days-long struggle three more Medals of Honor were earned. Technician Fifth Grade James K Okubo, a medic, conspicuously risked his life under heavy fire, repeatedly providing aid to his comrades. Private Barney F. Hajiro is credited with leading the banzai charge that eliminated the two machine gun nests on the steep ridge. And Private George T. Sakato, whose squad leader was killed, took charge of his remaining men and personally stopped an enemy counterattack, killing 12 Germans and capturing another four on this harrowing day.

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. 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).

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.
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).

Display Order of Battle

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot Leader Mechanized Towed

Heer

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Towed

United States Order of Battle

Army
Foot Leader Motorized Towed

Army

Foot

Leader

Motorized

Towed

Display Errata (5)

5 Errata Items
Scen 27	The note states that the scenario requires a map from Battle of the Bulge. This is incorrect; the scenario uses a map from Elsenborn Ridge. (rerathbun on 2011 Apr 20)
	The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
	The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8". (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0. (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3." (rerathbun on 2012 Jan 30)

Display AARs (1)

A Hex Too Far

Author	Matt W
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2012-06-09
Language	English
Scenario	GofB027

As in the previous scenario, the Nisei are asked to create a hole three hexes wide in the German lines in order to reach some isolated units beyond the playing surface. The Germans start out spread across the map to keep the Nisei from having an easy space to move through and have two platoons hiddent behind an intentionally weaker area to try to suck the Nisei in.

The Nisei take the bait and attack towards the hidden units and begin having terrible luck with morale. As in the Italian campaign the dice seemed to know just when the Nisei were running out of gas and gave me fits trying to get enough good order units to accomplish the job.

This is a short scenario so there is little time to change your mind and head somewhere else to create the tunnel but the improvement in morale in one area gave me the chance to assault Banzai Hill itself successfully. This created a huge hole in the German line but the time it took to occur gave the Germans just enough time to move some units from both wings to the center and seal the hole in the very last hex of the map. If the map were one hex shorter the Americans would have had their tunnel through to the isolated unit but as it was it was just a little too far.

There was a ton of tension in this play, unlike the previous scenario. This one played more like the last one should have. Both are very short with time pressure weighing heavily on the Nisei. I give this one a "4" to reflect the tension of the game and the close result. This was a day of perfectly balanced scenarios (see the plays of War on the Equator 1 and 2 with Hugmenot, they were also last roll of the dice games).

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PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > GofB027

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