9 November 1942, South of Port Lyautey, Morocco

Elements of the US 2nd Armored Division are ordered to block the Rabat-Port Lyautey highway to prevent a French counterattack towards the US landings at Port Lyautey. Elements of the II & III Battalions, 7e regiment do Tirailleurs Marocains launch the counterattck and run into the US blocking force.

The French company near the US blocking force attacks the flank of the American position to draw out the tanks away from the main French attack. The main French attack moves on the west to use the ridge line as cover and then turns to attack the American position. The US Stuarts return after helping drive off the initial French attack and engage the French R35 Tanks but are driven off by a bold French tank attack. The French infantry comes over the hills and attacks the US positions driving off some Americans but never breaking the positions.

After two and half hours of fighting, French honor is restored and they begin to pull back (having reached their Major Victory Conditions) before their casualties mount. But as they withdraw the US tanks return and destroy a few F R35s and accurate firing from naval gun fire from the cruiser USS Savannah breaks up the French force, causes casualties and forces them to take cover behind the high ground. the final hour see a swirling battle as both sides try to cause more damage to the other than themselves. The USS Savannah proves critical causing severe casualties in the French infantry and killing the French commander in the last half-hour of the fight.

The game ends with both sides causing 10 points of damage on each other. This meets the US Major Victory Condition but only the French Minor Victory Condition. The US wins the battle.

The has to the closest fight I've ever had in Panzergrenadier. If the French could have caused one more casualty they would have tied the Americans. And they had a chance with an assault on the US 37mm gun but Fog-of-War ended the last turn before that could occur. This is a a well designed scenario as the designer cleverly used the initiative and moral levels to make for a very interesting battle.

At 0700 hours on the morning of November 9, 1942, units from the USA 2nd Armored Division were pursuing some isolated infantry platoons from the II and III Battalions of the 7e Régiment de Tirailleurs Marocains when they encountered Vichy reinforcements along the Rabat-Port Lyautey road. Personnel units of the US were dug in on the ridge west of the road, while two Stuart platoons hunted the Vichy infantry in the woods on a ridgeline NE of it. The French Moved north on the southern end of the west ridge, while some of the French R35 platoons headed NE to assist the beleaguered infantry. A Vichy command post was set up on the south central hilltop. Naval bombardment from the cruiser USS Savannah struck both a Vichy truck carrying an 81mm mortar platoon and an HMG position prior to 0800, which secured the US positon on the west ridge in the early fighting in that area. French units continued to move north and east towards the west ridge, while the R35 platoons that had been dispatched to the NE hill had eliminated one Stuart platoon and were chasing the other one back east toward the road. By 0815, the naval bombardment had eliminated another French infantry platoon approaching the west ridge, but the Allied hold on the area was becoming quite tenuous due to French movement from east, west and southern approaches to the ridge. At 0845, the HMG, mortar and infantry platoons that had held the ridge were heartened by the sight of two Stuart platoons and an anti-tank group from Company C, 70th Tank Battalion arriving from the north to help fend off the encroaching R35 platoons that completed the encirclement of the ridge by the Vichy units. The battle began to turn in the Allies favor around 0900 hours despite the loss of a Stuart platoon approaching the ridge to R35 fire. Following many fierce exchanges of fire and hand-to-hand combat, the French began to retreat from the ridge. Three R35 platoons succumbed to fire from both Stuart and anti-tank platoons. The ridge was cleared by 1045 with a final naval bombardment, and subsequently secured by the US troops.

This scenario is made more interesting by the victory conditions: major victory is secured by the US eliminating nine French steps, while the French achieve major victory by eliminating at least 8 American steps AND losing fewer steps than the Americans. The strategy for the French would seem to be to strike fast and take 8 steps before the eighth turn when the US reinforcements arrive. Then they could assume strong defensive positions and try to avoid the 50-point naval bombardment that occurs on selected die rolls for the USA. In this game, the US had bombardment rolls on 7/16 turns, a bit more than one might expect from basic statistics. The other difficulty for the French units is the low morale, which makes them vulnerable to demoralization on morale rolls, and very difficult to rally; hence, they end up fleeing more often than not. Couple that with the special rule that does not allow combat advance when the French player loses initiative, and it becomes difficult to get those eight steps before the Americans get a lead in step attrition. Ergo, the French have to try and eliminate more US steps, which is made difficult by the poor morale. The only other compromise the French suffered in this game occurred on Turn 11 (of the 16 turns) when a random event caused them to suffer a logistical shortfall, an optional rule that I generally don’t use; however, by that time, it was looking pretty bleak for the French to eliminate more steps than the Americans anyhow. At the time of the random event, the US had eliminated 12 steps to the French total of 11, and many of the French troops were not in good order. The final count in step losses was 22 French steps lost to 14 US lost. Technically, the results would indicate either a minor French victory (eliminate at least 6 American steps) or a major American victory (eliminate at least nine French steps), which I suppose some might call a draw due to both sides meeting a victory condition. However, I scored this as a USA victory, since their victory was a major one, and they had stifled the French attack.

La Campagne De Tunisie: scenario #2: They Were Sorry

An interesting scenario, as I am always interested in playing the Axis French Vichy against Allies forces, just kind of unique. Both sides start with some units facing off and both sides get some reinforcements. I won’t make this a long AAR, as I want to play another scenario but the French actually won this scenario eliminating 11 American steps while losing 8 French steps. The biggest mistake I make was rushing those weaker Stuart tanks in too close to get adjacent shots against French Infantry allowing the French R35 tanks to get closer ranged shots as the Stuarts have better range but much weaker armor. The other mistake was rushing in my American 37mm AT loaded on a jeep with a LT that were eliminated getting too close to the action. Basically, these two tactical mistakes gave the game to the French as the American could have won this scenario. But that is why we play them, as you never know!

After some initial confusion (on my part) as to where everyone was supposed to be to begin with, the battle started with what looked like a run away French victory. However..... the French were hard pressed to bring their troops on line once they were Dis/Dem. It could have gone either way. (P.S.I notice that there seem to be number of scenarios that seem somewhat close. That HAS to be by design!)

Author	treadasaurusrex (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	goosebrown
Play Date	2024-04-12
Language	English
Scenario	LCDT002

This was an odd, fun-filled & action-packed 4-session play-through with the determined & opportunistic, goosebrown, leading the invading elements of the relatively green, US 2nd Armored Division. I played elements of the defending Vichy French 2nd & 3rd Battalions of the 7e Regiment de Tirailleurs Marocains south of Port Lyautey, Morocco. Both sides drew decent sets of leaders. We played with the smoke/illum, extended assault, strategic movement and excess initiative optional rules. In addition, we used the following three house rules: 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, 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 or down slopes hexes, and 3) Dug In Units on Slope Hexes are Automatically in Limiting Terrain in Desert Games Unless prohibited by special scenario rules, ALL units that are dug-in on slope hexes are considered to be in limiting terrain and are spotted if enemy units approach to within 3 hexes, or 4 hexes for reconnaissance units – – unless they are marked with a spotted marker, see 8.22. We agreed that this rule set made for a simpler, less complicate and better play-through.

The initial session (game turns 1-3) featured successful US direct fire and shore bombardment action in the northern sector of the map that drove a defending Vichy infantry outfit out of the woods. This was followed by the arrival of the French reinforcement on the south edge of the map, led by their recon & armored elements that were quickly spotted by the forward elements of the advancing Americans. The French approach march split up on the east side of the long north-south ridge with one company of bold, R-35 light tanks moving up to the ridgeline in the north, to menace the American 81mm Mortar emplacement, while a second company moved to the southern edge of the same terrain feature. These were very risky moves, given the massive shore bombardment (OBA) support (1x50) for the GIs provided by the guns of the USS Savannah (CL-42). The Vichy French side had the initiative on all 3 game turns, so far, and were therefore able to use combat movement to close with the US force and attempt to pin & eliminate the US forward observer parties.

Our delayed, but very exciting, second session (game turns 4-7) was a grim one for the defending Vichy French side with 7 more steps of fragile infantry lost and 2 leaders eliminated. The Americans were favored by the PG Fates – and although they lost another 6 steps, and joined the French with a drop in initiative – the GIs were able to push back two close assaults in the rocky hex (78-0311). There were multiple long-range AT shots by both sides, with the French getting the slightly better rolls, eliminating all but one step of Stuart light tanks. Unexpectedly, there were no additional US Navy bombardments this session.

The hectic and deadly third session (game turns 8-10) was a grim for the GIs marked by the entry of American reinforcements on the north edge of the map and a series of AT firefights, most in crossfire situations. The French were able to close out an amazingly lucky close assault in the rocky terrain of Hex 78-0311 during the 8th game turn. Scrambling armor units of both sides jockeyed for positions to setup crossfires, with the French coming out ahead in the resulting shootouts, leaving only 2 steps of operational Stuart tanks scuttling across the north margin of the battle map. An additional salvo from the Savannah destroyed another platoon of exposed French ground troops during game turn 9. American step losses this session totaled: 11 and a leader, bringing the step loss tally to 17 for the US and 8 for the Vichy French side. The victory point score was now: 8 for the Americans and 17 for the Vichy French side. So far, there has only been a single turn in which the French were not able to utilize combat movement. There were a combined FOUR combat 7-die rolls thrown this time.

Our delayed, final session (game turns 11-16 ) featured some really terrible die rolling by both sides in what turned out to be a very grim session for the invading American side. The French lost the initiative rolls in 3 of the 5 remaining game turns, which by special scenario rules caused their combat units to lose the ability to use combat movement! Essentially, the French were frozen in place, and were not able to close with the enemy. Still, the remaining two steps of US Stuart light tanks were eventually eliminated in AT crossfires by French armored units during game turn 13. The dug-in GIs, and their supporting 81mm Mortar platoon atop the main north-south ridge were able to hold out to virtually the end of the game, being finally eliminated by close assault on the very last turn. Highlights of this session included a 5-game turn chase of an errant US Lieutenant across the south half of Map 78, before he was captured on the last turn. Unexpectedly, the entire US force was eliminated in this slugfest of a scenario, resulting in a major Vichy French victory.

We both gave this gamey & frustrating dog of a scenario a rating of 2, since it was fun to play with an entertaining opponent, but it is probably best suited for SOLO play, only.