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
Errors? Omissions? Report them!
New Year's Kiss
North Wind #1
(Defender) United States vs Germany (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 17th SS "Gotz von Berlichingen" Panzergrenadier Division
United States 44th Infantry Division
United States 71st "The American Guard" Infantry Regiment
United States 749th Tank Battalion
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for NoWi001
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
5
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game North Wind
Historicity Historical
Date 1945-01-01
Start Time 00:00
Turn Count 24
Visibility Night
Counters 84
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 4: 10, 11, 17, 9
Layout Dimensions 86 x 56 cm
34 x 22 in
Play Bounty 170
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Surprise Attack
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Battle of the Bulge Maps + Counters
North Wind Base Game
Road to Berlin Maps + Counters
Introduction

The last German offensive on the Western Front began at the stroke of midnight, with infantry moving forward quietly in hopes of catching the celebrating Americans unawares. The Germans advanced without artillery preparation as three German divisions struck a single, green American division new to the front lines.

Conclusion

Goethe used "Gotz von Berlichingen" the name of a famed one-handed medieval knight, as a euphemism for "Kiss my arse". The aptly-named division consisted mostly of conscripted Romanian volksdeutsche, many of doubtful eagerness to serve the Greater German Reich. The 44th, made up of New York and New Jersey National Guardsmen, had been in combat since October and had not seen fighting this intense. They recoiled from the attack, and the Germans took their first-day objectives, though in some the 44th's artillery exacted a murderous cost.


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).
  • 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
  • Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable

Display Order of Battle

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

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Scen 1

Use the standard victory margin from other scenarios. 0 is a draw, +1 to +10 a minor win, and +11 or more a major win.

(PG-Tank Dude on 2010 Apr 30)
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)

Display AARs (1)

Close German Win!
Author petermc
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2007-10-19
Language English
Scenario NoWi001

Interesting scenario...in fact most of the 10 provided here look pretty good or better. The Germans have some high firepower SS units and assault guns, but morale 7/6 and alot of ground to cover at night. And, the US artillery will prevent them from executing any attack quickly.

The US are spread thin and a little desperate, but time and terrain are on their side, not to mention some late arriving reinforcements that can easily tip the game in their favor.

Finished Turn 11 of Scenario One (North Wind). Great scenario. It is interesting to play this type of organized night assault, with an interesting mix of forces. The German morale (7/6) means they have to find ways of minimizing American artillery effect. Spread out to some degree, but also hit hard and fast. A slow methodical assault will get ground up by arty and mortar fire.

I got the US reinforcements on the first possible turn (in this case turn eight) so it is a close game. If it ended right now the Germans would lose 30-20.

I played only 3 more turns, through 14, and the situation is changing drastically. A clumsy German assault left 6 units demoralized, but an initiative win and some fast arty shoots reversed the situation, along with some accurate StugIIIG firing.

Now the Americans on Board 9 are on the run. The VPs right now are 36 (USA) to 32 (Germany), but, the Germans are likely to clear the northernmost east-west road, which will tilt the total from 36-32 to 31-42, respectively.

There is a large US reinforcement group, basically a battalion plus sized formation, heading right up the gap between Boards 9 and 17. They will make a serious push for the road or victory town hexes (TBD later).

Finally tally was a minor German victory, 45-39 on points.

Germans scored 12 points for town hexes, 10 points for one east-west road free of US units, and 23 points for various US step losses. That last tally is impressive for a 24 turn night scenario...about 1 step every turn, or 1 tank step every other turn. The StugIIIs did take out 2 steps of M4s, and the demoralized remnants of those units spent the rest of the game failing recovery attempts.

US scored 15 points for town hexes, 10 points for two roads with US units, and 14 points for step losses...most of those came from arty, although one lucky AT shot did take out a single StugIII step.

The US made some last ditch desperate attempts to reclaim the road and some town hexes, but they were cut down badly by well placed MGs.

This scenario is very, very good, and balanced. It can change wildly depending upon the US setup and the German approach. I went with a "picket wire" US setup, which tripped the Germans early and brought US reinforcements on at the earliest possible turn. But it allowed the Germans to get some easy early step losses, which the US never really recovered from (and the difference in the final point tally was steps).

Probably a better US setup is to hunker down in the towns, and let the Germans have thier nighttime march and infiltration party. They'll spend a third of the game or more just marching into position. When they finally attack they will be pressed for time, and you will be defending in town hexes.

From the German pov I'd say my attack plan was poor...instead of charging the towns on board 17 it is probably wiser to either charge up the road on board 9 first, or infiltrate board 9 and beyond for a massive assault on the N/S road. Either way you can sweep onto board 17 later, which is nearly impossible for the American to reinforce if you control board 9.

Probably the most important hex in this scenario is board 9: 0509. Seizing it early will allow you to dictate the flow of the battle.

But it is unpredictable...being at night, I hit the 15+ FOW alot, and the more the game dragged on the less I could accomplish each turn. A couple recoveries and a couple arty shoots and wham, turn over. So you really need to keep a central force and a reserve, so you can act with some decisiveness at the end of the game, not just the beginning.

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