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 > PaLe015
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Horrors and Heroes
Panzer Lehr #15
(Defender) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 130th "Lehr" Panzer Division
United States 2nd "Hell on Wheels" Armored Division
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for PaLe015
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 Panzer Lehr
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-07-27
Start Time 03:00
Turn Count 9
Visibility Night
Counters 19
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 2: 26, 31
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 144
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Ambush
Delaying Action
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault
Conditions
Hidden Units
Smoke
Terrain Mods
Illumination
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Elsenborn Ridge Counters
Fall of France 1 Maps
Panzer Lehr Base Game
Introduction

Second Armored's men expected and wanted a rest after securing St. Gilles, but General Maurice Rose relentlessly pushed them southward. Enemy resistance was light and progress good but the Germans were not quite finished. As the Americans approached Le Mesnil-Herman Panzer Lehr awaited to ambush them.
Conclusion

The German defenders were professionals who hadn't survived the carpet bombing to be displaced by a group of hastily advancing GIs. On the other hand Lieutenant George Wilson was in combat for the first time. While passing through St. Gilles he shot an enemy tank commander, and here burned his hands when a grenadier hit the tank he was riding upon with a panzerfaust. As the fight became embroiled, the supporting American tanks raced away leaving Lieutenant Wilson and the infantry on their own. He led his men, screaming and tossing hand grenades, through the night a quarter mile back to safety without losing a man. His men returned the favor by making sure he received a Silver Star for his efforts.
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
  • 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
130th "Lehr" Panzer Division
  • Mechanized
Heer
  • Mechanized
United States Order of Battle
Army
Display Errata (1)
1 Errata Item
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Display AARs (1)
Things That Go Bump in the Night
Author Matt W
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2012-09-11
Language English
Scenario PaLe015

Many times I have gotten up in the middle of the night and managed to walk into furniture or stumble over shoes, etc. These often leave bruises. One can only imagine the same kind of reception for the Americans as they stumble into Panzer Lehr in the middle of the night.

The Americans are charged with approached Le Mesnil, a four hex town, well to the south of the American entry. If they can capture Le Mesnil (or control a good portion of it) and exit on the road to the east they will have done their job. Again, time is of the essence as this is only a 9 turn scenario. For those who worry about the hidden unit issue it is pretty much a non-issue in this one since it is night with a visibility of 1 (yes, I know that hidden units still don't show up on the board until you run into them but with some general tactics this won't be too much of a problem.

The Americans enter with a single M3 carrying an INF to find the inital German units. They are found well down the road towards Le Mesnil. The Americans jump from the halftracks and the Germans vanish into the night. The Americans attempt to follow and stumble into some German PzIVF2s which destroy the halftracks and force the accompanying Shermans to advance with caution. Meanwhile the other American troops including some Shermans advance towards Le Mesnil. They put together a very powerful assault using tanks, engineers and infantry and promptly fail the assault badly losing a step and having the tanks demoralize. This coupled with losses from Op Fire as they approached Le Mesnil pretty much ended chances for an American victory.

The Germans weren't done, however, they managed to send a GREN platoon into the woods after a Sherman platoon and knocked out all the Shermans as well. This gave the Germans a Major Victory in the scenario, despite a platoon of Shermans exiting the board and a hex of Le Mesnil being controlled by the Americans at the end of the game.

There were three potential turning points in the scenario and all three went the Germans way. The losses on the initial approach to Le Mesnil, the spectaculary failed assault as they arrived and the destruction of the Shermans in the woods by a single GREN platoon. With that much going for them it was not surprising that they scored a major victory. The scenario, however, seems balanced and I would suggest it for ftf and solo play. I give it a "4".
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