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 > PaLe022
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Crossroads in Hell
Panzer Lehr #22
(Defender) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 130th "Lehr" Panzer Division
United States 115th Infantry Regiment
United States 2nd "Hell on Wheels" Armored Division
United States 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for PaLe022
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 1944-07-30
Start Time 08:45
Turn Count 14
Visibility Day
Counters 118
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 2: 31, 33
Layout Dimensions 86 x 28 cm
34 x 11 in
Play Bounty 173
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Rural Assault
Urban Assault
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Elsenborn Ridge Counters
Fall of France 1 Maps
Panzer Lehr Base Game
Introduction

Trying to move large bodies of troops in bocage country was an exercise in frustration. Keeping them supplied was even worse. With few good roads or navigational aids any decent road took on a significance out of proportion to those in other environments. A crossroads between two decent roads was a place worth fighting and dying for, or at least ordering others to do so.
Conclusion

In the last 24 hours the front lines became so fluid staff officers had no idea where they were. Enemy tanks would suddenly materialize in areas thought secure. The Germans forced the 115th Infantry Regiment back just short of Percy, killing 60 men and wounding another 200. The unflappable Lieutenant Colonel John Cooper was visiting the front lines when the Germans struck, nearly running him down with a tank. Luckily for his family and future historians he survived.
Additional Notes

American formations have non-cooperation rules.
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
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • 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).
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)
Display Order of Battle
Germany Order of Battle
130th "Lehr" Panzer Division
Heer
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
  • Towed
Display Errata (3)
3 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 1230

Counter is mislabeled, this is actually a 75/41.

(rerathbun on 2013 Mar 06)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 25

The M18 has a special rule in Battle of the Bulge but it applies globally: "A two-step M18 unit can fire one anti-tank shot and move half its movement allowance (retain fractions) in a single impulse. The order in which it does these two actions is the player's choice."

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Display AARs (1)
Infantry First, or, "Get those damn tanks out from behind those damn bushes!"
Author patman
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2013-09-11
Language English
Scenario PaLe022

This scenario requires the Americans to push through two boards arranged the long way. As the German, I put my best tanks in a commanding position overlooking the approaches on the first board, and as a result the American tanks had to hang back while the infantry went up to assault the Panzers. After assaults were initiated the American armor started moving up, but there were just enough other German tanks to start brewing up a goodly number of U.S. tanks. Nonetheless, the infantry made it more or less through the first board, bypassing or isolating some towns along the way, to get to the second board, with its big town complex (Percy) which itself shielded the eponymous Crossroads behind.

While the Americans took several hexes in Percy, they never got to the crossroads, and the 5 points for that proved to be the difference, with the Germans getting a 6 point victory (less than a 3 point advantage would have been a draw). In hindsight I probably should have sent two Sherman Platoons off the map (for points) rather than having them approach Percy from the rear and get their asses handed to them by a Panzer IV. Overall, a close and good scenario, and a lesson in using American tanks.
2 Comments
vince hughes
2013-09-12 07:01

Nice to see you play again Pat

patman
2013-09-12 09:58

Thanks, Vince, it had been a while! Work and family keep me pretty busy!

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