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 > SpDv005
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Battle for the Supplies
Spearhead Division #5
(Defender) Germany vs United States (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Germany 12th Infantry Division
United States 3rd "Spearhead" Armored Division
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for SpDv005
Total
Side 1 2
Draw 2
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 6 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.33
Scenario Rank: 550 of 940
Parent Game Spearhead Division
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-09-18
Start Time 10:00
Turn Count 12
Visibility Day
Counters 51
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 1: 24
Layout Dimensions 43 x 28 cm
17 x 11 in
Play Bounty 146
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 5
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Rural Assault
Conditions
Anti-infantry Wire
Hidden Units
Minefields
Off-board Artillery
Smoke
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Elsenborn Ridge Maps + Counters
Spearhead Division Base Game
Introduction

After the heavy fighting of the last two days the 12th Infantry Division’s staff informed their corps headquarters that the division no longer had the strength for full-scale attacks. Not only had losses in riflemen been high but their heavy weapons still had yet to arrive. With the Wild Buffaloes stopping and in some places throwing the Americans back, the Spearhead Division’s drive to the Roer River halted for the time being. This did not mean all offensive action had been canceled as First Army ordered some German supply dumps located around Weissenberg captured or destroyed.
Conclusion

With the American effort winding down for the time being the records are not as detailed as usual. Some supply dumps the Germans had desperately wanted to keep fell to the Americans but whether all of them did is open to question as is the exact composition of the opposing forces.
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
  • Assault Gun: if closed-top, provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Tank Destroyer: 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).
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.
Display Order of Battle
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
United States Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
Display Errata (2)
2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 54

The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3."

(rerathbun on 2012 Jan 30)
Display AARs (1)
Defend the Supply Dumps at All Costs
Author treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method VASSAL
Victor Germany
Participants Col. Sonichu
Play Date 2024-07-14
Language English
Scenario SpDv005

This was an action-packed, 4-session play-through with the flexible & determined, Col. Sonichu, leading attacking elements of American CC8, 3rd Armored Division. I led elements of the German 12th Infantry Division seeking to defend 3 local supply dumps in the vicinity of a 7-hex town. Both sides drew decent sets of leaders. We used the FOW, excess initiative, extended assault, consolidation, smoke, recon by fire and hidden units optional rules, as well as these 2 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, and 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, across, or down slopes hexes. We felt that this set of rules improved playability.

The initial session (game turns 1-3) featured an exceptionally-coordinated, combined-arms, movement-to-contact & reconnaissance organized in 2 flanking prongs by the US side. The bulk of the American armor constituted the left (west) probe force, which quickly navigated around the east-west ridge in the southern portion of Map 24 and proceeded north to flank the central town. The right (east) flank probe was led by Stuart tanks and M-8 armored cars that rapidly identified and fixed the German’s forward-deployed positions, but at the high cost of: 4 steps of Stuarts. and another of armored cars. This right flank probe revealed the bulk of the Jerries’ AT weapons, and it was immediately followed by the column of APC-mounted, mechanized infantry & supporting arms. An intrepid German patrol pelted from the town and dig-in on the site of the first supply dump that had been observed by the US side (Hex 24-0408). At the end of the costly, 3rd game turn, 3 additional US steps had been eliminated by long-range AT fire, yielding step losses totaling 21, and a dramatic reduction of US initiative level to zero.

Our costly, second session (game turns 4-5) was a rather grim one for the advancing Spearhead troopers with 6 steps lost (4 APCs and a HMG), plus a superb Captain – all due to long-range, AT opfire. Both sides experienced ineffective OBA and on-board bombardment rolls. Effective use of both rounds of mortar-fired smoke helped screen the advance of dismounted GIs that were rapidly closing on the first of the crucial German supply dumps in Hex 24-0408. US armored units continued their left flank probing of the wooded hill mass north of the town – searching for the second Boche supply dump, and getting into position to provide covering crossfires from north of the German-occupied town.

The grim, third session (game turns 6-9) was a very rough go for the advancing GIs with heavy casualties suffered while they searched for the remaining 2 German supply dumps. They were ultimately successful in finding both dumps (Hexes 24-0915 & 24-0610), but at the horrible cost of an additional 14 steps, while the Germans lost 3 more. The close assault on the supply dump on the road at Hex 24-0408 ended badly for the struggling Americans with the loss of 3 more M-3 APCs and additional mechanized infantry, as the hex was cleared by the end of the session. The crew of the Germans STGIV continued to register hit after lucky AT hit on the wildly maneuvering US armored force that was reduced to just 3 units. Apart from driving off, an subsequently eliminating a platoon of panzer grenadiers with accurate OBA, the US side had little to cheer about in this miserable session in which only the Germans had significant die rolling luck. A combined FIVE, unfortunate, combat 7-die rolls were logged this time around. Steps lost were now; 30 for the GIs and 3 for the embattled Germans.

The costly fourth session (game turns 10-12 ) was another grim one for the US side with another M-4 tank unit eliminated as well as the last step of armored cars by accurate AT fire. In the end, none of the three Jerry supply dumps were captured & destroyed as required by the victory conditions. The victory point final was 25 for the German side and 3 for the GIs. There were 4 FOW-shortened game turns of the 5 played.

This unbalanced & gamey scenario was fun to play – as the defending Germans – but is virtually impossible for the US side to win. I give it a 2, on the strength of the fun factor and the challenge of playing a wily opponent, but it probably deserves a 1 in shared play. As published, this one is better suited for SOLO play. It would certainly benefit from a rewrite of the victory conditions.
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