I drew the Americans and elected to play a big game of Bluff Poker. I set the roadblock in the rear to block access to the bridge on Board 41 that would allow the Germans an easy backdoor to the objective Chateau. Then I HIP'd the 57L AT Gun on the hill on Board 41 with the US 9-1, a 6-6-7 and MMG HIP'd in the house next to the gun. My plan was to create a kill box in front of the Chateau. My plan was to entice the Germans to assault straight down the road on Board 42 and into the kill zone. Once there in the wheat field, they would be caught between my forces in the Chateau and my forces on the hill in their rear. Good plan...pathetic execution as you will see...
My opponent's troops were hardened members of Das Reich (never mind the Totenkopf collar tab...he was on loan to Das Reich for this scenario!!) They would put my Bluff to the test!
My initial deployment.
The German attack went straight up the road as I had hoped.
My dummy stacks were designed to slow down the Germans, but they would move forward undeterred. The SS were not worried about ghosts in the mist.
The initial German assault made good headway in clearing out my first line of defense. On the right, the SS swept the woods cautiously looking for my HIP forces.
One of the stranger aspects of the game was the presence of so many US forces in the backfield. They would of course be needed in the Alamo...so running around in the back wasn't all that helpful.
The Germans were not immune to bad rolls. One Panther malf'd its MA and the other broke both machine guns.
US Hero is created in Rally Phase and would go on to command the captured Panther Tank.
The German assault moves into position. The Germans move right into the kill box, but the US forces don't roll well enough to inflict any real damage. Pinning helps slow the attack, but it wouldn't be enough to stop it.
US forces capture the abandoned Panther Tank.
The SS Assault on the Alamo with Panthers and Grenadiers.
The SS stormed the Chateau and wrecked havoc on the Americans there.
The final US attack as the captured Panther moved north up the road and the remaining US Squads rushed the German Panthers. The German fire was too tough. The Germans fired a Panzerschreck to break the last good order US squad in the Chateau. The US 6+1 would hold out until turn 6 and fall in close combat to the men of Das Reich. The Germans would control the victory location at last. 
Game end. The captured Panther crewed by the US Hero, standing tall in the Turret, and a 2-3-6 Half-Squad trundled towards the Alamo...determined to take out a German Panther. It was not to be as the German Panther with a functioning MA, fired and hit and then snake eyes to snuff out the last American attack of the scenario. Game over.
ASL is a game of dice rolls...some good...some bad...
The veterans of Das Reich take control of the battlefield.
I always love your AARs! Well illustrated and engagingly written.
ReplyDeleteWhat went wrong with The Plan here? Was it simply poor rolls when you sprung the trap? Or did the Germans never really move into the right position to make the trap work?
Thanks Jan. the Germans definitely moved into the kill zone, but my rolls were too high and against SS you need to get the best rolls possible. Once my position was revealed the SS DM'd my boys and could then return their focus on taking the Chateau.
DeleteGreat article.
ReplyDelete