We picked up our PHD CG game with the start of Turn 3. The Americans having made good progress in the first two turns were poised to strike hard against the right flank and begin turning the German line. But in ASL...nothing is ever certain...
Turn 3 overall was a pretty good turn for Big Kansas and his Americans. He rumbled two Shermans up the road to add weight to the infantry assault on the right flank. A third Sherman, the one that bogged on Turn 2 gave up trying to breach the hedgerow and trundled up the road to get back in the action.
I was obviously concerned about the US armor. My 105 recoilless rifle has proven to be fairly ineffective...so I had it firing at the oncoming infantry.
It fired once and did nothing...so I went for an Intensive Fire shot...and yes...I malf'd the gun so bad that it was removed from play. Drats! Self-inflicted wound #1 for the day...
The Germans weren't the only folks to get hurt by self-inflicted wounds. Big Kansas went for the ESB roll with one of the Shermans. Generally speaking...a pretty easy roll to make for the US...but a "12" popped up and the Sherman was immobilized. So on the one hand that was good for my Germans...but on the other hand it was sitting point blank in front of me....so not so good.
So now we come to the case of additional self-inflicted wounds. As the Shermans roared down the road, my boys in the E8 house went for their Panzerfausts and succeeded in breaking themselves...Wound #2...then my boys in B8 went for Final Protective Fire against the oncoming khaki horde and yes...DM'd themselves as well. Wound #3...
It was at this point that things looked very good for the US.
Back to the NE, the US forces were still playing cat and mouse with my 2-3-8.
Back to the west and right flank...things went from good to horrible for the US. My boys managed to destroy both Shermans with their Panzerschreck and an LMG managed to DM the US 8-1, and 7-4-7 with the flamethrower. They would be eliminated for failure to rout leaving the flamethrower beside a burning Sherman tank.
ASL...fortune turns on a dime...
Private Damon tried to warn the Shermans about the Panzerschreck...but it was too late...
I must say that the Bocage is the perfect terrain for using Panzerschrecks...
After many failures...Big Kansas finally made Radio Contact with his 105 Battery.
The first Spotting Round signaled trouble for my Landsers.
Naturally, my 10-2 was the magnet for the artillery. But before the artillery could fall...that dang Sniper with the unpronounceable name wounded by 10-2. Talk about bad luck...
My forces only have three officers..and the only two good ones are both wounded...my 6+1 is still on assignment deep in the forest.
Rolling snake eyes is supposed to feel good...but when I do...this fella makes me regret I ever picked up the dice.
Things remained very tight in the center. I had two rows of wire, which I hoped would significantly slow down the Americans. Big Kansas rolled a bunch of "1's" though and he men moved quickly through some of the wire in the first row.
Back to the NE my 2-3-8 was finding himself in a bit of trouble as the Americans moved to encircle him.
My forces in the B9 foxhole managed to extricate themselves, but not before my 9-1 was wounded and ELR'd...rolling "12's"...never a good thing...
Back at M14...my wounded 10-2 had had enough...and decided to move towards the right flank and center action.
I also moved the boys out of the K10 foxhole to help hold the center, which was becoming an American USO show...
Big Kansas had his boys moving straight at me and some of their fire group Advancing Fires were downright evil...18 factor Advancing Fire Shots...YIKES!!!
Somebody throw me a shovel...we need to dig in!!!
As we entered the German phase of Turn 4, the routine Wind Change DR became another source of agony for my Germans. Wind Change...really!?!
Yes...really... I rolled interrogation in a hostile country and then proceeded to roll a "6" which caused me to receive mis-information and the TI'ing of a random unit. Fortunately for me it fell on my wounded 9-1 officer. But still...wind change !!!!
I suppose some interrogations are better than others...and if you gotta be TI'd...well...
What's that sound....yeah... that would be 105 TOT rounds falling on my hapless, wounded 10-2 and HMG. And of course they DM...but they are alive...so it could have been worse.
My 10-2 is starting to think the ASL fates are against him!!!
So as my wounded 10-2 routs back towards the M14 house...the rest of my forces make tactical moves to get out of the line of US Defensive Fire and position themselves to resist the US Turn 5 Advance.
Back in the NE...my 2-3-8 was nearly cut-off, but decided to hop the hedgerow beside the US 2-3-6. It was DM'd, but managed to rout to the stone house by the bridge. Hopefully...he'll get a chance to rally.
The completed German realignment.
The US forces moving into the center have a Sherman for support. But the woods are bristling with Panzerschrecks and Panzerfausts...
Oh...the agony...my HMG left lying in the dust instead of chattering a death song...drats....
My 2-3-8 escaped certain death...but he may not get a chance to rally. We'll see...
Back on the road, the US 8-0 managed to pick up the abandoned flame thrower. Yeah...not a big fan bratwurst cooked that way....
I definitely don't like flamethrowers...these things can be a game changer in the Bocage.
My boys are gearing up...the fight for the center begins on Turn 5....
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