Scenario AP106 "Helluva Patrol Leader" - (Turns 1-2-1/2)

Our Friday game, found my regular STL opponent and I trying our first scenario from the 29th Let's Go AP pack. Our selection was AP106 Helluva Patrol Leader. It was strange choice given that we have spent the last few months playing Paratrooper Scenarios. But it fit the bill in other areas, namely number of turns, boards, etc. We were both looking for a quick play scenario.

I drew the Americans and couldn't have been happier. A nice 10-2 officer with 7-4-7's and 6-6-6's a plenty. The objective was a straightforward occupation of some stone buildings. Stuff the Americans in ASL are built for. My opponent drew the German defenders, who with a few 4-6-7's and 4-4-7's was considerably weaker right from the start. 

On a personal observation...it was great to get two back to back sessions of ASL with my STL opponent. It's been many a year though since we had 3 in a row...so we'll keep our fingers crossed that I'll have an AAR from next Friday's session!!

I had been really looking forward to playing some scenarios from this pack. So going into our game, I was really stoked.

Facing my 29th Boys would be the Grenadiers of the German 275th Infantry.

http://275infanterie.weebly.com/the-real-275-infanterie-division.html

 I hadn't had much time to think about our game and had only gotten back into Tulsa around 5:00 PM after driving back from Paris, Texas. So it took me a little bit to relax and get into a gaming groove.

My attack was based on a base of fire to be provided by both the 10-2 and 9-1 with both MMG's on the US left (reader's left) while my other boys moved into the village on the US right (reader's right)

 Hopefully my plan would find favor with the spirit of Old Stonewall...as the boys of the Blue-Gray Division moved off the start line.

An early Brigade patch from the 29th Division, which was replaced by the time the war began.

But an interesting sign of the feelings that boys both North and South felt towards at least one of America's Confederate Generals. 

 My assault began in earnest. As expected, my single squads sent ahead drew the fire from forward deployed 4-4-7 Squads in Z8 and U2. My boys on the left broke and my boys on the right were pinned.

Overall, my first moves would help get my squads into position for the next movement turns.

 The German sniper appeared right off the bat and promptly DM'd my MMG squad with my 10-2 at the time...(in this picture he's already moved). But a tense roll as we saw who had been hit by the sniper. The DM'd 6-6-6 would go on to roll a "12" in the very next Rally Phase. So the sniper would take out a 1/2 squad when it was all said and done.

It is amazing to me, how much of an impact the sniper can have in ASL. It really adds flavor to the game and can be hugely helpful or hurtful to your efforts in the game.

 

One of my first decision points was where to move my 7-0 and the 6-6-6 with him. I was leaning toward S10 where they could gain concealment and then make some moves from there. Unknown to me was that a German 2-3-7 with the Panzerschreck was in R8 HIP'd. I elected not to move to S1 and instead moved the squad to T1 and the 7-0 melted back to R1 to rally the 6-6-6 after U2 blasted them.

Yeah...sometimes in this game...I actually do try to have a plan...

After my DM'd squads finished their routs, my other boys moved forward in Advance Phase. I was gambling that the ? unit in X10 was a dummy. One of the few gambles that I would get right.

Turn 2 came quickly as nearly all of my opponents rolls were high or involved cowering (a lovely rule). So my Prep Fires allowed me to DM the Germans in Z8 and in U2. The U2 Germans would be lost due to failure to rout.

One of the main targets of my forces on the left flank was the Z8 stone building. I wanted to use this building to isolate the Germans on the left and give me a good position to put fire down on the German 8-1 stack in the row house.

My boys in X9 used their bazooka to good effect and broke the Germans in W8, which freed up my boys to flood into the village.

I had forgotten how useful the Bazooka can be in city fighting.

The situation at the conclusion of the US phase of Turn 3. My Americans had managed to take 3 of the 7 building victory locations. Overall, I was pretty happy with the success of my attack.

But...The German 8-0 would be busy rallying the 275th Grenadiers to get back into the fight. The next two turns will be crucial...


So...