Our Saturday Game - Scenario BtB 4 - Firestorm in St. Manvieu

For our final Saturday game of 2017, Dan Best and I went into the depths of the Normandy Bocage to once again face on the field of cardboard battle. Our scenario of choice would come from Bounding Fire Productions' Beyond the Beachhead pack. Our selection would be BtB 4 - Firestorm in St. Manvieu.  This scenario (designed by Chas Smith) takes place at the opening of Operation Epson as the British VIII Corps sought once again to open a path to Caen. 

The 15th Scottish would lead the assault with the initial objective being to take control of St. Manvieu. 

The 12th SS Panzer Division controlled this sector and elements of the Battalion 1, SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 26 were defending Manvieu.

The Scottish attack would follow behind a creeping barrage.

For Dan and I, this would be our first experience with a Creeping Barrage in ASL. I hope it's my last to be on the receiving end of one. NOT FUN...

But, it's always great to extend your ASL experience and the Creeping Barrage was fun to walk-through until the casualties started to mount. 

St. Manvieu is in the Calvados region of Normandy. It would be extensively damaged during the fighting. Creeping barrages are fairly destructive.

This map shows St. Manvieu's strategic position and future battle landmarks such as Villers Bocage  and Hill 112. 

Dan would draw the Scottish and would be the scenario attacker. He would command the men of the 44th Lowland Brigade, 15th Scottish Division. Dan's force would be considerable and would consist of 12 x 4-5-8's, 8 x 4-5-7's, led by a 9-2, 8-1, 2 x 8-0's, and 2 x 7-0's with  2 x MMG's, 6 x LMG's, 3 x DC's, 2 x Piats, and a radio to call in 80mm OBA. Additionally, Dan would have 4 Churchill Tanks and an 8-1 Armor Leader. On Turn 2, he would receive big time reinforcements in the form of 3 x Churchill Crocodiles. 

As mentioned before, this force would be very formidable and doubly so considering that they would be advancing behind a 150mm Creeping Barrage.

The biggest hurdle facing Dan was the need to take away as many stone buildings from the Germans as possible. The Germans would win the scenario if they were able to hold 6 or more stone buildings at game end. With the bocage and only a single road to bring his armor down, it would seem to be a difficult task. But a combination of Scottish luck, Scottish barrage and German bad luck would make the outcome of this scenario very straightforward.

Anyone familiar with the Normandy Campaign is aware of the role that the 12th SS Panzergrenadier Division played between June and August of 1944. This young division would be one of the first German formations to launch counter-attacks after June 6th. And would also be one of the last German units holding open the Falaise Pocket. A remarkable combat legacy, which was tainted by the massacre of Canadian POW's at the Ardennes Abbey and would be earned with extreme losses. Roughly 700 of it's men would remain when the campaign finally ended. 

As the scenario defender, I would command the Panzergrenadiers and have a force made up of the following: 1 x 8-3-8, 7 x 6-5-8's, led by a 10-2, 8-1 and 7-0 with 2 x MMG's, 3 x LMG's, a panzerschreck and 75L AT Gun. On Turn 3, I would get 3 x 6-5-8's led by an 8-0 with an LMG. And finally on Turn 4, I would get 2 x 8-3-8's led by an 8-1 with an LMG and Flame-throwing Half-track. From a firepower standpoint, it was considerable force. I would also have 3 x fortified building locations. In retrospect, I would have traded them all for a roadblock.

I was genuinely perplexed on how to defend against the Scottish assault. I knew the creeping barrage was going to punish me, so I had to keep my boys in as much protection as possible. I placed two 3-4-8's squads HIP, one was beside the road with a tank killing mission and the other was with my 8-1 and an MMG in Hex P0 hoping to catch Dan marshalling his forces behind the bocage. Being placed in Hex P0 saved them from the creeping barrage. My other HIP unit was revealed by the creeping barrage. The creeping barrage played havoc throughout the game on both my HIP units and my concealed units. Even a 14 resulted in a Pin check...so honestly, the HIP was practically worthless in the face of the 150mm creeping barrage.

Now my AT Gun placement may be initially confusing. I placed it where I did, because I mistakenly believed that Dan could breach the bocage with his DC's and potentially come through the area on the east edge. I had this notion, because in Lone Canuck's - Purple Heart Draw CG...you can do that. Not so in this scenario. So another live and learn mistake on my part.

My 10-2, 8-1 and 7-0 survey the battlefield prior to play.

 As you can see, the creeping barrage would blanket the battlefield. I have never experienced anything like in ASL before.

My boys would spend the entire game trying to cover from the incoming arty.

 Dan's boys hit the start line. Armored assaults and mega stacks would soon march towards the creeping barrage line that signaled the location of the German MLR.

 Dan's boys would move forward unmolested by me. My boys would hold their fire.

 Turn 2 - the dreaded Crocodiles begin moving forward.

 Of course no Grumble Jones AAR is complete without some grumbling and grousing about lousy dice rolls. But let me just say that my rolls would be spectacularly bad and would literally open the gate for Dan's boys to rumble into town. I would make three Panzerfaust checks....and promptly rolled a 6 each time...resulting in pins for three of my units instead of some burning Churchill Tanks.

My frustration over dice rolls has gotten the better of me...and I'm looking forward to an ASL free weekend over the holidays. I need some time away from my dice.

Of course my bad luck was not confined to my dice. I would draw back to back red cards when trying to activate my 80mm OBA and of course lose it for the duration without a single shot...while my opponent's unending creeping barrage continued to rain ruin on me. 

On Turn 2, Dan's 9-2 would jump backwards over the bocage and right into the sights of my HIP 8-1 with the MMG. I couldn't resist the shot and managed to wound the 9-2, but all of Dan's tanks and infantry in that area converged on my 8-1. So it was a good-bad story!!!

Dan would also suffer from some of his dice rolls as well. He rolled a large number of 4's, which activated my Sniper frequently and would result in the death of his 9-2 and a squad. Dan and I both agreed that the German Sniper was the best performing asset the Germans had in this scenario.

While Dan's dice activated the sniper frequently, he did manage to avoid any weapon malfunctions.

I continue to be amazed at the contributions that the Sniper makes to the game. Never underestimate their ability to influence the game.

Throughout the scenario, Dan did a fantastic job of keeping his units right behind the creeping barrage.

 As the barrage line moved methodically across my defense, it successfully revealed my HIP and concealed units. It also kept my broken units from routing back and out of harm's way. I had lost any way of falling back to the Alamo. I would have to fight and die in place.

 Dan's armor would suffer some losses. One of his Churchill's would miss it's ESB roll and would be immobilized and two other Churchill's would be destroyed by panzerfausts. But Dan would have 5 tanks left and 2 of those would be Crocodiles.

 By Turn 3 - I was in real trouble. My MLR was all but shredded. The creeping barrage was doing just enough to seriously keep me off balance, while Dan's armor and infantry were all in my grill.

 My 8-3-8 would be broken by one of the Churchills. They would attempt to rout through the creeping barrage and would be KIA'd. Only my 10-2 remained on the original MLR trying to stem the tide of Scottish infantry and armor.

Overall, my 10-2 was not able to contribute to the battle the way I had hoped. I had thought about sending him to the rear to organize the defense there as opposed to trying to delay the Scottish attack. 

The creeping barrage would continue to dominate the scenario as it rolled through my positions.

My forces were augmented by the Turn 3 reinforcements of 3 x 6-5-8's, who hustled into buildings at the south end of town.

Going into Turn 4, Dan sent a half-squad with a DC to breach the fortified building with my 10-2. I would open up with the MG, but failed to stop the half-squad. They would succeed in breaching the building. I would then have my 6-5-8 go for a Panzerfaust and roll a 6 and be pinned. It would be game over for the 10-2 stack.

However, my 10-2 would survive the Crocodile flames in Advancing Fire.

 Turn 4 would see Dan's boys drive through my final defenses. The entire center of the village was falling to their control.

As 10:00 PM, rolled around, Dan and I surveyed the landscape and decided it was time to call it a game. We generally play a solid 5 hours and we had completed half of the turns for this scenario. As we looked at starting Turn 5, I was completely beaten in the main part of the town. I could have tried to hang on in the backfield with the five reinforcement squads, but the creeping barrage was still coming in and Dan's forces were pretty much overwhelming in terms of numbers. I hated to call the game too early, but I equally hated to continue to fight an obviously lost cause. So I gave Dan the concession and congratulated him on another solid victory.

Despite its outcome, I enjoyed the scenario and think it's a good one to play. I do think it's tough for the Germans and psychologically it's really hard to watch that creeping barrage hammer down on you every turn. Keeping your personal ELR intact is definitely tough in this one. But if you want to get an idea of what the Panzergrenadiers faced those dark days of June 1944...well this scenario will give you a good glimpse. 

So that's a wrap for our 2017 Saturday Game series between Dan Best and I. It's been a fantastic year. We played 36 games this year, which is pretty amazing. Hopefully 2018 will bring another great year of Saturday ASL!!!

Now on Saturday the 30th...Dan and I will be joined by Dave Mareske for the first three player scenario to be played by Cardboard via SKYPE. We will be playing the Cossacks are coming! I am already looking forward to this game and to playing the first three player game via this method! 

So now, I say goodnight and thank you, to the readers of this blog for sharing your time with me this past year. From me to you, I wish you and your families a safe and happy holiday season. May the joys and magic of Christmas fill your homes.