Our Saturday Game - Scenario AP3 - A Breezeles Day

For our Saturday game - Dan Best and I looked to Action Pack 1 for our next scenario. Dan and I are relatively evenly matched players, but we do have one significant difference...one of us is an East-Front Fanatic and the other is a West Front Fanatic. Dan is known on the Game Squad Forum as the Ost-Front Fanatic and I can attest to his affinity for all things Eastern Front. I on the other hand am a big fan of the actions on the Western Front. While Dan excels at the brutal, urban fighting in the East, I tend to enjoy the actions in the Bocage and in the French countryside. So...I'm always appreciative when Dan indulges my Western Front interests.

Scenario AP 3 - A Breezeless Day (designed by Brian Youse) is set in January 1945 in the French town of Gros Rederching.  This town was in the line of advance of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division as they participated in Operation Nordwind. 

Defending Gros Rederching would be the American 71st and 397th Infantry Regiments of the 44th and 100th Infantry Divisions respectively. The tank destroyers of the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion would also be on hand. 

Historically, the Germans succeeded in breaking the American lines with the assistance of their heavy armor. But it would be a short-lived success as the tide of war had moved irresistibly against the Germans.

Gros Rederching is in the Grand Est region of France and lies very nearly on the border with Germany.

Boards 42 and 43 are used for the scenario. A critical...let me state it again...critical Terrain SSR is that the grain fields on Board 43 are Level 1 Hill locations. As you note in the picture there is no grain field in them middle of Board 42. I would gak this important SSR. I would set up with the mistaken belief that the grain field on Board 42 was a Level 1 hill. This would have severe consequences as you shall see. So...read, read and always reread the Scenario SSR's. 

The Victory Conditions for this scenario are a bit tough as well. The Attacker-German Player must control 10 or more building on Board 42 on/south of hex row K. And...must exit 70 or more Victory Points off the south edge. 

ROAR has this scenario as 48 German to 63 USA, while the ASL Archive has it 3 German to 4 USA. At first glance it would appear to favor the Americans. After playing it...I certainly found it to be otherwise.

After rolling for sides, Dan would command the Germans and be the scenario attacker. Dan would command the men of SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 37 of the  17th SS "Gotz von Berlichingen" Panzergrenadier Division. the 17th had fought continuously since the Normandy Invasion. It had been refitted with good equipment, but the caliber of its troops was markedly inferior to the Division of June 1944. SS 4-4-7's are used to represent the Volksgrenadier quality of the formation's infantry squads.

Dan's force would consist of 18 x 4-4-7's, led by a 9-1, 8-1, and 2 x 8-0's with 2 x MMG's, 4 x LMG's, 2 x DC's and a Panzerschreck. The armor force would be considerable with 6 x Half-Tracks, 4 x Stug 75L's, 2 x Stug 105's, 1 Flame Hetzer, and 2 x Jagd Tigers for good measure. This force would definitely live up to the mailed fist of Gotz von Berlichingen. 

As the Americans, I would be the scenario defender and command elements of the 71st and 397th Infantry Regiments. The 397th was part of the 100th Division while the 71st was part of the 44th Infantry Division. As the scenario card specified the 44th Division, I will focus on the 71st Infantry Regiment. 

The 71st Infantry Regiment was initially raised in 1850 as part of the New York State Militia. It would see action at Manassas in 1861 and participate throughout the American Civil War. It would defend Harrisburg, PA during the Gettysburg Campaign. Following Gettysburg it would be sent to quell the New York City riots, which were so famously shown in Martin Scorsese's film "Gangs of New York".  The 71st would participate in the Spanish-American War, World War 1 and of course the Second World War. It would ultimately be disbanded in 1993. 

My force would consist of 10 x 6-6-6's, led by a 9-2, 8-0, and 7-0 with a 50 CAL HMG, HMG, 2 x MMG's, and 3 x Baz 45's. I would also have 60mm OBA and 6 factors of AT Mines and 6 x Foxholes. My armor would consist of 3 x M36 Tank Destroyers and 2 x M4 Shermans.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game thoughts:

"This scenario was from Action Pack 1, designed in the old days when larger scenarios were designed. Therefore, it has plenty of units, nine movement phases and lots of vehicles. The attacker and defender have the ability to react to and recover from setbacks or losses. What looks fun in this scenario for the Germans is the high number of vehicles. Two nearly invincible Jagd Tigers, a flamethrower Hetzer and six Stug's. Plus some half-tracks to move forward the infantry fast.

My plan is to form a center board Schwerpunkt and attack up the center of the board. Then break the line and swing into the village with the infantry. While the half-tracks exit (they are worth 30 points). The Jagd Tigers will engage his armor and once the armor is broken will get in the back of the American positions to cut routs. The flame tank will break the strongest defenses to help the infantry capture the village."

As noted earlier, I had mistakenly assumed that the grain field on Board 42 was also a hill. My defensive strategy was to fight Dan at point blank range. I knew I couldn't hope to cope with the Jagd Tigers at long range. I would discover that I couldn't cope with them at close range either. 

I set up my mines at the southwest corner with two half-squads with Bazookas. I had guessed correctly that Dan's softskins vehicles would head that way and try to exit the board. In retrospect it would have been better to have my mines up front on the roads. But...live and learn...

Dan's Schwerpunkt had to negotiate terrain which served to divide it a bit. A Jagd Tiger would trundle down each board and would gain total superiority relatively quickly. I would fire my rear-most M36 at a Stug. It would instantly be targeted by all the German armor in its line of sight.

Dan's boys made good progress on turn 1. I had elected to defend to the rear. Surrendering so much terrain so early seems to have been a poor choice. I was overly concerned with Dan's coming down the wood trail. This seemed to be the safest approach for his infantry...but they never came that way at all.

I would draw first armor blood by destroying a Stug 75L with my M36. But I would get greedy and go for intensive fire and MALF my gun. Not quite the thing to do at that moment.

 Yep...MALF's would plague me during this scenario. I would MALF two tanks and two Bazookas.

 In my part of Turn 1, I got a bit overzealous. I sent my two Shermans to try and get some armor kills.

I also activated my OBA. I didn't expect much from 60mm OBA, but thought it could do some good if it bracketed the road on Board 42.

I would lose my first M36 before the turn would end. I could ill afford to lose my tanks and losing one of my 90L's would not be a good thing.

"The American tank is burning...excellent shot Dieter!"

One of my overly aggressive Sherman Tanks would fail to get any hits and then be destroyed.  My second M36 had also been destroyed in the M3 hex. I had tried to move it out of harm's way...but as soon as it started...it was hit and destroyed. Just like that I was down three tanks.

My woes continued as my 9-2 with my 50 CAL would roll snake eyes on a Morale Check and then go berserk. He would take his 6-6-6 with him. My 50 would never fire again.

It wouldn't end well.

My last Sherman would succeed in destroying a half-track, but then would I would intensive fire again and break my second Main Armament.

Turn 2 saw Dan advancing hard and fast up the middle and along the east board edge. I was powerless to stop him My ARTY would show up and unbelievably destroy one of the 75L Stugs.

Dan had once again mad some good progress. He was poised to strike the village and was in position to begin exiting his Half-tracks. Dan would be solidly executing to plan.

My last Sherman would be destroyed by one of the Jagd Tigers. I was down to one final tank. And that last M36 was dueling with the other Jagd Tiger on Board 43. It was an unequal struggle to say the least.

My OBA continued to rain down and unbelievably would destroy the Flame Hetzer. I couldn't believe it. 60mm OBA...and two destroyed tanks. The OBA was doing what my armor had been unable to do. Eliminating the Flame Hetzer gave me a moment's hope.

At the village outskirts, my berserk boys would be mowed down and my other boys broken as they tried to flee.

The duel between my last M36 and the Jagd Tiger would be one of the more enjoyable moments of the game and would provide an excellent example of Dan's sportsmanship. As I struggled to figure out how to kill the beast...he gave me a suggestion...

I took Dan's advice and my M36 commander fired for deliberate immobilization. We couldn't kill the beast...but just maybe we could stop it and keep it from exiting the board.

My M36 fired and succeeded in immobilizing the Jagd Tiger...another hopeful moment for my struggling Americans.

This would of course only serve to enrage the Jadg Tiger...which promptly shot and destroyed my M36 in a 128mm ball of fury.

 Down in the southwest. My Bazookas would fail to get any hits. One half-track would be immobilized in the mine field, but one would pass through the D1 mine field successfully.

Turn 3- Dan's boys had eliminated my armor and were closing in on the 10 buildings required for victory. I would fight back...but vainly.

Time to hunker down...

Dan's 1st building!

 Dan's boys continued to execute according to plan. I could offer only token resistance.

 I would MALF both bazookas in the southwest corner. My entire defense in that sector was dependent on those bazookas. My dice were not kind to me for much of the game.

There would be close combat. Despite winning the ambush on both occasions of close combat...Dan's dice would deny him the kill. Melee would follow. The Jagd Tiger would fire into that Melee and break everyone but a German hero...who would gun down my broken squad "like the dogs they were...". Ah yes...Dan and I were playing some ASL...and it was GOOD!!!

 I sent one of my last 6-6-6's into the woods to DM some broken Germans. It would save them from being eliminated with the rest of my force.

 The end was near for my boys in the village.

A final look at the battle. Dan would ultimately MALF one of his Stug's but he would fix the gun. My boys would be eliminated except for the one 6-6-6 hiding in the woods. With 4 turns left of movement, Dan would exit off the required 70 points. The Germans had the victory!

It had been a great game despite my struggles. Dan was able to execute his plan from start to finish. That's a rare thing in ASL. As always my thanks to Dan for another great Saturday of ASL.

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

"Game went according to plan. With the exception of the OBA. Most fun was had winning the armor battle and using armor to break up the infantry. Also having the American 9-2 go berserk and take his squad with to abandon the 50 cal and die gloriously in a charge. Unexpected was how well the 60mm MTR OBA did. It killed a Stug and the Hetzer. Also broke several infantry groups. I managed to find both minefields and lose one halftrack to them. Always my special talent for finding minefields.

Generally the armor did better than expected and quickly destroyed the American tanks. Then got into the backfield and cut rout paths. The infantry losses were light and most were able to exit for the win.

My thanks to Grumble Jones for another great game. And congrats to Grumble for his fire Deliberate Immobilization success. See you in St. Louis!"

Dan and I will be off next week as we participate in the St. Louis ASL Tournament. Can't wait to be back in St. Louis...my home for over 20 years. And can't wait to play some awesome ASL!

St. Louis here we come!!