Our Saturday Game - ASL Scenario 25 Gavin's Gamble

Well...you might have been expecting some good old Russian Front Action and to be honest so was I, but then while I'm sitting at work deep in Excel spreadsheets, my buddy Dan emails me. Our good friend Dave Mareske was available to play Saturday. So we quickly switched out scenarios and selected ASL Scenario 25 Gavin's Gamble to be played as a 3-Player Game. It's always great to have the opportunity to add Dave to the game night. Gavin's Gamble (designed by George Bates and David Olie) is not necessarily designed to be a 3-Player game, but decided to give the Germans to Dan, the Americans to Dave and the British Armor to me. So in this way, I think were able to make the scenario a decent 3-Player experience. 

Gavin's Gamble would first appear in the first edition of YANKS.

The scenario would be changed for the second edition of YANKS. The most noticeable change would be switch from 3 boards to 2 boards. The updated version of the scenario would eliminate Board 22. I can't say that I have ever played either version of the scenario. So I don't have a good sense of whether or not that changes would fundamentally alter the scenario. I suspect not, given the fact that Boards 7 and 16 are where the action occurs.

I've never played this scenario for the more or less obvious reason that it involves a river and boats. Back in the early days, we just didn't play this kind of scenario. And I would suspect many of you reading this maybe encountered the same hurdles when considering a scenario with boats, river crossings, etc. so instead of Gavin's Gamble you might end up playing Gavin's Take. And I'm 100% guilty of that myself. 

So that said, I was definitely looking forward to tackling this scenario with help from Dan and Dave. 

The scenario itself concerns itself with the efforts of the 82nd Airborne "All-American" Division to secure the Nijmegen Bridge. As most of us will recall, the US Airborne Divisions were to secure bridges at Einhoven, Son and Nijmegen to clear a path for British 30th Corps to reach in Arnhem in the nick of time to rescue the embattled British Airborne forces. Ultimately, the 82nd Airborne would be successful in crossing the Waal River under intense German fire and seize the bridge. It would prove to be the final bridge taken by the Allies in Operation Market Garden. Having taken the bridge, 30th Corps would not proceed much beyond it as the surrounded Red Devils were eliminated in Arnhem.

A look at the battlefield. The Germans would be situated on the raised road/dyke on Board 16, while the Americans attempted their river crossing on Board 7. ROAR shows the following: for Yanks 1 version = 24 German and 22 US wins and for the Yanks 2 version = 0 German and 3 US wins. The ASL Archive shows the Yanks 1 version = 3 German and 4 US wins and the Yanks 2 version = 1 German and 3 US wins with 1 Draw.

As stated earlier, Dave Mareske and I would be the Allied forces and the scenario attacker. I would command three British Tanks: 2 x Sherman 75* V(a)'s and 1 x Sherman Firefly.  With my small force, I would have the easy job...sit back and shell Dan's grenadiers to my heart's content!!!

Dave on the other hand...he would bear the Allied burden of crossing the river under fire. He would command the men of the 82nd Airborne "All-American" Division. He would have 26 x 7-4-7's and 4 x 3-4-7's led by a 9-2, 9-1, 2 x 8-1's, 2 x 8-0's, and 1 x 7-0 with 2 x 50 CAL's, 5 x MMG's, 6 x BAZ 44's and 2 x 60 MTR's. 26 x 7-4-7's...HOLY COW!!! 

As the defending Germans, Dan would command elements of Kampgruppe Henke, Fallschirmjaeger - Lehr-Regiment 1 and Kampfgruppe Reinhold of the 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg".  His force would consist of 6 x 5-4-8's, 5 x 4-4-7's, 6 x 4-3-6's and 3 x 2-2-8's led by 9-1, 8-1, and 6+1 with 1 x HMG, 2 x MMG's, 4 x LMG's and a phone with 100mm OBA.

 And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The Germans must prevent the Americans from exiting 20 EVP off the north edge or the east edge between 16 GG1 and 16 GG5 (behind the levee).  East edge exit is worth 1.5 EVP per unit.  The best way to do this is get some good kills on the boats. The Germans will use a combination of up-front defense and reverse slope behind the levee.  The best troops including all the MGs will set up on the river edge.  With the 9-1 squad HMG in 7N10 and 8-1 squad MMG in 7U10  HIP.  The 8-0 squad MMG will be in 7Z8.  The other 5 squads that must set up south of the levee will be on board 7 spaced out.  The two AA guns will be south of the levee on in 16GG7 and the other in 16C8.  Hopefully both will get some shots on the Americans as they exit the boats.  The MTR will set up north of the levee in woods to get shots on the levee as the Americans pass over to exit.  Finally, the 6+1 OBA observer will set up in 16B5 with good views of the battlefield.  The rest of the Germans will set up immediately behind the levee in reverse slope.  To keep the Americans from crossing easily.  Hopefully the Americans will take too many casualties and move too slow across the river.”

And now for Dave's Pre-Game Comments:

"Depending on the German set up, I will focus the boats on the eastern to central portions of the board.  Splitting up my boat forces is not attractive and having my boys paddle inconsistently will be an issue that I will have to leave to fate, trusting in the machine guns, mortars and tanks we will leave behind to lay fire on bank and dike.  Once landed, hopefully there will few Germans remaining to make a dash for the dike and exit on the north east corner.  My hope will be to establish a position on the dike so that lateral movement by the Germans will be restricted."

OK the game begins! Dan would of course command the Germans waiting on the north bank of the Waal River. Dave would command all the Americans in the 26 boats preparing to cross the river. And I would command the three British tanks as well as 6 x 3-3-7's with 2 x HMG's, 2 x MMG's and 2 x 60 MTRs with the 9-2 and an 8-1 to direct fire on the entrenched Germans.

General Gavin would be observing the action!

SS-Standartenfuehrer Heinz Harmel would be observing from the German side.

I would mark all my boys and tanks with Opportunity Fires for the first Prep Fire. In retrospect....I probably should have fires some smoke. Dave prepared to do his part.

The US OBA consisted of 80mm Mortars. Dave and I would get solid production from our OBA during this scenario!

Dave's boats hit the water and in Advancing Fire, I let loose on Dan's entrenched Germans. I would succeed in breaking the Germans on the far eastern board edge.

Dan's boys on the east edge routed away from the river's edge. My boys were trying to knock Dan's grenadiers back so Dave could cross the river safely.

Dave would struggle with a of 6 die rolls which would cause a boat not to move. 6's are great for RISK, but for boats...not so good...

And then disaster...Dan's 100mm OBA would start raining down death and would dog our movements for nearly the entire game. I don't think Dan's ever since a RED Card...

As Dave's boys rowed for the opposite shore, my boys fired the first smoke. I would be hugely successful in laying smoke on Dan's primary positions. I would successfully fire 6 smokes without ever losing my smoke. Pretty amazing!!!

Dave was making slow progress and the heavy current drift rolls in each Advance Phase would drag his boats down river or even back to the south shore. It was often maddening to watch...

But despite all the difficulties...Dave would get the first Paratroopers across the river!!!

Dan's 100mm OBA would briefly rain down on my 9-2 with an HMG and MMG. My squad with a 60 MTR would break, but I otherwide be unharmed. As you can see...the OBA had already taken out the boats in the middle of the board. Dan's OBA would be the hero of the game. By game end, Dan would sink 12 of Dave's boats...12 squads, an 8-1 and 7-0 along with an HMG would all be lost trying to cross the river.

While the German OBA hammered us, my support teams were hammering Dan's entrenched grenadiers to good effect. With any luck, Dan would beach on the opposite bank without taking any fire from Dan's boys.

My 50 Cal's would do a great job in reducing Dan's positions. I do love me some 50 CAL!!!

Dave's boys continued to take some losses, particularly from the OBA, but he was beginning to get boys onto the opposite bank and into the fight!!

Dan's HIP units began to pop up. His HMG and one MMG began barking and my armor was quick to smoke them...but then on either flank...20mm AA guns opened up!!! Dave's boys were in trouble!!!

I would quickly switch my fire to suppress or knock out Dan's 20mm AA guns. I would succeed in breaking the crew on the eastern board edge and Dave's Paratroopers would take them down. The East Flank was open!

"We're in business!!!"

Dan's Grenadiers continued to resist, but American firepower was slowing overwhelming them.

Red circles show 82nd Airborne positions as Dave began making his way towards the dike, which is the east to west road on Board 16 - basically a one level hill. Dan's remaining forces were entrenched on the reverse slope to avoid OBA and direct fire from my Shermans.

The German OBA continued to hammer Dan's boats and our losses were becoming a concern. We had to find and kill the German 6+1 observer with the field phone. With no targets left for me to shoot, Dave began requesting that I fire at positions on the dike. Eventually we might actually hit the OBA observer before it was too late!!!

Dave's All-Americans would climb up the dike and go into Close Combat with Dan's 4-3-6's on the reverse slope.

Unbelievably Dan would roll snakes and win the Close Combat.

A look at Dave's penetration towards the dike and exit location on the northeast corner.

And then it happened!!! Unbelievably we found the hex where the German arty observer was hiding and broke him. 

With OBA lifted and no other German threats on the south side of the dike, the way was clear for Dave's Paras to move forward.

With nothing to lose, Dan's 4-3-6's would jump into melee with Dave's Paras.

While Dave found for control of the dike...my boys sent a firestorm into the broken 6+1 German artillery observer ...and oh yeah...we killed the dude. And yes...I was very happy about it!!!

Dave was slowly taking control of the battlefield and moving steadily towards the victory exit location. On the dike itself, a German 4-3-6 was slugging it out with 2 x 7-4-7's.

Yep...Dan rolled his second snake eyes...killing a 7-4-7, creating a 7-0 and then infiltrating back to his original fox hole.

Dan's grenadiers had taken down two 7-4-7's in close combat. They were not going down easily!

Despite his close combat successes, Dan would take serious losses in the exit location. Dave's hard fighting Paras had managed to secure the area and his boys would begin existing for the win. With little chance to stop it and in light of the late hour...Dan gave the concession and Dave and I had the win.

The Germans could only watch as the Allies secured the Nijmegen Bridge.

But the cost...eerily similar to the actual event. Barely half of Dave's boats made the river crossing successfully. We began the scenario with 26 x 7-4-7 squads. 12 of these were killed crossing the river. Two more died upon reaching the shore and two more were lost in close combat at the dike. Only 10 squads survived to head for the exit. 

Wow...what a great night of ASL...waaaay better than last week's butt-whipping that I endured. All three of us played hard, competent ASL. My boys did their job and opened the door for Dan's paras to cross the river and win the game, which Dave did in great style! And Dan just took it to us with an intense defense that very nearly won him the game. No one had to feel bad about his night's ASL.

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The plan did not work.  The over watch fire teams were too powerful.  Even in the smoke the American 50cal HMGs were able to break the river edge units.  The British tanks also never ran out of smoke and were able to smoke both HIP units quickly.  Then moving them was futile.  With both eliminated quickly.  The AA guns were also eliminated and finally the OBA observer was found and eliminated.  The Americans moved across and were able to get past the reverse slope defenses, although they did lose two squads to close combat.  Good shooting by Grumble Jones and steady movement forward by Dave won the day.  This game was more fun than I thought with the Yanks 2 changes really adding to the Americans ability to take losses and still be in play.  The Germans should put the MTR in 16B5 and the observer along the levee in another location.  The reverse slope defense worked well but needs to be concentrated along the eastern half of board 16, from the building east.  Excellent scenario I recommend everyone try it. My thanks to both Dave and Grumble Joes for a fun game!”

And now for Dave's Post-Game Comments:

“I lost half of my boats due to fire and OBA in the water.  About 10-15% of my boats did not even move due to the inexperience of my boat assaulters. Scott did a great job softening the Germans and eliminating them.  He had some great smoke production from his tanks.  After landing most of my troops on turns 4-5 they made a mad dash for the dike and was able to establish enough of a presence by turn seven that the Germans could not reinforce to the north east.  Even though I still had four boats out in the water at the start of turn seven…I think one boat might not have ever made it…I was still able to exit off the east past the dike with the bonus CVP.  There were a couple of disheartening moments when Dan finished a couple of CCs with snakes, eliminating full paratrooper squads.  This is a fun scenario and plays pretty fast considering its size.”

Well that's a wrap on a great 3 player game. My thanks to Dave and Dan for another great night's ASL. Dan and I will be back next Saturday for the playing of BFP-94 To the Last Shell. Can't wait!