Our Saturday Game - Scenario MM51 Firefight on Weinbourg Ridge

After a week off, Dan Best and I were at it once more for some Saturday ASL. Dan was coming back from a great weekend of ASL at the North Texas Shootout where he went 4-3 over the course of the tournament. I on the other hand, took a nice break from ASL and leveled up on Battlefield V. The new Pacific Theater maps are simply awesome and I've been having a lot of fun fighting up and down Mt. Suribachi. But it was great to be back to playing some ASL. The last couple games have been tough for me. Bad setups and poor dice left me feeling more than a little depressed about ASL. I always want to play my best game, but that isn't always possible. Going into this night's game, I was trying to stay as positive as possible.

It was Dan's turn to pick the scenario and he selected MM51 Firefight on Weinbourg Ridge from the March Madness 2018 Players Pack. Designed by Paul Works, the scenario covers a night action during Operation Nordwind. In this scenario, the men of the 45th Infantry Division - the famed Thunderbirds go head to head with the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord. These two veteran formations would fight hard against one another throughout the campaign and earn each other's respect by the end. 

There are currently no recorded playing's in ROAR or on the ASL Archive. So Dan and I would be the pathfinders for this particular scenario. A third party publication and night scenario probably combine to keep it from getting a lot of playing's. Hopefully, Dan and I can show how good the scenario is and how easy it is to play night scenarios. It's really not to rough once you get the hang of it. You just got to dive right in and play. Making mistakes is no big deal and there's never been a perfect game of ASL played. 

My personal library is well-stocked on books relating details of the fight on Weinbourg Ridge. The Rock of Anzio by Flint Whitlock gives a brief excerpt on it and is otherwise a fantastic book covering the entire history of the 45th Infantry Division during World War II.

Operation Nordwind 1945 is another of Osprey's excellent campaign series books. It's a really great reference for maps and overall look at the campaign.

Seven Days in January is the view from the 6th SS Mountain Division. I picked this up in Tulsa right before moving to Quincy, IL and have yet to read it. But it's moving up on the to read list. I am finishing up Gordon  Rhea's Drive to Petersburg and once that is finished I can que up Seven Days.

The last book is The Liberator by Alex Kershaw which covers the career of Felix Sparks, who spent the war with the 45th Infantry Division. I highly recommend this book and found it to be extremely informative about both Spark's life and the experiences of the 45th. The details around the Anzio fight are particularly interesting and I came away with a new found respect for the suffering endured by the Americans at Anzio. 

In 1985, I drove through this region on the way to Paris from Stuttgart. We didn't stop and see anything World War II related during the drive to Paris and on the way back, we stopped at Verdun, but again nothing specific to World War II. Alsace is a beautiful region and I would love the opportunity to visit again some day.

The scenario covers the actions of two companies of the 6th SS Mountain Division that were moving to interdict US lines of supply and communication. As they moved through the snow covered woods, they bumped into dug-in troops of the 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division. The Germans would ultimately force the Americans to fall back. 

After rolling for sides, I would get to command the men of the 179th Infantry Regiment. The famed Thunderbirds would see action from Sicily to Anzio to Operation Dragoon to Alsace and finally to liberating Dachau. They would be one of Patton's favored divisions in Sicily and had well-earned reputation for performing well under fire. The Division would carry on into the Korean War and it's patch can still be seen on active US personnel today. In World War II, it's men came predominantly from Oklahoma, New Mexico and Colorado. The Museum of the 45th Infantry Division is located in Oklahoma City and is well worth a visit.

The 45th would suffer over 20,000 casualties by the end of World War II. Only the 3rd, 4th and 9th Infantry Divisions would suffer greater casualties. 

My force for the evening would consist of 5 x 6-6-7's and 5 x 6-6-6's led by a 9-1, 8-1 and 7-0 with 2 x MMG's for support. I would be dug in with foxholes to await the German assault. On Turn 3, I would receive 4 x 6-6-7's, and 2 x 6-6-6's led by a 9-1 and 8-0 with an MMG for good measure. Pretty decent force to ambush some SS in the dark, snowy woods.

As the scenario Attacker, Dan would command the men of the 6th SS Mountain Division "NORD". This division would see initial action in the Artic Circle fighting in the Karelian Isthmus with Germany's Finnish Allies. In September 1944, the unit would leave Finland and find itself committed to Alsace-Lorraine. The men of the Black Eidelweiss would fight tenaciously in the Vosges and would receive high praise from the men of the 45th as the toughest German unit they faced.

Dan's force would consist of 7 x 6-5-8's led by a 9-2, 9-1, and 8-1 with an LMG. On Turn 2, another 7 x 6-5-8's led by a 10-2 and 8-1 with an LMG and DC would reinforce the Germans. A very well lead force to go head to head with the Thunderbirds.

I could only hope that they would stray early and often in the dark woods!!!

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“In this night action the Germans must get 14 of 40 EVP off the west board edge.  They enter in two groups one from the south and one from the east.  My plan is to do a board edge creep on the southern board edge.  Using the empty cloaking counters to keep the Americans guessing as to where the Germans are.  The first group will engage the American line and close for CC on the Americans.  The second group will break through and exit.  The 9-2 will stack with three squads and the LMG.  Each other leader will stack with two squads.  In the second group the 10-2 will stack with three squads with the LMG and DC.  The 9-1 will have two squads and two will stay in cloaking and try to infiltrate through the Americans lines using the 6 movement factors you get with cloaking.  The empty cloaking counters will move to the center and north side of the board and try to move around the Americans.  Hopefully the empty cloaking counters will draw off some of the reinforcements.”

Dan's Germans would enter from the south and east boards east of Row J. My defense could extend to Row F. I anticipate that Dan would hit me hard with a Schwerpunkt and gambled that it would come from the south edge. The fanatic counters indicated squads which were HIP. Both my MMG's were set up to hold the south edge. My Turn 3 reinforcements were slated to go to the north is necessary. It would all depend on where Dan's grenadiers moved in the first three turns.

A couple notes about this AAR. I didn't put down Gun Flashes, so you won't see those. I simply used the Prep and First Fire markers as the indicators of gun flashes. Also, I probably won't mention every time Dan or myself rolled for Straying. We did it for every movement except for those squads on a path or trail. I would stay twice during the game and Dan would stray 3-4 times. But no unit strayed far or much out of the action.

Dan's Grenadiers lined up on the south edge. I had guessed correctly. Now I would have to trust to luck as Dan's boys crept towards my line in the dark.

The NORD Grenadiers were confident of success. I'd be confident too if I was 6-5-8 badass!

Dan moved aggressively and hit my line right away. I revealed the HIP 6-6-6 as Dan's 9-2 with 3 squads moved adjacent. I would break one unit. My other 6-6-6 also would fire, but without much affect. At this point in the game we had a NVR of 2. So I could dimly make out the shadowy forms of Dan's advancing Grenadiers.

My first 6-6-6 to DM would also ELR to a 5-4-6. And here would begin the odyssey of the best unit in my force. Trust me...they do some stuff before this AAR is over!!!

They would begin falling back and escape the onrushing Germans. Tough to do with only 1 hex routs. Would they make it..?

Turn 2 - the German reinforcements arrive on the East Board Edge. They would be led by a 10-2. UGH!!!!

Yeah...this dude would be all kinds of trouble for me...

While the NVR was still 2... I would place one fire lane, but with the light woods (grain is light woods by SSR)  in the way, it was a futile effort.

I had managed to throw Dan back, but his boys would rally pretty quickly. Although, his 9-2 in the center would KIA a full squad during a later Rally Phase as Dan rolled back to back "12"'s. Dan would roll an usually high number of "12"'s.

"I tried to motivate them...but my Walther kept going off...it was a terrible accident..."

My one and only Starshell.

Turn 3 - the NVR was now Zero...UGH... Dan and I couldn't see jack in the pitch black. My Turn 3 reinforcements would come on to support in the north and in the south. I didn't yet know that all of Dan's boys in the north were dummy stacks.

With an NVR of zero...Dan's SS Grenadiers were running right up on top of me. I couldn't shoot until they were in my hex. Dan's 10-2 was following up behind after one of Dan's 6-5-8's had jumped into combat with  my 9-1, a 6-6-7 and MMG. And then he did the unthinkable (exept for Dan!!!). He sent a squad into 8 resid to place a DC. Oh yeah...he did it...

"But Herr Hauptmann...our men are in that hex with the Amis!!"

"Do as you are ordered!! Place the DC...JETZT!!!!"

The DC would kill everyone in the hex. Problem solved...Germans advanced forward...

Following the massive blast to the south, Dan's Grenadiers moved into close combat all along my  line. This would include my intrepid 5-4-6 squad that had miraculously escaped and self-rallied...only to find themselves in Close Combat with SS dudes!!!

Dan was betting on success in Close Combat. This Close Combat could break my entire forward line.

Now...a couple of awful events would happen after the close combat. Dan would generally prevail in the previous CC except against my 5-4-6, which managed to hang on in Melee.

Now beginning on Turn 2, the Americans by SSR get to place two 80mm Spotting Rounds, which are checked for error and then resolved. I would use this three times. The first time, both rounds landed on my boys and would pin my squads (Turn 2). Then on Turn 3, both would miss and land in empty hexes. But then in Turn 4 - total and complete disaster. I would land on my reinforcing 9-1 with two squads and an MMG. I roll for effect...SNAKE EYES...of course I would roll snake eyes on my own boys...(I hate this game!!!).  Everybody died and a piece of my ASL heart died with them!!

"Cease fire...cease fire...you're killing Americans!!!" 

This event would put in me in a bit of a funk...

After that disaster, Dan's 10-2 would fire a star shell, which would illuminate my boys on the far south board edge. One squad would be broken.

The exit zone was now in sight. The NVR had returned to 1 and then right away went back to zero.

The men of NORD were still in position to win the game. Despite the heavy losses both sides had suffered, Dan still had enough to win.

Dan had opened the door on the south. I sent squads down that way, but Dan's heavy fire would wipe them out. I ran my boys into the fight. I had to stop Dan's grenadiers.

My Turn 6 run would set me up to make a last ditch stand. But wait a minute...I bet you missed that my intrepid 5-4-6 had won its Melee finally and even now were racing into Close Combat with a German 9-1 and two 3-4-8's. Crazy Talk...but had to do it.

The deciding moment of the game had arrived!!

My 5-4-6 would get the ambush and win the close combat. With the deaths of the German officer and another full squad, the math would  now go against Dan's chance to win. His remaining units did not have enough points to win the game. With that Dan offered the concession and our exhausting night fight was over.

I was mentally drained and hadn't been enjoying myself through most of the game. I hadn't recovered from blowing up my own boys and the bloody in your face fight for 6 turns had just worn me down. I was not my jovial self.  I was super surprised to emerge with the win in this game. Dan's SS Grenadiers had fought hard and rocked me back on my heels for 6 turns. It was simply the luck of some Close Combat dice rolls that ultimately decided this game.

For his part, Dan was as aggressive as ever and kept taking the fight right to me. He never gave me a moment's rest in this game. The only move he made that he might have played differently would be the decision to use the DC. With his 10-2 next door, Dan probably could have just eliminated me in close combat...although nothing is a given...especially when you are rolling dice. So hindsight is always 20/20. Dan had me on the ropes at the end and except for the miracle close combat win of my 5-4-6 would probably have won the game. It was just that close.

So if you are looking for good night battle...this is the scenario. It plays fast and gives both players enough resources to overcome any early errors or if you happen to blow up your own squads...which of course I do not recommend!! My thanks to Dan for a great night of ASL. This scenario was just classic ASL...with in your face combat and unpredictable results, which is what ASL is all about!

The sun would rise to reveal that the Thunderbirds had held the line!

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The plan did not work.  Grumble Jones correctly guessed my Schwerpunkt on the south side and had HIP units with MMGs waiting.  The Germans could not withstand the point blank fire and did not completely break through.  Even when the NVR decreased to 0, the Americans made good use of illumination and kept the Germans from moving fast.  Several key CCs caused too many German casualties and in the end the Americans were able to prevent enough Germans from exiting.  Excellent game by Grumble Jones!  The scenario was fast playing and very bloody with both sides losing over half their forces.  This is a great night action.  My thanks to Grumble Jones for a fun game and congrats on a well-played win!”

Dan and I post game..."Dan I can't believe you killed everyone with that DC.", "What about you...dropping a snake eyes mortar shot on one of your own stacks!!!"

Dan and I will be back next Saturday for a playing of ASL Scenario AP142 The Closer. 

We will see you then!!!