Our Saturday Game - Scenario NTX05 - Victory over the Saar

After a week off, Dan Best and I found our way back to the cardboard battlefield. I enjoyed my weekend off. So far this year, I have already played five games, which is awesome...but it was nice to have a weekend free from blogging. Sometimes rest is good. And I must say that I am really enjoying the Illuminating Rounds Youtube videos. Dave and Martin are so good and the content of f their discussions is first rate. I look forward to seeing more of their outstanding work.

It would be my choice to pick the scenario and I would go for something entirely different. I would pick from the North Texas ASL scenario pack - A Fistful of Scenarios. Naturally, anything with Lt. Speirs on it would have to be AWESOME!!! And yes, this pack is pretty awesome! 

Dan had already played a few of these, so I picked NTX05 - Victory over the Saar (designed by Ed Beekman) as it was one of the two in the pack that Dan had not yet played. 

Most of the scenarios in this pack appear to be fast playing, which is one of the things I look for in a scenario. This one would also have fairly small orders of battle for both sides. Sometimes less is more as my Valparaiso University philosophy professor Dr. Klein was found of reminding me. He had a huge influence on my writing and of course on my thinking. My favorite quote from Dr. Klein was "Scott, just what is reasonable for an adult to believe?" I think of those words often in my life. 

This scenario is six turns long and takes place in December 1944 near Saarlautern as the men of the US 95th Infantry Division effected their crossing of the Saar River. 

The Germans are the defender in this scenario and are guarding a bridge, which of course the Americans need to capture before the Germans blow it with a set DC. If the Germans blow any of the bridge, then the US Player has to control three buildings instead of 2 for the win. 

Boards 8 and 20 make up the battlefield and at first glance the scenario looked pretty interesting.

Now if only my dice would cooperate. I had just played the scenario Taking it Back the previous night against my regular St. Louis opponent. both of us had rolled terribly with enough 12's to form a coal train. My frustration with bad rolls had lately started to really grind on me. So we would have to see how tonight went. 

The scenario depicts the actions of the 379th Infantry Regiment of the 95th Infantry Division as they surprised German defenders of the 21st Panzer Division as they guarded a bridge over the Saar. In a Remagen Bridge like moment, the men of the Victory Division has secured a bridge over the Saar and would successfully hold it against powerful counter-attacks. 

A look at the battlefield.

As the defending Germans, Dan would command the men of the 21st Panzer Division. This veteran formation was a shadow of the division that had been at the forefront of Rommel's Afrika Korps and was first to counterattack on June 6th. By the end of 1944, this division had been severely depleted. But it still had fight in it and would remain a thorn in the Allied side throughout the fighting in Lorraine. 

Dan's force would consist of 7 x 4-6-7's, 1 x 8-3-8,  and 4 x 4-4-7's led by a 8-1, 2 x 8-0's,  and 2 x 7-0's with an MMG and 3 x LMG's with a PSW 232 Armored Car for support. Dan's initial force guarding the bridge would only consist of 2 squads with an 8-0 and LMG. So my Americans would have a chance to seize the bridge if I moved fast enough. On Turn 2 - Dan would receive all the rest of his force, which was substantial. 

As the attacking Americans, I would command the men of the 379th Infantry Regiment of the 95th Infantry Division. The 95th Division known as the Victory Division would arrive in Europe in August of 1944 and would gain fame for their actions around Metz. They would be one of the key US Divisions in the fight for Lorraine. The division figures prominently in the movie, Hell is for Heroes with Steve McQueen, Fess Parker and James Coburn. 

My force would consist of 1 x 7-4-7, 6 x 6-6-7's , and 2 x 3-4-7's led by a 9-1, 8-1 and 7-0 with an MMG and 2  BAZ 44's. 

Mobility, firepower and speed would be the most important aspects of my force. Americans are tough up close and if I could get into get positions near the bridge, I felt that I could hold back the German reinforcements.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The Germans must try to defend a bridge crossing and four buildings from the Americans coming through the mist.  In reality the two squads are not going to be able to stop the Americans.  Only slow them down.  First, I will set up the German squads and LMG in building 20S9. This position guards crossing of the gully and can lay a fire lane through the mist.  The mist is KGP style very heavy which makes combat beyond 5 hexes very unlikely.  the Armored car will set up on board 8 to the east so whoever, the Americans send after it is likely mission killed for getting back to the center of the board.  Then the reinforcement groups will attack heavy toward building 8T1 and cross the gully to put a fire base in building 20S9.  This will allow an assault on buildings 20M9 and 20P9.  While the armored car will go to hex 8Q2 and take back control.  Hopefully the mist will allow the Germans to close in and CC will allow German numbers to win the day.  The Germans have 12 squad to the American 8.  An even exchange in CC will give the German a victory.”

Ok the game begins! I planned to put my MMG in position to put a fire lane down the road from I8 to S2. I wanted to have something available to slow down Dan's Turn 2 reinforcements. And the fireland would not be affected by the Very Heavy Mist. (be sure to read up on KGP Very Heavy Mist P8.617). Visibility would be severely limited for both Dan and I as we tried to stop the other guys' troops from walking right on top of us.

 Yeah...this stuff is annoying as the dust storm on Battlefield V's Hammada map...

Turn 1 went good. I managed to take two of the four buildings...but in the process I would be seen and give Dan's boys freedom of movement.

Unless you count my squads...

Turn 2 - I would deploy three squads into half-squads and send them on various movements. One would remain with my 7-0 and MMG to hold keep the fire lane ready to pierce the mist with missiles of doom. I had managed to DM one of the German 4-6-7's, but the other one with the LMG made life miserable for me. They would play a key role in how this game would end.

As my part of Turn 2 ended, I was in control of three building locations and 8Q2, which was the key hex that I had to have at game end. I also had a bazooka team by the river ready to stop Dan's armored car, which was just down the road. Dan's Turn 2 reinforcements were creeping through the mist and ready to launch their counter-attack.

A lot of my defense was riding on this single 3-4-7 with a Bazooka. If the German armored car got past them...I'd be in trouble.

Dan moved his reinforcements into position. My fire lane would do nothing back in the village, Dan's 4-6-7 and LMG continued to make life difficult. I was pinned and unable to enter the final victory location building.

The mist made it nearly impossible to get any decent shots as Dan's boys moved up.

Turn 3 - I finally managed to DM the pesky 4-6-7 with the LMG. I would also break the 8-0, but it was too late. Dan's reinforcements were already in the area.

 Dan's broken boys were able to melt into the mist and I would hear from them again.

 Going into Dan's part of Turn 3 - I had positioned myself to slow him down as much as possible.

I wasn't feeling very good about my chances...

 And for good reason as it would turn out. Dan would seal the game with some good moves. On the far left, he went right at my MMG. I fired point-blank..."12"...yep...pretty much what I do at all the wrong times. So my stack would end up broken and routing away. Then on the far right, the German Armored Car fired up its engine and rolled towards my bazooka team. I waited patiently until it was adjacent and fired....I rolled the dice...."9"...and a swing and a miss. The Armored Car commander grinned down at me and rolled on straight to the Q2 hex at the bridge. Game over...

Turn 4 - My 8-1 and a 6-6-7 try to get at the armored car. The squad is pinned. My 8-1 would go it alone in CC and be gunned down....dead in the street.

 I was holding on the center and had rallied and created an 8-1 officer back on the left flank. This  would be my first time creating an 8-1 from a "2" self-rally. Pretty cool.

 Turn 4 German would bring more in my face moves by Dan's grenadiers. 

 Close combat...everywhere you looked!!!

Yep...pretty much...

Going into Turn 5 - I was still hanging on to the necessary building locations, but I was not  able to threaten the Armored Car.

Snipers had been idle until the end of the game, when the US Sniper managed to pin the German MMG squad and break the LMG squad. Too little too late unfortunately.

Turn 5 - my final moves. I managed to win control in the center, but the Armored Car forced me back again. 22 factors was too much to stand up against.

As my part of Turn 5 ended...I gave the concession and Dan had the win. The Germans had broken my right flank...were pressing me on the left and center and of course controlled the Q2 hex. I simply didn't have what it was going to take to win the game and I didn't relish the thought of watching more of my squads get mowed down on Turn 6. So my congrats to Dan on a great win. The Armored Car sealed the deal when my errant bazooka round failed to connect.

Both Dan and I really liked this scenario. It played fast for us. We were done in just under three hours. It certainly has a lot of options for both sides and I would definitely do some things different with my bazooka teams to ensure a good defense against the armored car. I really messed that up and underestimated the danger posed by the armored car. But despite that, it was a fun game and a scenario that I would play again.

And now for Dan's Post-Game  Comments:

“The plan worked.  The armored car was able to get past the BAZ and get into Q2.  The German infantry were able to take back building 8T1 and 20M9.  Also, thanks to freeing some prisoners the exchange is squads was even at three each.  The game was fun with lots of CC and infantry movement.  The mist makes a big difference.  Allowing units to move in close and minimizing the impact of fire attacks beyond 4 hexes.  The Americans could not get the armored car out of the victory hex and conceded.  My thanks to Grumble Jones for a great game!  Also, my thanks to the North Texas ASL Club for a great scenario.  Look forward to playing others from this pack.”

Dan and I will be back next Saturday for a playing of ASL Scenario 38 - Escape from Derna! 

See you next time from the sands of Libya!