Our Friday Game - ASL Scenario U35 Semper Paratus

After an awesome of April of ASL, Dan Best and I decided to kick off May 1st with a Friday game! It was my choice to pick the scenario and I picked a 4 turn scenario from the Rivers to the Reich pack. It was a long week of work compounded by five times a day cleanings of surfaces with bleach. My clothes are now pea-dot camouflaged by splashes of bleach. Trust me when I say not to wear blue pants when using bleach...not a good idea. Dan was equally tired after his long week, so a short game was ideal for tonight. I did think about not blogging it, but this is a scenario that would be a great primer for anyone who has not played a game with bunkers. This scenario allows you the chance to play with bunkers in a well-contained scenario. So I thought blogging it was worth the time. It will be short tonight as the game only lasted 2-1/2 turns. But short isn't always bad.

The Rivers to the Reich pack contains 15 scenarios. Tonight's scenario would be the first one I have played specifically from this pack. 

This scenario was adapted by Jim Stahler and takes place in Holland in September of 1944. The scenario depicts the action of Canadian infantry assaulting a German bunker line. 

ROAR has this scenario with 8 German and 14 Canadians wins. The ASL Archive has it with 2 German and 7 Canadian wins. Yep, this one seems to favor the Canadians. This actually surprised me. I would have expected the bunkers to be very tough to take down. As I would shortly discover, this assumption was quite incorrect.

The short turn length also would seems to favor the Germans if they just hunkered down in their concrete bastions. Once again, my assumption would be incorrect. Fortunately, I would be the Canadians.

The Canadians would find hard fighting in Western and Northwestern Europe. From the disaster at Dieppe to the bloodletting at Caen to the Reichswald, the  Canadians did not have an easy go of it in the Second World War. And this of course leaves out the hard fighting at Ortona, Italy, where Canadian arms fought another difficult campaign.

Board 10 would the scene of tonight's action. I've never been fan of this board. I can't tell you why...but for whatever reason, I'm blah on this particular board. I rarely, if ever use it in my own designs and just don't particularly like playing on it.

This scenario would place the Canadians within easy striking range of the German bunker line. With only 4 turns to get in and take down 5 Bunkers....you could not afford to spend a valuable turn just getting up the fighting.

The SSR's would be important. The bunkers cannot setup HIP and the Canadians can choose to have 5 squads enter on turn 1 from either the east or west board edge. This would be a significant Canadian advantage. 

Bunkers, while strong, have LOS limitations, which I would successfully exploit during the game.

As the attacking Canadians, I would command the men of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment. My force would consist of 10 x 4-5-8's and a 2-2-8 led by a 9-2, 9-1 and 8-0 with an HMG, LMG and 51 MTR. I would also have a captured German 75L AT Gun. This gun would serve me well.

As the defending Germans, Dan would command the men of the 857th Grenadier Regiment, 346th Infantry Division. This force would consist of 5 x 4-4-7's and 2 x 4-3-6's led by an 8-1 and 8-0 with an HMG and 2 x LMG's with 5 bunkers for protection. With an ELR of 2, Dan's force would be extremely brittle.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The Germans will set up the Pillboxes in a mutually supporting cluster.  The will use the pond to cover on flank.  The 8-1 squad and HMG will be in the 1+5+7 in I5 with a CA of J4/J5.  A squad and light will be in each 1+3+5 in I6 with a CA of H6 and H5 and J5 with a CA of I5 and I5. The 8-0 will be in I6 pillbox.  Finally each 2+3+5 will have a 4-4-7 and 4-3-6 with one in J4 with a CA of I4 and J3 and the other in I7 with a CA of H7 and I8.  Hopefully the mutually supporting fire can keep the British out for a few turns and the Germans can hold out in CC.”

Dan's bunker complex. The primary bunker contained the German 8-1 and HMG. There was no approach that wasn't covered by German fire. I had to find a way to blind the Germans....smoke would be the answer.

By SSR I could choose to bring in 5 squads on Turn 1 on the east or west edge. I chose the west edge.

I would successfully create smoke with my captured 75L AT Gun. This would be a hugely important move. My mortar would not be quite as successful and a boxcars would knock it out on Turn 1....who doesn't love the Turn 1 boxcars!?!

In movement phase, I jumped forward. My boys from the west would avoid enemy fire. My 9-2 would survive a fire lane from the German HMG. I had on half-squad broken. I could not have asked for a better Turn 1 movement phase.

My boys had closed the gap and could now move onto the bunkers.

 Turn 1 would set up my Turn 2 assault on the bunkers.

Turn 2 - Dan's HMG takes down the broken 2-4-8 and then a squad emerges from a bunker and goes into CC with my CX 4-5-8.

 Turn 2 - my boys make their assault on the bunkers. I had managed to break Dan's grenadiers in the I7 bunker. Despite being broken it would take two Close Combat Phases to seal the deal.

 Turn 2 Close Combat was fully engaged!

 I would manage to secure two bunkers.

 Turn 3 - the final CC with Dan's now broken 8-1and pinned 4-4-7. 

"Hans..." "Ja, Dieter..." "Das Ende kommt…"

Turn 3 Close Combat would end with all the Germans eliminated and the bunkers all in Canadian control. It was game over and a Canadian victor.

The scenario played very quickly and luck was with my Canadians. My AT Gun had managed to lay the all important smoke and it would be his 2 factor AP hit that broke the German 8-1 and pinned the 4-4-7. This would ensure their deaths in Close Combat.

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The plan did not work.  The British had a good smoke placement and were able to move up on the pillboxes despite the fire lane.  The flanking force took no casualties.  The British closed into CC and cleared the pillboxes fast.  By turn 3 it was over with the Germans wiped out.  Excellent bold attack by Grumble Jones!  Congrats on a well deserved victory.”

My thanks to Dan for playing on short notice and for a great game! 

So that's it for Friday...it's now Saturday and in a few hours, Dan and I will be back for a playing of ASL Scenario 41 - A Bridgehead too Wet. Back to the desert baby!!! 

See you in a few!