Our Saturday Game - ASL Scenario 41 A Bridgehead too Wet

Well as promised...Dan and I are back after s great Friday evening of ASL. Tonight's scenario would be Dan's turn to pick. As you may recall, Dan has been on a mission to complete the West of Alamein Scenarios. I was also interested in completing them. It's still hard to believe that I am only now playing many of them since owning WoA for decades now...(although truth be told...this is not an uncommon ASL problem as I have yet to play Festung Budapest, Corregidor, or my Kampfgruppe Peiper 1).  But....there were reasons why I never played the WoA scenarios. Not good ones mind you...but excuses nonetheless.

So what pray tell may be an excuse for not playing the WoA scenarios. Let's start with weather....have you noticed that the desert never seems to be sunny and clear?? I have!! It's either dusty, lighly dusty...heavy dusty or impossibly super duper dusty....so dusty...it's night or the sun's glare is blinding you...so much Desert joy...

Or like today's scenario...it's raining...yeah desert rains...and oh boy won't that be fun. Oh please take me back to the Russian front with it's high skies and puffy white clouds scudding silently over the cardboard devastation below.

I just want to be able to SEEE the enemy without modifiers out the ying yang.

Should I carry on...why not...let's talk about turn length...6 turns is my sweet spot. Once you head into the 7's...I'm wearing out. But tonight's bad boy is 10 Turns long. Avalon Hill liked the big, long scenarios back in the day. Maybe this was all a tactic to wear you  out playing the few scenarios that were available in those early days of ASL!!! 

Now I won't complain about overlays....because this scenario...thank the desert gods has no...nada...zero overlays. Thank you...thank you...thank you.

As I sit here under the rays of a the Saharan Sun...I now know without reservation....that I will be happy to leave the desert sands. I think I have a touch of sun stroke...what do you think!?!

"Ok...okay...I'm done ranting about West of Alamein Scenarios..."

A look at today's battle space. Looks a little deserty...

Yep...it's a desert...

This scenario covers the actions west of the Wadi Zigzaou in Tunisia in March of 1943. In this action, the British had crossed into the wadi, but recent rains had turned it into a morass and the initial British force of infantry and Valentine tanks found themselves all alone as supporting units were unable to follow. Seeing an opportunity, the Germans launched the 15th Panzergrenadier Divison into a counter-attack to wipe out the British bridgehead.

ROAR currently has this scenario with 32 German and 27 British wins. The ASL Archive has it with 3 British and 0 German wins. ROAR shows it slightly pro-German and the ASL Archive shows it pro-British. By SSR there is bombardment and I imagine the result of the bombardment plays a significant role in how the scenario ultimately plays out.

The Germans win immediately by occupying/controlling 7 of the 10 British trenches and provided that they have amassed more DVP than the British.

After rolling for sides...yes you guessed it...I'm the British...again...I think I have been the British in almost all of our desert scenarios. As the scenario defender, I would command the men of he 9th Durham Light Infantry and the 50th Battalion of the Royal Tank Regiment. My force would consist of 5 x 4-5-8's, 9 x 4-5-7's and 6 x 2-4-8's led by a 9-1, 8-1, and 2 x 8-0's with an HMG, 2 x MMG's, 6 x LMG's, 4 x ATR's and 3 x 51 MTR's. Additionally, I would have 10 trench hexes and 7 x Valentine Tanks.

As the attacking Germans, Dan would once again don his Erwin Rommel hat and goggles and command the men of the Grenadier Regiment 118 and the Panzer Regiment 8. This force would consist of 8 x 4-6-8's, 12 x 4-6-7's and 2 x 2-4-8's, led by a 9-1, 2 x 8-1's, 2 x 8-0's, and a 7-0 with 2 x MMG's, and 8 x LMG's with 7 Half-tracks and 5 Tanks with a 9-1 Armor Leader.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The Germans must attack across the desert and capture 7 trenches, plus have a positive CVP balance in DVP.  It is raining and that will help in crossing the open ground.  But mostly the Germans have time.  This game is 10 turns.  The Germans can afford to be methodical.  The plan is for the Germans to enter on the north board in a Schwerpunkt, cross board 27 and assault the trenches there.  Then turn south and capture the trenches on boards 26 and 28.  While the armor engages and destroys the British tanks.  The 9-1 armored leader will be in the Pz IV H armored assaulting with the 9-1 three 4-6-8 squads a MMG and LMG.  These will enter in 27J0 do a board edge creep along the north edge.  Followed by an 8-1 three 4-6-8 squads a MMG and LMG armored assaulting with a Pz III L from 27I10.  The German will spread out to make OBA less of a target.  Then an 8-1 two 4-6-8 squads with two LMG and two 2-4-8 HS will enter with a Pz IV F2 in 27 H0.   An 8-0 with three 4-6-7 squads two LMGs and the Pz III J will enter 27G1.  An 8-0 with three 4-6-7 squads and two LMG will enter with a PZ IV F2 in 27F0.  The 7-0 with three 4-6-7 squads will armor assault with the SPW251/10 from 27E1.  The other halftracks will enter along the A row of Board 27 each with a 2-4-7 HS inside although one will have a 4-6-7.  These will try to get behind the British positions to cut route paths.  Hopefully the Germans can win the tank battle early and not lose too many halftracks to tank fire.”

The Grumble Jones staff photographers would be embedded with the Germans today.

So...there I was in the desert again...with the British again...about to be overrun by Rommel's Afrika Korps. And another desperate defense was called for. The Germans can enter from three sides. I had to set up on the eastern half of the battle space.

OH and guess WHAT!!! Yeah...I get to survive pre-game bombardment...MY FAVORITE! And thank goodness, aside from a pin and a break, I came out looking good and none of my tanks were injured...not that this would matter...but still I was pretty happy with that outcome.

My pre-game advisors...I consulted them about how best to defend. Their final advice..."Concede...concede immediately"

Gee,  thanks guys...not the kind of advice I was expecting...

Ahhh...now we see Dan's attack plan...is that a Schwerpunkt or are you just happy to be playing ASL!?!

"Send in the SCHWERPUNKT!!!"

Dan would win the scenario by taking 7 trench locations and having more Desert Victory Points (DVP) than my British. His plan appeared to be aimed at crushing me with superior numbers from my right to my left.

As the game began, there was Rain, so at every 6 hexes we were looking at adding a +1 on our to hit rolls.





Turn 1 - the Schwerpunkt lurches forward. His infantry were armor assaulting and in big stacks. I had 70mm OBA and was itching to drop it on the Schwerpunkt!!!

"Here they come lads...lets give'em a proper Durham Light Infantry welcome!"

My Valentines would fire, but range, rain and movement modifiers contributed to make a lot of misses. Dan's Schwerpunkt would not be troubled by my defensive fire.

 Dan would have 100mm OBA and he put it to good use throughout the scenario.

I would finally drop my OBA on the Schwerpunkt. It would be accurate and I had a buffet of targets. This could be a game winning moment...but it wasn't to be. In ASL the dice determine your fate...so I started rolling...11,11, 10, 9...oh and finally a 7. When it was over, Dan had a broken squad. I was cursing silently and tossing dice like a chimp in a cage. I really hate this kind of stuff. When you are presented with opportunity in ASL...you have to seize it and ya gotta bale some hay. You might not get another shot. So watching my OBA just completely fail, really messed with my personal ELR.

Pretty much...now help me forget what just happened!!

The Schwerpunkt just kept rolling along!

Oh, I almost forgot...time for a weather service update!!

Yep, my Turn 1 wind change DR would cause Heavy Rain...oh joy...

 

Turn 2- Dan's assault reaches the first trench line. At this point in the game, I had three Tanks destroyed, one immobilized and abandoned and three left on my left flank. Dan's Turn 2 attack would see the Hammada immobilize two of his half-tracks and my OBA had immobilized one of his Mark III's. This did little to slow down Dan's advance.

Dan wouldn't be the only one to roll some 12's. I would MALF the gun on one of my three remaining Valentines. I was down to two functioning tanks.

Dan would lose his 81 MTR half-track to my OBA. This would be the most important success of my OBA.

I kept my OBA up until Turn 3,when I failed to get Battery Access. Dan would also fail on Turn 3. Dan had driven a half-track right up to my second trench line, and I managed to take it down in close combat.

My MALF'd Valentine would destroy his MA in Rally and be Recalled. Two tanks left for the British.

Turn 3- Dan succeeds in taking down the first two trench locations. Oddly, Dan and I together had created 3 Heroic Leaders. We were also both exhausted. Each turn was taking over an hour to complete.

Dan had control of two trenches and was bearing down on two more. I had managed to DM a stack of Germans with a lucky shot and also taken down another half-track.

My boys were hanging in there, but the weight of German armor and infantry was taking its toll.

So, as the night wore on and about four hours into the game, Dan had two of the 7 trenches needed for victory. His DVP was in good shape as he had taken down enough of my tanks and infantry to put him over the top. I was getting a bit here and there by taking down some half-tracks and a half-squad here and there.

Turn 4 - Dan's assault continues. My second trench line was overwhelmed as Dan began to hit the third trench line. One of my two remaining tanks would be immobilized but was still in the fight. I told Dan at this point, that if he could complete the capture of  4 trench hexes and eliminate my tanks...well then I would offer the concession. We were both worn out from playing this one and wanted it to be over...but like Grant and Lee at Cold Harbor...neither of us was ready to admit defeat.

Dan had plenty of time left in the game with six turns available to him. But I also felt like I could hang on to my six remaining trenches and deny the Germans a win. Ya gotta believe...right!?!

And then things got weird...my last functioning Valentine started rolling back to back snake eyes. And just  like that the last of Dan's mobile Half-tracks were burning wrecks. Ahhh...but the moment was short lived as one of the MK III's turned my Valentine into a burning wreck also.

They did great...and then they were gone...

OK...moving into Turn 5, Dan had four trenches and had destroyed or immobilized all my tanks. He still had four tanks and plenty of squads. Sooo….as it was after 11:00 PM and we'd been playing for six hours...I gave the concession and congratulated Dan on a great win. It has been a really exhausting night of ASL. And while it's always fun to play...it was a bit laborious tonight. Kinda like those old table top Napoleonic games where everybody has too many stands of infantry and you spend all night just rolling the casualty dice as the lines endlessly trade fire.

It's now officially over...

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The plan worked.  However, the scenario was long and grueling, taking 6 hours to play 4 turns.  The Germans were aided by the rain turning heavy in turn 2.  The British got one FFE of OBA well placed and knocked out the 81mm halftrack and immobilized the Pz III L.  But did little against the infantry.  By the end of turn 4 the British tanks were knocked out and four trenches captured.  Although the Germans had lost all halftracks except the SPW 251/10 which was immobilized by hammada.  The Pz III L was also immobilized but the other four German tanks were sill mobile and in the fight.  With six turns to go and four German tanks the British conceded.  There was much grueling combat ahead with both sides still able to use OBA.  I agree with Grumble Jones the environmental conditions in the DTO makes the difference and also makes play tedious.  With many missed shots and ineffective fire it makes for a long and grueling game play. My thanks to Grumble Jones for playing through another WOA scenario with me.  Even grueling ASL is fun when playing with Grumble Jones!”

My thanks to Dan for another epic Saturday Game...

but I'd sure like to leave the Desert for a bit...

Dan and I will return next Saturday for a playing of Heat of Battle Scenario 

NQNG-2 The Precious Price of Time. 

We are headed to NORMANDY...oh thank you...thank you!!!