Paul’s Germans defeated Josh’s Brits on July 9, 2011.
Bocage country – don’t you just love it? This scenario pits 9 first line and 2 elite British squads, along with 5 Sherman tanks and some OBA, against 9 fearsome German 8-3-8s in a battle to either capture two of three stone buildings, or exit 24 VP in a 5.5 turn humdinger. The Germans get two flamethrowers, too!
Josh got the scenario off to a good start by drawing a red card for OBA. Since he was British with SSR given pre-reg hex and plentiful ammo, the odds were 3 in 13 of drawing a red card. He obliged me by drawing another red card the next turn. Bye bye OBA! Josh was not happy. Surprisingly for such a short scenario, this one took a while to really get going. Josh left one of the victory buildings unoccupied at the start, but that building was a bit of the poison pill as he had his kill stack (two squads and a LMG) perched in a steeple, and one of his Shermans trained on the building. The floor of that building was knee deep in German hamburger by the end of the match. Two Shermans met their doom via Panzerfaust, and another one died of an overdose of flamethrower.
The Germans needed about four turns to get into position for the big push to the second building, while trying to leave enough troops to defend the first. A notable event: German point blank FT attack via second stone building, 24 flat. I roll a 4 MC result vs his 9-1 and two squads. Not only do the leader and first squad shrug off the attack, but the other squad battle hardens to add insult to injury! But in the way of this stupid game, a much more modest 1 MC result from a subsequent attack sent them all (even the fanatic squad) scurrying out of the building.
German turn 4 introduced the German reinforcements, three MORE 8-3-8s, three half-tracks, and an 8-1 leader. This gang has 23 VP and enough movement to get off the map if unopposed, which would almost complete the exit victory requirement. But at this point, the Brits still held the roads, so I elected to enter two of the squads on foot, one in Half squad format and one sent, with the leader, sprinting to take part in the assault in the second British building. The half squads flanked a tank that was bugging me near the board edge, and a successful PF check sent that Limey the long way to the big Tipperary in the sky. The halftracks seemed a bit useless now, so I charged them BU into the enemy rear area. One HT got killed directly between the first building and the forces attacking it, which was a small relief for the beleagured German forces defending it. One HT caught two british squads in the road and conducted an overrun, resulting in the lucky breaking of one squad. The third halftrack lurked out of sight near the exit board edge, and its crew spent the rest of the scenario playing Pinocle, or perhaps Parcheesi.
Josh’s final turn saw the British launching an all-out counterattack, abandoning their strong position and running through a gully to retake the first German building. They were met with highly lackluster German fire, and captured the building in CC. That was when the squad I had been working into the British back area woke up with a start, said “Feets don’t fail me now!” or the Teutonic equivalent thereof, and sprinted into the former British building left empty in the counterattack, for the win.
All in all a fun scenario, although highly frustrating terrain for tanks. Josh played well but the dice were all over the place for both players. I think my leaders received about three wounds each from the British sniper. Of course, I may have dreamt all this. I didn’t get to Josh’s house until 10 pm, and we wrapped up about 4 am.