Nigel and I vs Brad and Kent. Each player ran an 1100pt company.
Nigel
2x M4
Shermans
4x M4
Shermans
4x 76mm
Shermans
4x recon
teams (including bazooka)
Me
2x
reduced strength armoured rifles platoons
2x
(attached) 57mm AT guns
4x
hellcats (CT)
3x
priests + observer Sherman.
Kent took his Panzer Lehr mechanised infantry:
HQ + 2x tank hunters
2x full armoured PG platoons
2x 88s
3x werfers
Brad ran a Lehr panzer company
2x Panzer IVs
4x panzer IVs
3x panthers
We played surrounded to test the closing of the gap- the
German reserves representing the forces escaping the pocket to safety. As with
all our doubles games we played on a 6x5 table and added an extra objective to
defend.
We played that each side deployed one company the second
company came on as reserves (or delayed reserves). As it was closing the gap
the Americans got to attack.
Deployment
And from the German perspective.
The panzerwerfers knock out a priest on turn 1.
The observer Sherman double timed and fell victim to a tank hunter team on turn 2.
Turn 2- a platoon of shermans and the company HQ arrive. The 'shrek team nearest managed to survive for the enxt 3-4 turns thanks to some incredible rolls for saves from Kent.
The Panzer grenadiers defend the forest.
The securiity section is noced out on turn 3 forcing the hellcats to deploy.
No sign of any German armour but now all the American armour is on table- vs 2x 88s.
On the right side of the board the other panzer grenadiers hold their positions.
Now with the US armour on table I mount up some of my infantry and advance.
The 88s and werfers have been knocked out and there is little between our armour and the objectives.
The infantry advance continues.
At last the Panzers arrive and take potshots at the trained hellcat, killing one and bailing the other.
To distract the panthers I sacrifice the hellcats. I bog one and manage to fail my firepower test, only bailing a panther.
But at the other en of the table things are looking grim for Kent.
The infantry, scared of the firepower of the US half tracks remain dug in- which suits me fine.
Having delat with the US covering force the panzers advance. Will they be in time?
Raus! Raus! The panzers roll forward to assist, can they keep the pocket open?
Some good shooting sees another Sherman brewed up by the panzer IVs.
Kent launches a last ditch attack. He bails three Shermans with shreks but alas the combined firepower of the half tracks and remaining Sherman pins the assault, handing the win to the Americans.
Result: Victory to the US. The Germans were stretched quite thin and the US reserves were able to exploit the gaps in the line. I'm not sure if the third objective is a good idea in this one, it might have made it a tad hard to defend but Kent and Brad didn't think it was unfair so we will see. We'll try it again with only 2 objectives soon.
Craig
Good report Craig, and some interesting variation to the mission with reserves and a bigger table. I really like the sound of a 6x5 table, it must open up more tactical options.
ReplyDeleteYes, it has a lot more room for manoeuvring. Objective zones need to remain close to the centre line though.
ReplyDeleteOops- the mission was Cauldron :). We made one company be on table, the other in reserve. Which led to an interesting dilemma with company HQ, we decided the HQ could come of for free with the first reserve unit