Half a Game of Rommel

With my tabletop map half complete, as a grid 6 by 8 x 4" squares I decided on a test game.  The basis would be the German offensive codenamed Operation Lüttich on August 4, 1944.  My game uses the AMS map of the Mortain, but this will be a fictionalised game and not limited to that set terrain.   

The 29th Panzer Division, and 720th Infantry Division, unnoticed by history, will face the 12th US Infantry Division and elements of 17th Armored Division.  At 60 points we are 20 short of the minimum recommended, but with only half the table the Germans struggle to field their minimum of three elements, so here they will have an additional Panzer Grenadier unit, taking them to 60 points but strictly speaking against the force composition rules.

German Forces  (must field a minimum of three elements)

Panzer KG  "Das Rot" (Reinforcements)	Panzer Gren Bn  11pts	Bases 3
	Motorised Inf bn  8	3
	Panzer Bn "B"  12	3
Inf KG  "Die Grün" (Starting Group)	Infantry Bn 7	3
	Infantry Bn 7	3
	Armoured SPA Bn 4	1
Panzer KG "Der Blau"(Reinforcements)	Panzer Gren Bn   8	3
	Total 60 points

US Forces (must field a minimum of two elements)

Armor CC (Reinforcements)	Armoured Inf Bn  9	3
	Tank Bn  10	3
	Field Art  3	1
	Attached Inf Bn  8	3
Inf RCT	Inf Bn  8
(Starting Group)	Inf Bn  8
	Attached Tank Bn  10
	Heavy Art Bn 4
	Total 60 points

Scenario 3 Encounter

The opposing armies have stumbled onto each other with unpredictable results.

Set Up

One player rolls a die. Red rolls even and the US set up their starting force first, concealed. The Germans set up and the US then reveal.

Each side starts with 4 Ops. predictably the Germans win the first turn roll.  

Basic Length: 12 turns.

Static Objective, Trophy Objective, Supply Source, Short Map side setup area.

US places objectives and supply

Germans place objectives and supply

Victory Conditions

When nightfall occurs, if one player holds any three objectives, he wins. Otherwise the game is a draw. Note that in this scenario it is possible for each side to take the other two objectives, resulting in an (unlikely) draw.

Reinforcements

Before setting up, each side is divided his army into two groups, in a way so that one group is not more than four units larger than the other group. One of them the starting group, and the other as the reinforcement group.

In the marker step each turn, the active player rolls two dice and totals their score. If the total is equal to or less than the number of the turn just played, then his reinforcement group has arrived.

Reinforcements may be placed in any square of a side's setup area that has an outside edge.

Terrain

This is a half sized game.  I roll two (not four) dice for the Germans, total 4, and two for the Americans total five.  Nine terrain pieces in total.  

I place one US then a Germans etc...

The German Infantry KG, settled down behind woods and in soft ground.

The American Infantry RCT.  I`m using the mortar bases as my artillery markers.

The first Operations phase passes, and the Americans have initiative.  They play Off road for an anticipated armoured thrust up the left and Carpet Bombing to damage the German line, reducing the units inside by 1.

The Americans plan to protect the supply source on the rear right, and punch the armor up the left flank.

The American armoured move on the left is untipped.  The Infantry pushes forward to the edge of that central terrain belt

But the German Infantry also moves up

And the German reserves come on, with a mix of tank and armoured Infantry.  The Mortar is standing in for field artillery.  I only had two of the early pendraken panthers bit I did have  Jagdpanther so that got added in as part of this unit.

The Germans have left an apparent gap on the flank, and as the American reinforcements refuse to appear I feel I have little choice but to move forward cautiously with the armor, flanking the town.  The focus on this is my mistake because I neglect to move the American Infantry and the Germans will take the terrain position next turn. Meantime the German armour strikes forward, using surprise attack and Recce tactics to hammer the point home.  

This will rank as a tank battle.  The US use a Sherman as lead, the Germans a Panther, with its armour advantage.

Its a big combat, the three Sherman's are 9 strength points but the two Panthers and Panzer grenadiers come in at 13.  More importantly the Germans roll 5 the Americans shooting second only a 3.  The Germans add one for armour advantage and score an impressive five hits, the Americans only two.  The Americans are defeated and reel back worn, but the German lead tank is also worn.  Combat is very attritional it seems.

The Americans suffer 2, 2 and 1 losses on their three tank units.

I road move a German armoured group around the right flank and tactical move the German Infantry up into the central terrain.  

The Germans are in pretty good position here and yet again the American reserve fails to appear.  The Wespe puts some fire down (Adding to the combat) damaging an attacking 117RCT unit and the Field artillery adds into a second.

The Germans attack the end of the American line.  It's not a flank attack but the US reel back.

End game, as a panther, although it's a jagdpanther model, breaks through and road moves into the objectives.

Good game.  The Americans could have fought on but those reinforcements never did arrive.  A brave effort with half the points the Germans had.  

Now on to a full scale game.