Here are the forces lists for this battle.
Germans Forces
Headquarters
FHQ in Kubelwagen 23 3-r sen officer, arty spotter
Comms Relay Team 13 0-i comms
‘To the last Bullet’ 15 D6
Infantry
1 Volkssturm Platoon 90 5-i officer, mortar spotter
+3 pzfaust
+ HMG Team
1 Fallshirmjager Platoon 147 14-v Atypical, vets, officer, mortar spotter
+4 Pzfausts
+3 MG-42s
2 Pzschreck teams 46 2-v
HMG-42 team 20 1-v
1 Armoured Recce Infantry Platoon (reg) 197 15-r officer, scout 2,
4 x Pzfausts, 4 x MG-42s
(only 4 SdKfz 250/1 half tracks left)
2 HY Tank Hunter Teams 104 8-e elite, 2restricted
(6 men, 5 pzfausts each)
Armour
Panzer IV (H) Platoon (3) 160 9-v officer, mortar spotter, vets
1 x Panzer V Panther Platoon (2) 188 6-i officer, inexperienced
2 x StuG III Gs 90 6-r
Artillery
FO Team 16 1-r arty spotter+
2 81mm mortars (on-table) 48 2-i as battery
1 x 150mm Nebelwerfer + RSO tow 58 2-r
Reconnaissance
1 Sniper 10 1-v sniper-scout
Engineers
FJ Pioneer squad + flamethrower 52 3-v restricted
Logistics
1 Resupply truck 8 1-i
1 Forward Aid Post 20 5-i restricted
Specialist Units
20mm Flak on medium truck 16 1-r
20mm flak gun + Kettenkrad tow 30 1-r
1 Marder III H 34 1-r
1 x Brummbar 64 4-r
Additional Fire Support
2 x 3rd Priority Requests 10 0 5+
4 x Counter battery fire missions 40 0 5+
Remaining Defences
2 x Improvised Barricades 10 0 4+ cover
10” of barbed wire 10 0
3 x Fortified Buildings 60 0 3+ cover
2 x Booby-Trapped Buildings 50 0
1 x Timed Demolition 20 0
1 x Tunnels 30 0
2 x Cellar Shelters 20 0 2+ vs IDF
Totals: 1699 points 91+D6 BR 6 officers, 3 scouts
German Defence Plan
My situation looked bad, but hey, this is Germany 1945, in never looks good. My plan was simple, I assigned each of three infantry platoons a job and area of the battlefield, dished out some support in tanks etc, and gave them orders to hold as long as they could, especially at the objectives. I’d use the armour in a cat-and-mouse style, trying to take shots and move rather than getting into a stand-up fight with all his tanks. With ambush fire, I hoped to get the drop on him and inflict some serious losses early.
The town would be divided into three, the ‘frontline’ western end of town would be the panzer grenadiers and Hitler Youth, including holding the Rathaus objective. The north, towards the ‘rear’, would be the Fallshirmjager’s area, holding that end of town and the Gasthaus objective. The Volkssturm had the ‘south’ and the bridge, with one squad well forwards at the outlying farm, a forlorn hope, but hopefully they bag a tank with their ‘faust in ambush.
One Hitler Youth squad was down in the tunnels (sewers) ready to pop-up in turn 6, by then I expected the US would be on the edge of town. I fortified 3 buildings, both objectives and the taller clock tower with its good line’s of sight. 2 buildings on the edge of town were booby-trapped, and a third as set to be demolished on turn 4 (in the end it failed to go off - must have been set by the Volkssturm).
US Forces
from entry 1 - Task Force James
Aerial Observer Piper Cub 71 3 officer, arty spotter+
1 M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo (75mm) 66 3 restricted
M4 Tank Platoon (3) (all 75mm) 140 9 officer, arty spotter
Armoured Infantry Platoon 1 (mounted) 160 19 officer, arty spotter
(reduced strength, -4 men)
(in 4 M3 Half tracks)
Totals 437 34 BR 3 officers
from entry 2 - Task Force McLynn (recce group)
1 M8 Armoured Car 26 1 scout, mortar spotter
2 Recce MG Jeeps 48 2 scout 2, mortar spotter
(each with 3 men)
1 M5 Light Tank 30 2
1 M36 JacksonTank Destroyer 46 2
Totals 150 7 BR 0 officers, 3 scouts
from entry 3 - Task Force Hallas
Armoured Infantry Platoon 5 136 15 officer, arty spotter
(dismounted)
M4 Tank Platoon (4) 198 12 officer, arty spotter
(2 x 76mm, 2 x 75mm)
Sherman Calliope Battery (2) 172 6 restricted
Resupply Truck 8 1 resupply
1 M12 155m SP Gun 52 2 unique
Totals 566 36 BR 2 officers
from entry 4 - support elements of Task Force Edgar Support
M7 Priest Battery (3) 110 6
2 Resupply Trucks 16 -
Sherman ARV 22 1
FHQ in M3 Half Track 29 3 senior officer, arty spotter
Totals 177 10 BR 1 officer
from entry 5 - combat elements of Task Force Edgar
Armoured Infantry Platoon 4 136 15 officer, arty spotter
(dismounted)
M4 Tank Platoon (3) (1 76mm) 144 9 officer, arty spotter
2 x M26 Pershing Hvy Tanks 144 8
2 x M36 Jackson Tank Destroyers 92 4
comms relay team 13 0 comms
Totals 561 36 BR 2 officers
Available Off-Table Artillery Support
2 81mm mortars 54 0
2 105mm guns 90 0
1 Timed 155mm artillery strike 20 0 4 guns
1 Timed P-47 air strike 10 0 4 small bombs
2065 points 123 BR 8 officers 3 scouts
The US approaches
I’ll deal with the game in the five US deployment areas.
1. Task Force James
Tanks leading, and Jumbo at the font, the armour began to blast away at town from range, only cautiously edging forwards, lacking infantry support. They machine gunned and HE’d the forlorn hope Volkssturm squad out of the grey farm, wiping them out, the Volkssturm having missed their ambush fire ‘faust chance by failing to spot… obviously they just weren’t ready… the mounted US armoured infantry then raced on and all, the entire platoon, dismounted into the farm buildings, to find one booby-trapped, and lose a man. They ran smack into the next Volkssturm squad in the orchard beyond, supported by their old HMG, and a fierce firefight saw both sides take losses and the surviving Volkssturm, again wasting their panzerfaust with a miss against the Jumbo, pullback into town. Then the German mortars rained in, and more MG fire stalled the US platoon, who hugged the building’s cover and got no further. Sending their two .30cal MG teams into the orchard, both where lost to return fire from the buildings, and that was it, the platoon just stalled there, to weak now to press into the town.
The Sherman Jumbo did press on, and reached the edge of town, having survived another ‘faust hit and 2 StuG impacts as well, only to become immobilised by the next StuG round as it took it’s track off, and the crew abandoned it… that saw James’ men stuck, with no more progress, even after the M12 levelled the ‘Beirkeller’ ahead of them and wiped out the teenage Hitler Youth hiding in the basement. Seeing the writing on the wall of other buildings, the Germans pulled back out of them into the town centre.
Spotter buzzing over town... and attracting 20mm flak fire.
Jumbo leads the way, reaches the orchard, where the Volkssturm misses it!
James's armoured infantry rush the grey farm
StuG scores a hit and kill at range, first Sherman lost!
The town square gets busy as the supply ruck arrives, StuG withdrawing with empty bins.
Flak finds it's mark... Piper Cub down!
2. Task Force McLynn
A bad day in this side show on the far side of the lake. The light recce force entered the table, M5 and M8 leading, only to fall directed into the sights of a waiting Marder across the lakes. 2 shots, 2 hits and both were smoking wrecks… ouch! The M36 Jackson behind returned fire and missed, before taking refuge in the trees. Unwilling to commit the recce jeeps (chits waiting to happen), and with no other aid, the Jackson made a rash lone dash for the bridge objective, got there, but was pinned by MG fire from the buildings. A sitting duck now, and a Pz IV rounded the corner and with a single AP shell dispatched it. The recce jeeps arrived (last?) and seeing a hopeless situation also took to the woods, lurking there trying to get some mortars firing on the bridge when the US had the spare orders. The Germans didn’t pursue them, as long as they stayed quiet. Even if the Germans did send some troops to root them out, they would quickly withdraw off table to save the chits… still the far side of the lake was firmly in German hands.
The bridge objective at the end of the lake.
M8 and M5 arrive up the foresters track.
Marder waiting in ambush... scores tow kills, before being bombed and destroyed (very destroyed) by the P-47 timed strike.
Pz IV moving up, over the park, where the busy mortars teams are hard at it.
It meets the Jackson's mad dash... boom!
Recce jeeps last to arrive, and head off into the trees to hide!
Pzgrenadiers dismount in the woods, and sneak up, 'fasut ready. But the Jeeps just drive off the table.
Bridge objective secure.
3. Task Force Hallas
They had open fields to cross, and dismounted infantry, and it proved hard going, first hit by an accurate Werfer stonk that pinned almost the entire platoon. Their Shermans tried to shoot them in, wasting a lot of ammo as two StuGs kept popping up, firing and retiring into the buildings. The StuGs mostly missed too! With incoming mortar fire and long range MG fire keeping the infantry’s heads well down, they got stuck in the bushes and stalled.
Their Calliope tanks put heavy fire down into town and caused a lot of pinning, if not much actual losses, but they were scary turns for the Germans when the Calliopes were ‘up’. Nothing to shoot back with… so just wearing it as best they could. Calliopes, spotted by an aerial observer with a comms team’s help, is an unpleasant combination - until my Flak 20 shot down his Piper Cub!!
Hallas men made slow progress, loosing a few tanks en route, and then the ARV recovered one, but it was stand off here.
Open fields, west of town.
Werfer strike! Lots of pinning.
Lurking StuG, keeping the Shermans busy.
Holding the Rathaus objective, Pzgrenadiers and their transports.
Hallas just can't get going...
P-47, bombs away... two others overflew town but didn't join the battle... some mercy for the beset defenders.
En route, ARV trundles round the back.
M12, in the wood line, lines up the town and starts its work, resupply truck parked right behind.
ARV arrives and sets to fixin'...
Oh, come on! Back in the action.
High water, the edge of town is reached by 1 Sherman. Destroyed 250 blocks the road.
4. Task Force Edgar Support
Really, this was the M7 Priests, and they used aimed fire at various buildings at long range, and brought two down in a fusillade of 105mm fire, causing the loss of a FJ HMG team, an MG team, sniper, the FOO and 4 of 6 from their PHQ! The Sherman ARV arrived and headed off across the fields to find a KO’d Sherman to fix, and the supply trucks waited. One tried a mad dash for the woods, but was hit by MG fire from a 250/1 and KO’d. The other truck was more cautious after that. Trucks don’t last long.
The US boss, in his M3, hung back and just got on the radio to direct in some off table 105 fire as well, to add to the wreckage in town when it wasn’t stopped by counter battery fire… which it was 4 times in 4 turns!.
To counter the horrid Priest fire, on-table counter battery fire from the mortars, very accurate, landed and KO’d one M7 and pinned another, eat that! Small revenge. The German mortar crew were very busy men, firing every turn of the game, except one, when they were both pinned by arty fire.
M7s into firing line
M36 reaches the resupply truck after a long drive through the woods.
5. Task Force Edgar
The tank heavy force started by rolling the tanks in, blasting into town and trading shots with the Panthers which were soon both pinned. They didn’t see one lurking Panzerschreck team (literally) which blasted a Sherman in the side, then ran off…
The M26s missed the Panthers, placed to meet them head on, and for once, the US heavies lost. The Panther scored a kill and then a Panzerfaust got the other M26 in the side as it moved across the road (poor judgement of 10” that). With the M36 Jacksons running out of ammo (and smashing several hits off Panther’s front glacis) and driving off through the woods in search a resupply truck, that left the last Shermans and infantry. They fought on, called in some artillery fire (PHQ with arty spotter is handy) and killed off most of the FJ machine gun teams in the buildings. The FOO, HMG and sniper fire from the clocktower ended when it collapsed under Priest fire, taking all units with it (big chit hit). Still, if the objective was the ‘Gasthaus’ building, they didn’t get close and by the end of the game, the FJ platoon was still fighting, if only with 2 squads and 1 MG team, the Platoon HQ being killed when another building collapsed under M7 fire… the US were enjoying just levelling things.
Despite an attack that barely got into town (one infantry squad got into a building on the edge of town), artillery, calliope and mortars had down their work, the Germans lower morale and the evils of a Endkampf card saw the defenders morale crack first on 94. The US had been pushed to 111, still only 12 short of their own break point.
Edgar's route towards their objective, the white Gasthaus.
Hidden FJ 'schreck team do some schrecking...
Panther guards the town centre
M26 Pershings target the Panther
Pz IV platoon HQ tank risks a few return shots, then dodges back out of harms way.
Back garden aid post and comms relay team
Calioppe fire, much pinning, no direct hits!
Old Crow rushes the pinned Panther for a PB shot, desperate measures... it did not end well.
Pershing up in smoke... Panther wins the duel.
Old Crow is smoking and the Panther comes forward to get a shot at the Jackson, bold, but then it ran out of ammo and retreated back into the town square (where it was KO'd by arty fire).
FJ defence line along the road, machine guns in the buildings were lost to heavy US small arms and MG fire.
It had been a long hard fight, and the Germans had down well, no pushover here. Losses, well the US lost 7 Shermans, both Pershings and 2 M36s Jacksons by the end. The Germans, lost 1 Panther (artillery hit whilst rearming in the town square), 1 Pz IV and the Brummbar (KO’d by the first 155 timed strike, turn 2). Both StuGs survived, multiple hits as well, and emptied their ammo bins twice over. 11-3 in AFVs…
In hindsight made a few too many tactical co-ordinations by the Germans also cost them, but hey, at the start, 94 looks a long way off…. 5 chits on Endkampf was costly, if it hadn’t come out, or maybe it had helped the Germans, Erfundensdorf might have held out. Great fun, nice to get lots of toys out.
A fantastic finale to a most enjoyable campaign, it has been a pleasure to follow it.
ReplyDeleteBack to peruse the photos in Cinemascope.
That was a really good read and great photos - thanks!
ReplyDeleteSplendid game and a fitting climax, great looking and nicely done 👍
ReplyDeleteSplendid looking game, thanks for the inspiration
ReplyDeleteCheers
Matt