DIRECT FROM DETROIT, PANZER LEHR CAMAPIGN, GAME FOUR

A third battle on the same tabletop lay-out, as the US make their next advance towards the Hauts-Vents crossroads. This was another ‘squad’ sized game (but a larger one than game 3). For random support, the US added 2 M8s to their force (one was an M20, as my US collection only has 2 M8s, I need to get another one). The Germans added a handy Panzerscheck team.

GERMAN FORCES

1 x Pz IV H                            4    Panzer Ace, (Elite)

PzGrendier PHQ - 3 men in SdKfz 251/10        2    Officer, Mortar Spotter

PzGrenadier Squad                    3    D3 Panzerfausts
5 men with MG-42, 3 men with MG-42

PAK-40 AT gun with 4 crew and truck tow        3

SdKfz 250/9 armoured car                1    Scout

Foxholes for 15 men                    0    3+ cover save

1 minefield                            0        

Total                        BR 13 + attachment    1 officer, 1 scout


Roll once for attached support (20 rolled, modified to 17)
D20 Roll    Attached                  BR
1-5        Sniper team - 2 men        +1    Sniper-Scout (Elite)

6-7        FHQ - 3 men in Kubelwagen    +3    Senior Officer

8-15        MMG Team                 +1
        - 3 men with tripod MG-42    

16-17        Pzschreck Team - 2 men        +1

18-20        Mortar Fire Support        +0    1 x 80mm mortar


Artillery Support
Mortar Fire Support - 1 x 80mm mortar (off-table), if attached

US FORCES - ELEMENTS OF TASK FORCE Z, CCB, 3rd ARMOURED DIVISION 
(All Regs)

3 M4 Shermans                    9

M8 Greyhound                    1    Scout

Arm Infantry Platoon HQ in M3            3    Officer
, 9 men with a Bazooka*

Arm Infantry Squad in M3            3   
9 men with BAR and Bazooka*

Arm Infantry MG Squad in M3            3
2 x .30 cal MMG Teams - 3 men       

FAO - 2 men in Jeep                1    Officer, forward observer

Total                        BR 20 + attachment    2 officers, 1 scout


Roll once for attached support (+/-1) (6 rolled)
D20 Roll    Attached                BR
1-5        Recce Jeep Team - 3 men in jeep    +1    Scout (note, no pintle MG)

6-10        2 x M8 Greyhounds            +2     Scouts

11-15        Engineer Squad - 10 men in truck    +3    Engineers
        with flame thrower and mine detector and D3 demo-charges

16-20        M16 AA half Track            +1               

Artillery Support
5 x 2nd Priority Artillery Requests (maximum of divisional requests) 

 

Scenario Special Rules

Soft Ground: Wheeled vehicles which move off-road treat it as Dangerous Terrain. On a 1, roll again. 4+ OK, on a 1-3 Bogged down and immobilised. Half-tracked and tracked vehicles move as normal.

Allied Air Superiority: German player must roll a 6 for any Air Attack counter.

US Reduced Strength Squads: * Reduced strength. Roll D6 at the start of the game. 1-3, reduce by 2 men. 4-5, reduce by 1 man. 6, full strength.

Poor US Artillery Targeting: Each time the US fire any off-table artillery or mortars, roll an extra D6 for the distance it deviates. So, accurate is 2D6, normal is 3D6 and wild is 5D6!

Objectives: 1 at Haut Vents Crossroads

Squad-level: Roll 1D6 for Orders

 

The US attack started cautiously, not much happening, the infantry squad moved up and deployed into a bocage on their left, a few Shermans rumbled forwards and the first artillery barrage was radio’d up, which hit the farm (not the crossroads as requested). The 3 x 155s (ouch) smashed the place up and a direct hit wiped out my platoon command squad that was in the farmhouse, first blood to the attackers, I;d lost my 1 officer, but the counter drawn was a ‘Confusion’ special and it pinned a Sherman (‘Hey, Hank, I think we’re in the wrong place’). US shelling around Hauts-Vents would be a big factor in the game, as the Germans had no response. 105s and 155s would hammer the area and make the defence, err… fraught!

The Germans got onto ambush fire, covering the road and fields, and waited.

The US attack moved up, the first Shermans appearing to open fire with HE into the hedges. One pinned the Pak-40 and so, with it unable to fire up the road, the M8s made a move. One (actually the M20) raced over the road junction to their right but once it hit the muddy field rolled a 1 and got bogged-down in the field’s gateway. The other rushed up the road, failing to notice the grenadier squad (and 2 Panzerfausts) on ambush fire, but they rolled two 1s to spot and the M8 drove right past the unwary squad! It rushed the crossroads (another kamikaze M8).

The Germans responded, the 251/10 moved up the lane and shot the M8 at PB range, its 37mm gun good enough to KO the armoured car. My MG-42 team pinned down the US infantry and my panzer ace moved out, took a pot-shot (missed) at Sherman and headed to were he could get in the fight. The 250/9 did likewise, seeing the chance for an easy kill on the immobilised and vulnerable M20. This move brought more US artillery, more pinning only this time, but things were getting hot. The Pak-40, now unpinned, swung round and with a greats hot hit its first Sherman (6 rolled), KO-ing it! Yes. The counter drawn was a Air Attack! No! Thankfully it didn’t show, small mercy.

With no Pak covering the road, the next M8 followed the first in a rush towards th crossroads (what is with these crazy armour cars?), but this time the grenadier squad was ready and a Panzerfaust from the hedge (on ambush fire) left it another wreck on the road, now littered with smoking Greyhounds.

The Germans were ahead on counters inflicted, but my low BR total wouldn’t last unpinning from US artillery strikes. A few turns of failed requests or comms test helped me here, a respite, phew! The 250/9 moved up to get a line of sight at the stranded M20 and hammered at it with 20mm fire, missing, or then failing to penetrate… argh! When a Sherman moved to the hedge to engage it, so it was time to go, and the little halftrack raced off for the cover of the farm’s orchard - damn, it didn’t get the kill, rubbish dice.

The US started to push up, their platoon HQ squad moving up on their right, debussing and heading across the field for the farm. Here, only my Panzerchreck team on ambush fire waited (not much use against 9 men with a BAR). They pulled back, but a suppressing fire shot from a .30 cal MG pinned them down. I rolled a 1 for a cover save, lost a man, pinned, and that was team done… he dropped the ‘schreck and legged it. Now unhindered, the US infantry squad ran to the farm’s out buildings. I had moved the 250/9 and its 20mm fire failed to pin them in the stable block (must have thick walls). In return, the US infantry moved the bazooka up and – Whoosh! Boom!. No more 250/9, it was burning in the orchard. Another 105 arty stonk pinned down the  units around the crossroads and the German defence was down to basically a Pz IV and a 5-man squad, which, faced by a Sherman, with no ‘fausts left, got out of their foxholes and withdrew.

I had to risk unpinning, but with only 2 BR left it was dangerous. I drew, a 3… drat!Time to go. The Panzer Lehr units pulled back and left the shell cratered fields at Hauts-Vents to the Americans. They had won, with 6 BR still to spare. So, 6 campaign victory points to them for the win, so the campaign is now 10-6 to the Germans.

A solid(ish) US win. I don’t think the scenario really gives the Germans too much hope of winning it outright, it’s just a case of reducing the US VPs as best you can in the longer campaign. 6 was an ‘average’ result, a few chits more would have helped (maybe not the air attack), but with no IDF and under that US artillery fire, its a matter of how long can you hold out, not winning. I got away with the Pak-40, the Pz IV and the 251/10 and some men, to fight another day.  

First Shermans move up towards Hauts-Vents.

250/0 lurks behind the farm, my mobile reserve.

Defending the orchard around the farm, the /10 soon moved out leaving just the 'schreck team.

MG-42 team in foxholes on my right, covering the field and keeping US heads down in the opposite bocage.

M8s, risk the muddy ground and wait to rush down the road for the objective.

Wreck from the early games. All were in place as extra terrain. e added some craters too, around the most shelled areas. 

Getting into place.

155s rain on the farm, the hidden Pz IV was lucky, the HQ unit in the farmhouse, not so...

Pz IV moves up to cover the field and road.

Another kamikaze M8 (see game 1), rushes the crossroads, only once the Pak-40 has fired.

M20 tries to lead the way, but gets stuck! Immobilised, but somehow survived.

Close encounter. SdKfz 251/10 rounds the corner and deals with that M8 at PB range. Hurrah for the door-knocker (for once).

250/9 comes forward to try and get the M20, and fails... terrible dice. It then pulled back fast rather than duke it out with a Sherman.

Next 105 stonk. Incoming! Life around this crossroads is difficult.

Pz IV seeking to get into the action.

250/9 retires to the orchard, put soon finds itself needed again.

US infantry make it to the farm's stable block through 20mm cannon fire.

and deal with it! Bazooka takes out 250/9 in the orchard, the farm has fallen.

Next 155 stonk causes a lot of pinning, and the attrition of counters to unpin costs the Germans the game. Fear the 155!

LEHR RECON, PANZER LEHR CAMPAIGN, GAME THREE

Game 3 is a very small squad affair, as a Lehr Recon detachment gets behind American lines and runs into a battalion HQ area. As it’s a small game, we played this on a tiny 2x4’ board, but it still worked, as the night fighting restricted range for aimed fire and we agreed at the start everything would always count as obscured, in the open or not. Here are the forces… because BRs were so low, I just gave each side +3 BR to make a longer game of it, even though we removed all 4 and 5s from the BR counters (we really are the extreme small end of the BG rules working here).

On random attachments, the Germans went with the 250/9 rolled, the US got a flamethrower team (very random!).

GERMAN FORCES - ELEMENTS OF 130 RECONNAISSANCE BATTALION (All Vets)

1 Platoon HQ- 4 men in heavy car            3    Officer

Recon Team - 5 men with MG-42            3    1 Panzerfaust

in SdKfz 251/1    

Recon Team - 5 men with MG-42            3    1 Panzerfaust

in SdKfz 251/1    

The ‘this scenario is too small’ bonus       3


Totals                            12 BR + attachments    1 officer, 0 scouts                

Roll once for attached support (Rolled 14)
D20 Roll    Attached                BR
1-8        SdKfz 234/2                +1

9-14        SdKfz 250/9               +1

15-18        SdKfz 251/9             +1

19-20        StuG III G                +3


Artillery Support
None    


US FORCES - REAR ELEMENTS OF 3rd BATTALION, 47th INFANTRY REGIMENT, 9th INFANTRY DIVISION  (All Inexperienced)

Battalion Staff    - 7 men                             2    Officer, start in HQ dug-out

Ad-Hoc Rifle Team - 5 men with a BAR    2

Ad-Hoc Rifle Team - 5 men with a BAR    2

Bazooka Team - 2 men                                1    with D6 rockets (5 rolled)

MMG Team - 3 men with .30 cal MG        1

HQ Dug-out                                                 0    2+ cover save (max 2 can fire out)

Foxholes for 15 men                                    0    3+ cover save

The ‘this scenario is too small’ bonus        3
    
Totals                        11+attachment    1 officer, 0 scouts



Roll once for attached support (Rolled 2)
D20 Roll    Attached                             BR
1-5        Flamethrower Team - 2 men      +1

6-8        HMG Team - 4 men                   +2    with .50 cal HMG

9-18        HQ Team - 2 men in Jeep        +2    Officer, Jeep is unarmed    

19-20        M4 Sherman tank                   +3    * may be immobilised awaiting repair


Artillery Support
None
 

SCENARIO SPECIAL RULES
Squad-level: As a small squad level scenario, remove all 4 and 5 counters from the BR counters before the game begins.

Soft Ground: Wheeled vehicles which move off-road treat it as Dangerous Terrain. On a 1, roll again. 4+ OK, on a 1-3 Bogged down and immobilised. Half-tracked and tracked vehicles move as normal.

Night Fight: This scenario takes place at night. Use the night fighting rules.

No Air Support: It’s dark. Any Air Attack counters drawn count as 0.

Objectives: None

Advance through Enemy Lines: If the Germans can get an infantry squad off the US board edge, they gain an extra +/-2 attachment credits.  

Immobilised Sherman: After placing the Sherman roll a D6. On a 1-4 it is immobilised awaiting a mechanic and cannot move. On a 5+, to may move as normal.

2'x4', Germans advancing from the far end. US HQ dug-out on the hill, facing the other way, as that is actual forwards for the US. The recon group is behind them.

 

The game began with the Germans arriving behind the US forces, my squad de-bussing into the cottage and the hedges. 1st Squad would move up on the left, covered by their 251’s MG. 2nd Squad would move up on the right, with its 251’s MG to cover and pin the enemy ahead. In the centre, the PHQ would be on covering ambush fire, as would the 250/9, its main firepower would target the biggest US threats, and with suppressing fire because we can’t really see much of each other… let the tracers rounds fly!

The US responded with setting some ambush fire themselves and their .30 cal team let fly into the night, and scored 2 lucky pins, on squad 1 in the cottage and the PHQ. That fire was close… bad start!

The Germans just couldn’t get going in the early turns, an inability to roll over a 2 for orders meant I was living on scraps, the 250/9 blazed away, but with 10 ammo, it was soon under half and had to start being more cautious. My 251s proved hard to pin and their fire got some US heads down, but not the bazooka team, it was dug-in deep and covering the only gap in the walls and hedges to get up the table. They just kept passing 3+ cover saves… I took the first counter to unpin and given we might get through 5 or 6 max, each one hurt!

The first turns had become a stalemate, MG42s firing one way, .30 cal, BAR and M1 rounds coming back, with both scoring a few pins, and 1 GI became the first casualty on a 1 for a cover save, hit by a stray round. I was getting nowhere, so when I finally rolled some orders, my men started to push up. 2nd squad scurried off across the walled paddock, on the right, and made it to the far wall under .30 cal fire that missed (too high!). The 250/9 managed to finally pin the bazooka team and my chance to get through the gap appeared. The 250/9 pushed up to the gap, then was hit by small arms fire and pinned. No, a lucky shot, but it was now stranded. I could see what would happen now. The bazooka team would unpin (they did), my armoured car would be stranded, unpin in my turn, only for the bazooka to have an easy shot at the armoured car, about 10 m from them through the hedge! That’s what happened and two bazooka shots flashed to turn the 250/9 to a burning wreck. Argh! The risky rush had ended in disaster.

Things had turned bad on the left, but on the right 2nd Squad, my only hope for completing the objective, got a stroke of luck. Having passed repeated cover saves behind their wall, their MG pinned the US infantry in foxholes in the field ahead. With them still pinned, the squad made their move and rushed past in the dark. Then, fired on from the left, 1 man was hit, but the resulting morale test was a BtCoD! The squad moved again and were through the next hedge and past the GIs. They rushed on in my next turn, getting to about 8” from the far table edge. US suppressing fire came after them - from the battalion command staff that had armed itself and come out their dug-out. It scored a suppression, but the cover save was a 6… OK. They could keep going. In a bold dash they had made it through, pure fluke, but sometimes you have to go for it and hope.

Everybody else was still stalled, and the US flamethrower team was stalking up behind the paddock wall towards my (static ) half-tracks. If it fired, that would a counter, and most likely another for a destroyed half-track. I raced one 251 forwards to get a shot and they spotted the dangerous 2-man team and machine gunned them down, but I’d made a mistake. The 251 was now in bazooka range if the team moved up from their foxhole cover. They did, and my covering fire, the PHQ on ambush, had just moved to the cottage. No covering fire then. The bazooka fired again and boom, lost the 251 - double argh!

I was close the breaking now, 11 BR from my 13, so the next counter was likely to be it. I couldn’t unpin anything, leaving me just the second 251 and 4-man PHQ to act. They tried to suppress and pin the bazooka team menace, and both failed. That allowed that them to come forward again and fire, the next 251 was hit and burning - triple argh!… the bazooka had 3 victims and the counter drawn was a… 2! So 13 from 13, still going somehow.

Next turn, the bazooka team’s reign of destruction ended when my PHQ moved and shot them down with rifle fire. That counter broke the Americans, a 3 taking them to 13 from their 12 BR total. The Germans had somehow won.

Well, I say won, but actually, the campaign VPs are the BR margin of the victor which was, err… 0. So no VPs, but I gained the extra attachment credits for the escaped infantry squad. Interesting small game… never played like this before and it worked fine (with the bonus BR). It as lucky win (we should call it a draw really).

Game 4 is back to the Hauts Vents crossroad and the US counter-attack. 

The German force, hvy car (light truck), 2 x 251/1s, 250/9.

German deploy on the lane, PHQ is pinned by incoming .30 cal rounds.

2nd Squad get ready to rush across the paddock. 250/9 behind on ambush fire to cover them.

US ad hoc rifle squad and bazooka team in their foxholes

250/9 meets its bazooka-end making for the gap.

2nd Squad dash passed pinned GIs, up the hill in the dark, and make for the far table edge.

Costly error, 251 is the next bazooka victim!

Medal of Honour for these two guys, as they come forwards and kill the second 251. They almost won it single-handed.