Saturday, 18 January 2025

Encounter at Nirgendsdorf (Pershing vs King Tiger) - Battlegroup Fall of the Reich - D-Day to Berlin series game 6

We have reached 1945 in our series, so time for a Fall of the Reich game. This was with 900 points, using the Hard Road scenario. The US advance would encounter a German counter-attack at the village of Nirgendsdorf.

Forces, roughly were, for the US: M26 Pershing platoon, armoured infantry platoon (vets and war weary) with an M8 Priest, armoured infantry recce patrol, 2 x M8 Greyhounds, forward observer, forward air spotter, forward HQ and signal half track, 2 supply trucks, M16 AA HT, battery of 2 Sherman Calliopes (second ever game), some odds and ends, 2 timed 105mm strikes, counter battery fire mission (failed me again), a cheeky P-47 air strike.

For the Germans: King Tiger (panzer ace of course), 2 StuGs, 1 Jagdpanzer IV (lang), dismounted panzer grenadier platoon (regs), forward artillery spotter, forward HQ, sniper, on table 120mm mortar team and loader team, Grille, 2 timed 80mm mortar strikes, Famo, an ad hoc infantry platoon of kreigsmarine and some drafted auxiliaries, errr… a few bits and pieces, supply truck, oh, a 20mm Flak 38(t) and a one-off Panzer I chassis-mounted Pak-40 (end of war garbage), and a Hornisse (serious big gun, not garbage).

The US won the roll-off for deployment and we deployed recce and some extras, the US infantry largely holding the village with M8s on both wings looking to either hold, or sneak up and grab, an objective (there were 5 dotted about).

The Germans had the King Tiger front and centre with recce and infantry scattered about. Stop that!

From the off we traded long range fire to little effect and started getting stuff onto the tabletop. The US armoured infantry reinforced the village, and got their arty spotters scattered around, for the arrival of Calliopes next turn. The Germans pushed up some StuGs and we banged away with our guns, missing. The King Tiger, with a BtCoD test, boldly moved up to face down a Pershing lurking in the edge of the village, but missed again. The return fire would clang off, and then both dodged back out of sight. Cagey from the big hitters…

Throughout the game the Germans really struggled for orders, they just couldn’t get going, frustrating for them. The US, with loads of orders, could, but were going firm in their cover and onto ambush fire. A few MGs burst was about it… then the Calliopes arrived and opened fire. Alternating fire, they dumbed rockets into the German advance for much pinning and the destruction of the PzI Marder-thing… the tanks and StuGs traded some more fire, but given the many US bazookas lurking, they didn’t come forwards, and the same for the US. Still cagey stuff…

80mm mortars repeated hammered the village, with some losses (the forward air controller being unlucky), an KOing the M16, pinning and immobilised another half track, whilst .50 cal MGs did good work keeping German infantry heads down in return. An M8 Greyhound got lucky with a long range hit on the Hornisse (don’t buy a ticket, don’t win the raffle was this crew’s motto), but found even its thin armour was enough against a mere 37mm gun at 49” range… the return fire, scary, missed. Not a StuG though, it wiped out the cheeky M8. When a M26 Pershing moved up to get a line of sight on the Hornisse, it hit as well (raffle tickets coming in today). Its 90mm guns at that range was good enough, and the big panzerjaeger was KO’d - phew!

Not so for the King Tiger though, as we all kept out of shot of the other’s biggest guns. Then a small miracle. The US’ timed 105mm strike scored a direct hit on the big cat and immobilised it. It was stuck. Que the arrival of the Famo to rescue it. Que the destruction of the Famo when a Calliope rocket hit it next turn and blew it sky-high. The Tiger was stuck, still dangerous though. One bold Pershing crew tried to take it on, hit, and glanced off again, this crew would not bale… the return fire didn’t miss and didn’t glance – first Pershing smoking.

By now, all our forces were here and Germans started to move up, finally getting some orders. The US ambush fire got the infantry mostly pinned though and so the attack got nowhere. The Jagdpazner IV did KO another Pershing though, two down now. It was close.

The finale of the battle. The Germans tried to move their ad hoc infantry up on their right, through the woods, but found US machine guns (and 60mm mortar) waiting and causing pinning and losses. The M8 Priest was trading fire with a StUG, an uneven fight, but the StuG couldn’t hit, and the Priest pulled back to cover to rearm. Calliope fire continue to rover the tabletop, and destroyed a StuG, the Flakpanzer 38t and then a supply truck. A bazooka hit immobilised (again) the Jagdpazner IV, but it still KO’d the last Pershing with its last AP shot. 

Things continued to go the US' way when they drew 2 air attack counters in succession (one for a tactical co-ordination to get the Priest firing again). USAAF was en route, except the air controlled had been killed in mortar strike earlier. Damn, but one P-47 did still show (2 would have been so cool!). It swooped in and then wildly bombed, very USAAF, but one bomb luckily scored a direct hit on the King Tiger! Yes! Medium bomb on rear armour, is 3+ on 2D6… and I rolled snakes eyes. It was still there, it survived a bomb’s direct hit (I cannot destroy Tigers), crew rock solid still inside their massive bunker. Still it was pinned (for about a fifth time). More Calliope rocket fire added to the pinning, and the Germans couldn’t afford to unpin. When ,next turn a StUg that had boldly burst into the village streets (taking an objective) was hit by a bazooka round and KO’d, it was game over. The German counter-attack had ground to a stall. The US had held Nirgendsdorf, with still 9 BR remaining, so a solid(ish) win. Calliopes were man-of-the match… evil firepower, even at only 1 firing per turn (and 1 missed turn in 3). I’m still claiming that King Tiger as a capture!

That makes in 3-3 in our D-Day to Berlin series, so a decider is needed. We’ll do that later in the month, another FotR game, with the Hexenkessel scenario, for a suitable end to the war.   

 

Nirgendsdorf, US deploy from the left, Germans approach from the right

US recce patrol arrive in the village

M8s lurking on each flank.

Moving up into the village, first reinforcements.

Coming the other way, first shots fired... big shots too.

StuG and tank riders arrive in support.

The war weary veteran armoured infantry find themselves in action again. One HT just got immobilised in a mortar stonk.

Pershing moves up to take an objective, at the ford (marked by dead cow). The CO tank, taking Hornisee fire (ouch!), but gets the kill.

Artillery immobilises the Konigs Tiger... then the Pershng tries to get it in the flank...

Hornisse hit at long range and KO'd... bit of its own medicine.

StuG lurks behind the woods (avoid the Pershings), pinned, and on ambush fire.

Lining up the distance King Tiger.

M8 arrives and puts down some suppressing HE fire across the table...

P-47 timed strike, pined a StuG... but its a BR counter.

Sherman Calliope battery, rolls in and begins to unload, and unload, and again, and again! 

Ah, lost his duel with the King Tiger... COs tank is smoking.

Immobilised, but hanging tough, the panzer ace crew won't bale.

StuG edges into town, parked M3 half tracks making for some easy kills on the street. Bring up a bazooka!

Re-up the ammo, supply truck reaches the Priest.

Go USAAF! 2 counter pulls, 2 air attacks... Jabos inbound.

 

1 comment:

  1. Another cracker there and the bonus of another game to come. I am ashamed to say that I haven't played a Battlegroup Game since May! This is being rectified on Tuesday🤞

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