Roadblock at Hubermont - with Battlegroup Wacht am Rhein - D-Day to Berlin series game 5

D-Day to Berlin and a Battle of Bulge game as we progress through 1944 and then 1945. This was an attack/defence game, using the Road Block scenario, with the Germans attacking, with 800 points per side.

The German force was, roughly: a StuG battery, armoured infantry platoon+ extra squad, supported by off-table 150mm Nebelwerfers (youch), a Brummbar and some light armour, in a PzIII spotter tank, scout half tracks and an armoured car.

The defending Americans were dug-in defending Hubermont with an infantry platoon, an M5 Stuart platoon, an M4 Sherman platoon, a reserve infantry platoon, off-table 4.2” mortars, a 57mm AT gun and a 90mm AA gun, along with an aid station (the Germans had one too for the BR boost) and a FHQ with a 2nd priority artillery request and a wire team. In defences, they had foxholes, a roadblock and a fortified building (the left side farmhouse, in front of the church).

With the Germans pressed for time by the scenario, they’d have to push on to take the village and its three objectives, various farmhouses and the road junction, so no caution here. Also, the flanking force, a StuG and two armoured infantry squads, would arrive from their right, midway across the table. The weather was ‘low cloud’ so all Air Attack counters would have to be re-rolled (unsurprisingly, no aircraft showed for this game).

German attack, avoiding the woods, with flanking force from their right taking the farm and assaulting the church.

 
Once deployed, with timed strikes, PRTPs, ammo, etc. all recorded, it was time to go. Panzers incoming!

The German advance was mainly to their right, first targeting the farmhouse on that side, as US mortar fire landed and immediately KO’d a supply truck (the first of 2 destroyed, but the Germans brought 3, due to… StuGs and Brummbar). The Pz III spotter tank was also KO’d in the first stonk. Luckily, there were at least 2 other artillery spotters, the FHQ in his wagon and recce HQ 250, lurking in some bushes. They’d take up the slack and get the screaming mee-mee’s firing. This they did, with the first direct hit destroying the 90mm AA, wiping out the crew (not a shot fired). The turn by turn ‘werfer softening would be hard going for the US. Blessed were the turns without a rocket impact as the battery split turns firing one launcher each turn, and then reloading. Hubermont became Werferville.

The US infantry put up a good fight, holding the forward fortified farm against all comers, even a Brummbar hit, and driving off one attempted assault. It would fall when the flanking force arrived and raced in their 251s to jump the last few men inside. Meanwhile, US artillery had been called up and the 155s came raining in, scoring a kill on another resupply truck and a 251… fear the long tom.

The armour was trading shots at range, and any hits glancing off, except for the M5s (as ever). Their paper thin armour saw the officer tank KO’d by a StuG shot, and then another two were KO’d by werfer strikes… the light platoon had achieved nothing! The Shermans did better, HE  and MGs scoring some pinning. The Germans now pressed up the road and took the central objective, whilst more infantry raced for the church. US GIs had reinforced here and waited on ambush fire, making the landsers pay for crossing the graveyard, and a bazooka rocket destroyed their 251 too. The church held out, just, with heavy losses for both sides. Even the FHQ in the clocktower was forced to use their small arms to help out.

The counters mounting, the Germans were now taking one per turn for the time pressing. The US just needed to hold on, but their break point was approaching. MG fire from farmhouse to farmhouse, and the 57mm AT gun, having ben largely ineffective, was also destroyed (crew machine gunned behind their wall). The light German armour skirted the woods, but was hit by a 4.2” mortar stonk and the armour car was left smoking. The panzer grenadiers rushed for the farmhouse, but found a fresh squad on ambush fire, cutting most of them down with M1 rifle fire. They retreated, with their MG team harassing still from a hedge. The GI squad inside would be wiped out by a Brummbar direct hit - oof!

It was very close, we had reached Turn 10, and 2 counters now for the Germans meant it was all or bust for them. One StuG was re-armed now and it came back forwards, around the farm, and its hit final penetrated a Sherman’s glacis armour. That counter was enough for the US defenders, broken, on 46 out of 45 BR. The Germans had just 4 BR left, so one more turn, and those 2 automatic BR counters would most likely have been enough. One more turn, so close.

Hubermont (Werferville) had fallen, the last GIs pulling back under covering mortar fire. The German IDF had been horrid… and none of their heavy armour had been destroyed, 3 StuGs and the Brummbar still rolling (if mostly with no ammo left). The US left 3 M5s and a M4 as smoking wrecks around the village. Great fight.

So its 3-2 to the Germans in the series, with FotR still to play, which is soon.

Pics of the action.

90mm AA deployed, but destroyed in the first 'werfer barrage.

Mortar spotters view from the church steeple.

57mm AT gun in the paddock.

Light armour on the German left.

The farm starts to become surrounded.

Panzer grenadiers await to bounce on the next farm.

On the lane into Hubermont, German armour under 155 artillery fire.

Second farm under attack. Last M5 faces off an assault gun.

Pinned in the lane...

Advance against the church begins, from the arriving flanking force.

Sherman 76s, all ammo expended and no resupply...

StuGs 'shoots-in' the infantry heading for the church. 

The smoking ruins... the second farm falls.