This was pick-up game, 750 points per side, US Armour vs DAK, set in '43, somewhere near El Guettar. The random scenario generated was Attack/Counter-Attack, and we rolled for random table corners for deployment.
The forces were, roughly – US:
FHQ in jeep
FSU, M3 HT
FAC in jeep
Dismounted Armoured Inf Platoon
Armoured infantry squad in M3 HT
Medium mortar and loader team
3 x M3 Lees
3x M3 Stuarts
Recce HQ in White Scout Car
2 x T30s (75mm)
2 x T30s (75mm)
2 x T19s (105mm)
2 x Supply Trucks
3 x Timed P-39 Air Strikes
2 2nd Priority Artillery Requests
1 Counter Battery Fire Mission
5 Officers, 43 BR, 1 Scout
Germans:
FHQ in PzIHQ
FSU radio truck
Pz Grenadier Platoon
HMG team
76.2mm PAK with loader team and truck tow
1 x Pz Grenadier squad in 251/1
2 x Pz IVs
1 x capture Valentine
1 x Pz II
FAO in heavy car
2 x 105mm guns (off-table)
Recce HQ
SdKfz 234/1
Sniper
88 with loader team and HT tow
20mm AA on heavy car
Resupply truck
1 x timed 80mm mortar barrage
1 x timed JU-87 air strike
4 Officer, 43 BR, 3 Scouts
The early turns of build up saw the Germans arriving in greater numbers than the US, and their first timed mortar stonk, on the US ridge (an objective) wiped out the US recce artillery spotter team (others would have to fill in the role for the rest of the game). Behind them, far away, the 88 set-up for its long range ambush fire sniping role, out ranging anything the US could shoot back with, until they did get it pinned with a good mortar stonk. Still, it made the US tank's movement a bit hair raising, even if no hits were actually scored.
The Germans quickly built up units on the hill to their left, first the armoured car taking the objective (then bombed by a P-39), with the PzII, Valentine, AT gun and Marder all arriving too, with an infantry squad, to secure it. The US armoured attack towards the high ground ran into the capture Russian AT gun, which scored 2 kills, suppressing 20mm cannon fire, and the Valentine's gun, which wrecked an M5 Stuart in the trading of fire, definitively won by the Germans.
The DAK didn't get it all their own way though, as a big 155mm strike called in from Corps guns, thunder across the gap, but failed to get any direct hits, much pinning though. By now, the T19's 105s had rolled in and were on-station to lay down some harassment, with their own dedicated supply truck keeping the shells coming. They opened up on the panzers across the gap at the spring (another objective), and would continue to, but with few results. The first T30 battery waited on the ridge on ambush fire, so should the Pz IVs appear, they were ready.
As 105 artillery traded back and forth, the US forces tried to push up again, but the infantry were driven back (using Fall Back!) by MG fire, and the M3 Stuarts found that AT gun on ambush fire too, and it smashed a light tank to wreckage with ease! The US force was pinned in, each attempt to move, left or right, being met by accurate fire. Then the Stuka showed up and its shrieking bomb-dive scored a hit on a T30, wrecking it... and that was about all the US could take today, with 2 counters taken (both 4s).
The US BR losses had build up to 44... and so it was solid DAK victory. 'Old Ironside' had been taught a harsh lesson... the Germans had 3 out of 4 objectives, out scouted, air attacked and all these counters all added up to make a big difference. The Germans had taken around 30 BR, mostly from unpinning and few losses, but nothing serious (like say a tank, or that 88!).
Throughout this game we tested all the version 2 rules tweaks, and a few trial new rules... and all worked well. Nothing radical in the changes, but tweaks to improve AT guns (both German guns used them and it helped a bit, the captured Russian gun scored 2 kills and was still going, even if its loader team was gone). All positive, unless you're an American tanker... 3 dead M3 Lees, 3 dead M3 Stuarts... hmmm! This armour ain't great...
Few shots of the sharp action at El Sakhari Gap.
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| The Germans split left and right, taking 2 objectives en route. The US, slow to arrive, don't get far, their left armoured attack, coming to an abrupt end. |
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| US recce HQ get behind a rock to view the gap from their ridge. Hidden, but not for long. |
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| Early, timed 80m mortar stonk brackets the ridge, the White Scout car is destroyed. Spotter team wiped out. |
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| US responds with P-39 bombing runs, the first pins the armoured car, the next is driven off by AA fire, the third, well, missed! Not great from the USAAF. |
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| DAK armour arrives and goes right, with tank riders. |
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| German forces build up on their left, an objective secured. AT guns just arriving to deploy with good lines of fire from the high ground. |
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| US armour moves up, to attack that hill, but faces heavy and accurate fire. |
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| First 'Lee' goes up in smoke, hit by the AT gun. Get that pinned down quick! |
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| DAK armour reaches the little spring, another objective and take up defensive positions, mostly on ambush fire. |
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| Marder, pinned by hitting a mine, that did not destroy it (must have been an anti-personnel one). Long range sniping so far scoring no hits. |
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| More armour lost... the US tanks are having a bad day! |
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| Stuka dive bombs the ridge as well, wrecking a T30... OK, the yanks have had enough! |
