I met with Mark M. (sorry for the blurry picture, Mark!) a few weeks ago at Legions Hobbies for a battle to test my list for an upcoming tournament. We rolled Dust-Up for the mission- a fair fight. Mark picked the left corner for deployment, so I got the lower right..
Mark’s List: Ersatz Pionierkompanie-5
My list: US GliderInf1790
Mark set out Hummels, a Tiger II (with Schnell skill) and pioniers and I countered with two infantry, the 105s and the M10cs (British Achilles with 17pdr AT guns). This US list models 17th Airborne and uses British support.
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TURN ONE and Mark moves his forces closer to the center with no combat.
My infantry moved toward the enemy. I received air support in the form of a single patrolling Tiffie (British Typhoon with rockets) who spots the Tiger and approaches for an attack. The spotter plane reports Hummels in the woods but the artillery fails to range in. The diving plane ranges in on the tank, but the erratic rockets fail to hit the tank and a nearby infantry stand.
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TURN TWO begins with the Hummels ranging in on the M10s on the third attempt. I roll a big six to save the tank destroyer but an infantry stand is not so fortunate and is eliminated.
My turn is pretty uneventful. The infantry platoon can’t unpin from the barrage even with a re-roll from the CO. The artillery fails to hit the Hummels after ranging in. Another Typhoon appears, ranges in, but misses the Tiger again!
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In TURN THREE, von Saucken re-rolls the reserve die and gets a battery of 88s which deploy near the board edge with a great field of fire. Evidently they unlimbered too quickly as they completely miss their targets!
The Hummels re-deployed to avoid the artillery template.
I did little movement in my turn with no air and no reserves.
But the artillery FINALLY hits something and destroys one of the 88s.
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TURN FOUR and von Saucken gets some Panthers (one is behind the farmhouse)! The remaining 88 digs in. Hummels fail to range in.
The mighty Tiger finally gets to shoot and explodes one M10, but the Panthers all miss.
I get no plane and no reserves again. The 105s FINALLY dig in and manage a Time on Target strike on the Hummels and bail one. (Mark rolled a 5, but had to re-roll because of the ToT and managed to roll a big four.) My M10s get their first shots and kill one Panther and bail another.
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TURN FIVE and German pioniers arrive. The 88 limbers and advances. One of the Hummels bogs as it changes position in the woods to avoid the artillery.
An M10 is tagged by the Panthers and erupts in flame.
No planes arrive for me, but the Recce jeeps and pioneers appear from reserves! The .50 cals on the jeeps destroy one of the Hummels and an infantry stand defending the objective. Pioneers charge the position and capture the bogged Hummel. The remainder of the battery then quits the field. The poor 88 receives a perfect ToT barrage, but amazingly dodges the shell bursts (Mark rolled 6, then 5!!!). My second infantry platoon moves towards the objective to help the pioneers.
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TURN SIX and end. The Panthers move to kill the rest of the M10 platoon but miss with snake-eyes. The Tiger moves back towards the thinly-held objective.
I get mortars from reserves who target the German infantry defending the objective. With infantry fire added, the Germans take TEN hits, and two stands are killed. The lucky 88 lives on when the 105s MISS.
In the big shot of the game one of the M10s hits the Tiger from the rear flank and the 17pdr shell works it’s magic and kills it’s target!!
At this point we call the game because of time (it was almost 10pm). With the death of the Tiger, Mark had one near half-strength platoon on the objective that was pinned. Everything else was too far away. US Pioneers and infantry were within assault range.
6-1 for me… all because of one lucky shot!
Thanks for the game, Mark. Better luck next time!
