Allentown friend Dan W. (RT on the FoW forum) came to town for our tournament at Legions Hobbies this past weekend. We got a quick practice preview game in Friday night. Dan used his fave “big kitties” and I had US “glider riders”.
His List:
My list:
ForcesThe scenario was No Retreat. Dan’s Germans were “always defend”, so I was the attacker.
…………………………………………………………….
The Germans deployed on the North of the board with infantry forward, 150mm werfers in the upper left, and mobile AA in ambush.
……………………………………………………………
My three infantry platoons were well forward, pioneers on the left. The three 57mm AT guns were in the center. 75mm artillery in the wheat field to my right. 105s in the town square on the left. The M10cs were hidden behind the town buildings. The Recon jeeps were in the center on the road.
………………………………………………………….
TURN ONE. A pair of Typhoons arrived and spotted tanks below. My recon move was shortened by the German deployment, but they got close enough to try to lift gone-to-ground, which they fail to do, of course.
A 105mm barrage on the town defenders hits an infantry stand which saves, but misses all the vehicles. The 75s, using the AOP spotter plane, range in on the werfers and get a hit, but the werfers save.
The Tiffies fail to range in and fly away.
Another Jagdtiger arrives from reserves. Dan reveals his Wirbelwind AA tanks, hoping to give his troops some air defense for my turn.The German werfers unpin (as did the infantry) and hit the advancing GIs, killing one infantry stand. Carius shoots and misses two infantry stands. The 2ic Jagdtiger kills one.
………………………………………………………….
TURN TWO and the 75mm barrage fails to hit the werfers. Three planes arrive.
The 105s don’t do much better. Their TOT hits infantry, a half track and a Wirbelwind. My big chance to kill two vehicles evaporate as I roll 2 and 2!
The flight of Tiffies spot a big target lurking near the woods and their volley of rockets kill the Jagdtiger. Tally Ho…target destroyed!
In the German turn another Jagdtiger arrives on board. Carius works his magic and kills two infantry.
The werfers hit the pioneers and guns near the industrial park, but all save.
…………………………………………………………..
TURN THREE. A single Typhoon arrives and targets the werfers. Two of the jeeps lift gone to ground on the German infantry. The remaining jeeps and nearby infantry fire and take out two defenders and pin the platoon.
Time on Target from the 75mm battery gets no hits. The 105s fail to range in.
The Typhoon flies through a sheet of flak and goes down in flames (4 hits, TWO kills!).
The last of the German reserves, a Tiger II, arrives on the board edge.
The werfers zero in on the 57s after a Jagdtiger misses and destroy one.
Carius misses two infantry targets, but one falls to another Jagdtiger.
…………………………………………………………..
TURN FOUR. Three Tiffies fly over and dive toward a big Jagdtiger trying to hide near some.woods The M10c platoon doubles on the left in a risky move, preparing for flanking shots on the following turn.
To help the air attack, I target the Wirbelwind with the 105s. I blow the resulting TOT, rolling a pair of 1s on the infantry and AA that were hit, so only bail the Wirbelwind. A recon jeep bails one of the half tracks with accurate .50 cal fire. Advancing through the factory buildings, the GIs take two hits from defensive fire but kill the observer team directing the werfers.
AA fire downs two of the three attacking planes who only manage one ineffective hit on infantry, missing the Jagdtiger completely.
In the German turn, Carius moves to hit the M10c platoon. Due to his slow movement rate, he could only spot one of the tanks (which I had hoped for) and MISSES his two shots. (Two shots because I doubled the platoon in movement).
The werfers did much better, destroying one M10c and pinning the infantry with a near-miss.
TURN FIVE and end. Due to time constraints (dinner time at Burgatory!) we make this the last turn. No planes to help. I try for points here….the M1oc shots kill two Wirbelwinds, but Dan robs me of a point when he rolls morale!
105s range in on a JT but do nothing. The 75s try for half tracks and infantry but only get a bail result on a track.
Suicide charge time! GIs charge the infantry position and are stopped dead in their tracks by 7 hits, losing two stands.
Dan takes it 5-2! Thanks for the game, big guy….
I had really set up to charge in the next turn. Within range of the German platoon defending the forward objective were elements of three infantry platoons, one of pioneers. A smoke barrage from the 75s would have been used to help the assault, shot in by the recon jeeps and 57s.
Shoulda, woulda, coulda,…..
…………………………………………………………..
