FoW/ US vs. German, mid-war/ englantia: Long road to Palermo

[Second Stringer]

Situation:
July 1943, Sicily, along the Palermo highway.
2nd Armored division task force attacks a kampfgruppe from Hermann Göring division dug in around the tiny village of San Angelo.

US Armored infantry co. (me)
vs
German panzergrenadier co.
Scenario: No retreat (German defender) 1500 pts

Forces:

Armored rifle company: (led by cunning captain Rupert E. Lee)
Company hq + aamg jeep
Armored rifle platoon 1 + 5 bazooka teams
Armored rifle platoon 2 + 5 bazooka teams
Assault gun platoon (3xM8 HMC)
Recon platoon (2 squads)
Armored mortar platoon (3xM4 MMC)
Tank platoon (3xM4A1)
Tank platoon (3xM4A1)


Wehrmacht: (led by notorious hauptmann freiherr von Hasselhoff)
HQ + pzrknackers + 8.8cm RW43
pzrgren plt (full) + pzrknacker
pzrgren plt (full) + pzrknacker
pzrgren heavy plt (full with mortars)
pzrpionier plt (full with supply vehicle)
heavy pzrspah plt (two 8 rads)
1 tiger I E (with clever Hans tiger ace skill)

The game was played at very very relaxed atmosphere. The main aim was to get an entertaining and fun game. :) One picture is not necessary one turn. Batrep is written in semi-narrative style.

* * *

In the US task force hq, village of Monte Formaggio:
”All right, gentlemen! I think that you all know me – I’m captain Lee from the bravo company. Our task is to take the next village along the Palermo highway, San Angelo. The recon company had already probed the area and some fighting happened. It seemed that the krauts have there more than just a roadblock.
Here in map you can see the village and the known enemy positions. Our plan is to pin them with battalion mortars and assault guns while you tankers and armored infantry flank the enemy and take the village from the west side. Recon patrol closes in along the road. Pin ’em, flank ’em and kick ’em in the nuts. That’s what my old instructor back in the fort Benning used to say.
Any questions? Good, at your positions! Ready to move out in fifteen minutes!”

Meanwhile in the German kampfgruppe hq, village of San Angelo:
”Be seated, meine Herren! I’m hauptmann von Hasselhoff and commander of this kampfgruppe. We have orders to defend this village from whatever the amerikaner decide to throw at us. From this map you can see your positions. I believe that you all are familiar with them already.
You seem uneasy, leutnant Bohler. You think that our line is too thin? I just received the message from general Hube himself – we will have strong reinforcements here very shortly! Infantry, armor … and a company of new tiger tanks!
Return to your positions and hold fast when the attack comes! We will have to hold just until the tigers arrive. Then we will kick the american gangsters back to mediterranean. Dismissed!”

Terrain:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... errain.jpg
The gaming terrain from north, i.e. the German side of the table. The objectives were placed in locations marked with OBJ and circle. The US main axis of attack is marked with red arrows. The German defensive line goes about along the grey line. US M4 mmc’s and M8 hmc’s were positioned around Monte Formaggio (they are not visible in most pictures). We agreed that the bushy crags are impassable terrain and wooded hilltops are forests (area terrain size of the hilltop).


Objectives:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... ctives.jpg
Objectices were placed like this around San Angelo.


Deployment as seen from the German side:
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... oyment.jpg
German grenadiers, pioniers and anti-tank guns took positions in and around San Angelo. Minefield was placed in extreme eastern edge of board (left edge). US troops formed two columns, led by Shermans and followed by armored infantry. Recon patrol began from the eastern edge of Monte Formaggio. Captain Lee formed a hq position in Sergio’s tavern in Monte Formaggio, where he is close to refreshmen- sorry, all communications and artillery support.


US charge forward!
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... charge.jpg
US armored columns surged forward! Artillery attempted to fire smoke, but the smoke screen was difficult to lay because exact German positions were not known. Germans fired some mortars at attackers, but it was not effective. Most of the German line just waited nervously in their well concealed positions fot the storm that is about to fall upon them.


Smoke (digitally enhanced pic, as our smoke markers were looted from my opponent’s wife’s beauty box…)
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... /Smoke.jpg
As the tanks and halftracks rumbled in sight, the US artillery fired a succesful smoke screen just in the top of German line. Just the right time, just the right place. Just one of the American vehicles was visible to German 50mm anti-tank gunners in the wheat field – the lead tank Lucy. The veteran German gunners gave the tank no chance, and explosive destruction of the Sherman marked the real beginning of the battle.


US assault!
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... ssault.jpg
The GI’s of first armored infantry platoon dismounted and moved in for assault. The halftracks were sent to rear. As a textbook assault, the defending German pioniere were first pinned by a short and sharp artillery strike, and while still dazed, the american infantry and tanks attacked!


Victorious GI’s
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... ousGIs.jpg
The stubborn Germans stood the first assault and for a moment the situation flowed back and forth. By the stone wall, the two remaining tanks of lieutenant Jackson’s Sherman platoon were destroyed with mines. In the end, however, just the numbers mattered. German survivors broke and fled, heading away from the battle. The victorious american infantrymen and tanks advanced over the khaki and feldgrau fallen to abandoned German positions and took the objective. The second armored infantry platoon followed close behind.


Eye of the tiger
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... serves.jpg
The Germans had maybe suffered a setback, but hardly a defeat. All the sudden the troops of both sides heard the menacing thrumming of powerful maybach engine – the reserves have arrived in force! The tiger company promisedby German high command consisted just one tiger, but also 2 achtrads and a panzergrenadier platoon. The Germans in San Angelo also moved to face the GI’s (and to contest the objective) and their 50mm atg’s succeeded brewing up two Shermans of lieutenant Hood’s tank platoon in the side of wooded hill. Only lt. Hood’s tank, Lone Star, remained of it. The tiger took a shot at lone star, but missed.


German counterattack
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... attack.jpg
The German counterattack gathered momentum! Withering mg fire from the village and vicious autocannon and mg fire from achtrads were chewing the US infantrymen in the pieces! The tiger took shots at Lone Star duelling with the panzergrenadiers, but missed both shots. (!)


Victorious panzergrenadiers
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... orious.jpg
San Angelo was furiously bombarded by US artillery. Slowly but steadily the panzergrenadiers in village were melting away. Just the steely gaze and stern commands of hauptmann von Hesselhoff were holding the remnants of the platoon together.
The panzergrenadier platoon that had arrived from reserve launched a furious assault at the pinned armored infantrymen over the wooded hill. Some fell by the defensive fire – but not enough. Grenades, smg’s and sharpened shovels did short work of GI’s who in turn broke and fled. Grenadiers threw themselves in the positions among burning tanks and piles of dead from both sides…
The tiger fired it’s 88 at Lone Star again, missing both shots!

Inside the tiger, tank commander leutnant Bauer barked angrily in intercom:
”Can’t you shoot straight, gunner! Miss again! What’s the matter with you?!”
”The gun sights seem to act in a funny way, sir. Maybe the new ones we received during refitting were faulty in some way. Maybe we should send them back to Zeiss-factory and…”
”Never mind, gunner. [sigh] Again – stielgranate – feuer!”


US recon patrol
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... patrol.jpg
At the same time the US recon patrol sensed a chance to take. A rifle team mounted in M2 halftrack succesfully eliminated the lone hmg left to guard the approaches of the wheat whield and objective with .50 cal mg fire. The road open, recon patrol leader lt Johnson and the other recon team run towards the objective, burnt wreck of M4A1 Lucky Seven.


Lone star
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... neStar.jpg
The last remaining Sherman, Lone Star, was now virtually behind German lines. The objective it had been contesting was lost, no doubt. And the tiger would be bound to hit it sooner or later…

Inside the tank lieutenant Hood wiped the sweat from his brow, desperate what to do. Thoughts raced in his mind. ”When in doubt – attack!”, that was what general Patton had said to them.
”Driver! Turn this tank around! That’s right. Now – round to the tiger’s side. Step on it! Gunner. When we see it’s flank hit it like Georgia Peach. We have just one chance for a home run!”
The tiger’s turret began to turn, but it was slow and Sherman was moving fast. Lt. Hood saw the tiger’s side armour from his sights. Tank still moving, he called the gunner: ”Fire!”. The ap round missed the massive tank by hair’s width. ”Again! Like you were shooting wild turkeys back home! Last chance – fire!”
Lone Star’s shot hit the tiger right in the turret ring. Flames burst from the turret hatches as the tank started to burn. A wild cheer went up from every member of Lone Star crew. The tank had really lived up to it’s name.


The end
http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx23 ... TheEnd.jpg

Hauptmann von Hasselhoff was lying on a shellhole in bombed-out San Angelo. In the next shellhole were the remnants of his second-in-command, blown to kingdom come by a mortar shell. In the side of the road sprawled the body of the panzergrenadier platoon commander, also dead. All around the village piazza were feldgrau bodies. And he heard that the tiger just blew up. He made a decision and turned to his aide.
”Schultz! Signal a retreat to all remaining units. There is nothing more to be gained by staying here. We have made the amerikaner to pay dearly for their attack. The achtrads will cover our retreat. We retreat to Etna line and we will crush them there.”

The survivors of recon patrol took cover in highway ditches around the wreck of Lucky Seven. To their surprise and relief, the germans suddenly began to withdraw towards north from San Angelo. Lt. Johnson took his hand-held radio and selected captain Lee’s channel. ”Yellow canary calling screaming eagle. The almonds are withdrawing from the pudding, I’ll repeat, the almonds are withdrawing from the pudding. The birds can now take the pudding”. Lt. Johnson lowered the radio. ”If there are any of us birds to take that goddamn pudding anymore…”, he thought to himself…


The americans haven’t won the game yet as per the scenario victory conditions, but my opponent offered me a handshake and I took it. Good game! Lots of action and hair-raising situations. I think that as our main aim was an entertaining and fun game the goal was achieved. :)

The German man of the match was without doubt hauptmann von Hasselhoff, whose re-rolls kept the German center from collapsing again and again. He also dodged an unbelievable amount of mortar and 75mm shell hits.
The US man of the match IMHO is the M4A1 Lone Star, whose duel with the tiger will be remembered for a long time. Maybe I could paint a Silver Star on the tank commander’s jacket..? ;)

[Salvo]

Hyvä raportti, hyvät kuvat, nätti maasto, kokonaan maalatut joukot, jotka vielä hyvällä tasolla toteutettu, loistavaa katseltavaa! Laittelehan tulevistakin tappeluista raportaasia, mikäli kerkiät.
Perinteistä saksalaisten meininkiä; yksi peltitölkki pitää pilkkanaan saksalaisjoukkojen ylpeyttä, joka sitten vielä tuikataan palamaan helpohkosti.
Mitäs materiaalia tuo "pelto" mahtaa olla, jossa nuo saksalaiset kykkii?

[Second Stringer]

Kiitokset positiivisesta palautteesta.

Pelto kuuluu vastustajan (eli pelipöydän omistajan) kokoelmaan, joten en nyt ihan 100% varmasti muista mitä materiaalia siihen on käytetty. Olisikohan ollut palmumattoa?