J.R.V. vs. Jim Brackin
My opponent, Jim Brackin, wanted to play this new scenario out of Operation Cobra. The Americans bring a high-firepower force to the map edge, with 21 squads, 4 MMGs and 8 M4A1 tanks. Their mission is a tough one, though. They have to clear German MMC/AFV from on/adjacent to a north-south road net while avoiding a 56 CVP cap. The key for the Germans to overcome that much firepower was the stiffening of three Panthers.
Rules Questions
Per SBR 3, “After all setup but prior to game start, the American must place 10 shellholes counters …”. The shellholes are then moved randomly and they blow up things where they land. The problem with the SBR is that “setup” might mean setup during the pregame sequence [ASOP], in which case it is after the Germans put down their units, but before the Americans put down their first turn reinforcements [ASOP 1.11A]. The use of the word “all” sounds like the shellhole placement might have been meant to occur right after ASOP 1.11A, but the SBR also clearly states that this is “prior to game start,” which happens with the first turn Rph. We played the SBR as follows: German sets up, American places shellholes, Germans roll their SBR 4 TC (which immediately follows the shellhole placement, Americans set up first turn reinforcements. That the Americans can see the results of shellholes and the SBR 4 TC before setting up their reinforcements is an advantage for them , but because they have a turn’s distance to go before hitting the German MLR, it isn’t that much of a gain.
The shellholes SBR had another rules gap: there was no mention of what happens when the shellholes ended up in woods, where the rulebook does not allow them [B2.1]. We played such result as eliminating the unit/fortification, but not affecting the terrain.
Note that the SBR 4 TC is not a NMC. Because of this, results like HOB, ELR reduction, and Casualty MC are N/A. If the unit passes the the TC, it is unbroken. If it fails, it is broken but nothing more.
German Setup
Despite the special at-start TC, which breaks any German MMC that fails it, I set up a strong front line force. I put leaders in/near the front so that I could use their leadership DRM against the TC and so the leaders could move quickly to units that broke. Most of the broken units were recovered or with leaders by the beginning of turn 2. I set up one Panther on each flank and one covering the open area from E-J10. I was hoping to convince Jim that the best way to attack was through the bocage around E-Q8. This wasn’t too hard, as it probably is the best way to attack. My goal was to delay the attacking Amis in the center. (I was also looking for an opportunity to slide around into the American rear for the sleaze win, but that proved impossible.) I was planning to fall back slowly to a redoubt built in the 24V6 area, guarding the 24V2 road.
I expected the American turn 4 reinforcements to enter from the west because that is the shortest route to the last bit of road. AP Mines in 24U9 and wire in 24W8-24V8 covered the approaches to foxholes in 24V7-24X6. I couldn’t seal the keep completely because I wanted the Panthers to fall back into the fort. I put a fair amount of my fortifications near the 24AA column, including the roadblock. I also added mines in/near 24J7 in case Jim decided to enter that way.
The Americans did indeed slog through the bocage in the center, with a small holding force on the west edge. The American attack was meticulous. They lost only one Sherman in the first 4 turns, and but two squad equivalents. The Germans also lost very little in the first 4 turns, 1.5 squad equivalents. The Germans fell back to the main fort by American turn four, with squads and Panthers on the flanks of board 24 to cover the American reinforcement entrance. The Americans entered on the west, and the Germans fell back into the 24Q5 village area, the buildings near 24S7 and the woods near 24V6.
On German turn 4 a Panther lunged at a Sherman parked by itself in 24FF6. It missed the bounding fire attempt and went back into Motion in 24EE6, awaiting the inevitable rush of Shermans. That did not happen. Jim feels that swarming attacks are overrated. He attempted to drive his Sherman over the Bocage into 24EE6 but Bogged, then put two Shermans in 24CC5 and 24BB6 to fire on the Panther. Relieved, and having no compunction about driving through my opponent’s hex, I drove the Panther through to 24GG6, flamed the Sherman in FF6, and stopped to await developments. Jim Smoked my Panther from 24CC6, but that left him stopped there, and I killed that tank a turn later. Another Sherman was killed by mines on German turn 5 (the only one of four two factor AT mine attacks; all AT mines were at 2 factors). The Americans were starting to run out of time, and they hadn’t really pushed the Germans back out of the 24V7 woods. Some squads were attacking from the 24N8 area too, but they were stymied by a squad in 24M6 and the HMG in 24Q6.
Two more Shermans died on turn German 6, and with that we called the game. The Americans were at 52 CVP, four points shy of the cap. It was unlikely that he could clear the rest of the road without losing the remaining CVP.
For excitement, I have to rate this scenario fairly highly from the German perspective. I was continually trying to cover too much with too little, with units dashing about to fill in gaps and plug leaks. Jim feels that the scenario is unbalanced. I have a hard time commenting on that because I was too focused on the defense. On the face of it it looks like a tough job trying to clear the 24Q5 block and the 24V2 stretch of road. On the other hand the scneario is 7.5 turns, which seems long enough. The key may be in the Panthers. If the Americans can contrive to eliminate one or two (without losing too many Shermans), they have a decent chance. If they can’t, they are probably going to hit the CVP cap.
JR