Played an awesome scenario with Joe Chadwick. We played BtB6, “Men Against Tanks” from BFP’s “Beyond the Beachhead” product. The is a tight little 5 turner with a company of 6-6-6′s and 6-6-7′s attacking seven 4-4-7′s and two dug in Pz-IVH’s on about a third of a board. The board is one of the two beautiful maps that come with BtB2 (BFP D).
The Germans can set up anywhere on the playing area (roughly 1/3 of one map board, hex rows V-GG are playable). They start with 3 Wire, 3 Trenches and 4S Foxholes. The German OB consists of 7×447, mmg, 2xlmg, 8-1, 2x 8-0 and the two IVH’s (dug in though = immobile). The Victory conditions have the Americans win if they can get 8 (of a possible 12) VP’s. The American scores VP’s like this, 2 for each PzIV knocked out, 2 each for the two sunken road hexes and 4 for a cross road hex (near the cent of the map).
Joe set up with one of the tanks covering my right, which was a large open field; the other tank was dug-in in front of the 4-VP crossroad hex (Y6). On my left Joe placed 4 of his 447′s and in the center he put his trench line (which CAN run THROUGH a bocage hexside, i.e. you can move IN the trench between the hexes, very handy), near the tank and also covering the large empty field and the two sunken road hexes.
Examining the set up and the terrain, I decided to enter most of the company (7.5 squads) in my center (that is along the board end) where I could use the terrain to move full speed on turn one without coming under fire. I was hoping Joe wouldn’t place wire on this important road that he’d left uncovered. I took the remaining platoon and a 7-0 and approached on the left near a wheat field, hoping to pin his forces in that area and force them to stay, not being able to reinforce his trench line and tank in the middle.
Turn one went very well for me. The flanking platoon entered concealed and adjacent to Joe’s position, I ran another squad and HS through the wheat to get shots off in advance, he shot but didn’t get any results. I advanced with two HS’s (I had deployed 2 full 666 prior to play) into CC with his two 447s. While the remaining platoon moved in to support and cover this melee.
The main attack also went very well, I moved all my force on, coming under only sporadic fire, doing little damage. In the advance phase I moved adjacent to his trench line, putting his two squads there in danger of being cut of and unable to rout if they broke. I was very happy at the end of the USA player turn 1, even placing infantry smoke in one instance.
Joe’s turn one went very well for him. The close combat on my left was inconclusive and turned into a full-fledged melee, drawing mmc’s like bugs to a light on a dark night. Joe’s trench troops fired into their adjacent Americans and broke the whole crew (2 squads I think), thus giving his two squads some breathing room. He then pulled back a hex or two in the Trench line. At the end of the turn, the melee cost us both a HS but still raged on.
The next two turns are kind of a blur. The trench line turned into a terrific firefight, with his two squads and tank breaking US squads left and right. Joe’s tank crew squeezed of several impressive ROF shots with his 75L, happily though the first three hits he followed up with a `10′ on the IFT/effect roll, I happily took those PTC’s, but on the amazing fourth and last ROF shot, he rolled a `7′ and I promptly failed both morale checks. His mmg also dealt out rof madness, breaking countless American mmc’s. I was able to stay in it though, having several American Rally skyscrapers, my leader working overtime to keep rallying the mmcs. The route phase turned into the American Route `stampede’ phase several time.
Eventually the Americans did clear out the trench line and were able to take out the dug in Pz IV with a well-placed turret hit (whew) from a BAZ44. The melee on my left turned ugly after I managed to reinforce it, but was unable to kill off his two remaining 2nd line HS’s, I had two 666′s in there by now. Joe wisely shot into the melee and both my squads broke, one of his 237′s passing the 1MC and killing both the MMCs while they tried to withdraw from the melee. This left the 7-0 without a platoon, so he spied a lonely German 8-0 in the woods adjacent and charged in after him, alone. Those two were still in melee when I left for work this morning.
The end game proved very exciting as I closed in on Joe’s remaining tank and the important VP hexes (sunken road hexes and the crossroad). I knew I had some small chance but it was going to be a long shot. Having knocked out one of the tanks, I had 2 of the needed 8 VP. I would have to score most of these on the last turn, only then able to watch as Joe would take his final turn (bottom of the fifth).
I was able to move a couple of squads over and take control of the sunken road hexes, thus getting 4 more VPs. Joe’s last squad on that side broke under withering US firepower and wasn’t going to be able to get me out of the sunken road. So now I had 6 of the needed 8, if I could kill the last mark IV I could steel a win from Joe. I also managed to rally some units and get three BAZ44′s two hexes away from the PzIV and behind a bocage (and concealed), setting up a dramatic last turn for the Germans.
On Joe’s last turn he prepped and broke two of my BAZ toting squads with his tank and the rest of his infantry (2 squads GO at this point). I thus had one chance, one shot to take at the Pz IV needing a turret hit to boot. Well the dice Gods smiled as I rolled a `6′ (colored dr = 1) TH and got the hit. The tank blew up and so did Joe’s hopes for victory. With the tank I know had 8 VP, enough for the win.
That was one exciting scenario. There was a lot of shooting and rallying and melee fighting, some atrocities as Joe’s evil little 237 took out my two broken squads trying flee the melee <sniff> and some crazy rof action from Joe’s mmg and tank. Joe’s only been playing ASL now for a few months now and has come a long way, this is the 2nd scenario we’ve played together where the game was determined on the last DR of the last turn. Look out for Joe at the St. Louis Tournament next week; he’s hardly a n00b now. And I must mention that he wouldn’t be playing now with out MMP’s excellent Starter kit and Dave Angrisani’s tutelage.
The scenarios in BFP’s BtB2 pack are great; I’ve played five of them now and have really enjoyed each one. I love the maps as well. You’ll certainly be an expert on wall advantage and bocage after one or two of these scenarios
Stephen Brasseur