With a -2 on my force morale roll (men's opinion was -7, due to the casualties suffered in previous games), attacking across an exposed causeway, the Americans starting with 2 full Chain of Command dice and occupying hard cover buildings, this scenario was going to be challenging for the Germans to say the least.
Because of the mandatory 2 tank support requirement, the mortar barrage option was not available for the Germans. Trying to deny the Americans deployment with help of a preliminary barrage was also out (starting with 2 full Chain of Command dice meant my opponent could end the turn immediately, ending the preliminary barrage before it took place).
My plan was therefore to take an extra squad as support and try and advance the infantry while the tanks were blasting the Americans.
The patrol phase did provide the Germans with a foothold across the bridge which I used to deploy Obergefreiter Merkwürdig's support squad in overwatch
A slew of double phases allowed my opponent to deploy his 2 paratrooper squads and his support MMG.
Although they took some minor hits from the German overwatch fire, their return fire did more damage and wounded Obergefreiter Merkwürdig.
Not once, but twice! Knocking him out for the remainder of the turn.
It even got worse when the US mortar team deployed and started dropping mortar rounds on the German squad.
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| Lt Jesse James and Plt Sgt Henry McCarty directing fire |
A bunch of useless German command dice rolls prevented deployment of support for Obergefreiter Merkwürdig's squad. Destruction was imminent.
Finally some decent command dice rolls! The Panzers arrive!
They start firing high explosive shells at the paratroopers, causing casualties and taking some pressure off the beleaguered German squad.
But of course my opponent uses his full Chain of Command dice to exploit the scenario ambush location under the bridge and a US bazooka team appears next to the Panzer!
And they miss!
Several times!
The Panzers move forward, but it is too late for Obergefreiter Merkwürdig's squad. They're gone and German morale is dropping.
The paratroopers now attempt to drive off the Panzers with machine gun fire. I deploy Obergefreiter Heines's squad behind the Panzer on the bridge, primarily to prevent another bazooka ambush.
Despite them taking cover behind the walls lining the bridge, accurate paratrooper fire quickly wounds Heines and destroys the squad to a man.
Inevitably a bazooka round finds its mark and destroys the Panzer.
We discussed the likelihood of the second Panzer being able to push the wreck of the first one off the bridge (I don't think it is in the rules), but decided to stop the attack. The Germans still had two full squads, but only 3 command dice left. Their chances of reaching the objective building on the other side of the table were slim.
This means that the Germans have lost the campaign (this was campaign turn 5; they had to win this game AND the next one to meet the campaign victory conditions). The US paratroopers have succesfully delayed them long enough. Post game bookkeeping saw the men's opinion on the German side drop to -12. Which means that Unterfeldwebel Kühn dies in mysterious circumstances...
In hindsight, my plan to have the Panzers advance across the bridge providing cover for infantry behind them was not the best option.
Using the foothold across the bridge to try and flank the paratroopers with the infantry while providing supporting fire with the Panzers from the causeway (forcing ambushers to fire at their front armour) would have perhaps worked better.
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