Hell on Wheels, Fight Number 2 (Normandy, 1944)

[bigjackmac]

All,

I got another one in!  It's the afternoon of 24 August 1944, and this morning Able and Baker Companies (with plenty of support) opened a hole in the just-waiting-to-collapse German defenses.  LtCol Mac throws the rest of the battalion into the breach, hoping shatter the German defenses.  But Oberst Fritz is crafty (cunning?  slimy?), and he held back enough of his initial force to have at least a semblance of a 2nd line to hold back the Allied onslaught, knowing they need to keep the US tanks bottled up in the bocage for as long as possible.


The table, looking from the US baseline towards the German baseline, south to north.  The objective is to clear German resistance from the map, opening a gaping hole in the German defenses, large enough to drive a whole Armored Division through!  This is not a general assault; Lt Tangoe's Armored Reconnaissance Plt is in the lead, split into two sections, one heading up Highway 1, the other Highway 2, seeking out the enemy, with the rest of the battalion in trace.

While 'formal' resistance is expected to be relatively light, I really want to capture the Allied experience of German tank-hunter teams popping out of nowhere to hit Allied armor with Panzerschrecks or Panzerfausts at point-blank range.  So, any time a US command roll fails and the dice are doubles (including blunders), a German tank-hunter team will magically pop onto the map and get a shot at the nearest US vehicle.  This would prove to be very costly.


Recon Platoon, ready to roll.


Germans Panzers patiently wait as M10 Wolverines crest the hill.


While Shermans swing left to get on their flank.


Recon stumbles into a whole mess of Germans in the village of Soufflee.


Hill 40 was the scene of intense fighting, and the Germans made excellent use of their Panzerschrecks and Panzerfausts (black bead: already activated; yellow beads: pinned; red and black bead: damaged, crew bailed; cotton: burning).


At this point Oberst Fritz evaluated the situation as such: Soufflee (top center/right) is not only devoid of Germans, it actually has Americans in it.  Fricassee (bottom left)has been emptied of my men and has two tanks and a reduced infantry platoon moving on it.  I have one MG on Hill 50 (top left), but it's pinned and down to its last strength point; I have one rifle squad left, but it's caught in the open outside Soufflee, pinned, and down to its last strength point.  The only other "infantry" I have is the Company Commander, a Platoon Commander, and two 80mm mortars, all running as fast as they can away from Soufflee. 

On the positive side of the ledger, I have two fully functioning PzJgr 4s in the treeline (top left).  However, there are two Shermans on their flank (bottom left), with another coming up from Hill 40 (bottom center/right), and two M10s at the Chateau (center) and another coming up Hwy 1 (far right).  The two M7s nearing Soufflee aren't much of a conventional anti-tank threat, but those big shells can certainly raise hell on optics, armament, engines, and tracks.  Not to mention the ever present threat of artillery and Jabos.

Oberst Fritz decides it was time to call it a day.

To see all the usual carnage, you know, bent and broken bodies, burning and abandoned tanks, failed command rolls, and way more than my fair share of blunders, please check my blog at:
http://blackhawkhet.blogspot.com/2014/01/hell-on-wheels-fight-number-2-normandy.html

V/R,
Jack

[petercooman]

Nice!

Love the names of the commanders 

[Ithoriel]

Another cracking report on what was clearly a fun game.

Who knew an M10 could duck!?

[Steve J]

Great names for the towns .

[Fenton]

Did Soufflee finally fall in the end?

[sebigboss79]

Looks like it faltered quickly after the heat eased off 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Not quite sure how I survived that, my platoon looks like it was hammered! Many letters home to loved ones I feel.

Platoon Sergeant to round up some beer and wine for my men. Send Hertsblue some grapes in hospital
Walk over to Ithorial and mention he should paint over the target on his bone-dome!


Great report.
I think my men were in too much of a hurry to catch a bus home!

[Techno]

Great fun again Jack !
Cheers - Phil.

[Womble67]

Cracking report

take care

andy

[bigjackmac]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it, and I'm glad they've received such great reviews! 

From my end, they've been a lot of fun, with my only complaint being they've been really long games (~5 hrs each, plus another 2-3 to write them up), and my wife's going to kill me! 

My mods to BKC have been working really well, as have my Plt-Fwd style add-ons for the enemy force.  I'm not sure where I came up with the 'tank-killer' idea, but I was pretty happy with it as well, and those tank-killers turned what could have been a walk-over into a real tussle, particularly on Hill 40, which really only should have had a PC with two 80mm mortars downslope, but ended up having two PzSchreck teams and two rifle squads pop up.

I'm hoping to get the next fight in on Saturday.  I'm thinking about having an infantry company w/tank support opening up a roadblock, then Recon, tanks, and the Engineers (in halftracks) sprinting ahead to grab a bridge.  Again, relatively light resistance, but with the 'Tank-Killer' rule in effect.  As always, I'm open to scenario ideas.

I'm glad so many folks appear to be enjoying this.

V/R,
Jack

[Ithoriel]

As always, I'm open to scenario ideas.

I hear there's a village up ahead.

With a bank.

Guarded by three Tiger tanks and some infantry.

I heard it from this colonel from German Army Intelligence.

When he was drunk.

[bigjackmac]

A bank, eh?  I'll have to get you a picture for that one.

Did anyone bring Hertsblue his grapes?  Don't forget, Ditteaux needs some too.   

Lemmey - As far as I can tell your picture should be working.  Can you see it?

And I noticed Oberst Fritz hasn't been around lately.  It sems the overfed, lazy, Yankee cowboy-gangsters gave his troops two quick ass-whoopin's, from which he twice slinked away, instead of staying to fight and die like a real man!      Wow, even I'm getting a bit carried away now!

V/R,
Jack

[fsn]

Vos is los! Gotterdammerung! I take one trip to the brothel and vat happens? Got und Himmel! Dey are only verdammit Amerikans! Ve should be able to deal mit them vith one hand on our Bratwurst!

Next time Yankee-pig-dog-hamster-camel! You shall be viped from the board by der wunder veapons und der loaded die!

(I'm really, really sorry. Apologies to all of Germany.)

[bigjackmac]

"...one trip to the brothel and vat happens?"  Don't worry Hans, I'm sure you deserved it.  I heard life has been a bit stressful since June 6th.

"Ve should be able to deal mit them vith one hand on our Bratwurst!"  Perhaps this is true, but maybe your Super-men weren't impressed by the Oberst's Bratwurst and found their morale flagging?  They say having a small Bratwurst drives the need to create wonder weapons 

(I too am really, really sorry  )

V/R,
Jack

[nikharwood]