Scenario Two

Clearing the Americans from the map

or

The Americans: I'll be back and this time we mean it

KGP I

Dec 19 PM

The German Diaries

 

Introduction

The action in the morning was an outstanding victory, even more so after the mist and smoke cleared. The sanitarium was under complete German control. In fact, the Americans managed only 3 VP of the possible 52. Those were from three houses to the far north edge. Two small pockets remained although not many Americans were still around. It was our idea to clear the map entirely of Americans. We might have done it too.

 

Force Phil: Nord Strum

The resistance was in two areas. By the extreme north edge; they still clung to three houses and a road that led off the map. We had been lucky the previous game lasted so long. It allowed us to capture another strategic location between the houses. Force Phil now had the one forward house almost surrounded and was in excellent striking position for the other two. The start of the turn saw two interesting things happen. Remember, interesting is almost never good in third person narrative. The first event as a surprise bombard by the Americans. What a devastating weapon. Everything within seven hexes of the AR gets attacked at a 2MC automatically. Tanks get destroyed on 10 and halftracks, an 8. Again, the Germans must have had the luck of the Irish. While most squads were broken, only one causality reduction occurred. No vehicles were destroyed. On the other hand, one of the stone buildings that housed an American squad was rubbled, taking the ten men with it. In other words, the Americans suffered more by their own weapon than we did. However, we certainly got respect for this tool.

The other interesting thing that happen was the weather lifted to very light mist. It was at this point, we found out the Americans had purchased planes. They were to get but a single fighter, but like the bombardment, we would get respect for that weapon too.

After the bombardment, nothing worth reporting happened for five turns up there. Phil proceed to capture the rest of the buildings. No resistance was met and all the units turned out to be dummies. We got the credit for destroying one armored car as it exited the board. Doyle forgot the edge was not a valid exit area.

 

Force Bob: Bob be praised

The other force on the board was a small pocket near a building near the south edge of the forest. It had 2 1/2 squads, a leader and MMG. A wounded animal full of zippy fight to be sure, but half the German army was allocated to this. All I had to do was break them. For positioning, they were surrounded on two sides with only a small corridor to escape. They tried that, but to make a boring story short, I eliminated all them. One was twice broken, one was routed out of existence and I CC'd the leader and a broken squad. By turn three, it was over. Almost very single American ground that started the game was dead. Three did managed to get off. We might have taken that as a decisive victory.

 

De Plane! De Plane!

The plane did manage to make it on by Turn Three. What a weapon. The bomb it carried was the least of our concerns. It managed to take out three tanks, something all the rest of the American army was marginally capable of. It did miss two TK rolls and we considered ourselves lucky with that. The King Tiger survived the bomb attack. Then on Turn Six, a small cadre of brave Americans entered along the highway, to the German left. We had positioned a screening force and our new reserves in that area in case this happened. They quickly established a strategic position just on the board. They also ran up the road very aggressively. Our tank and HMG fire stopped all but one. By Turn Seven, a single leader not only activated an SS reserve squad but revealed another strategic position next to that SS squad. The Americans were jumping out at the last minute to gain setup positions. "We'll have non of that," I thought. My reaction drew the attention of the plane as my SS squad ran through the open. Apparently confused about see troops other than German on the battlefield or just assuming no American troops would be in battle to begin with, the plane swooped down for a mistaken identity attack. Now the strafing would be for the German cause. The plane attacked the lone leader in the strategic position and killed the man. Subsequently, the plane flew off. My SS merely advanced in - end of turn.

 

Aftermath

The Americans had taken a chance that game would end on Turn Seven but it lasted to Turn Eight, allowing us to capture a new strategic position. We had all the Victory Point locations. After two games, the Americans had only amassed 3 VP toward their 130. They had one strategic position in their control. At one point all the US units were off the board.

However, night was falling fast and US reinforcements were pouring in. We are looking at a duel night attack scenario with the Germans moving first.


[Back]