JÄDHE'S TIGERS - WG202
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Scott B
Apr 19, 2022, 12:03:27 AM4/19/22
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JÄDHE'S TIGERS
WG202, SQUAD LEADER ACADEMY
AFTER ACTION REPORT
PLAYERS
Monty Axis Setup first
Jamie Allies Moves first
AT START
German Comments
The main consideration here is that the Russians get to move first. Any units on the north edge of the town will be exposed to that openning prep fire. The SS are tough, but not tough enough to withstand that first shot. My strategy is to slow the advance for as long as possible in hopes that Jadhe's tigers will tip the scale in my favor. The ATG is placed in the north side of town and will surely see action.
Russian Comments
Never played this scenario before, so I retired to my sanctum sanctorum in the highest tower of the castle to consult with the ghost of Sun Tzu on strategy. The spirit of Attila the Hun emerged from the shadows instead and counseled me to treat my Russian forces as a giant hammer with the village as an anvil, and the German force therein as a ripe melon resting atop it. "So be it" we roared and smashed our glasses upon the hearth!
TURN ONE
Russian Comments
From the beginning I decided to be super aggressive with my armor (three T34s and two SU-122s) in an effort to ram, smash or blast the Germans out of their defensive positions; these SS troops are just too tough to sit back and trade fire with in hopes of creating an opening, and competent defensive play would make it even tougher to kick them out (and Monty proved to be very competent indeed!). I fully expected the armor to be consumed in combat but was happy to trade them for exposing the hidden ATG and overrunning it, and getting my infantry into the town pronto. My infantry gun fired smoke to cover the assault squads and 9-1 who tried and failed to place my demo charge on a key position, and my delight at the revealed ATG jamming quickly turned to woe as it returned to action just as quickly...
German Comments
As expected, the Red armor moved into take the SS at point blank range. The SU-122s move around the east and west flanks to take the village under fire. The Soviet infantry moves up to exploit the holes. The Russian howitzer lays down smoke. The SS are barely able to turn back charging guardsmen with a DC attack from Q7. The ATG malfunctions on RT1 and then is repaired to take out a T-34 in GT1. That was close! I send three other squads in counter attacks to destroy tanks and throw the Russians off balance. I can't seem to make a morale check to destroy two tanks and have to fall back.
TURN TWO
Russian Comments
My initial attempt to storm the village perimeter was thrown back in a blizzard of failed morale checks, but with very little actual casualties... some college football coach pep talking from my leaders allowed me to regroup and try again fairly rapidly. This too was rejected. In typical Squad Leader fashion, I was on a tight schedule as the scenario attacker and had little time for this nonsense. Monty was making excellent use of his halftrack to interdict my attacks and
keep my broken units under DM (my handy halftrack-killing ATR having been dumped during a rout) but a bigger problem was about to rear its ugly head: the burning T34 wreck sitting smack dab in the Q6 woods hex...
German Comments
The Russian armor moves into the woods to overrun the Germans hiding there. For the most part they weather the storm. The ATG follows up it's initial kill with a critical hit shot on a second T-34 coming through the woods. The resulting fire threatens to burn the heart out of the village. Another wave of Russian infantry is thrown back with accurate point blank infantry fire. The Germans have been lucky. On the left flank, the Germans are engaged in close combat with a lone Russian squad. On the right flank the halftrack moves up to block a potential third Russian wave.
TURN THREE
Russian Comments
My infantry gun had made the most of an opportunity to take out two German squads that exposed themselves briefly in Q7, clearing the way into the village and gifting me a Panzerschreck which the thought of somehow putting to use had me smacking my chops since Monty had captured and destroyed my DC. However, the little three-hex forest that was once the pride of the village council was now, to my horror, a growing inferno that was cutting off my advance route through the town, forcing me to move around the perimeter and exposing me to German fire on either flank. I'd engaged the German squad in T6 in close combat with a lone 447 but, not satisfied with letting nature take its course, I succumbed to the temptation to pump some MMG fire in there in my lust to destroy it; scratch one 447. A lowlight of my Squad Leader career! The German squad remained and now I had the Tigers to deal with as well. It was all going to come down to guts and morale checks.
German Comments
The woods in the village become completely engulfed in flames. The Germans ready themselves in the south to go again at the Russian armor. On a signal from the Lt, the OBA fires smoke and sounds the SU-122s in a cloud. The Germans leap over the walls and through the building to take both AFVs in close combat. Both groups experience some problems with PAAMC rolls and only half go forward. A Russian squad has been chased out of the woods by the fire and has ended up around one of the SU-122s. The Surprised SS must finish off the squad before taking on the SPG. They fall back. Another squad gets through and finishes the other SU-122. The Germans are hanging on by their fingernails.
TURN FOUR
Russian Comments
Monty's observations below are exactly correct -- I broke cover in several places to draw fire away from my attempt to feed units into the village through the R5-R6 building (just before it caught fire!). I was able to mass a stack of infantry, including two 628s and the workhorse 9-1 leader, in S5. There they joined my last T34 sitting in the rubble of a wood building and reminiscing about happier game turns of long ago. The remainder of the Russian force is dispersed and broken north of the village; the infantry gun is too far away at this point to be a factor (although it should be noted that it helped put the German HMG position on the second floor of N2 under harassing fire several times to keep it disrupted and largely out of the fight). Monty has managed his defense of the town expertly and maneuvered to fallback positions covered by the 88s and MGs of the deadly Tigers. All that's left now is to charge these final German positions with men and machines and hope for the best... win or lose, it will be glorious.
German Comments
The Russians made a big effort to get another three squads and leader into the center of the village. They used several diversionary attacks on the wings of the German positions to draw fire away from that main effort. These diversionary attacks paid the price with two of them cut down in KIAs. A third was broken and had to fall back. The Germans countered with Jadhe destroying the remaining SU-122 in the smoke. The Germans also counterattacked another area where a leader was trying to rally broken squads. The Germans caused all of the units to scatter and be DMed. The Germans then repositioned and awaited the next assault.
TURN FIVE
Final Losses
Russian Comments
The 628s toss their last smoke grenades and go in. Incredibly, the entire stack survives a typhoon of shot and shell and advances into S3 for close combat; the units attempting to engage the Germans in what's left of the northern side of the village are broken by defensive fire and turned back, however, and subsequently cut off by the inferno which has now consumed six hexes and is still growing. My last tank goes down under the point-blank roar of an 88 and the Russians in melee are weakened by attrition in consecutive Close Combat phases. As it becomes a mathematical certainty that the Russians have neither the combat power or the time remaining to achieve their objectives, I finally throw in the sponge.
German Comments
The Russian assault made up a mixed stack of squads moved into the rubble for a final attempt to clear the Germans. Behind them, the northern part of the village is ablaze separating them from the remainder of the force and reinforcement. A lucky shot on a T-34/85 in the woods has created the fire that would change the battlefield. The Germans pull back to a final strong point. They layer the defense making it more and more difficult for the Russians to accomplish their goal. The final Russian assault, drops smoke and charges into hand to hand combat with two squads of SS. Over the course of three rounds of CC the Russians are slowly cut down. For all intents, time has run out on the game and the Russians concede.
FINAL COMMENTS
Russian Comments
I'd like to thank Monty for playing out the scenario to a definitive end just to make certain that any last-minute Russian heroics weren't going to save the day in a wild finish. A game star goes to his ATG crew who jammed their gun immediately, unjammed it just as immediately, and blasted two tanks at point-blank range -- the second one being responsible for the three-alarm fire that turned half the town into a raging inferno. The fire became a major factor but, to be frank, it was Monty's wily and capable defense of the town, his use of maneuver and positional play and, in my opinion, his thoughtful deployment of the halftrack for maximum effect that won the game. An all-out attack like the one I employed is a huge gamble and one has to adapt to the situations that result for both sides. Monty took all I could throw at him and weathered it with aplomb and what I consider to be optimum play, and is a gentleman and good sport into the bargain, graciously pointing out several minor oversights on my part that were detrimental to Russian play during the game which I appreciate greatly.
My goal is always to give my opponent a good run for the money and hopefully that was the case here. A fun scenario and an enjoyable game. Congrats on the victory, Monty, and thanks for the action-packed match!
German Comments
This game was a very close one. Fighting was hand to hand most of the way. Jamie used his armor to overrun the defenders and soften them up. In many cases, the armor crashed through multiple buildings and woods to get at them. For the most part the Germans survived these overruns and finally succeeded in taking out one SU-122. The game changer was the German anti-tank gun. In short order, it malfunctioned, was repaired, destroyed a T-34/85 point blank, rotated around to avoid an overrun, and got a critical hit on a second T-34/85. The resulting kill/wreck fire set the northern half of the village ablaze. That fire slowly changed the battlefield making it harder and harder for Jamie to win.
In summation, the Germans were lucky. The game could have gone either way. Jamie was on the attack through the game and with a few critical rolls going his way the Result would have been different. Thank you Jamie for a great match! Well played!
WG202, SQUAD LEADER ACADEMY
AFTER ACTION REPORT
PLAYERS
Monty Axis Setup first
Jamie Allies Moves first
AT START
German Comments
The main consideration here is that the Russians get to move first. Any units on the north edge of the town will be exposed to that openning prep fire. The SS are tough, but not tough enough to withstand that first shot. My strategy is to slow the advance for as long as possible in hopes that Jadhe's tigers will tip the scale in my favor. The ATG is placed in the north side of town and will surely see action.
Russian Comments
Never played this scenario before, so I retired to my sanctum sanctorum in the highest tower of the castle to consult with the ghost of Sun Tzu on strategy. The spirit of Attila the Hun emerged from the shadows instead and counseled me to treat my Russian forces as a giant hammer with the village as an anvil, and the German force therein as a ripe melon resting atop it. "So be it" we roared and smashed our glasses upon the hearth!
TURN ONE
Russian Comments
From the beginning I decided to be super aggressive with my armor (three T34s and two SU-122s) in an effort to ram, smash or blast the Germans out of their defensive positions; these SS troops are just too tough to sit back and trade fire with in hopes of creating an opening, and competent defensive play would make it even tougher to kick them out (and Monty proved to be very competent indeed!). I fully expected the armor to be consumed in combat but was happy to trade them for exposing the hidden ATG and overrunning it, and getting my infantry into the town pronto. My infantry gun fired smoke to cover the assault squads and 9-1 who tried and failed to place my demo charge on a key position, and my delight at the revealed ATG jamming quickly turned to woe as it returned to action just as quickly...
German Comments
As expected, the Red armor moved into take the SS at point blank range. The SU-122s move around the east and west flanks to take the village under fire. The Soviet infantry moves up to exploit the holes. The Russian howitzer lays down smoke. The SS are barely able to turn back charging guardsmen with a DC attack from Q7. The ATG malfunctions on RT1 and then is repaired to take out a T-34 in GT1. That was close! I send three other squads in counter attacks to destroy tanks and throw the Russians off balance. I can't seem to make a morale check to destroy two tanks and have to fall back.
TURN TWO
Russian Comments
My initial attempt to storm the village perimeter was thrown back in a blizzard of failed morale checks, but with very little actual casualties... some college football coach pep talking from my leaders allowed me to regroup and try again fairly rapidly. This too was rejected. In typical Squad Leader fashion, I was on a tight schedule as the scenario attacker and had little time for this nonsense. Monty was making excellent use of his halftrack to interdict my attacks and
keep my broken units under DM (my handy halftrack-killing ATR having been dumped during a rout) but a bigger problem was about to rear its ugly head: the burning T34 wreck sitting smack dab in the Q6 woods hex...
German Comments
The Russian armor moves into the woods to overrun the Germans hiding there. For the most part they weather the storm. The ATG follows up it's initial kill with a critical hit shot on a second T-34 coming through the woods. The resulting fire threatens to burn the heart out of the village. Another wave of Russian infantry is thrown back with accurate point blank infantry fire. The Germans have been lucky. On the left flank, the Germans are engaged in close combat with a lone Russian squad. On the right flank the halftrack moves up to block a potential third Russian wave.
TURN THREE
Russian Comments
My infantry gun had made the most of an opportunity to take out two German squads that exposed themselves briefly in Q7, clearing the way into the village and gifting me a Panzerschreck which the thought of somehow putting to use had me smacking my chops since Monty had captured and destroyed my DC. However, the little three-hex forest that was once the pride of the village council was now, to my horror, a growing inferno that was cutting off my advance route through the town, forcing me to move around the perimeter and exposing me to German fire on either flank. I'd engaged the German squad in T6 in close combat with a lone 447 but, not satisfied with letting nature take its course, I succumbed to the temptation to pump some MMG fire in there in my lust to destroy it; scratch one 447. A lowlight of my Squad Leader career! The German squad remained and now I had the Tigers to deal with as well. It was all going to come down to guts and morale checks.
German Comments
The woods in the village become completely engulfed in flames. The Germans ready themselves in the south to go again at the Russian armor. On a signal from the Lt, the OBA fires smoke and sounds the SU-122s in a cloud. The Germans leap over the walls and through the building to take both AFVs in close combat. Both groups experience some problems with PAAMC rolls and only half go forward. A Russian squad has been chased out of the woods by the fire and has ended up around one of the SU-122s. The Surprised SS must finish off the squad before taking on the SPG. They fall back. Another squad gets through and finishes the other SU-122. The Germans are hanging on by their fingernails.
TURN FOUR
Russian Comments
Monty's observations below are exactly correct -- I broke cover in several places to draw fire away from my attempt to feed units into the village through the R5-R6 building (just before it caught fire!). I was able to mass a stack of infantry, including two 628s and the workhorse 9-1 leader, in S5. There they joined my last T34 sitting in the rubble of a wood building and reminiscing about happier game turns of long ago. The remainder of the Russian force is dispersed and broken north of the village; the infantry gun is too far away at this point to be a factor (although it should be noted that it helped put the German HMG position on the second floor of N2 under harassing fire several times to keep it disrupted and largely out of the fight). Monty has managed his defense of the town expertly and maneuvered to fallback positions covered by the 88s and MGs of the deadly Tigers. All that's left now is to charge these final German positions with men and machines and hope for the best... win or lose, it will be glorious.
German Comments
The Russians made a big effort to get another three squads and leader into the center of the village. They used several diversionary attacks on the wings of the German positions to draw fire away from that main effort. These diversionary attacks paid the price with two of them cut down in KIAs. A third was broken and had to fall back. The Germans countered with Jadhe destroying the remaining SU-122 in the smoke. The Germans also counterattacked another area where a leader was trying to rally broken squads. The Germans caused all of the units to scatter and be DMed. The Germans then repositioned and awaited the next assault.
TURN FIVE
Final Losses
Russian Comments
The 628s toss their last smoke grenades and go in. Incredibly, the entire stack survives a typhoon of shot and shell and advances into S3 for close combat; the units attempting to engage the Germans in what's left of the northern side of the village are broken by defensive fire and turned back, however, and subsequently cut off by the inferno which has now consumed six hexes and is still growing. My last tank goes down under the point-blank roar of an 88 and the Russians in melee are weakened by attrition in consecutive Close Combat phases. As it becomes a mathematical certainty that the Russians have neither the combat power or the time remaining to achieve their objectives, I finally throw in the sponge.
German Comments
The Russian assault made up a mixed stack of squads moved into the rubble for a final attempt to clear the Germans. Behind them, the northern part of the village is ablaze separating them from the remainder of the force and reinforcement. A lucky shot on a T-34/85 in the woods has created the fire that would change the battlefield. The Germans pull back to a final strong point. They layer the defense making it more and more difficult for the Russians to accomplish their goal. The final Russian assault, drops smoke and charges into hand to hand combat with two squads of SS. Over the course of three rounds of CC the Russians are slowly cut down. For all intents, time has run out on the game and the Russians concede.
FINAL COMMENTS
Russian Comments
I'd like to thank Monty for playing out the scenario to a definitive end just to make certain that any last-minute Russian heroics weren't going to save the day in a wild finish. A game star goes to his ATG crew who jammed their gun immediately, unjammed it just as immediately, and blasted two tanks at point-blank range -- the second one being responsible for the three-alarm fire that turned half the town into a raging inferno. The fire became a major factor but, to be frank, it was Monty's wily and capable defense of the town, his use of maneuver and positional play and, in my opinion, his thoughtful deployment of the halftrack for maximum effect that won the game. An all-out attack like the one I employed is a huge gamble and one has to adapt to the situations that result for both sides. Monty took all I could throw at him and weathered it with aplomb and what I consider to be optimum play, and is a gentleman and good sport into the bargain, graciously pointing out several minor oversights on my part that were detrimental to Russian play during the game which I appreciate greatly.
My goal is always to give my opponent a good run for the money and hopefully that was the case here. A fun scenario and an enjoyable game. Congrats on the victory, Monty, and thanks for the action-packed match!
German Comments
This game was a very close one. Fighting was hand to hand most of the way. Jamie used his armor to overrun the defenders and soften them up. In many cases, the armor crashed through multiple buildings and woods to get at them. For the most part the Germans survived these overruns and finally succeeded in taking out one SU-122. The game changer was the German anti-tank gun. In short order, it malfunctioned, was repaired, destroyed a T-34/85 point blank, rotated around to avoid an overrun, and got a critical hit on a second T-34/85. The resulting kill/wreck fire set the northern half of the village ablaze. That fire slowly changed the battlefield making it harder and harder for Jamie to win.
In summation, the Germans were lucky. The game could have gone either way. Jamie was on the attack through the game and with a few critical rolls going his way the Result would have been different. Thank you Jamie for a great match! Well played!
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