Scenario 38 "The Factory"
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Scott B
Nov 8, 2023, 4:02:49 PM11/8/23
to Squad Leader AARs
THE FACTORY
SCENARIO 38, G.I.: ANVIL OF VICTORY
AFTER ACTION REPORT
Links to image1 and image2.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Aprilia Settlement, Central Italy. February 11, 1944.
At the end of 1943, the Allied invasion of Italy was bogged down at the Gustav Line. Operation SHINGLE, an amphibious landing behind enemy lines, intended to draw German forces from the Gustav Line to facilitate a breakthrough or to move on Rome and threaten the rear of the German XIV Panzer Corps. Allied intelligence underestimated German combat ability and available forces while the Allied operational leaders had little confidence in their superiors and likened the plan to Gallipoli.
From the beaches of Anzio to Rome is about thirty-five miles, with Highway No. 6 running through cultivated vineyards, woods and plateau to the Alban Hills twenty miles distance. These hills control the southern approaches to Rome and are the ‘decisive point’ because they dominate Highway No 6 and Highway No. 7 (the latter is the Via Appia, which carried the ancient armies of Rome). At the base of these foothills are Carroceto and Aprilia, known as “The Factory” to the GIs. The Allied advance would take these towns and and a little further by 1 February before German resistance stiffened.
Soon the Germans were counterattacking and over the next several days pushed the allies out of both towns. The US failure to retake The Factory on 11 February secured the jumping off points for the German push to eliminate the Anzio beachhead. They would push the Allies further back but never divide or conquer them. By March both sides were exhausted and reverted to the defense, a stalemate that would last three months until the Allies finally broke out. German propaganda would call Anzio the largest self-supporting prisoner of war camp in the world.
This scenario has its own dirge. Roger Waters composed “When the Tigers Broke Free” chronicling the death of his father, Erich Fletcher Waters, in Aprilia on 18 February, 1944.
RESOURCES
“The Factory.” G.I.: ANVIL OF VICTORY. Baltimore, MD: The Avalon Hill Game Company, 1982. https://storage.googleapis.com/archivesqlt/DAO00038A.pdf
“Anvil of My Eye: GIs in the Maelstrom”. Nixon, Mark C. The Avalon Hill General. 1982.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxBhV3GHa1N8Wlp6RUQtcnlMcWs/view?resourcekey=0-XvEma4hp_RJfSQIPAHL_rg
John Bowwditch, III. “Anzio Beachhead: 22 January - 25 May 1944”. American Forces in Action series. 1948, Washington D.C. US Army Center of Military History. 62-66.
https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/anziobeach/anzio-enemy.htm
Vego, Milan. “The Allied Landing at Anzio-Nettuno, 22 January- 4 March 1944”. Naval War College Review: Vol 67: No. 4 Article 8. 37-39.
GAME TURN EIGHT
US Comments
The push on the last turn is not enough and the US finishes with four of the six needed victory buildings. A quirky victory condition allows a broken German unit to deny control. This cost the US two buildings, one with a German broken crew and the second with a KIA US crew, allowing the Germans to gain control absent a broken US unit.
German Comments
It came down to the last few dice rolls in the final phases of the battle. My Germans were able to hold on for the win. German luck with the dice in the late stages was a difference maker for sure. The US couldn’t seem to get a fire attack DR of less than 6. Against stone buildings and fortified hexes, it isn’t going to get the job done.
The Amis abandoned a Sherman in L2 to advance into M3 to get that 2-level building on their side of the ledger. Anticipating this, the 76L ATG in O4 pivoted in Def Fire without firing, waiting for the Sherman crew to advance into M3. In Turn 8 Prep Fire, on its first shot the 76L ATG got a hit vs the Infantry target type in M3, and resolved the hit with a 12FP KIA. That made the outcome of the battle pretty much academic, barring the multiple very good dice rolls the US would need to keep P3 and earn O7. I simply assault moved a leader from O4 into N3 (US had no Def Fire into that hex), and advanced into M3 and that building is German.
In O7 the US couldn’t double-break and elim the crew that voluntarily broke and routed to the 2nd level. The US 9-2 and squad in O9 had to fire through 2 x WP smoke hexes and could not get a result.
My Germans withstood the scattered US Def Fire that was mostly hampered by smoke and couldn’t get a result due to high dice rolls. So in the Advance Phase I pig-piled onto the berserk leader in P3 and auto-elimed him with a 12:1 odds advantage, and he couldn’t elim enough Germans to keep the hex as a US building. The Germans, against the overwhelming US firepower and armor support, prevailed by retaining possession of 6 of the 10 victory locations.
AFTERMATH
US Comments
This was a really fun scenario. A mass of squads advancing through a Graveyard to close combat the enemy in a church. Hard rain covered the advance. Fortified buildings stopping the US advance in its tracks. A gyro stabilized Sherman maintained Acquisition after movement and only incurred a +3 TH DRM during Advancing Fire.
While this went down to the last turn, the US lost this in the church. Too many units KIA and too much time lost rallying the brokies. A spirited German defense kept the US off balance and unable to take the buildings. Very enjoyable nonetheless.
German Comments
Delaying tactics and an all-around defense-in-depth seemed to work. The critical point of the Church delayed the US enough, and bloodied his nose enough that my meager remaining forces could hold out. Dice definitely played a role in the outcome.. At the end the US just couldn’t get that one or two low dice rolls that could have made a difference. Being the attacker is very difficult, and even more difficult if a little bit of luck is not on your side.
A fun scenario with lots of variety as we work our way through the GIAV scenarios. We had opportunities for Heros, we had a berserk leader. We had a STUN and a SHOCK vs same vehicle at same time (the IG took a HE shot resulting in a critical hit vs M8 that was CE), which forced some good rules and process discussions. We had a useless sniper, useless German OBA, and useless Panzerfausts. Multiple BXs of weapons and radios. We fought in rowhouses, marketplaces, graveyards, fortified hexes, and churches. We fought in the rain on a soggy floor. We had MG penetration fires, gyrostabilizer hits, WP smoke, field promotion attempts. Lots of use of smoke by both sides, (the Germans ran out of infantry smoke at the end.). Scouts, green units, half squads roamed the battlefield.
A tough battle against a tough foe!
SCENARIO 38, G.I.: ANVIL OF VICTORY
AFTER ACTION REPORT
Links to image1 and image2.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
Aprilia Settlement, Central Italy. February 11, 1944.
At the end of 1943, the Allied invasion of Italy was bogged down at the Gustav Line. Operation SHINGLE, an amphibious landing behind enemy lines, intended to draw German forces from the Gustav Line to facilitate a breakthrough or to move on Rome and threaten the rear of the German XIV Panzer Corps. Allied intelligence underestimated German combat ability and available forces while the Allied operational leaders had little confidence in their superiors and likened the plan to Gallipoli.
From the beaches of Anzio to Rome is about thirty-five miles, with Highway No. 6 running through cultivated vineyards, woods and plateau to the Alban Hills twenty miles distance. These hills control the southern approaches to Rome and are the ‘decisive point’ because they dominate Highway No 6 and Highway No. 7 (the latter is the Via Appia, which carried the ancient armies of Rome). At the base of these foothills are Carroceto and Aprilia, known as “The Factory” to the GIs. The Allied advance would take these towns and and a little further by 1 February before German resistance stiffened.
Soon the Germans were counterattacking and over the next several days pushed the allies out of both towns. The US failure to retake The Factory on 11 February secured the jumping off points for the German push to eliminate the Anzio beachhead. They would push the Allies further back but never divide or conquer them. By March both sides were exhausted and reverted to the defense, a stalemate that would last three months until the Allies finally broke out. German propaganda would call Anzio the largest self-supporting prisoner of war camp in the world.
This scenario has its own dirge. Roger Waters composed “When the Tigers Broke Free” chronicling the death of his father, Erich Fletcher Waters, in Aprilia on 18 February, 1944.
RESOURCES
“The Factory.” G.I.: ANVIL OF VICTORY. Baltimore, MD: The Avalon Hill Game Company, 1982. https://storage.googleapis.com/archivesqlt/DAO00038A.pdf
“Anvil of My Eye: GIs in the Maelstrom”. Nixon, Mark C. The Avalon Hill General. 1982.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxBhV3GHa1N8Wlp6RUQtcnlMcWs/view?resourcekey=0-XvEma4hp_RJfSQIPAHL_rg
John Bowwditch, III. “Anzio Beachhead: 22 January - 25 May 1944”. American Forces in Action series. 1948, Washington D.C. US Army Center of Military History. 62-66.
https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/anziobeach/anzio-enemy.htm
Vego, Milan. “The Allied Landing at Anzio-Nettuno, 22 January- 4 March 1944”. Naval War College Review: Vol 67: No. 4 Article 8. 37-39.
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1353&context=nwc-review
“The Fifth Army History”. 1947. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. Page 120-124. https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/1509/rec/7
“Battle of Anzio” (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Anzio#German_counterattacks
“A German Defense Area On The Anzio Front”. Intelligence Bulletin: Vol 3: No 11 July, 1944. Military Intelligence Service.
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/gedefarea/index.html
Eric Fletcher Waters, Second Lieutenant. KIA 18 Feb, 1944 (age 29). Aprilia, Italy.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55981847/eric-fletcher-waters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14BcMXvVfg2Rzfpt1u98iGB_-oXnL0mbJ/view?usp=sharing
Waters, Rodger. “When The Tigers Broke Free”. The Final Cut, Pink Floyd Records, 1983
https://youtu.be/9KUSl4-GKwQ
VICTORY CONDITIONS, SSR AND HOUSE RULES
The US must have control of six of ten second level buildings at game end. Each rowhouse hex is considered a separate building for victory condition purposes.
Rain is falling on the first two game turns and each turn thereafter until a wind change DR >= 9. Once stopped, the weather reverts to clear.
Gullies are Wadi hexes. They function as anti-tank ditches (137.7) except that gully LOS rules and movement cost for infantry apply.
12U5 has a third level with a stacking capacity of one SW and one HS/crew or two SMC’s. No BTT for third level. All hits by ordnance weapons vs infantry targets on 3rd level are treated as HE CH’s (109).
House rules for Scouts
INITIAL PLACEMENT
German Comments (setup first)
Key weapons are PzIIIM, 76L ATG, 75* IG. Key terrain are the fortified buildings, 2nd level buildings scattered throughout the town area (which is quite different from previous mapboards where 2nd levels are fewer and more obvious-creates LOS issues that the LOS tracker did not pick up on), and rowhouses that have a 2nd story, but makes defensive movement more difficult since the unit can’t change hexes at 1st or 2nd level- must stay in hex and go down staircase to get to an adjacent hex.
The PzIIIM with its short 75* is setup in the Graveyard as a Def Fire hull-down speed bump that has a chance of surviving to move and react in the German MPh. It’s hull (VCA) is positioned to move along the graveyard road, and turret (TCA) is bore-sighted to the bridge over the gully/wadi.
The 75* IG is setup to provide western flank protection. The 76L ATG is setup to provide northern flank protection.
Setup strategy is to maintain interior lines and establish defense-in-depth, since the US entry point(s) is (are) unknown and victory conditions require US to take 2nd level buildings throughout the town. The rain makes it very difficult to use long-range fires to impede the US approach to the town through the largely open-ground hexes. So the Germans must be able to shift forces to the schwerpunkt (US main effort) and the closer fight wherever that may be. The 76L, the only real tank-killing capability, must be positioned where it can either engage to kill or dominate terrain in 2 turns, since the US tanks probably can get to the stadt-mitte (town center area) starting in Turn 3. It starts at the edge of town and can be moved to other protected positions in 2 turns
MMG w/ best leader and 247 are in the 3rd level 12U5 hex, mostly to force a cautious US approach- he is not planning on being on the 3d level beyond the 1st turn.
US Comments
The US should find cover before the rain stops. The plan is simple: run to cover and hopefully the weight of US firepower can win the day. The bulk of the force will enter from the west (left) of board 12 and run to the Graveyard. A kill stack will enter from the north and position in the multi-hex wood building on board four (4O6).
GAME TURNS ONE TO THREE
US Comments
The main force doubletimes to the Graveyard, and the kill stack and M8 GMC engage the German 9-1 with radio. They move unstacked and adjacent to form fire groups, taking advantage of strong inherent US firepower.
The PzKw IIIM suffered a stun and was finished off by the Shermans with difficulty.
German Comments
The loss of the key weapon PzIIIM was disheartening, but not unexpected. I thought he had a good chance to at least survive Advancing Fire and then relocate in the German MPh, but a STUN result vs the CE crew sealed his fate. Maybe he should not have been CE? I am ok with it, as CE is needed to ensure best chance for a hit if one of his tanks tried to cross the bridge. The dice did the deciding on whether a good decision or not!
Recognizing the US main effort, I moved forces to engage and delay in the vicinity of the Graveyard. I try to balance creating a decisive defensive strongpoint in 12U5 stone building with maintaining a defense-in-depth for later turns-whether the 12U5 strongpoint does its job or not. They (12U5) will not get any more forces.
Turns 1 and 2 the Germans had some good dice rolling themselves with low-ish 4FP and 6FP attacks, to include MG penetration attacks, but the dice rolling mostly resulted in multiple morale checks, which the US very frustratingly passed. So my best chance at slowing down the US advance, while they are advancing in open ground, was for the most part nullified by the dice. The lack of German concentrated firepower also played a role, but that lack of concentration was necessary as part of the setup.
The German 43a PFs are essentially useless, and are more a movement deterrent than anything else.
The US .50cal is a formidable and fearsome weapon, even in the rain. Germans must only expose themselves to its wrath when the situation warrants the risk.
The rain ends as early as it can. The US ability to use smoke means the Germans will probably lose the battle due to sheer numbers of US forces, and highly dangerous (to an attacker) defensive fire lanes are obscured by thick smoke.
GAME TURNS FOUR AND FIVE - THE CHURCH
US Comments
The infantry reaches the church and fully commits, stacking hexes to capacity. After two turns of combat, they finally advance into the fortified building at the cost of four squads KIA and four and a half squads broken. It is a disaster with half the OB either KIA or broken and routing out of position. This was the decisive moment and they lost to the German fortified building.
The fortified building was a formidable defensive obstacle. Unable to advance into an occupied fortified building and lockup the Germans in Close Combat, they instead suffered another German fire phase that KIA/broke more US squads. The ability to prevent advancing into close combat, thus allowing the occupants an extra fire phase is a great advantage. The fortified building rules provide a good representation of the challenges of attacking a prepared urban defender.
German Comments
A flurry of good rolls helped decide the fate of the main building in town.
12U5 is “the Alamo” - use English since I doubt there is an Italian word for Alamo. My Germans are pretty strong on the ground level with 3 x 467 sqds, MMG, and 9-1 leader in a fortified hex, and I have a HS on the 1st level who I hope can conceal. I use supporting fires from outside 12U5 to break the units in 1 x stone building hex adjacent to the fortified hex, thus my 12U5 fortified guys can go full angriff vs only 1 x hex, so I Sustain Fire the MMG to get to 36 FP and am fortunate enough to roll a KIA. So the danger is averted temporarily, but the US forces, with multiple high FP attacks, will attrit my Alamo defenders, with no ability to rout other than upstairs. The fate of the soldaten in that building are tied to the fate of the building.
A big decision was what to do with my non- building U5 units. So I had to decide whether to do everything I could to prolong the 12U5 affair, or just let it be and prep my units for the next "phase" of the battle. I chose to defend 12U5 with those longer-range fires, for better or worse. It cost me some broken and KIA units outside that building area. The only way to determine if it was worth it or not is whether the Germans are victorious (per victory conditions).
GAME TURN SIX AND SEVEN
US Comments
They clean up the church and move to the final assault points for the next and last movement phase. The US controls four of six buildings, with each rowhouse hex (Example: P3) considered a separate building.
By now one Sherman was lost to the ATG while moving into position and the other disabled its gun. I am disappointed in losing the Gyrostabilizer, its lower +3 TH Moving DRM and advancing fire acquisition are great perks. It won’t win the game but it's effective when used with the -2 for an adjacent target. It is an ability unique to the US and a national characteristic that I very much enjoy (out of all proportion to its effectiveness).
German Comments
Hold on..hold on.. Germans don’t have the strength to be over-confident in their situation. The US still has enough forces and power to make it a very interesting game end. I decide to not do a cheese move of trying to deploy into half squads to cover as many victory hexes as possible. I’ll stick with what I have. Doesn’t mean I won’t do cheap, end of scenario moves later. Especially powerful, yet not without risk, is the ability to rout a broken unit up 2x levels of a building (instead of routing to a different hex) and forcing the US to commit forces to snuff the broken unit out for failure to rout. In real life they would probably go to a different area. But hey, it is near the end and the victory conditions are the victory conditions!
The IG in 12O7 remains strong on the perimeter. He has been more effective than I planned for, so I don’t reinforce his hex with the supporting 12P5 infantry squad. The crew is responsible for that rowhouse. The ATG in 12O4 has done some good work as well and remains the backbone of the defense.
I think the decision to not take the reinforcements and extend the battle was the correct call. US firepower, if given time and space to maneuver, would be too much for my meager forces to hold off. I am not confident of victory..is up to the dice and whatever crafty moves we can come up with. But at least my defenders have a chance and could possibly (I give it 50-50) come out victorious (victory condition-wise..)
“The Fifth Army History”. 1947. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office. Page 120-124. https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/1509/rec/7
“Battle of Anzio” (2023) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Anzio#German_counterattacks
“A German Defense Area On The Anzio Front”. Intelligence Bulletin: Vol 3: No 11 July, 1944. Military Intelligence Service.
http://www.lonesentry.com/articles/gedefarea/index.html
Eric Fletcher Waters, Second Lieutenant. KIA 18 Feb, 1944 (age 29). Aprilia, Italy.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55981847/eric-fletcher-waters
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14BcMXvVfg2Rzfpt1u98iGB_-oXnL0mbJ/view?usp=sharing
Waters, Rodger. “When The Tigers Broke Free”. The Final Cut, Pink Floyd Records, 1983
https://youtu.be/9KUSl4-GKwQ
VICTORY CONDITIONS, SSR AND HOUSE RULES
The US must have control of six of ten second level buildings at game end. Each rowhouse hex is considered a separate building for victory condition purposes.
Rain is falling on the first two game turns and each turn thereafter until a wind change DR >= 9. Once stopped, the weather reverts to clear.
- DR each rally phase (111.41).
- Range of infantry weapons is halved (FRU).
- TH ranges of seven or more must add +2, in addition to any concealment.
- Advance into Close Combat during rain deduct 1 from their attack.
- No smoke except attending fires.
- All vehicular movement costs are doubled except along paved roads even after the rain stops.
Gullies are Wadi hexes. They function as anti-tank ditches (137.7) except that gully LOS rules and movement cost for infantry apply.
- No vehicle may enter an anti-tank ditch or obstacle (137.71).
- Enter cost 1 MF plus COT. Leaving cost 2 MF plus COT of hex moved into (80.2).
- LOS to adjacent hex or three level height advantage (80.3). Gullies are -1 level. (80.3).
- Units may crest (151.5), no MMG/HMG.
- Crest does not apply if firer has LOS to gully (151.5).
12U5 has a third level with a stacking capacity of one SW and one HS/crew or two SMC’s. No BTT for third level. All hits by ordnance weapons vs infantry targets on 3rd level are treated as HE CH’s (109).
House rules for Scouts
- Scouts do not exist for rout purposes. Broken units may remain adjacent to or in the same hex as scouts.
- Scouts may not eliminate support weapons nor ordnance.
- Scouts may not fulfill victory conditions.
INITIAL PLACEMENT
German Comments (setup first)
Key weapons are PzIIIM, 76L ATG, 75* IG. Key terrain are the fortified buildings, 2nd level buildings scattered throughout the town area (which is quite different from previous mapboards where 2nd levels are fewer and more obvious-creates LOS issues that the LOS tracker did not pick up on), and rowhouses that have a 2nd story, but makes defensive movement more difficult since the unit can’t change hexes at 1st or 2nd level- must stay in hex and go down staircase to get to an adjacent hex.
The PzIIIM with its short 75* is setup in the Graveyard as a Def Fire hull-down speed bump that has a chance of surviving to move and react in the German MPh. It’s hull (VCA) is positioned to move along the graveyard road, and turret (TCA) is bore-sighted to the bridge over the gully/wadi.
The 75* IG is setup to provide western flank protection. The 76L ATG is setup to provide northern flank protection.
Setup strategy is to maintain interior lines and establish defense-in-depth, since the US entry point(s) is (are) unknown and victory conditions require US to take 2nd level buildings throughout the town. The rain makes it very difficult to use long-range fires to impede the US approach to the town through the largely open-ground hexes. So the Germans must be able to shift forces to the schwerpunkt (US main effort) and the closer fight wherever that may be. The 76L, the only real tank-killing capability, must be positioned where it can either engage to kill or dominate terrain in 2 turns, since the US tanks probably can get to the stadt-mitte (town center area) starting in Turn 3. It starts at the edge of town and can be moved to other protected positions in 2 turns
MMG w/ best leader and 247 are in the 3rd level 12U5 hex, mostly to force a cautious US approach- he is not planning on being on the 3d level beyond the 1st turn.
US Comments
The US should find cover before the rain stops. The plan is simple: run to cover and hopefully the weight of US firepower can win the day. The bulk of the force will enter from the west (left) of board 12 and run to the Graveyard. A kill stack will enter from the north and position in the multi-hex wood building on board four (4O6).
GAME TURNS ONE TO THREE
US Comments
The main force doubletimes to the Graveyard, and the kill stack and M8 GMC engage the German 9-1 with radio. They move unstacked and adjacent to form fire groups, taking advantage of strong inherent US firepower.
The PzKw IIIM suffered a stun and was finished off by the Shermans with difficulty.
German Comments
The loss of the key weapon PzIIIM was disheartening, but not unexpected. I thought he had a good chance to at least survive Advancing Fire and then relocate in the German MPh, but a STUN result vs the CE crew sealed his fate. Maybe he should not have been CE? I am ok with it, as CE is needed to ensure best chance for a hit if one of his tanks tried to cross the bridge. The dice did the deciding on whether a good decision or not!
Recognizing the US main effort, I moved forces to engage and delay in the vicinity of the Graveyard. I try to balance creating a decisive defensive strongpoint in 12U5 stone building with maintaining a defense-in-depth for later turns-whether the 12U5 strongpoint does its job or not. They (12U5) will not get any more forces.
Turns 1 and 2 the Germans had some good dice rolling themselves with low-ish 4FP and 6FP attacks, to include MG penetration attacks, but the dice rolling mostly resulted in multiple morale checks, which the US very frustratingly passed. So my best chance at slowing down the US advance, while they are advancing in open ground, was for the most part nullified by the dice. The lack of German concentrated firepower also played a role, but that lack of concentration was necessary as part of the setup.
The German 43a PFs are essentially useless, and are more a movement deterrent than anything else.
The US .50cal is a formidable and fearsome weapon, even in the rain. Germans must only expose themselves to its wrath when the situation warrants the risk.
The rain ends as early as it can. The US ability to use smoke means the Germans will probably lose the battle due to sheer numbers of US forces, and highly dangerous (to an attacker) defensive fire lanes are obscured by thick smoke.
GAME TURNS FOUR AND FIVE - THE CHURCH
US Comments
The infantry reaches the church and fully commits, stacking hexes to capacity. After two turns of combat, they finally advance into the fortified building at the cost of four squads KIA and four and a half squads broken. It is a disaster with half the OB either KIA or broken and routing out of position. This was the decisive moment and they lost to the German fortified building.
The fortified building was a formidable defensive obstacle. Unable to advance into an occupied fortified building and lockup the Germans in Close Combat, they instead suffered another German fire phase that KIA/broke more US squads. The ability to prevent advancing into close combat, thus allowing the occupants an extra fire phase is a great advantage. The fortified building rules provide a good representation of the challenges of attacking a prepared urban defender.
German Comments
A flurry of good rolls helped decide the fate of the main building in town.
12U5 is “the Alamo” - use English since I doubt there is an Italian word for Alamo. My Germans are pretty strong on the ground level with 3 x 467 sqds, MMG, and 9-1 leader in a fortified hex, and I have a HS on the 1st level who I hope can conceal. I use supporting fires from outside 12U5 to break the units in 1 x stone building hex adjacent to the fortified hex, thus my 12U5 fortified guys can go full angriff vs only 1 x hex, so I Sustain Fire the MMG to get to 36 FP and am fortunate enough to roll a KIA. So the danger is averted temporarily, but the US forces, with multiple high FP attacks, will attrit my Alamo defenders, with no ability to rout other than upstairs. The fate of the soldaten in that building are tied to the fate of the building.
A big decision was what to do with my non- building U5 units. So I had to decide whether to do everything I could to prolong the 12U5 affair, or just let it be and prep my units for the next "phase" of the battle. I chose to defend 12U5 with those longer-range fires, for better or worse. It cost me some broken and KIA units outside that building area. The only way to determine if it was worth it or not is whether the Germans are victorious (per victory conditions).
GAME TURN SIX AND SEVEN
US Comments
They clean up the church and move to the final assault points for the next and last movement phase. The US controls four of six buildings, with each rowhouse hex (Example: P3) considered a separate building.
By now one Sherman was lost to the ATG while moving into position and the other disabled its gun. I am disappointed in losing the Gyrostabilizer, its lower +3 TH Moving DRM and advancing fire acquisition are great perks. It won’t win the game but it's effective when used with the -2 for an adjacent target. It is an ability unique to the US and a national characteristic that I very much enjoy (out of all proportion to its effectiveness).
German Comments
Hold on..hold on.. Germans don’t have the strength to be over-confident in their situation. The US still has enough forces and power to make it a very interesting game end. I decide to not do a cheese move of trying to deploy into half squads to cover as many victory hexes as possible. I’ll stick with what I have. Doesn’t mean I won’t do cheap, end of scenario moves later. Especially powerful, yet not without risk, is the ability to rout a broken unit up 2x levels of a building (instead of routing to a different hex) and forcing the US to commit forces to snuff the broken unit out for failure to rout. In real life they would probably go to a different area. But hey, it is near the end and the victory conditions are the victory conditions!
The IG in 12O7 remains strong on the perimeter. He has been more effective than I planned for, so I don’t reinforce his hex with the supporting 12P5 infantry squad. The crew is responsible for that rowhouse. The ATG in 12O4 has done some good work as well and remains the backbone of the defense.
I think the decision to not take the reinforcements and extend the battle was the correct call. US firepower, if given time and space to maneuver, would be too much for my meager forces to hold off. I am not confident of victory..is up to the dice and whatever crafty moves we can come up with. But at least my defenders have a chance and could possibly (I give it 50-50) come out victorious (victory condition-wise..)
GAME TURN EIGHT
US Comments
The push on the last turn is not enough and the US finishes with four of the six needed victory buildings. A quirky victory condition allows a broken German unit to deny control. This cost the US two buildings, one with a German broken crew and the second with a KIA US crew, allowing the Germans to gain control absent a broken US unit.
German Comments
It came down to the last few dice rolls in the final phases of the battle. My Germans were able to hold on for the win. German luck with the dice in the late stages was a difference maker for sure. The US couldn’t seem to get a fire attack DR of less than 6. Against stone buildings and fortified hexes, it isn’t going to get the job done.
The Amis abandoned a Sherman in L2 to advance into M3 to get that 2-level building on their side of the ledger. Anticipating this, the 76L ATG in O4 pivoted in Def Fire without firing, waiting for the Sherman crew to advance into M3. In Turn 8 Prep Fire, on its first shot the 76L ATG got a hit vs the Infantry target type in M3, and resolved the hit with a 12FP KIA. That made the outcome of the battle pretty much academic, barring the multiple very good dice rolls the US would need to keep P3 and earn O7. I simply assault moved a leader from O4 into N3 (US had no Def Fire into that hex), and advanced into M3 and that building is German.
In O7 the US couldn’t double-break and elim the crew that voluntarily broke and routed to the 2nd level. The US 9-2 and squad in O9 had to fire through 2 x WP smoke hexes and could not get a result.
My Germans withstood the scattered US Def Fire that was mostly hampered by smoke and couldn’t get a result due to high dice rolls. So in the Advance Phase I pig-piled onto the berserk leader in P3 and auto-elimed him with a 12:1 odds advantage, and he couldn’t elim enough Germans to keep the hex as a US building. The Germans, against the overwhelming US firepower and armor support, prevailed by retaining possession of 6 of the 10 victory locations.
AFTERMATH
US Comments
This was a really fun scenario. A mass of squads advancing through a Graveyard to close combat the enemy in a church. Hard rain covered the advance. Fortified buildings stopping the US advance in its tracks. A gyro stabilized Sherman maintained Acquisition after movement and only incurred a +3 TH DRM during Advancing Fire.
While this went down to the last turn, the US lost this in the church. Too many units KIA and too much time lost rallying the brokies. A spirited German defense kept the US off balance and unable to take the buildings. Very enjoyable nonetheless.
German Comments
Delaying tactics and an all-around defense-in-depth seemed to work. The critical point of the Church delayed the US enough, and bloodied his nose enough that my meager remaining forces could hold out. Dice definitely played a role in the outcome.. At the end the US just couldn’t get that one or two low dice rolls that could have made a difference. Being the attacker is very difficult, and even more difficult if a little bit of luck is not on your side.
A fun scenario with lots of variety as we work our way through the GIAV scenarios. We had opportunities for Heros, we had a berserk leader. We had a STUN and a SHOCK vs same vehicle at same time (the IG took a HE shot resulting in a critical hit vs M8 that was CE), which forced some good rules and process discussions. We had a useless sniper, useless German OBA, and useless Panzerfausts. Multiple BXs of weapons and radios. We fought in rowhouses, marketplaces, graveyards, fortified hexes, and churches. We fought in the rain on a soggy floor. We had MG penetration fires, gyrostabilizer hits, WP smoke, field promotion attempts. Lots of use of smoke by both sides, (the Germans ran out of infantry smoke at the end.). Scouts, green units, half squads roamed the battlefield.
A tough battle against a tough foe!
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