Yesterday’s game-o-rama allowed me to play with both of my local gaming groups. Makes for quite a good time! For the second game of the day Eric planned a CDIII game in 15mm with the Germans on the retreat and the Americans trying to do their best to engage and trap a rear guard to keep them from escaping as well as trying to get to a bridge before they do.
As Americans we had two roads to entry on and in this picture we’re traveling near to the far table edge. I figured our battle plan would be to attack up the left side of the valley. This would give the ability to work from cover to cover and bring down artillery as needed.
My first companies of the battalion coming on table. Shermans and armored infantry. Eric running the armor and I with the infantry.
Not the best road to come in on as with enemy eyes the artillery could target the choke point and make us test for hits. Rolling was extremely lucky and through the entire set of about 3-4 turns that artillery was raining down on the road, only suffered one hit on a command jeep.
As luck would have it the tank destroyers would come in on the other road and the Shermans would run up on the central hill instead of following the infantry to stick with the plan.
Here you can see the jeep that was hit (a recon jeep) and the choke point established as the next company, the battalion HQ came down the road. At this point the moral check for the first company to go through the artillery didn’t go well and they pinned taking refuge next to the trees. We knew nothing was in the trees since it had been under observation already. In the woods… well that would remain to be seen.
Over the course of the next couple of turns, we’d recover from the pin and start to push into the woods establishing a battle line. Likewise over on the hill more stuff would show up but the Shermans were staying over there instead of sticking to the plan. While the infantry up on the hill in the trench wasn’t seen, the trench was. For this game special Eric wanted to try out adding suppression fire from CD IV. So I tried to pull in artillery on the trenches we could see to make them keep their head down when the push came to attack.
Over on the other side of the valley the Eric start to push up the side unsupported with infantry. I cringed figuring that Chuck would assault with his infantry and again open top tanks that probably wouldn’t go well. A fear but one that wasn’t realized.
Another view but of the whole table.
I pressed the attack using the following thoughts I’m in 1/1 armored half tracks. Rifle platoons shouldn’t be able to do crap. I move up, fire with machine guns and assault into the woods.
This is where a CDIIIism creeps in. Half tracks, bullet proof armored tho they may be are just an -3 to hit. Now sure it makes sense that like weapons stands or panzerfausts or panzershreks should be able to do nasty things, but a platoon of kar98s at 100+ yards shouldn’t be allowed a shot even at -3. Just saying.
Anyway it worked out that I took 3 hits to Company A, and between their fire and the fire from the HQ company we were able to knock off a couple of stands. Company B failed their moral roll and abandoned the attack and Company C was basically one turn away. We might take some lumps but I pressed forward.
Eric at the point reminded me the CDIII tactic of dismounting and advancing next to your halftracks.
Another view but of the whole table. You can see Company C on the road in the lower left. On the other side of the valley surprisingly the tank destroyers were doing just fine against the German dug in infantry, open top and all.
A view from the German point of view. My assault into the woods succeeding the round of opportunity fire affecting the those in the trenches such that those still alive were on the run.
A company of STuGs appeared on the other side of the valley but given the sight lines no firing to be done. Things were pretty much decided at this point. The Americans were on in strength and it was just a matter of spotting to the next set of trees and pounding them. Even then the road was clear at this point so a column could head down the road if coordinated with an attack on the woods.
Last picture of the game. The STuGs fired off a few rounds at extreme range at the Shermans but with no results.
We called it at this point. 11 turns completed which wasn’t bad for being fairly rusty at CDIII.