Firestorm Bastogne Campaign, Turn 4, Battle 6
Some time a go, we start playing international campaign in tabletop game Flames of War agonized by WWPD.NET.
Campaign is about last big World War II German offensive - Ardennes Offensive.
We cover battle For Bastogne, and six days before them...
Last weekend we play Turn 4 games in our wargaming club in Belgrade named Zmaj (Dragon)...
In 2'nd and 3'rd Round games is played only by Milan and me, and in turn 4 we get reinforcement: Vladimir and Nemanja join our ranks...
Milan played against Nemanja, and Vladimir VS me.
Vladimir chooses to we play Game 6, "Rachamps"
He played Panzergrenadier list:
- CiC Panzerfaust SMG, 2iC Panzerfaust SMG
- Panzergrenadier Platoon - CMD Panzerfaust Assault Rifle, 4 x Panzerfaust Assault Rifle, 2 x Panzerfaust MG, 3 x Captured M3 Halftrack
- Panzergrenadier Platoon - CMD Panzerfaust MG, 4 x Panzerfaust MG, Tank-hinter
- Flame-thrower Platoon - 2 x SdKfz 251-16 (Flamm)
- Assault Gun Platoon - 3 x StuG G (Late)
- Panzer Platoon - 3 x Panzer IVJ
- Gepanzerte Panzerpionier Platoon - CMD Pionier Panzerfaust SMG, SdKfz 251/1, 6 x Pionier MG, 3 SdKfz 251/7 (Pionier)
- Armoured Artillery Battery with 3 Wespes
I choose to play Armoured Rifle from 7'th Armoured Division:
- CiC Carabine, Jeep, 2iC Carabine, M3 with .50call AA
- Armoured Rifle Platoon - CMD Rifle, 5 x Rifle, 1 x M2 60mm mortar, 2 x M1919 LMG, 4 x bazooka, M3 37mm gun, 2 x M3 with .50call AA MG, 2 x M3 with .30call AA MG
- Full Armoured Rifle Platoon - CMD Rifle, 5 x Rifle, 1 x M2 60mm mortar, 2 x M1919 LMG, 5 x bazooka, 2 x M3 with .50call AA MG, 2 x M3 with .30call AA MG
- Armoured AT Platoon - 3 x M1 57mm AT gun (Late)
- Armoured MG Platoon - 4 x M1917 HMG
- Armoured Mortar platoon - M2 with .50call AA MG, 2 x M4 81mm MMC with .50call AA MG
- Light Tank Platoon - 5 x M24 Chafee
- Engineer Combat Platoon - CMD Pioneer Rifle, 4 x Bazooka, 4 x Pioneer Rifle, 2 x M1917 HMG
- Field Artillery Battery (155mm) - 4 x M1 155mm Howitzer
We rolled for mission and dice decided to play Breakthrough.
Defender (me) deployed first. Because in that mission defender have Mobile reserves rule I decided to leave Armoured AT and Armoured Mortar platoon in reserve, and place Chafee's on table. Also both Armoured Rifle platoons send their transports in base.
In one quarter, I deployed Big Arty, and in front of them in cover Chafee's, and more advanced one dismounted Armoured Rifle Platoon.
Engineer's are on left flank of deployment
In diagonally quarter are another dismounted Armored Rifle Platoon reinforced with HMG Platoon
Vladimir deployed his own Arty Platoon behind wood, and PzIV's and StuG's on edge of his deployment zone, and infantry platoon and dismounted Pionier Platoon in wood in front of deployment zone, and OP PzIV far left on the edge of the wood far front left.
Flame SdKfz's and another infantry platoon are held in reserve...
Deployment from German side of table
My favorite Big Guns... Ardennes Collection allow me to field them in some list without need to bring some smaller arty too...
For 1'st turn Vladimir rolled 6's for rain. and he decided to not move tanks at all, and n movement infantry moved forward in the wood
OP PzIV spotted my tanks and Wespes destroyed one of them, and pinned 155mm Arty too...
In my 1'st turn Chafee's redeployed on left...
... and Combat Engineers on left move forward, and looks to get some cover
Engineers moved on left flank
In my opposite deployment quarter second Armoured Rifle move forward too. Only M3 37mm gun stayed in place to avoid skill test for moving thru the mud.
2'nd turn is rolled 5 for moderate rain, and German armour pressed forward. One PzIV and one StuG bogged down in mud and others destroyed another M24.
Also one of Grenadier platoon moved forward, and German Arty pinned down my Big Guns (again).
For me first unit arrive from reserve, and that be M4 81mm MMC's, and fired to German infantry outside wood, and killed one team.
On left side, Combat Engineer's press forward again and occupy two house next (but little bit far) to objective. CiC go on opposite way to oversee what is going with artillery.
Far left other Armoured infantry Platoon again advanced to secure 2'nd objective, and they M3 37mm gun go to them.
German advancing grenadier platoon on outskirt of wood.
Rain in 3'rd turn slowed down (we rolled 3).
Mentioned Grenadier's finally get to the wood, and PzIV's and StuG's destroyed third M24. Remaining two decided that in staying is too danger and they fled.
StuG's and PzIV's redeployed after stormtroop move.
In 3'rd turn arrive my last unit from reserve, and I put them next to big guns, because they sneaky infantry in the wood.
Armoured Mortars and LMG from Armoured Infantry managed to kill two more teams of advancing German infantry in my deployment area.
Scary German armour in front of my infantry, and again on the far left flank my another armoured infantry platoon go forward a little more.
4'th turn see light rain again, and also 1'st German unit arrived from reserve. Vladimir decided to bring forward flame throwing SdKfz's 251/16. Also PzIV and StuG platoons started advancing to the objectives. They took long (a hope) more safe way along they board edge.
Flame trowing halftracks kills 4 teams from my Combat Engineer Platoon.
There I starting to forget taking some pictures, because battle progress, and I start thinking all about gaming not taking pictures. In my turn, Big Guns finally unpinned them, and ranged German tanks at long distance, but achieve only one hit (I get 3 tanks under template), but failed my Fire Power Test (2+) to destroy them, and tank survive. Also bazookas moved to another building to try destroying flame SdKfz's, sadly all missed...
5'th turn again see heavy rain, and arriving another one (and final) German platoon from reserve. Because heavy rain the arrived by the foot.
German Pioneir Platoon in the wood set in the motion and start advancing.
Also newly arrived grenadiers start Shooting at my infantry together with SdKfz 251/16 and managed to kill 5 of my teams, enough for pinning them. StuG tried lucky shot at M3 37mm gun without result.
German Grenadiers go to assaulting my infantry, but suffered 6 hits in defensive fire, and brake off, and two died in process.
German armored platoons pressing forward after realizing that no American troops on that side...
StuG G Platoon just before Stormtroop move...
In the middle, Panzerpionier Platoon at move...
After German flame-thrower's inflicted significant loose to my Combat Engineer's they decide that is time to some retaliation, and moved forward to meet them. Combined Efforts from them, and M3 37mm gun results with a one destroyed and one bailed-out vehicle. Armoured Infantry Platoon also finished Panzer grenadier platoon And with assaulting abandoned position consolidated to be at both objectives and less attractive target for Germany Artillery.
At this point I managed to destroy 2 of 7 platoons of my opponent...
View to a table from German side...
Another one from my side of table with victorious, but in the open US infantry.
German grenadier in the wood regrouping and preparing to finally disable my artillery and AT Guns.
StuG slowly going to the objective, and destroying my poor little M3 37mm gun.
Armoured Infantry Platoon finally get some time to dug-in expecting German panzer's to arrive.
Wespe destroy transports from Armoured AT Platoon, luckily, guns itself survived, and pinned down...
Panzerpioneir Platoon gets in their transports and go in direction of objectives. And started to shoot an dug-in, go to ground Armoured infantry in my deployment zone, and managed to pined them down
Armoured infantry platoon in my deployment zone refuse to motivate them to unpin themselves
Remaining M1 155mm howitzers and M4 81mm MMC mortars do smoke bombardment to German tanks to reduce amount of shooting to infantry...
View from German side of table...
Grenadiers in the wood next to my M1 Howitzers tried assault to my guns and lost 2 teams from defensive fire, and killed AA Guns Platoon commander and capture another one M1's, but must brake off. After retreating they manage to pass moral test to stay on table.
Big, bad German tanks approaching to my infantry on objective
2'nd Armoured Infantry Platoon (2 team shorter) start preparing to move to defend objective...
At that moment I totally, completely, and unforgettable forget to make pictures...
To the end of game I destroyed remaining of Grenadier platoon on right side of my deployment zone, threatening my artillery (3'rd destroyed platoon).
And sacrificed M4 81mm MMC mortars and Combat Engineer Platoon to defending one of objectives, against nasty German tanks...
Also Vladimir destroyed M1 155mm artillery platoon (or M1 57mm AT gun platoon, I'm not sure, but that is irrelevant)...
And in last German turn they start shooting at my remaining infantry platoon on objective with (almost) everything they have, and inflicted heavy looses to them, and after that they assault them, and have 0 (zero) hits.
I pass morale test at the end of shooting phase, and motivation test in close combat. After that I break off.
He move forward, but I am been to far...
Again moral test is passed by me, and Armoured Infantry Platoon stay on the table despite heavy casualties.
And finally come moment to determine who win game...
At the start of my final game turn, I0m been forced to roll company moral because I have 3 of 7 platoons on the table (I loose Chafee's, Combat Engineer's, M4 81mm MMC's and M1 155mm Howitzers (or M1 57mm AT guns)).
And... I passed company morale test and win the game...
Very fun and intense game...
US wins, but with some fortune Germans can win also...
Congrats to my opponent, and greetings to all from Belgrade, Serbia...
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