AAR - A Lion In The Field - AP114

Major Issues

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I still can’t get a haircut or sit in a restaurant, but I can participate in a protest march with 5000 of my closest brick-wielding friends. Go figger.

Protesters in rural America have no statues to tip over, so they have to settle for tipping cows.

13843

Walt likes to play scenarios that are close to the actual date. This past week found us in Normandy, playing Alyin’ In The Field, as the 10th SS try to smash the British line. As usual, Walt wuz the Allies, leaving me to be the Evil SS. Talk about typecasting.

SS must control all multihex buildings, and have more CVP than the British. They can also get points for exit off the north edge, which means they have to cross the one existing bridge.

Pluses for the British – two 57L ATs and two 228s with PIATs start HIP, HMG, 70mm OBA with plentiful ammo.

Pluses for the SS – Black counters. That’s all you need. Tho unopposed armor (6 PzKw IVs) and two FTs can’t hurt.

Minuses for the British – Gavrus sucks to defend. Most stone buildings are adjacent to other stone buildings, and they don’t have the troops to defend everywhere. The OBA is of questionable use due to limited LOS and because it will generally be 12+3 or 12+4 attacks.

Minuses for the SS – Not a lot of time, most SS are 548s instead of 658s, only 3 leaders, and every British AT weapon can make large holes in Mark IVs. Sure, we ASKED for Tigers, but, it’s all about who you know in the Reichstag... Losing a lot of armor can put the SS in a CVP hole. So Black Counters Lives Matter.

Walt took the balance, which was to make me use blue SS counters instead of black. So THAT’S the kind of game he wants to play, is it??? Bring it on!!!

My half-assed plan was to send a tank around each flank. One would move to start flinging smoke shells at the cathedral belfry. Bonus +1 availability for being SS. YES!!! The infantry would try to swamp each British position, and take prisoners where possible. It’s the kinder, gentler SS. My goal was to take the buildings and be up on CVPs so that exiting would not be necessary. Trying to get infantry off the north edge is difficult, with only three leaders and 2-1/2 boards to cross. I assumed that one AT gun would be covering the bridge, making tank exit a dicey option.

Walt did not defend the one VC building on board 42. While I think that this was smart, I did expect him to defend it with one or two squads.

On my right, Walt had his HMG set back, defending the open ground on the flank. One tank moved and parked 6 hexes away, ready to fling HE Death their direction.

But.

Walt had one AT gun way out on the right flank. It had to turn to engage, missed, kept rate, hit, then rolled snakes on the effects roll.

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British are up 6 CVP!

My left was defended by two HSs. A bold charge through the orchard went unpunished, and the one HS FPFed and broke themselves. An advancing fire shot eliminated them before they could rout away.

B1. Those of you who have followed my past AARs (Thank you, gentle readers!!!) know that Walt is incredibly lucky. Unfortunately for him, it is bad luck, not good, that haunts his every die roll. In keeping up the tradition, he rolls a 12 on his first radio contact attempt, breaking the radio. Shoulda used Duracell!

The remaining 247 HS shoots, gets a PTC, which generates a Sniper, which breaks a 548 300 yards away. Hell of a ricochet. The offending HS is broken by a mere 32+2 and forced to remain trapped upstairs, just waiting to be put in the cage.

G2, Walt quickly fixes his radio, no doubt using superior American batteries this time. The SS infantry boldly stomp forward. It’s easier now because I am into the buildings. Still, two 548s and the 8-1 break. A tank moves to engage the HMG. The remaining flank tank heads for the cathedral, and Walt pops out his second AT gun, which was defending the other flank. But God protects small children, puppy dogs, and blue SS, so he rolls an 11 and misses. The tank quickly scurries out of his LOS.

In advancing fire, tank MGs break one British squad.

British turn, and there are giant stacks, FTs, and several tanks ready to pound various British positions across the street. Walt calls down his OBA, but his one hex correction is not accurate, and the FFE drifts one hex away, where it hits exactly nobody. Walt pulls everyone back.

His HMG position threatened by a tank, one squad runs out the back door. The other squad, with the 8-1 and HMG, slink out the kitchen door behind a hedge outside my CA. In all the excitement last turn, I stupidly forgot to fire this tank in advancing fire, so I have no acq on him, and need a 5 TH.

No worries. I roll a CH, which obliterates the squad and HMG, and breaks the 8-1. Since I had rate, another shell fatally wounds the 8-1.

German turn, continue stomping forward. Walt’s FFE2 shifts and hits two hexes I occupy. Not too concerned, since the attacks are at 12+4.

Except.

One hex gets a CH, and random selection turns the 8-0 and one squad into a pink haze.

A HIP PIAT crew pops out from upstairs and takes a bad shot at a tank. Miss. They are broken in Adv. Fire, and killed off the following turn.

In fighting around the church, I am able to get a squad and a half into CC with the British commander, Col. Ffinch-Beddington-Ffinch, along with his batman, driver, orderly, tailor and personal secretary. Walt gets ambush, and rather than withdraw, decides that this may be his best hope to cause casualties. So he stays and fights – “We’ll give the bloody Hun a what-for, shan’t we, boys???”

They shan’t. He needed a 6 to do something to the squad, and, in true Walt fashion, he rolls a 7. I do nothing in return, probably because we are busy looting his personal kit, and we end up in Melee.

Turn 4 pic:
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There then follows a turn of carnage, with tanks and FTs advancing and firing everywhere. The remaining HIP PIAT men pop a tank, but that is the only bright spot in an entire turn of British gloom. The SS control all multi-hex buildings. Col. Ffinch-Beddington-Ffinch and his entourage die in the Melee. A hard-charging 548 gets hit 3 times by an AT gun, and still makes it into the hex for CC. Most of the remaining British are taken prisoner. After 5 turns, all the British have left are the radio dude and the two AT crews, one of which is in Melee. The white flag goes up.

Points at the end were 38 for the Germans, 15 for the British. Ouch. The SS losses were two tanks, and the squad and 8-0 that suffered the OBA CH. There were at least two tanks that could have exited off the north edge the following turn.

We only had two CCs in the game. I wanted to get into CC, as the numbers favor me, but often the British were being broken by Adv. Fire, so there was no opportunity. I never lost a FT, and they did some good stuff, but they got pinned twice, and there were a couple times that small arms broke the intended target, so I didn’t need to use them.

I had wanted to stick squads on a couple tanks to send them toward the rear to cause trouble. But you can’t have riders in orchard hexes, so it was hard to find a route for the tanks that would be useful. I was unclear as to whether or not riders were allowed on orchard-road hexes.

I was pretty aggressive with the troops, and they rewarded me in true SS fashion, passing most checks. It was fun for me to go stomping around all game. Although Walt said he had a good time, I’m not sure that most British players would agree. It’s way less fun to be the Stompee. Pro-German on ROAR.

I do intend to try this as the British.

End of game pic:

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Under the DM counters are broken British squads that have been taken prisoner, and their guards. We didn’t bother to pull out the prisoner counters, since Walt had already called the game.


“In the village, the peaceful village
The Lion sleeps tonight...”



Next Walt game – another Bill Sisler scenario!
 

The Purist

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Hmmm. Considering the ROAR history the British should probably have balance and change the 70+ Bn Mor OBA to 80+ as per the latest update on the British 3 in" Mortar (Sep 42+ scenarios).
 
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