AP 114 - A Lion in the Field (solo)

hayman

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Another scenario from Action Pack XII, this time a British infantry force, backed by two 57L Anti-Tank guns & a brace of PIATs, defend a stone village in post D-Day France. Supported by battalion mortars (70mm OBA), the British (read Scottish) have to prevent an under-strength SS company (with heavy support from six panzers & engineers) from taking all the multi-hex buildings and earning more VP than the defenders. The German attackers can gain Exit VP off the north edge, over a river bridge, and earn normal CVP from British loses.

Pre-Game –
The British set up heavy on their right, covering the wheatfields to the west, leaving their left lightly covered; one HMG ½ squad + 8-1 is placed up forward to throw a firelane through the eastern board 42 area, and the open ground on the British left is covered by a hidden AT gun. The Forward Observation Officer is in the level 2 church steeple (due to lack of LOS from the summit of the north hill).

The German attack is split into three light platoons, each supported by two PzIVH’s. The right flank will run through the orchard and envelop the eastern part of the town (sending one AFV north for the exit points), this group will be the anvil. The other two platoons will kick off to the left and take out the western part of town then push to the centre, maybe sending an AFV north if opportune. One panzer sits in the centre to engage the British attention in the mid-town area, advancing only when the time is right.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 1 –

The German advance starts well, most infantry units CXing through light cover to clear a path for the following armour (the British PIATs are manned by HIP crews). British Defensive Fire was uneventful (one pin result) but the F.O.O. put down a Spotting Round on the German left flank; as a result, the German left flank units shift towards the centre in the Advance Phase, leaving only a ½ squad and tank in the potential OBA zone. The central & left hand AFV’s go CE in Advance, the two on the right remain buttoned up.

In the British turn, the F.O.O. does his infantry a disservice, breaking a Brit squad on their right after laying down an FFE1 on that flank. Another squad (up front) tries to fall back but is hit by tank & infantry fire to reduce to a broken ½ squad that runs to the 9-1 officer inside a town building during the Rout Phase. Most Brit squads skulk this turn, and find hard cover for what’s to come.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 2 –

As the Germans press forward, a lone panzer skirts the FFE zone on their left amongst the wheatfields and is fired on by a hidden British AT gun. With supreme luck, the first round misses and the second round (intensive fired) is a hit, but a dud round, and the panzer takes up a firing position behind the guns’ crew. Still on the German left, the infantry close up to the defenders in the stone cottages and the resulting fire fight sees two broken squads on either side. In the centre, the solo tank smokes the F.O.O.’s church steeple O.P. in the Prep Fire Phase, and over on the German right, the strengthened platoon finds the other AT gun in an orchard, resulting in a burning AFV & dead riders. The other right hand tank heads into town to help the infantry, but malfunctions its MA in the Advancing Fire Phase. The Brits have lost a squad and have two squad equivalents broken (a third of their force).

In the British turn, neither side rallies any units. The AT gun on the British right takes care of the panzer in its rear during Prep Fire, but loses HE rounds whilst firing at the surviving vehicle crew. Over on the Brit left, the other AT gun also loses HE whilst firing at the German LMG squad in the open. Movement consists of a fall back to the P/Q/R buildings in the northern village, with a few squads retaining concealment. German Def Fire does no damage, and malfunctions their only MMG. The Brit F.O.O. moves out of the church to take up a frontline position.
 

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Game Turn 3 –

Both sides rally one squad each. The centre AFV repairs its MA, but the German infantry break their MMG. No German Prep Fire. On the German left, two ½ squads attack the AT gun in the wheatfield, the gun crew pins one of the ½ squads with infantry fire (due to no HE rounds left). Meanwhile, the German tank crew heads toward the board 40 bridge for the exit points. In the western village, the Germans advance on either side of the orchard road, Brit Def Fire being ineffective; The F.O.O. lands an SR a few houses away, out of his direct LOS. A tank hooks left of the AT gun, whose crew has already Final Fired. On the German right, the panzer (having got its gun back in action) charges the nearest concealed British unit in a stone house, stops, sprays MG fire at them, breaks them & turns the corner to face up the village street. The infantry follows the tank’s example and captures the first multi-hex building. The officer-led FT ½ squad takes up position behind a wall, absorbing two AT HE-equivalent shots in the process. The central German tank also enters the town, stops, fires its’ MG at a concealed Brit unit for no effect, then reverses away. Return fire from the British in Def Fire is ineffective. In Advance Fire, the FT units on opposite flanks do their job: the left one pins a Brit squad, while the right one breaks the AT gun crew. In the Rout Phase a British squad is captured by a CX ½ squad in the eastern village. In Advance the Germans capture another multi-hex building, and most of a third one. A ½ squad enters CC with the British gun crew on the German left flank, while a squad jumps a pinned British squad on the western outskirts of the village: both CC’s have no result and end in melees. With both British AT guns temporarily out of action, the remaining panzers have freedom of movement except for the still hidden PIAT crews.

In the British turn, the Brits rally no-one, the German 8-0 rallies two ½ squads in the southern part of town. The F.O.O. attempts to correct his SR, is inaccurate, and moves it one hex closer to the town centre. The British HMG in the centre fails to harm the Germans but a squad in the west pins a 658 (cold German sniper). The only Brit movement is a skulk, and a concealed squad AMing adjacent to the reversing panzer in the village south, but its’ MG fire breaks the Brit squad. In German Def Fire, the F.O.O. is pinned by fire, no other results occur. In Rout, the newly broken southern Brit squad dies for Failure to Rout, whilst in CC, the AT gun crew dies in the wheatfield, but the other western melee continues.
 

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Game Turn 4 –

The British self-rally a ½ squad & crew. The eastern panzer fires Smoke into the village centre crossroads (50O6), everyone else is moving. The westernmost panzer & surviving crew unit head toward the board 40 bridge; the ½ squad in the AT gun hex captures it, then dispossesses it, and (along with the other ½ squad) advances to the west of the town. The guard ½ squad realises that no German unit entered the board 42 multi-hex building, so pushes their prisoners back that way. On the German right, the LMG squad captures the abandoned AT gun, while a 548 moves adjacent to the British HMG team, who fires and breaks the German unit. The FT ½ squad then takes up position two hexes away (out of the HMG’s fixed covered arc). A LMG squad from the central platoon dashes across the street to move adjacent to the Brit HMGer’s from the opposite side, surviving Final Fire. The two central panzers take up firing positions, whilst the majority of the central German units AM into assault positions for next turn. In Def Fire the British F.O.O. adjusts the SR perfectly & brings down a 70mm stonk on the greater part of the German units in the centre of the town; unfortunately, the hard +3 (and +4 ground floor) cover only breaks one 8-0 leader (cold Ger sniper). In other Def Fire, the 658 in the orchard road is pinned by accurate squad fire, as is the FT unit nearby. In Advancing Fire, the FT ½ squad fire back and pins the British MMG ½ squad (shouldn’t have fired, pinned FT unit), while the western panzer malfunctions its’ coaxial MG. On the right, the other German FT unit X’s out their weapon. The Germans rout a squad and a leader. In Advance, three German units enter the street near the centre of town. A LMG squad advances into CC with the leader-led British HMG ½ squad; with no ambush, and no result, melee ensues. In the west, the melee sees the Brit squad CR the German squad & the melee goes on.

In the British turn, no results in rally (2 Ger ½ squads recombine). In Prep Fire, the OBA comes down heavy: breaking 2 ½ German squads & battle hardening the 9-1 to a 9-2. A hot British sniper mortally wounds the broken German 8-0 in the town’s south. The steadfast British open fire on the western German units: pinning a ½ squad, breaking the FT ½ squad, and fate-breaking a squad to a ½ squad (the Germans only have 2 ½ squads with a CMG-less AFV in the western village, the rest broken or in melee). Minimal British movement this turn. In Def Fire, the panzers fire for no effect and only one squad fires at the Brits in a stone building, for no result. No Advancing Fire. The German infantry are in wholesale retreat during the Rout Phase. In Advance, the Brits gamble a squad against a pinned CX German ½ squad in a western wheatfield: the risk pays off, killing the Germans. In the adjacent hex, the British squad kills another German ½ squad to finish that melee. Over in the east melee, the British officer & ½ squad and the German squad wipe each other out, leaving a HMG & LMG to mark their passing.

The Germans appear in serious trouble: with 3 multi-hex buildings to still capture, they’ve run out of infantry hitting power; to make matters worse, the Germans have only 13 VP vs 19 British VP, this will change if the German units exit soon, but the Germans are under pressure with only 3 turns left.
 

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Game Turn 5 –

No rallies or repairs. Two panzers Prep Fire, and two move: the central village AFV hits its acquired target & breaks the concealed squad, leaving the eastern German infantry some freedom of movement. The western village panzer misses the British MMG team again, but gains +2 acquisition. The southernmost panzer threads its way into the village & parks adjacent to the newly broken British squad. The northern AFV exits across the bridge for the VP. In other movement, a German ½ squad in the northwest AM’s adjacent to a broken Brit ½ squad & DM’s them, and the newly promoted German leader + squad in the village centre AM back through the artillery fire to shore up the crumbling western village flank. In British Def Fire, a red chit is drawn & OBA battery access is lost. Infantry Def Fire DM’s two broken German units in the west. German Advancing Fire is ineffective. The two newly DM’ed German units retreat to the 9-2’s hex; one Brit squad retires to the church, the western ½ squad is pushed north. In the Advance Phase, the Germans dominate the eastern village, and 2 squads & an AFV manage to guard the western village buildings. A German engineer LMG squad takes on a British crew in CC and kill them.

In the British turn, radio contact is not re-established. In the only Prep Fire, a PIAT crew drops HIP in the central P5 building and promptly malfunctions their weapon! During movement, a westerly Brit squad CX’s through the wheat to get adjacent to the captured AT gun. Most British units skulk, but an acquired MMG ½ squad gets hit by a panzer shell and are killed outright. The only German Def Fire is ineffective, mainly due to lack of targets, but another panzer breaks the British F.O.O. & pins the newly revealed PIAT crew. In Rout, a Brit leader & ½ squad fall back. In Advance, a couple of Brit squads take up firing positions overlooking the central road, whilst the CX squad in the west occupies the AT gun hex. In a surprise move, the last hidden PIAT crew (in the K4 orchard) jumps the German ½ squad in the K3 wooden house, failing to kill them, and they end in melee.
 

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Game Turn 6 –

The Germans regain two ½ squads in Rally, the British squad fails to recover the AT gun in the western wheatfield. In Prep Fire, the central AFV breaks the PIAT crew 2 hexes away, and the German infantry surge forward again. A squad throws smoke grenades into the street & AM’s into an adjacent road hex, in the open; Brit fire CR’s them for their temerity, and the surviving ½ squad breaks. The smoke covers an assault engineer ½ squad as it takes fire from an adjacent 9-1 + 457 that pins them whilst attempting to place a DC in the British units hex. A FT unit takes position across the road, whilst all the east village units almost reach the church in the north of the town. A panzer rumbles through the British backfield & DM’s a ½ squad; the other (western) AFV reverses away from potential danger into the southern village. The AFV crew on foot exits across the bridge for extra VP. No Def Fire from the British. In Advancing Fire, disaster befalls the British, although the FT unit only pins the British squad with the 9-1 officer, a German 1 ½ squad Fire Group pins the concealed British ½ squad in the church & the AFV in the north DM’s the broken squad in the same building. In Rout Phase, the British PIAT crew has no choice but to rout upstairs, & the broken squad in the church elects to stay put & attempt a (desperate) self-rally next turn. In Advance, The German FT team steps into the street, equidistant from the last two Good Order British held hexes. The German assault engineer ½ squad goes into CC with the pinned British ½ squad in the church, they ambush the Brits but the Scots hang on to force a melee. In the other melee in the K3 cottage, the plucky PIAT crew kills the German ½ squad and they are now 4 hexes away from the northern panzer, with a movement phase coming up.

In the British turn, no one rallies and a German ½ squad CR’s on fate! The Brit squad in the west takes possession of the AT gun in the wheatfield. No Prep Fire, the G.O. British units (all 3 of them) need to gain CVP this turn. The first move is a squad who is immediately pinned by infantry fire. The PIAT crew runs to a woods copse two hexes from the German AFV and is promptly broken by its MA fire. The 9-1 + 457 attempt to fall back to the church graveyard, but the German FT unit breaks the officer, the squad survives the 1MC & LLTC to get adjacent to the church. In Def Fire, the central panzer wipes out the broken PIAT crew in the 1st level stone building, but cannot affect the last G.O. British unit. In Rout, the 2 broken British officers rout away, but the broken squad in the church routs upstairs to level 1. In Advance, the Brit squad enters the church where the broken squad had been; and in the CC Phase, neither ½ squad gains the upper hand, so the melee continues in the other church hex.
 

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Game Turn 7 –

Again, no rallies this turn. In Prep Fire, a German squad breaks the British squad in the western village orchard road, giving the FT unit freedom to move. A 16(+3) shot doesn’t affect the broken church squad on the 1st level, so that the other German squad nearby chooses to opportunity fire & wait for reinforcing firepower in the Advancing Fire Phase. The FT ½ squad CX’s to the graveyard & is hit by 8(-1) that CR’s it away to nothing. The DC ½ squad makes the same move to the graveyard & is broken on the Residual Fire. The last 2 full squads to move (with their accompanying officers) go to the other side of the church, adjacent to the British units. In Advancing Fire the German units manage to ignore the Good Order Brit squad on the ground floor, and hit the broken 1st level squad that breaks to a ½ squad (but the Germans needed a kill). In the Advance Phase the German troops pile into the church’s ground floor locations & kill both British units in CC, but the single surviving broken British ½ squad wins the day for the defenders.


Post Game –

The narrowest of loses to the Germans: British CVP = 24; German Exit VP = 8 with CVP = 26, totalling 34 VP, but they couldn’t capture the last multi-hex building.

A good village fight: after Game Turn 3, the British looked to have the disadvantage, but after Game Turn 4, the Germans looked in disarray, then they recovered and appeared to be overwhelming the British at the end of the sixth Game Turn, only to have the Scots deny them victory at the bitter end.

If you treat the scenario as a straight out town assault, rather than trying to ‘break’ the scenario design by setting the Scots up north of the river, then this is a very enjoyable match. I think the Germans have a slight edge, due to quality troops and adequate AFVs, to be able to accomplish the mission (even if they lost this time).
 

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