AP115 Mook Point

[hayman]

Here is a second (solo) AAR from the ASLOK XXX pack.

Scenario AP115 – Mook Point

This mostly infantry clash (two light halftracks excepted) takes place in a hilly Dutch pine forest; a depleted U.S. glider infantry company must defend hilltops & houses against a German 2nd line Volksgrenadier counterattack, supported by flanking halftracks & flamethrower equipped Engineers. It takes place on the busy ‘Fort’ boards 2a & 7b, with pine woods being 2 level LOS obstacles and only costing 1 ½ MPs each.

The U.S. set up half their force entrenched on the 2a hilltops to defend against the German Turn 3 flank reinforcements, with an officer led MMG on either side. With level 2 pine woods, hills & orchards, there isn’t much long LOS for the Yank MGs or Forward Observation Officer (a radio equipped 8-0 on the hill, controlling a 70mm battery of OBA). The second half of the U.S. company is concealed forward on board 7b with orders to shoot-and-scoot (fire once and retire to the board 2a hills).

The German set up concentrates on the mid-board area, hoping to use the dense terrain to bludgeon their way through the centre at a rapid pace; bypassing the board 7b stone buildings & angling towards the hilly orchard/wooden houses to set up an assault on the board 2a hill. The Turn 3 reinforcements will most likely come on the north flank, but I will wait to see the situation unfold before committing them.

Pic 1. The U.S. set up to defend the board 2a hills
Pic 2. The forward U.S. elements before concealment
Pic 3. The centrally set up German attack force

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 1 –

The Germans move forward, with a few desultory shots fired at them, but no casualties. A CX squad ends in a melee with a U.S. ½ squad in the middle of board 7b. The U.S. F.O.O. makes radio contact, but will wait to place an Artillery Request.

In the U.S. turn, radio contact is maintained, but the AR (placed in the middle of the advancing Germans) strays a long way off target, into the backfield amongst the pine trees, and consequently, is blue in colour. The concealed U.S. units on the American left skulk, whilst the right hand units retire. The melee is unresolved and continues.

Pic 4. The Germans surge forward, the U.S. OBA overshoots

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 2 –
The Germans advance in a line, one squad ELR breaks to U.S. fire, and the return Advancing Fire breaks a U.S. squad and pins a ½ squad on the American left. The blue SR is shifted to the central brush patch & proceeds to stray behind another clump of pine trees, and remains blue. In Close Combat Phase, the melee continues without change.
In the U.S. turn, not much happens; the few board 7b units retreat, the F.O.O. losses radio contact, so the blue SR evaporates. No German Def Fire as only one unit has LOS to the retreating enemy (with a +5 DRM). The American forces reposition in the Advance Phase to greet the German reinforcements due next turn. Both units in the melee miss each other by one pip on the dice rolls.

Pic 5. The U.S. 'Shoot-n-Scoot' back to the board 2a 'Alamo'

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 3 –
The broken German conscript squad self-rallies; the U.S. fails to self-rally. The German reinforcements line up to enter on the northern edge: one FT ½ squad & one halftrack enter via the Y1 road, heading to the mid-board area; the rest enter around EE1/FF1 to take on the American troops entrenched on the hillside (U.S. right flank units).
In German ½ squads scout forward without drawing U.S. fire. The bulk of the German units reach the board 7b EE/FF hexrows: the Americans pin a FT ½ squad on the German left & ELR break a squad in the centre. The Germans retaliate by pinning a U.S. squad on the German right, but this activates the American sniper, who breaks the German squad in melee (back in the brush patch). The Germans on the right virtually surround the U.S. units in the wooden houses on board 7b. The broken German squad dies in melee whilst trying to withdraw.
During the U.S. third turn the F.O.O. radios his battery, gains Battery Access, and places an AR on German units in a pine grove in front of the central part of the big hill; this strays to the small orchard hill and becomes a red SR. Very effective Prep Fire breaks four German squads & a leader, pinning a further two squads and another leader. Return Def Fire sees one American squad break and 1 ½ squads pin (all on the U.S. left). Again, the U.S. units use the Advance Phase to prepare to repulse the next German moves.

Pic 6. The German reinforcements arrive

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 4 –
In the German Prep Fire Phase on the left flank, the U.S. MMG stack is pinned, but on the right, a Fire Group fails to effect the American units in the Alamo (the board 7b wooden house on the German right). During movement, the U.S. troops ELR reduce a German squad attacking in the centre, and pin another squad, a FT unit & a CE halftrack crew. The SR wanders behind more pine trees and turns blue again (or should I say ‘blau’).
U.S. Def Fire on the German left is ineffective, but on the right, a squad is broken, and another is ELR Casualty Reduced. A central U.S. squad refuses the surrender of a broken German ½ squad and No Quarter is enacted, resulting in the disrupted German ½ squad being able to rout over on the right.
In the U.S. turn, the F.O.O. tried to call in an SR on the centre of the ridge line they are defending, but this action was cancelled by the Battery commander (red chit drawn). The American Prep Fire was poor or luckless: 6 shots resulted in no breaks & created a German hero in the centre. Counter fire by the Germans, on the other hand, is devastating: breaking 4 ½ squads; the American defence line shatters, with only the left still intact. 1 ½ U.S. squads are captured in the Rout Phase near the board 7b Alamo. In CC, a U.S. ½ squad squares up against a German guard ½ squad but is ambushed by them, and the Germans withdraw with their prisoners into one of the Alamo buildings.

Pic 7. The Germans crack the centre of the U.S. hill position

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 5 –
Fate turns against the Yanks. In the Rally Phase, the U.S. self-rally a ½ squad, but a broken squad is halved due to a boxcars roll; then, in the only German Prep Fire, a MMG fires twice at a the only U.S. ½ squad left on board 7b and they roll a 12 on the Morale Check. The Germans surge around the U.S. right flank, using ½ squads & halftracks, surround and isolate the American units. A couple of squads range into the U.S. backfield, capturing a stone house and DMing a broken Yank squad.
The German units on the American left flank prepare for their assault on the entrenched U.S. knoll. In final Def Fire, a U.S. shot breaks a German ½ squad, but the units on the knoll have no LOS to any German unit. In Advancing Fire, a FT unit CRs a U.S. ½ squad on the American right, and the other FT breaks an officer. In Rout, one U.S. ½ squad dies due to Failure to Rout, and a squad and an officer go into the bag, captured by a FT ½ squad. In the Advance Phase another building is captured.
In the American turn, the U.S. squad on the far left flank rallies in the wooded gully & climbs the knoll in the Movement Phase. The only Prep Fire is effective: breaking a German squad in the woods behind the knoll. 2 ½ squads on the U.S. right try to skulk. Several return Def Fire shots only manage to pin one American squad on the left flank. In the Advance Phase, the 8-1 leader on the U.S. right flank enters CC with the German halftrack, but the combat is inconclusive and harm neither side. The U.S. F.O.O. leader will deploy one of the squads on the knoll next turn to add an extra MMC that occupies 2nd level terrain (Victory Conditions for the attackers require either no U.S. MMC on level 2 hills at Game End, or more board 2a buildings controlled than U.S. MMC on level 2 hills at Game End).

Pic 8. The U.S. right is surrounded, their left holds the 'knoll'

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 6 –

The only Prep Fire pins a squad & a ½ squad on the knoll; the Germans press forward relentlessly, with only a pinned halftrack crew to show for American Def Fire efforts. The U.S. right crumbles, with all remaining units on that side breaking. The Germans set up to take the last of the five board 2a houses next turn, whilst on the German right, the squads and support weapons prepare to break the resistance on the last U.S. held hilltop.

In the U.S. turn, a squad on the knoll deploys, making 5 half squads at level 2 for the Americans. Also in Rally, the broken DM U.S. ½ squad in the two-storey wooden building fails to self-rally, and will be captured in the upcoming Rout Phase. In the Prep Fire Phase, the Americans on the knoll break a LMG squad & pin the MMG ½ squad & their 8-1 NCO. Return Def Fire is ineffective. In the Advance Phase, one unprotected ½ squad moves into a foxhole, leaving only one ½ squad without +2 DRM.

Pic 9. Almost the end, with the U.S. 'knoll' about to crack

 

[hayman]

Game Turn 7 –
No German units rally. In the first Prep Fire shot the 8-1, MMG ½ squad & 447 squad in the pine trees fire 8(0/+1) at the rearmost knoll hex (containing an entrenched officer & 2 half squads + another ½ squad in the open [with a +1 height advantage]); the low roll results in all the U.S. units breaking, leaving the Americans with only 2 MMC on level 2 hill hexes after the coming Rout Phase. During the Movement Phase, The Germans on the left flank occupy the remaining buildings for the victory.

Post Game –
An enjoyable scenario, with the U.S. forces spread thinly & the Germans acting more like Japanese (infiltrating & surrounding isolated Americans), resulting in 4 U.S. squad equivalents being taken prisoner. Unfortunately for the U.S., the claustrophobic environment with the level 2 pine trees blocking LOS, the OBA didn’t come into action; one decent stonk could have delayed the attackers long enough to eke out a win. I think the German reinforcements are too strong (and mobile), I would definitely give the Americans the balance of a bazooka, to defend against the halftracks.

 

[bendizoid]

Thanks for the replay. Its one of my favorite scenarios. I'll bet the American wants another go because there is a U.S. learning curve on this one. Lol, I know three people that lost first go as the Americans but really wanted another crack at it. Ya gotta be conservative with that artillery, my first game I never got it down(damn pines). Also I had my troops too far forward and they got cut off (sound Familiar?) . Interestingly, It's kinda the same board as 'Hart Attack'. I think the Getman should secretly write down the reinforcement entry board edge at game start. If the Americans are in foxholes bring harassing fire on you own guys if you have to, now if I play the US I start putting the SR in my observers hex and carefully walking the harassing fire out from there. It's a scenario that deserves study.

 

[hayman]

Benoizoid,
Thanks for the reply, I was up against an incredibly tough opponent (I play solo!).

I tried to bring the OBA down on the center of the ridge in the 4th U.S. turn, but drew a red chit, then the F.O.O. officer bugged out to the 'knoll' when his accompanying squad broke.

 

[Michael R]

The U.S. F.O.O. makes radio contact, but will wait to place an Artillery Request.

The rules state that you must try for access after achieving radio contact and then place the AR if access obtained.

 

[J. R. Tracy]

Ya gotta be conservative with that artillery, my first game I never got it down(damn pines) ... now if I play the US I start putting the SR in my observers hex and carefully walking the harassing fire out from there. It's a scenario that deserves study.

I agree - the threat posed by the SR alone can jam up some frontage, so keeping it in play and unconverted has a lot of value in the endgame.

 

[Toby Pilling]

Thanks for the replay. Its one of my favorite scenarios. I'll bet the American wants another go because there is a U.S. learning curve on this one. Lol, I know three people that lost first go as the Americans but really wanted another crack at it. Ya gotta be conservative with that artillery, my first game I never got it down(damn pines). Also I had my troops too far forward and they got cut off (sound Familiar?) . Interestingly, It's kinda the same board as 'Hart Attack'. I think the Getman should secretly write down the reinforcement entry board edge at game start. If the Americans are in foxholes bring harassing fire on you own guys if you have to, now if I play the US I start putting the SR in my observers hex and carefully walking the harassing fire out from there. It's a scenario that deserves study.

I remember our game of this at ASLOK last year very fondly, even though the defence you composed was almost perfect - it was like running into a brick wall! At least my half-tracks had some fun, before the first got roasted by the sixth (or was it seventh) FPF CC attack of your half-squad...

 

[bendizoid]

Yeah, thanks for letting me play it again Toby. I think it is pro American but you gotta play it just right. That was the 4th movement point for double secret FPF CCrF. Thats the only time I've seen both leader creation and battle harden with one DR, lol.

 

[jrv]

In the U.S. turn, radio contact is maintained, but the AR (placed in the middle of the advancing Germans) strays a long way off target, into the backfield amongst the pine trees, and consequently, is blue in colour.

The SR is visible at its base elevation and *through* the next two levels, i.e. if it lands on level zero terrain, it is also visible at level one and at level two. I assume by making the SR blue you are indicating that it is out of LOS, and in this case (assuming the American observer is still in 2a-d12) the observer *does* have LOS. See the C1.62 EX, in particular, "Thus even had the SR landed in W3 he still could have seen it."

Even though the observer has LOS to the SR, he could not convert it to an FFE in that hex because he has no LOS to the base, and although he has LOS to the blast height, he could not have LOS to a known enemy unit adjacent to it.

The use of blue SR counters for out-of-LOS SRs is an old rule. The current rules do not use counter color to distinguish out-of-los from in-los, and the only use of the blue artillery counters is for harrassing fire [C1.72]. If you still have the old rules you may want to upgrade. This particular aspect is not important, but IIRC there are some other changes that improved OBA.

JR

 

[hayman]

Thanks JR (& Michael R),
I've only just got the Pocketbook Rules, but haven't re-read the OBA rules in the updated version yet.

 

[Steve E7]

Anybody see anything wrong with not HIP'ing the 5 foxhole counters in this one, and use them to place on top of my Americans during setup, to gain a little bit more fog of war/concealment from my German foe?

 

[buser333]

Anybody see anything wrong with not HIP'ing the 5 foxhole counters in this one, and use them to place on top of my Americans during setup, to gain a little bit more fog of war/concealment from my German foe?

Nope. Sounds like a legit tactic to me, Steve.

 

[klasmalmstrom]

Nope. Sounds like a legit tactic to me, Steve.

Agree.....A12.33:
"Fortifications in Concealment Terrain may always set up hidden and remain hidden until use of its protective TEM is claimed... ...Fortifications set up in non-Concealment Terrain are treated as if set up in Concealment Terrain..."

 

[SSlunt]

Just finished the one. Germans were able to secure the victory in the advance phase of Turn 7 Great scenario.