Dinant: Rommel on the Meuse

[=FC=Gorgon]

Once they finish unloading the truck they can go where needed.

Probably the pub.

 

[The Purist]

Lee and I got together last night to complete Turn 4 for the afternoon scenario.

To say that the French player turn went well for the 18e DI would be a mild understatement but I can't take the credit. Lee's dice turned on him with vengeance during his DFF with a stunning seven 12's - all having an impact.

I began the PFPh with my 80+ OBA, the two HIP 81* Mortars and their spotters and two 37* Inf Guns in position to fire. My artillery drifted further south than I wanted as I was targeting German armour but the 80+ OBA did break up a mortar team, infantry planning to clear rubble and an HMG team. The mortars did nothing. The first 37* (north, FF13) hit a Pz IV in the flank and immobilised it, the crew bailing out. I then Malf'd the gun with a second shot aimed at trying to kill the crew.

Then Lee's dice stepped in.

The 37* in FF39 took two shots to hit the assault team in LL40 but managed to get a 1MC pinning an 8-1 with a FT and breaking the 248 AE (2 DC) and 467. I stopped to consider whether the 458 w/MMG in KK42 should take the 8 +2/3 or skulk backwards to KK43. I finally made the shot and rolled a 5 (no ROF).

The 8-1 rolled a 12 and died, taking the broken 248 HS and half of the broken 467 with him.

After my movement phase was done Lee began to hammer both 37s with everything in sight and the boxcar train rolled on. The best that can be said was that both crews broke and routed away so than none of the six 37s are in position to fire any longer.

Lee's 80+ OBA radio contact DR was a 12.

Then the Pz 38 in OO36/PP36 Malf'd its MA. That's three 12s with more on the way



Up north Lee's DFPh attacks on the 37* in FF13 and spec targets in other hexes came up with another four 12's. Pz IVs in hexes OO10, OO12, QQ21 (this one with a 9-1 AL) and QQ27 all Malf'd their MAs.

In total one Pz 38 and five Pz IVs are effectively out action after this one player turn and one of two OBA modules is now silenced. This can only hurt the German effort in supporting the expanding bridgehead.

By the third boxcars we were laughing, by the sixth it wasn't funny any more. Nevertheless Lee is an incredibly good sport and while you could see frustration clearly written on his face he still managed to smile.

He did vow to change his dice for the next meeting.

 

[von Marwitz]

He did vow to change his dice for the next meeting.

Maybe you should use the VASL dicebot.

von Marwitz

 

[LDM]

I hate this game.

 

[Oberst Hausser]

Come to think of it, I have a complete VotG unpunched, much less clipped. Doubt I ever will get around to it as it's just not a CG I'd be interested in playing. More interested in Hatten, Singling, Primisole and George's 'Race to the Meuse'.

That's something of a pity as VoTG is the most accurate game of any... Btter than RB in that way.

 

[von Marwitz]

I hate this game.

Hadn't you uttered this sentence, we would have never believed that you love this game.

von Marwitz

 

[The Purist]

Lee and I got on Skype this morning to crack on with Turn 5 and it did not go well for the Germans

I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this in all the years of gaming, ASL or otherwise. The dice could not have been worse and Lee's changing them out regularly did not seem to help.

In his RPh he rolled 6 for the Radio controlling the 80+ OBA, then he proceed to roll a further five dr 6 for the repairs to the MA on one Pz 38 and four Pz IVs,... all being recalled. Lee had his camera on the dice tray as the 6's just kept coming through the tower. This was followed by a 12 for a self-rally on a mortar crew, leaving the dm 81* laying in the rubble in QQ26.

A French sniper hit a 9-1 leading a HMG team in QQ19 for a wound check that killed him. The 228 crew then rolled a 12 on its LLMC

And so it continued...



Northern Overview - The French are actually beginning to tentatively move back towards the River in some places and revealed a fourth HIP MMG w/ crew and 7-0 in II20



The bad news for Lee just would not stop. His three active 81* Mortars all failed to produce a single Smoke round (above), one even Malf'd in the attempt. They were shot to pieces by the still HIP French 81*s and 80+ OBA over two fire phases with complete loss of crews (yet another DR of 12 on a 1MC).

Lee tried his armour only to have two Pz II and two Pz IVs Malf their MA and one Pz II also losing its CMG. It got so bad in the north that I actually brought up a platoon (2) of H-35s to engage his armour.

It wasn't much better down south either.

A FT attack at range two from MM41 to LL42 came up with an 11. An attempt for his Fanatic 468 AE to collect the FT and two DC drew fire from an infantry gun from the heights supported 12 FP from KK42 that broke him on a 1MC and his accompanying 467 w/LMG . Here also the German position had deteriorated so badly that a second platoon of French armour (2 x AMC-29s) rumbled up the RR and took the Germans in the rowhouses under fire. An attempt by an LMG to hit one of the French HTs resulted in yet another 12.

And the Germans tumbled backwards is the south as well.



A French FB made a point attack against PP32's bridging attempt. The 4 FP MG attack killed 248 AE with 12 on a NMC while the second HS AE along with a 467 broke, the squad being replaced by a 447. The bombs then came down in an ATT attack that hit home, destroying the pontoon section under construction and the SdKfz 7 and the second pontoon section still hooked up. The second (broken) 248 died in a 2MC and broken 447 was reduced to a broken 237. Nearby an HMG in PP33 and MMG in PP32 also Malf'd in the German DFPh adding further insult to injury.

All the while a large stack of French infantry that began running across the French backfield from the far right midway though the morning scenario arrived at GG48 while the French completed a withdrawal from the level 1 balcony (JJ32 - JJ39) in order to get more troops into western Dinant. More armour is also manoeuvering to come up to support the Dinant defenders

Total German losses for both scenarios have now reached ~ 22 infantry and 5.5 AE squads plus about seven leaders. Lee noted himself that he will not be getting a bridge in this scenario so his troops west of the Meuse will certainly be suffering from Unsupplied 1 status next scenario.

And we still have a probable 2 to 2.5 turns to go in this scenario.

EDIT: I did forget to mention one silver lining for Lee in Turn 5. He did roll a 2 on the rally of a HS,.... followed by 12. Since there was no one to surrender to in LOS so it became a "Disrupt".

 

[CTKnudsen]

Yikes! I feel bad for the French, though. That horrible luck is bound to turn at some point, and then you'll be looking at 2s and 3s coming at you...

 

[The Purist]

I dunno. My own losses have been tiny as I am keeping all but a few French troops out of LOS of anything east of the river. These are mainly the 37* Inf Guns that are now rotating back to the escarpment edge one or two at a time to get in a few pot shots. They are then broken by German fire and route away while another one or two crews move forward to repeat the process. The remaining troops are in positions that requires the Germans to get within 1 or 2 hexes to have an LOS

The original 36 squads + 3 squads from the morning's reinforcements are largely intact. I believe I even have a manpower advantage now and most of my CPPs still to come in the evening and night scenarios.

Lee has a tough row to hoe to turn this around now.

 

[Carln0130]

That is indeed a horrible string of luck. It's a shame it has gone that way. Sounds like he is trying to do the tight thing by trying to get smoke with the mortars etc, but not much to be done with that.

 

[The Purist]

He has vowed to play out the afternoon and see what he can arrange for the evening. My own evening's reinforcements are already set so we'll see what he can conjure up in the opening moves.

Once he get's over the shock of the last two turns maybe Lee will give us his thoughts (beyond his last post, of course ? )

 

[LDM]

I hate this game.
The really crazy thing is twice Gerry said roll a set of box cars again, only to come up box cars a second time....
The center has been crushed a second time. Survives ran towards the string of buildings controlled in the LL hex row. Currently, I have 3 officers there to help with the rallying so I might be able to keep a toe hold on the French side.
On the German side, I have 4 1/2 squads, 4 crew no where near the mtrs,4 AE 1/sqds and their bridging equipment, 3 full AE sqds, 6 full sqds in assorted order or in rafts and 5 leaders scattered around. 4 tanks are moving south but progress is slow.
My next rally phase I'll be attempting repairs on more mgs then I have in good order. Lol

 

[Eagle4ty]

Lee and I got on Skype this morning to crack on with Turn 5 and it did not go well for the Germans

I can honestly say I have never seen anything like this in all the years of gaming, ASL or otherwise. The dice could not have been worse and Lee's changing them out regularly did not seem to help.

In his RPh he rolled 6 for the Radio controlling the 80+ OBA, then he proceed to roll a further five dr 6 for the repairs to the MA on one Pz 38 and four Pz IVs,... all being recalled. Lee had his camera on the dice tray as the 6's just kept coming through the tower. This was then followed by a 12 for a self-rally on a mortar crew, leaving the dm 81* laying in the rubble in QQ26.

A French sniper hit a 9-1 leading a HMG team in QQ19 for a wound check that killed him. The 228 crew then rolled a 12 on its LLMC

And so it continued...

View attachment 13610

Northern Overview - The French are actually beginning to tentatively move back towards the River in some places and revealed a fourth HIP MMG w/ crew and 7-0 in II20

View attachment 13613

The bad news for Lee just would not stop. His three active 81* Mortars all failed to produce a single Smoke round (above), one even Malf'd in the attempt. They were shot to pieces by the still HIP French 81*s and 80+ OBA over two fire phases with complete loss of crews (yet another DR of 12 on a 1MC).

Lee tried his armour only to have two Pz II and two Pz IVs Malf their MA and one Pz II also losing its CMG. It got so bad in the north that I actually brought up a platoon (2) of H-35s to engage his armour.

It wasn't much better down south either.

An FT attack at range two from MM41 to LL42 came up with an 11. An attempt for his Fanatic 468 AE to collect the FT and two DC drew fire from an infantry gun from the heights supported 12 FP from KK42 that broke him on a 1MC and his accompanying 467 w/LMG . Here also the German position had deteriorated so badly that a second platoon of French armour (2 x AMC-29s) rubbled up the RR and took the Germans in the rowhouses under fire. An attempt by an LMG to hit one of the French HTs resulted in yet another 12.

And the Germans tumbled backwards is the south as well.

View attachment 13611

A French FB made a point attack against PP32's bridging attempt. The 4 FP MG attack killed 248 AE with 12 on a NMC while the second HS AE with 467 breaking and being replaced by a 447. The bombs then came down in an ATT attack that hit home, destroying the pontoon section under construction and the SdKfz 7 and the second pontoon section still hooked up. The second (broken) 248 died in a 2MC and broken 447 was reduced to a broken 237. Nearby an HMG in PP33 and MMG in PP32 also Malf'd in the German DFPh adding further insult to injury.

All the while a large stack of French infantry that began running across the French backfield from the far right last scenario arrived at GG48 while French completed a withdrawal from the level 1 balcony (JJ32 - JJ39) in order to get more troops into western Dinant. More armour is also manoeuvering to come up to support the Dinant defenders

Total German losses for both scenarios have now reached ~ 22 infantry and 5.5 AE squads plus about seven leaders. Lee noted himself that he will not be getting a bridge in this scenario so his troops west of the Meuse will certainly be suffering from Unsupplied 1 status next scenario.

And we still have a probable 2 to 2.5 turns to go in this scenario.

EDIT: I did forget to mention one silver lining for Lee in Turn 5. He did roll a 2 on the rally of a HS,.... followed by 12. Since there was no one to surrender to in LOS it became a "Disrupt".

View attachment 13612

Sounds like time for "diceimation". (Floggings will continue until morale improves).

 

[LDM]

I have "My Dice" I use at tourney as well as several sets I use on a regular basis. They roll normal most of the time. Sometimes a bit of a tear. Nothing like this though. Switching and invoking the Gods of Chance didn't help. What I wanted to do was throw those cubes into the wall. Lol. It's a game and granted, coming off the maps last turn had me shook up, I'm not quite dead yet.Lol

 

[The Purist]

Looked to me like the Personal (or Player) Morale Check (PMC) was "Pin" result.

 

[Carln0130]

I have "My Dice" I use at tourney as well as several sets I use on a regular basis. They roll normal most of the time. Sometimes a bit of a tear. Nothing like this though. Switching and invoking the Gods of Chance didn't help. What I wanted to do was throw those cubes into the wall. Lol. It's a game and granted, coming off the maps last turn had me shook up, I'm not quite dead yet.Lol

The "wall toss" randomization method does rattle the bones. There is that.

 

[The Purist]

Well,.... by the end of French Turn 6, start of Turn 7, the losses in German infantry and armour had just about broken Lee's 'personal' morale. The French began to counterattack what was left of the bridgehead after one of the AMC29's broke a German position in the centre. With the N96 now uncovered by German fire a second halftrack and infantry pushed up row KK to begin routing out the Germans. From the north the four H-35s along with the better part of a company of infantry have begun moving south against the same German positions.

Up north the Germans have about 4-5 squads east of the river, more than half broken. The French aren't hiding any more and have begun moving back towards the river and recovering the 37* Infantry guns along the heights.

By the coming rout/advance phase Lee threw in the towel. With his infantry down to about 12 GO squads, 6 more of AE (5 HS aboard pontoon carriers) and about 5 228, he is facing 37 French squads and 12 crews. With 11 tanks off the map under recall, another immobilised and out of position and two wrecks, the Germans have just two Pz IV and four Pz II to face the four H35s and four AMR 29s. The remaining five pontoon carriers are stranded in the north, passage south blocked by the rubbled river road (QQ26) and the immobilised carrier in SS25.

Considering the nature of the French reinforcements (infantry companies and twelve H-35s) arriving from Area A (likely) in the evening we didn't see a German recovery possible. The Germans are jus too far behind in the available bodies to carry the river in the Evening and Night scenarios.

The last couple of pics.

The Southern Bridgehead is split:




Remnants in the north: