Hatten: Scenario #2 -- Bertoldo the Brave

davegin

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
380
Reaction score
645
Location
North Olmsted, Ohio
Country
llUnited States
Just finished up. Kev Killeen took the attacking Germans against my defending Americans. I started the defense by rubbling the two story steeple building and the school to eliminate any 1st or 2nd levels. I used only two squads with 4 dummies to defend the three VC locations on my left flank. I kept two 1/2 squads up front on the right to try to force the attack to come at my right and center. The HIP AT gun was in the rear on the right covering the open plowed field area with two foxholes with supporting mmg and baz. Two of the M18s were concealed in the woods adjacent to the back 4 VC locations while the third with the 9-1 was in the far rear looking up the road. I set up three foxholes in front of the back 4 VC with Bertoldo, a 9-1, squad and mmg to fire lane the roads in the center and on my left. The other two holes had the 60mm mtr and a baz with 1/2 squads. The 81mm mtr was emplaced on the road between two of the rear VC locations. The attack came off as expected with Kev barreling down his right side toward the lightly defended three VC buildings. This allowed me to reposition my right flank defenders more toward the center. By turn three he had the first three building with only a loss of two 1/2 squads, but I had successfully pulled back without any losses. No WP with the light mtr and the 81 broke down, later to be permanent. Kev continued to push my left flank but did veer troops to attack the center. He managed to knock out one of the M18s causing a blaze in the woods but it cost him one PV when a baz scored a crit. He was managing to worm some infantry around the rear to threaten the back two VCs so I gunned up the 9-1s M18 and moved it up the road and parked between all four rear buildings. I broke the other M18 out of the woods and drove it forward to DM a squad and threaten his reinforcement of the center. This could have been costly as his remaining panther had an LOS when I stopped albeit through three orchards and a hedge as well as being a small target. He missed the first fire and again on his prep which was costly as the M18 then spun its turret and scored a crit on the panthers hull. Kev tried to get his 12 FP 1/2 track behind two broken squads and the broken 8-1 who had failed their MCs in the center four buildings only to get acquired by the now unhip AT gun. The ami infantry was lost for failure to rout but his 1/2 track got flamed the following turn. One his second last turn, he tried to use the other 12 FP track to overrun the AT gun which missed when it spun, however the crew passed the ensuing 2 MC and IF'd with yet another crit to flame it in its own hex. He then ran a loaded 1/2 track past and unloaded next to the gun but advanced the squad toward the VCs. The gun then fired out of the smoked and scored a kill on that track. On my last turn I used infantry smoke to get the lt. mtr crew back across the street and retake one of the center VCs and then another in the Advance. Going into the last turn, Kev still needed 7 of the ten VCs (as I had a functioning MA vehicle and he did not). However, he did have enough manpower to do it with CCs. The biggest concern was the ever looming 9-2 with his three squads. Although the infantry failed to stop their advance next to the needed two VCs the 9-1s M18 spun from its position in the street two hexes away and fired. The 9-2 pinned but the squads broke. Kev was able to get his two demos placed and broke the one defending 2nd line squad but in the center the 6-6-6 survived and after pinning the squad that was to advance into CC. It wasn't necessary to play out the last CCs as the americans would still hold onto at least two VCs and prohibit the win.
This was a tight battle right down to the end. The rolls were fairly balanced for us both although Kev had the edge on active snipers. We both agree that the German may be slightly favored but a good American defense of defending only til untenable and limiting the german shots. can prevail as in this case. Any American defender who sets up forward will get destroyed and the german will run right by him. Challenging the panthers with the M18s will also end badly. This was the second Hatten scenario we layed as we are doing them in order. Scenario #1 (Bad Day In Hatten) was also equally as close with an American victory on the last turn. So far it looks as though Mr. Rogers scenarios are proving to both be exciting and balanced. On to #3.
 

Andrew Rogers

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
149
Reaction score
420
Location
Canberra, Australia
First name
Andy
Country
llAustralia
Dave, great write up. I hope the rest of the scenario play out well. Just for future reference for yourself and others, 'pre-game rubble placement' rules (2.51 in the HiF rules) are NA (not allowed) for the multi-level locations.

The rule is not the clearest and I had to read it myself a couple of times.

From an historical perspective, the key buildings were well constructed. The American direct fired at close range a 155mm howitzer at the Rittershoffen church to limited effect. Attached is the actual request from the front line troops for the close support. Andy
 

Attachments

Eagle4ty

Forum Guru
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
6,913
Reaction score
5,094
Location
Eau Claire, Wi
Country
llUnited States
Dave, great write up. I hope the rest of the scenario play out well. Just for future reference for yourself and others, 'pre-game rubble placement' rules (2.51 in the HiF rules) are NA (not allowed) for the multi-level locations.

The rule is not the clearest and I had to read it myself a couple of times.

From an historical perspective, the key buildings were well constructed. The American direct fired at close range a 155mm howitzer at the Rittershoffen church to limited effect. Attached is the actual request from the front line troops for the close support. Andy
Man, really like the Message pad image. Haven't seen/used one of those in 40+ years!:thumbsup:
 

Gunner Scott

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
13,737
Reaction score
2,669
Location
Chicago, IL
Country
llUnited States
Going to play Retardo the Brave with Rich friday afternoon as the Americans. Looks like it will be one of those scenarios where bothsides are hiding their Armor due to the VC and the effects this VC has on Armor survival. As the American player I am for sure going to try and keep the Hellcats outta harms way.

Scotthif 001.JPG
 

Mehl

Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
133
Reaction score
10
Location
Arlington, VA
Country
llUnited States
Dave, great write up. I hope the rest of the scenario play out well. Just for future reference for yourself and others, 'pre-game rubble placement' rules (2.51 in the HiF rules) are NA (not allowed) for the multi-level locations.
The illustrated example seems to contradict this.
 

Paul S NJ

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2005
Messages
603
Reaction score
524
Location
New Jersey
Country
llUnited States
Nice AAR Dave, your gun crew gets silver stars! Played this today with Jim Brackin and enjoyed it. My panthers survived a couple 76L APCR hits in the hull and repaired one broken MA to lead the way to a german win. I'd take the US side as is for fun, but agree it needs a bit of balance. Maybe (?) one less 467 and one less SPW 251 (the regular kind, not the cool IFE ones). The HT's are nasty for sleaze freezing and denying route paths.
Paul
 

Gunner Scott

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
13,737
Reaction score
2,669
Location
Chicago, IL
Country
llUnited States
Played Bartardo the Brave over the weekend, and have to agree with Dave G, it is a close and super fun scenario. It does not feel scripted like your usual Struff or Shelling scenarios. There is are a ton of options for bothsides, does the American player take a chance and set up everything up front? Does the American player set up indepth? Leave the armor off map? Does the German player set up with all assets in play? Deos the German player play it safe and set up with just infantry and try to noodle out the American AT assets?

Some at first might think this scenario might be slightly pro German, but I think it is dead even. The American player I think has to be patient and not force jump the gun too quickly when dealing with the German attack. Anyway played this one again yesterday and pulled out a victory as the American by winning two CC to control the VC building hexes. Can not get any better then that. My only problem was, can I set up OT tanks in buildings and what to do about the 81mm mortar.
 

Gunner Scott

Forum Guru
Joined
Jan 27, 2003
Messages
13,737
Reaction score
2,669
Location
Chicago, IL
Country
llUnited States
howdy-

Once more Bob and I got together and this time Bob had the Americans in HF2 Bartoldo the Brave. Ya I know theres a ton of stuff out there to play but most of it sux but not Hatten, this module is like the classic Led Zeppelin song Kashmire, it will be played forever and ever and still rock your socks off. Anyway, this time Bob had a more forward defense which slowed my advance initially but I had decided to race my Pz VG, SPW 20L and a HT loaded with a squad into his back area, unfortunately I ran into a gun, which kind of surprised me, it missed my HT with the Squad, so I decided in my rout phase to break the squad and rout him below the HT (if I was in motion I could not do that).

Well, Bob gave me a much deserved bloody nose with the loss of a HT and the loss of a Panther, but the highlights of this battle were my 20L HT scoring a CH on his M24 and killing it. Late in the game, my Sniper hit another M24 and stunned it, this allowed my Panther to kill it but wait, Bobs last M24 pulled up into WA position and then knocked out my panther. But thats not all! My 8-0 with a DC ran behind the last M24, survived D fires, placed the DC on the rear deck of the M24, survived the resid and blew it up.

The game went down to the last turn but Bob just did not have enough guys left to cover the buildings the Germans needed to get. I think if it was not for the lucky CH and sniper attack, the Americans would have won this one. I was just too aggressive initially and it costed me. All in all, a great scenario and we plan to play more Hatten next week. With Hatten and KGS alone, I have enough great ASL stuff to last me a life time.

Hopefully we will see more stuff from Andy Rogers, this guy knows how to design great scenarios.

Scott
 
Top