J167 Hart Attack

[Michael R]

J167 HART ATTACK is set in Tunisia, but has no desert specific rules. The scenario is a remake of a previous ASLUG presentation of the same action; the two scenarios use different maps and OBs. J167 uses one map, 7a with these terrain transformations: orchards are olive groves (2MF, 2MP, +1 TEM); hedges are cactus hedges (which require a minimum move for infantry to cross).


British infantry with the support of American Lee tanks need to accumulate 7 VP by game end to win. They can obtain VP by controlling buildings, exiting Lee tanks (2 tanks for 1 VP, FRU) or killing any of the three German Pz3H tanks. The Allied force has 13 squads, two crews, good leadership and SW, and five Lee tanks.


The German defenders are low on effective AT weapons. They start with only one ATR, one DC, and one AT gun (a taper bore lePak41 that is 40LL). The AT gun fires only APCR with a normal TK of 14. There are 9.5 squads and a crew with three leaders, two MMG, two LMG and two 50mm MTRs.


Here is the map.

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I expected the British attack to go one of these two ways.

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My reasoning was that the combination of building control and exit and possible kills was more likely than the Allies trying to control all seven buildings.
My setup, however, did not exactly follow just those two approaches.

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Clearly, I was also concerned about the northern board edge. I regret the C8 squad placement in hindsight. As well, I needed something on the southern edge. Though I remembered to bore sight every allowed weapon, I did not get to use any of them.

Here is the Allied setup.

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In the first Allied turn, Bruno tried to get by the E16 HS, but it broke or pinned every infantry unit that came near it.

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Continued in next post.

 

[Michael R]

So I rushed assets south on German turn one and allowed only a few low odds shots at my units.

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Bruno expanded his thrust towards the middle of the board in turn two. He also broke more weapons.

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In German turn two, several units continued their fallback. My MMG team on level 1 M13 were targeted by Lee tanks, so moved down; there was also a rally to tend.

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During Allied turn three, Bruno moves one tank forward, risking a hidden AT gun shot from the Germans (he still does not know where it is), but he still has a Lee parked on the west edge for reasons that I don’t know. Bruno starts to exploit the weakly defended southern board edge. He has disabled two weapons; lucky for him every tank has two weapons to break.

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During German turn 3, I moved two of my reinforcing tanks to what I feel is the more threatened area. I hope one of them will get a side shot as the tanks cross the board. The 50mm gun has only a penetration of 11 against the Lee tank frontal AF of 8.

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Continued in next post.

 

[Michael R]

In Allied turn 4, Bruno made a big push towards the northern buildings. My tank pointing down the road got some surprising results as the Lee tanks crossed from west to east. Its MGs caused a recall on one exposed crew and its MA shocked the other one. The machine guns of the two adjacent Pz3 tanks pushed back a lot of the infantry. The Lee that had been parked along the west edge tried to approach the Pz3 tanks. My tank got no APCR, but it did have luck on the AP TK roll. On the southern edge, however, my position was becoming surrounded. Bruno was also using smoke to cover his approach.

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In German turn 4, I had a good rally in the northern building that allowed me to break the adjacent British infantry. Then I tried moving Pz3 CC towards the stunned and shocked tanks. It died on the start MP. The Pz3 BB was luckier and made it adjacent to the two Lees, killed one and also screwed up the routs of the British infantry broken near the northern buildings. In the south, my troops are managing to slow the British advance. The DC holder figures using the DC against a tank is not going to happen, so he uses the cover of the British smoke to place the DC on his British neighbour. He is rewarded with a KIA. The only leader in the south rolls a HOB during rally, followed by a 12 to disrupt. First time that happened to me with a leader. I tried sending a leader from the north to the south, but he was cut down by snake eyes from the British HMG.

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In Allied turn 5, the British mortars contribute THREE smoke shots to the cause; one in the north and two in the south. The K11 Lee got revenge for its mates by eliminating the H12 Pz3. This time, the British infantry push against the northern buildings is more successful. They pick up one building there and one in the south where thanks to the smoke they can move adjacent to the Pz3. Way north, the dormant British HS ran in front of the HIP AT gun. The crew shot inherent FP three times and broke itself. The prisoner with the broken guard failed its TC to start CC.

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In the German prep fire in turn five the ATR makes a successful DI attempt against the Lee! Otherwise, the Germans are making mostly ineffective attacks or skulking where they can.

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Continued in next post.

 

[Michael R]

On the last Allied turn, in the north Bruno tries for buildings K9 and L7. He send most of the troops to K9 and is successful. In L7, one unit crosses the cactus hedge to enter, so cannot CC my HS. The J5 HS, however, successfully enters K7 to later CC my HS. The German HS rolls snakes to eliminate it, generate a leader and keep that building. In the south, the 9-2 stack assault moves in smoke to take another building and then advances in the N15 building to CC my Germans there to try for another. Other moves are unsuccessful for the British. Bruno made two mistakes at this point. He could have exited one Lee tank for one VP, but did not because he had seven VP from two kills and five buildings. He also forgot that my Pz3 could claim the empty O16 building.

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On the final German turn, I need to use the Pz3 to take back one building and also contest more locations in case I lose the CC in southern building N15. My prep fire into the K9 building reduces the firepower there so the adjacent squad can survive and advance in CC. A HS is able to join in. My norther crew runs to the west edge to battle the British crew for building B6. All the CC attacks remain as melees, so the Allies lose by being one short of the required seven VP.

 

[Matt Book]

Mike, Good AAR...

The walls (Ex. H6, I7, etc) near the northern buildings are depicted in your screenshots as cactus hedges. I think in this scenario only hedges are cactus hedges. Hope that didn't mess up your play. Played this twice, won as both sides, think this is the best scenario from the new Journal.

 

[MajorDomo]

Nice Aar!

Followed the tense battle as it came down to the end.

Thanks,

Rich

 

[Aaron Cleavin]

He also forgot that my Pz3 could claim the empty O16 building.

Not correct it can have location and hex control but NOT buliding control

 

[Michael R]

Mike, Good AAR...

The walls (Ex. H6, I7, etc) near the northern buildings are depicted in your screenshots as cactus hedges. I think in this scenario only hedges are cactus hedges. Hope that didn't mess up your play. Played this twice, won as both sides, think this is the best scenario from the new Journal.

DARN!

You can see in the attached image that there are not many hedges to become cactus hedges.

View attachment 54003

 

[Michael R]

Not correct it can have location and hex control but NOT buliding control

The only location in the hex is the single story building. I thought that since the vehicle controls the only location it also controls the building; I agree, however, that A26.11 states "A vehicle (or its PRC) can never gain Control of a building, but may gain Control of its Location/hex as per 26.12."

 

[Aaron Cleavin]

The only location in the hex is the single story building. I thought that since the vehicle controls the only location it also controls the building; I agree, however, that A26.11 states "A vehicle (or its PRC) can never gain Control of a building, but may gain Control of its Location/hex as per 26.12."

And the VC are explicitly worded in terms of building control.

 

[jrv]

A vehicle can deny control loss I believe. I don't know whether that is the issue, or if control needed to be gained.

JR

 

[commissarmatt]

Nice AAR. The scenario felt somewhat pro-British to me, but who knows.

 

[Aaron Cleavin]

Nice AAR. The scenario felt somewhat pro-British to me, but who knows.

If The Pz IIIs can be put in the back wooden buildings (Without cellaring) then they can become very hard to take

Any Grants coming adjacent will need to endure potential APCR Shots with 17 penetration!

Lots of replay value

 

[bprobst]

J167 HART ATTACK is set in Tunisia, but has no desert specific rules.

I am NRBH so can't quote any specifics, but that is not necessarily always true. Chapter F has a few specific rules that apply based on the specific country that the scenario is set in, even if desert boards are not in use. I can't tell you if any of those rules are applicable to this particular scenario, but it is something you should check before sitting down to play any scenario not set in mainland Europe.

 

[klasmalmstrom]

I am NRBH so can't quote any specifics, but that is not necessarily always true. Chapter F has a few specific rules that apply based on the specific country that the scenario is set in, even if desert boards are not in use. I can't tell you if any of those rules are applicable to this particular scenario, but it is something you should check before sitting down to play any scenario not set in mainland Europe.

F.5 is in effect.

F.5 SURRENDER: In all scenarios set in North Africa (as defined in 11.2), Surrender may not be refused—i.e., a surrendering unit may not be eliminated thereby invoking No Quarter (A20.3).

F11.2:
"...defined as North Africa [Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Morocco or Algeria]..."


The other rule that can be in effect is D2.52 (F.4) - this is the one about all Axis vehicles having Red MP - but it only applies prior to October 1941, and J167 is set in 1942, so it is on in effect in this scenario.

 

[davegin]

Great AAR, Michael. It is posts like yours that help clowns like myself gain knowledge of a scenario prior to a tournament. This is on the ST. Louis list and gives me some insight as to which side I would choose.

 

[Roy]

Thanks for the AAR Michael. Very well done.

Roy

 

[=FC=Gorgon]

Great AAR Mike, thanks!

 

[zgrose]

Mike, Good AAR...

The walls (Ex. H6, I7, etc) near the northern buildings are depicted in your screenshots as cactus hedges. I think in this scenario only hedges are cactus hedges. Hope that didn't mess up your play. Played this twice, won as both sides, think this is the best scenario from the new Journal.

Also played this twice, but both times as British and have a 1-1 record.

Both times my strategy was to avoid the southern buildings and just take the top buildings, kill some AFV and exit. (The upper line is essentially the route I took in that "the british can come two ways" image). In my first playing, the ATG wasn't in position to stop me getting to the Brush quickly. In the second, the ATG kept HIP for a long time (mostly because it had no targets) so I wasn't comfortable enough moving into the exit zone and that cost me any chance at a win.

Those remote controlled AAMG are nice.

 

[Stephen Frum]

Thank you Michael.
I am liking the look of this scenario. Hedges becoming Cacus Hedges (B9.7) combined with few vehicle bypass options would seem to make a southern attack quite difficult.
Any experience out there on a Brit attach that can be shared?