Hey everybody .. see below for our AAR of this scenario.
Steve
Our long exciting game of AP81 Lost Highway is over, with the Americans winning a tight battle that came down to the last turn. Great scenario that’s challenging, but very fun, for the Americans.
This scenario for the American is tricky. All infantry must enter as PRC, and as they know they must push into board 6 quickly, entering on 4aA6 is desirable. I felt part of my force must simply bypass board 4a and push forward to keep on my timeline. Of course the Germans know this as well, and with several AT assets available to them, they can cover this entry hex from the hill. My opponent had his 50L in hex F9. He held his fire as a few vehicles entered, but eventually took, and missed, a shot. No ROF. I was able to pull up a HT next to him, unloaded, CC developed, and the gun fell without harming any US vehicles. Turn one therefore ended with the gun out of commission, and about half of the US force circling the village (I did not enter my entire force).
The next two turns saw the US forces both continuing to bypass the hill village and driving into the grain on Bd 6, and forcing there way right up to the Germans in the village. A PF took out a scout car, but other than that, US casualties were light and two full squads, and an 8-1 leader were taken prisoner. These were loaded into halftracks, and proved to be very valuable EVP.
Board 4a was secure, and there was not a lot of German opposition as I crossed the grain on Bd 6. I figured as much with the hindrances making any AT guns there unlikely. I was hoping to lead with my infantry to scout out his positions, but that proved to be pretty difficult given the pace I had to keep up. Given the German force disposition, I knew that I had to stay left to clear a road net. Clear a path to 46V4, and then see from there which way to go was the plan. This meant there was going to be a fight for building 46W7.
However before I got up there, I ran into a hornets nest as I found the German 75L AT the hard way, it taking out a fully loaded to bear Sherman with riders. It was in 6X5. I found it difficult to approach it then, given where my troops were at, and the walls in the area making it hard on my halftracks to move. Finally my hero and 9-2 led an assault on its position, knocking it out. In the meantime German flakpanzers had moved to the 6Q1 area, hull down behind the walls. They covered the area I had to move to get to board 46. Nice spot for them.
It was then the gyro’s in the Shermans showed their stuff. Keeping in motion, they were able to get some nice rolls vs the Flakpanzers, taking them out. Still, moving through the 6W1 woods line was proving difficult. The German HMG and 9-2 was there. But he was getting out numbered as the Ami’s had a lot of assets, and eventually sheer numbers forced him back to the aforementioned building 46W7. A Priest created a trailbreak in the woods south of that position, and eyed it up. Ami infantry moved up and when a big infantry stack led by the 9-2 moved up into that building, the Germans abandoned it – now gathering most of their force to the right of the road, near the graveyard. I didn’t really have a large force on that side, as I was trying to exit on the left. This proved the hardest part of the game, force balance. If it were not for the fully loaded prisoner laden HT’s, I would not have been able to spare my squads on the ground, and clearing the road net would have been even harder.
I had plenty of vehicles, so I decided to scout for the German 50L and AA gun with a HT. He found them in the brush near the top edge of the map. Again, nice spot. The German Panzer had parked in the top corner edge of the map, 46Q1. Luckily for me, my HT burned when hit, and the hindrances up there really became an issue for the German. Using this, I decided to clear and exit on Y1. My prisoner HT’s made it off the map, a BFF shot took out the Panzer, and the 50L was overrun by yet another HT. American infantry was not able to exit, but did manage to get to the guns, and move into CC with them, putting the final touches on clearing the road. The last issue was the Germans had drove his AC down into board 6 again, right past a Scout Car I had left here to guard against that move. Well I missed and there sat the AC right in the road. Several US troops raced down, my AC driving into his hex to freeze his fire, and finally my 9-2AL led M10 GMC took him out to seal the win.
Very fun game. Lots of options, lots of room for analysis and what ifs. I could talk for a long time about strategy, but the one point I would leave you with is consider taking prisoners, and getting them off the map as EVP. It will ease your burden on using the American infantry to deal with the road net. Other things to consider, where to put your Gyros, keeping track of the German oob and what he has selected, keeping your options open on what road net to clear until the very end, use lots of smoke, and constantly know which 40/9 EVP you are going to exit, and use everybody else to attack the Germans, if he pressures the road you are going to have to wipe out nearly his whole force.
Fun game! Screen shots below. Turn 3 6 and 9 are shown ….
