ONWARDS - CASLO 1

hayman

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Onwards - CASLO 1

The first of the four “Valour at Casa Berardi” scenarios, from Lone Canuck publishing, is a 5 ½ turns, all infantry fight, with 7 Canadian squads versus 4 ½ German squad equivalents. Lots of 2MF terrain for the attacking Canadians to get through to exit 5 VP off the opposite board edge.

Pre-Game –
The Germans set up a HMG Pillbox in the northern corner (boresighting the hedgeline); another HMG PB sets up forward to interdict northward movement on the Canadian left & the German heavy mortar is set to fire down the road (but boresights another hedge hex). Wire encloses the north corner & the southeast section to slow any late game exit. Four extra concealment counters were rolled up, all setting up forward as dummies; all German units set up back, except the one PB in the left flank woods.

As the Canadians look at the field, no fortifications are visible (due to the hedgelines); the few German concealed units look sparse on the Canadian left, but there’s too much open ground to contend with, so they set up to assault down the right board margin. LtMtrs & LMG on their left flank will provide Smoke & flank protection; fast running will be needed to win the day.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 1 -
The Canadians come on board on the right flank; LtMtrs first, SMC led squads last. The German PB in the woods is revealed & it fires at the LMG squad for a PTC that is passed.
No Advancing Fire (too much hinderance + ½ Firepower = sniper activation). Advance sees 4 squads + 9-2 leader over on the right hill edge; the other 3 weaponed squads are in the centre, with the 8-1. A wire hex is revealed on the German left.

In the German turn, the PB HMG fires 6(+3) at the 2 squad stack three hexes away for no result, but rate of fire (times 5) gets a NMC that both squads fail! In Movement, a dummy stack AM’s back one hex on the German right. In DefFire, the 9-2 Canadian stack fails to harm the dummy stack in the woods; a LtMtr lands Smoke on the road with the hedge gap (it should have been dispersed Smoke, due to non-Prep fire, but I let the mistake play). The other LtMtr fires, misses, gets rate & hits the dummy units in the German centre vineyard to remove them. The Rout Phase sees the Canadian squads retreat to the far southern corner. In Advance, the right hand dummies move into a bombed out olive grove (concealment terrain). The hardy HMGers advance out of their PB to face the Canadian onslaught, armed with a (now) MMG.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 2 -
No Canadians self-rally. No PrepFire. In Movement, a few squads move up the right flank, whilst the 9-2 drops back to rally the troops; the
two LtMtr ½ squads & LMG squad + 8-1 move up the centre; the German MMG pins the LMG squad on a SFF shot. Two Advancing Fire FireGroups fail to harm the Germans. No Rout; in Advance, the 9-2 finds the broken units in the woods, 3 squads get adjacent to the German left flank woods; the LtMtr teams move forward, and the 8-1 joins the stalled LMG squad.

In the German turn, both Canadian squads rally under the 9-2 officer. No German PrepFire; in Movement, the MMG crew bug out through the rear woods, but they are nailed by accurate DFF rifle fire (snake eyes) & the MMG falls unattended in the woods hex behind the abandoned PillBox. Two dummy stacks withdraw (skulk) one hex on either flank, drawing no fire. In other DefFire, both LtMtrs lose Smoke. No Rout; in Advance, both dummies Advance to where they were originally.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 3 -

No Rally actions. No PrepFire. Movement starts with the Canadian CX squad on the right removing the dummy stack in the woods, then continuing into the olive grove, revealing another wire hex. The second squad on the right enters the vineyard wire (CX); and the third (PIAT) squad moves through the woods on the hillside. The 9-2 + 2 squads CX up the Canadian right board edge. The central units (dispersed) Smoke cover disappears; the left LtMtr ½ squad moves adjacent to the suspected German dummy in the bombed out olive grove; the other LtMtr team runs straight down the road but is pinned by the German heavy mortar (rate retained) located in the road-debris hex (a PB + 4 Wire hexes are revealed in the northeast corner). The last stack to move is the 8-1 + LMG squad that shifts right into a vineyard hedged hex. In DefFire, the German HvyMtr fires twice more & breaks the Canadian LtMtr ½ squad on the road; the German right hand PB HMG joins in for no effect. No Advancing Fire; Rout sees the Canuck ½ squad head toward the woods. In Advance, the squads on the Canadian right hit the wire; the 8-1 + LMG squad jumps the hedge into shellholes & the LtMtr team on the left eliminates the German dummy stack.

In the German turn, no Canadian self-rally. German PrepFire sees two shots from the HvyMtr that acquires the Canadian LtMtr team in the bombed out olive grove hex. Canadian DefFire starts with the PIAT Xing out; a three squad FG, a leader led squad shot, and LtMtr rounds are all ineffectual (LtMtr acq’s the German HvyMtr). No Advancing Fire; Rout sees the Canadian ½ squad enter the woods (with the abandoned German MMG). The only Advance is the German PB crew leaves their protection with a MMG.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 4 -

Three turns left for the Canadians to get 5 VP of exit points off the northeast edge. No self-rally for the ½ squad in the woods. PrepFire has the LtMtr on the Canadian left hit the German HvyMtr for no effect (-2 acq). Movement starts on the far right with 3 squads attempting to get off the wire: all are successful, but the German squad in the stone rubble breaks the adjacent Canadian squad with DFF, whilst another squad moves adjacent to the Germans while surviving SFF. The 8-1 + LMG squad AM into open ground; the MMG on the German right fires but LOS is blocked by the central stone rubble. The same stack are fired on by the German squad in the wooden rubble that both battle hardens & turns heroic the 8-1 leader, whilst pinning the LMG squad; SFF causes a NMC that both units pass. The HvyMtr changes its CA but fails to hit the same stack. Last to move is the 9-2 stack: one squad moves adjacent to the rightmost wire hex, the other squad with leader enters the uphill woods hex & picks up the German MMG. Advancing Fire has two ineffective shots. Rout sees the Canadian squad reach the ground level woods. In Advance, two squads creep down the right board edge; one squad advances into Close Combat with the German para squad; and the squad + MMG moves into the hedged vineyard. The 9-2 stays with the broken ½ squad. During CC in the stone rubble, no result, melee ensues.

In the German turn, the Canadian squad fails to self-rally, but the ½ squad easily rallies under the 9-2. In PrepFire, the German HvyMtr fires at the acquired 9-1 hero + LMG squad, missing them. The MMG on the German right fires but fails to harm the same stack. The German squad in the wooden rubble adds to the poor marksmanship! In Movement, there’s only one stack to shift to cover the German left flank: the concealed 8-1 + squad in the M10 house AM’s into the N11 shellhole ½ hex, loses concealment & is DFF’d on by the Canadian squad w/MMG for no effect (German MMG is disabled). In other DefFire, the LtMtr on the Canadian left fires again at the German HvyMtr, secures a hit, obtains a NMC that the German crew rolls boxcars on (killing the crew). Rate of Fire sees the LtMtr target the squad in the wooden rubble for no hit. The heroic leader + LMG squad fires at the same German squad & gains a 1MC that they fail. A shot from the 9-2 + ½ squad does no harm. In Advancing Fire, the German 8-1 + squad fires at the hero + LMG squad, but the LOS is blocked. In Rout, the broken German squad stays put. In Advance, the MMG crew on the German right moves onto the wire in front of the PB; and the 8-1 + squad has to move back into the wooden building that they had just moved from to cover the now bare centre. CC: no result, melee continues.
 

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hayman

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Game Turn 5 -

Three turns left for the Canadians to get 5 VP of exit points off the northeast edge. No self-rally for the ½ squad in the woods. PrepFire has the LtMtr on the Canadian left hit the German HvyMtr for no effect (-2 acq). Movement starts on the far right with 3 squads attempting to get off the wire: all are successful, but the German squad in the stone rubble breaks the adjacent Canadian squad with DFF, whilst another squad moves adjacent to the Germans while surviving SFF. The 8-1 + LMG squad AM into open ground; the MMG on the German right fires but LOS is blocked by the central stone rubble. The same stack are fired on by the German squad in the wooden rubble that both battle hardens & turns heroic the 8-1 leader, whilst pinning the LMG squad; SFF causes a NMC that both units pass. The HvyMtr changes its CA but fails to hit the same stack. Last to move is the 9-2 stack: one squad moves adjacent to the rightmost wire hex, the other squad with leader enters the uphill woods hex & picks up the German MMG. Advancing Fire has two ineffective shots. Rout sees the Canadian squad reach the ground level woods. In Advance, two squads creep down the right board edge; one squad advances into Close Combat with the German para squad; and the squad + MMG moves into the hedged vineyard. The 9-2 stays with the broken ½ squad. During CC in the stone rubble, no result, melee ensues.

In the German turn, the Canadian squad fails to self-rally, but the ½ squad easily rallies under the 9-2. In PrepFire, the German HvyMtr fires at the acquired 9-1 hero + LMG squad, missing them. The MMG on the German right fires but fails to harm the same stack. The German squad in the wooden rubble adds to the poor marksmanship! In Movement, there’s only one stack to shift to cover the German left flank: the concealed 8-1 + squad in the M10 house AM’s into the N11 shellhole ½ hex, loses concealment & is DFF’d on by the Canadian squad w/MMG for no effect (German MMG is disabled). In other DefFire, the LtMtr on the Canadian left fires again at the German HvyMtr, secures a hit, obtains a NMC that the German crew rolls boxcars on (killing the crew). Rate of Fire sees the LtMtr target the squad in the wooden rubble for no hit. The heroic leader + LMG squad fires at the same German squad & gains a 1MC that they fail. A shot from the 9-2 + ½ squad does no harm. In Advancing Fire, the German 8-1 + squad fires at the hero + LMG squad, but the LOS is blocked. In Rout, the broken German squad stays put. In Advance, the MMG crew on the German right moves onto the wire in front of the PB; and the 8-1 + squad has to move back into the wooden building that they had just moved from to cover the now bare centre. CC: no result, melee continues.
 

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hayman

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Post Game –

A good, fast passed scenario, even with the mainly 2 MF terrain. Low body count: only two German crews killed; snipers almost non-existent (with a SAN of only 2 & 3 operating). Hard on the Germans with such low counter numbers, even a broken squad leaves a big gap in the defences. Well worth playing this one on a nice historical board.
 

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Michael R

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I also played this scenario earlier this week. My opponent and I thought it was above average because of the historical terrain and the neat SSR for the HMG/MMG used by the Germans. With the Germans defenders, I had some good fire lanes chewing up the Canadian troops, but Erik managed to exit two HS and two leaders on the fifth turn for the win. One of my pillboxes was covering the second hexrow that Canadians crossed after entering.
 

=FC=Gorgon

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Great AAR, thanks!

Out of curiosity, you often said that a Canadian failed to self-rally during a German turn. Is there an SSR that says the Canadian can attempt a self-rally in all turns?
 

hayman

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FC Gorgon, you are right, I shouldn't be attempting non-boxed self rallies in the non-player turns. Thanks for picking me up on the error.
 
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