Adrian Carter
Senior Member
This week we played WO3 Counterattack at Carentan from the first Winter Offensive Pack by MMP. The action is set in Carentan, France on 13 June 1944. Elements of the American 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment with an AT gun from the AA/AT Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division are moving south through board 63 and have bumped into elements of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 17 and Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 counterattacking northwards from the edge of board 54. The Germans must exit ≥ 15 Exit VP off the north edge of board 63 provided the Americans have amassed ≤ 19 CVP. I played the defending Americans and Johan attacked with the Germans.
Figure 1 shows the troop dispositions at start of play including my HIP 57 AT gun and bore-sighted hexes. The Germans lined up most of their troops on the western side of the map. The Americans were spread thinly across board 54 trying to cover all avenues. The 57L AT gun was HIP in the grain hex 63X3 with a crafty bore-sighted LOS to 54I2. Please note a minor error in the American set up. The concealed unit in 63Z1 was not actually allowed to start there, but should have been in 54H0 because all American units had to start on board 54. This was only a minor error which we decided didn’t change things. The 9-1, 747w/MMG was concealed in 54M1 with a view to retiring back to the stone building in 63X3 and acting as Libero.
Figure 2 shows the positions at the end of turn 3/start of turn 4 around the middle of the game. The Germans had advanced cautiously forward, but their initial infantry attack along the western side stalled thereby causing them to switch more to the middle. The Americans still had two HS w/BAZ and the 57L AT gun had not revealed itself yet. The Americans were lucky enough to have two hot SAN rolls, one of which caused a STUN and Recall of a CE Sturmgeschütz. However, the Marder had successfully caused a trail break in the woods in 54A4 without bogging, thereby creating a passage for the second AFV to follow. The Marder is a good vehicle to do this because of its low ground pressure especially if it uses all MF to enter the woods hex. We also had a wild melee in the centre which the American 747 lost, but not before destroying a 658, DC and LMG as well as holding the Germans for a whole turn in melee before dying. Brutal!
Figure 3 shows the positions part of way through Axis MPh of turn 5 at which point the Germans had conceded. The MMC in 63W2 had just fired at the advancing 658 to cause a K/2. The HS failed the 2MC. The 9-1 in 63X3 then directed the 747w/MMG at the broken HS to finish them off. The Sturmgeschütz in 54I3 started and was then promptly hit by the 57L AT gun hidden in the grain on the edge of the grain field and destroyed. The Germans now had only 2 AFVs remaining and could not exit the required number of VPs to win the game having lost the other AFV to recall following a big sniper hit. Game over!
We really enjoyed this game. The Americans are spread thinly and have to defend the bocage against the advancing Germans long enough to delay them, but not too long to be cut off or surrounded. The paratroopers need to maintain proper rout paths to avoid failure to rout when broken. The buildings are good for the Libero team with the MMG to fall back to. There is then lots of open space for the leader-directed MMG to dominate proceedings (FFNAM/FFMO/-1 leader). There seemed to be three good places for the 57L AT gun: 63GG4 woods, 63Y6 grain or 63X6 grain. I thought 63Y6 was too obvious because of the wonderful LOS down the road. I thought this hex would get smoked too easily although I liked the grain locations. Thus I chose 63X6 because it has a good (read deceptive) LOS all the way down to 54I3. The Germans need to be aggressive and focus their attack at one point, and the vehicles should be laying lots of smoke to cover the attacking infantry .
Please let me know if anyone has alternative strategies. Always willing to learn new tricks for either side.
Cheers, Adrian
- American advantages: Elite MMC, MMG, 2 BAZ and an emplaced AT gun, defending bocage
American disadvantages: Large area to cover, too few enough MMCs - German advantages: 4 AFVs, three of which are Sturmgeschütze, 3 leaders, Smoke
German disadvantages: Low ELR of SS MMCs, vehicle choke points and bocage
Figure 1 shows the troop dispositions at start of play including my HIP 57 AT gun and bore-sighted hexes. The Germans lined up most of their troops on the western side of the map. The Americans were spread thinly across board 54 trying to cover all avenues. The 57L AT gun was HIP in the grain hex 63X3 with a crafty bore-sighted LOS to 54I2. Please note a minor error in the American set up. The concealed unit in 63Z1 was not actually allowed to start there, but should have been in 54H0 because all American units had to start on board 54. This was only a minor error which we decided didn’t change things. The 9-1, 747w/MMG was concealed in 54M1 with a view to retiring back to the stone building in 63X3 and acting as Libero.
Figure 2 shows the positions at the end of turn 3/start of turn 4 around the middle of the game. The Germans had advanced cautiously forward, but their initial infantry attack along the western side stalled thereby causing them to switch more to the middle. The Americans still had two HS w/BAZ and the 57L AT gun had not revealed itself yet. The Americans were lucky enough to have two hot SAN rolls, one of which caused a STUN and Recall of a CE Sturmgeschütz. However, the Marder had successfully caused a trail break in the woods in 54A4 without bogging, thereby creating a passage for the second AFV to follow. The Marder is a good vehicle to do this because of its low ground pressure especially if it uses all MF to enter the woods hex. We also had a wild melee in the centre which the American 747 lost, but not before destroying a 658, DC and LMG as well as holding the Germans for a whole turn in melee before dying. Brutal!
Figure 3 shows the positions part of way through Axis MPh of turn 5 at which point the Germans had conceded. The MMC in 63W2 had just fired at the advancing 658 to cause a K/2. The HS failed the 2MC. The 9-1 in 63X3 then directed the 747w/MMG at the broken HS to finish them off. The Sturmgeschütz in 54I3 started and was then promptly hit by the 57L AT gun hidden in the grain on the edge of the grain field and destroyed. The Germans now had only 2 AFVs remaining and could not exit the required number of VPs to win the game having lost the other AFV to recall following a big sniper hit. Game over!
We really enjoyed this game. The Americans are spread thinly and have to defend the bocage against the advancing Germans long enough to delay them, but not too long to be cut off or surrounded. The paratroopers need to maintain proper rout paths to avoid failure to rout when broken. The buildings are good for the Libero team with the MMG to fall back to. There is then lots of open space for the leader-directed MMG to dominate proceedings (FFNAM/FFMO/-1 leader). There seemed to be three good places for the 57L AT gun: 63GG4 woods, 63Y6 grain or 63X6 grain. I thought 63Y6 was too obvious because of the wonderful LOS down the road. I thought this hex would get smoked too easily although I liked the grain locations. Thus I chose 63X6 because it has a good (read deceptive) LOS all the way down to 54I3. The Germans need to be aggressive and focus their attack at one point, and the vehicles should be laying lots of smoke to cover the attacking infantry .
Please let me know if anyone has alternative strategies. Always willing to learn new tricks for either side.
Cheers, Adrian