Last week we played a Rapid Fire scenario that pitted the reconnaissance battalion against elements of the US 9th Armored Division during the Ardennes offensive.
Arriving late to the club meeting, I was punished by being made German commander and given a tough assignment? Probe the American defenses and open a pathway for the remainder of kampfgruppe von Bohm and the 2nd Panzer Division…..
The terrain was going to be a problem – most of my forces would be channeled down the single road into the town. Wooded embankments and high stone walls prevented any envelopment on the left flank
Fortunately the US artillery observer was unable to get through to the guns for the first few turns. However my recon forces had left their reading glasses in the bunker and failed to spot anything
However the the Sherman tank commander did…
My first squad dismounted and attempted to clear the GI's from the tall red brick house, but failed repeatedly after throwing the most number of 2's in succession I've ever seen. Meanwhile the 2nd squad was ambushed by a bazooka team which retreated into another building.
Their assault also failed miserably (it seems with Rapid Fire that you need overwhelming odds of Napoleonic proportions to attack anything), and they retreated to nearby woods. As morale still held, one bold grenadier took out an M10 Tank Destroyer with his panzerfaust, which was the only bright spot for the Germans all night.
The game ended as the badly mauled recon force had obviously failed in it's mission. Gefreiter Helmut lived to collect his Iron Cross….although the rest of his squad mates were not so lucky
I have to finish my report now as there are two gentlemen from Berlin waiting to see me :(
takes a look at a D-Day: German anti-aircraft vehicle platoon.
