Tonights game was a 375 point game using the new Urban Assault scenario from Battlegroup – Fall of the Reich. I sat out of this one and let Cyril use his Americans against Garry taking the Germans. Both forces were picked using the new lists from the book, Cyril taking two platoons (one dismounted armoured and one infantry – represented by his US Airborne) supported by some mortars and an M16 AAH/T. Facing this Garry took two platoons of Volksgrenadier supported by… Very little! Only a 20mm flak in support, but a few other surprises awaited the US force.
The game began with a large number of units on the table and for the Germans, several in ambush ready to fire. We used a 4 x 4 table for this and it worked perfectly, giving a close in and brutal fight right from the outset. For the Germans with their low Battle Rating, you have to watch all casualties and be careful removing pins from units. The American attack started well, with the US edging forward to the main street and occupying the central buildings. The Germans responded with fire from the 20mm flak that chewed up an unfortunate infantry unit, though two guys managed to survive. Getting a 'Beyond the Call of Duty' roll, they poured fire onto the flak gun crew. Using the new 'Fire Superiority' rule the two guys somehow managed to pin down the flak crew. As the attack continued, the game initially revolved around the flak gun, with the Germans trying to keep it in action and the US doing their hardest to pin it or knock it out. Even with most of the crew dead, the remaining crew held on and it was only removed when the US drew an 'Ammo Low' chit and played it on the flak gun. Its crew fired off the last of their ammo and then headed for the hills.
The focus now shifted down the road as the US troops began to occupy the apartment blocks lining the road. They came under sporadic fire from some Germans on the other side of the street and went to ground, pinned down. Another attack stalled. So the US now pushed down the opposite end of the table, occupying a building that was also an objective with the M16 providing lethal direct fire support despite having trouble getting over the rubble. It was now that the first of the German surprises arrived. First a Timed Barrage arrived coming from a railway gun hidden in a tunnel somewhere… The huge 340mm round smacked into the building and killed the occupying infantry to a man. As the dust settled a German 120mm mortar stonk came in, another Timed Barrage, and hit the house next door. Although not causing any casualties, it pinned all the occupants apart from the two guys who were still alive after the duel with the flak gun – Charmed lives indeed.
In response the US threw forward more men and re-occupied the objective house and began to get fire onto a few German units they could spot. Once more the Fire Superiority rule proved its worth in pinning down German infantry units. Next came the Germans final surprise for the night, and one that wasnt quite what the German player had wished for… As part of their defences the Germans had taken Tunnels and before the game had to specifiy what units were in them and when they would emerge and of course from what building. It was of course the objective building occupied by a group of US infantry. Six small German MG teams emerged out of the sewers and into the building basement and a short but violent close encounter took place that saw one German MG team cut down and the US troops reduced in number and pinned down in their cirner of the building as other German MG teams ran to put fire onto US troops outside the building. In the shock and surprise of the attack, quite a number of US infantry were cut down by the Germans suddenly appearing in their lines with little cover to hide in.
But the US retaliation was swift. A large volume of fire from MG Teams and some survivng infantry despatched one German MG team, while those two infantry who pinned down the Flak Gun, now did the same to an MG team! Then the M16 trundled up and let rip with its quad .50s into the building, killing two more MG Teams and one of their own men from the unit still in the house. The Germans in response though had used this surprise attack and pushed forward from the factory and were now close enough to put small arms fire onto the M16. By luck they managed to suppress the vehicle and pin it as the crew took cover from the various incoming rounds! The fighting in the house raged on, and somehow the poor US Infantry still in the objective house not only held on, but saw off another German MG Team and the last was dealt with by a wonderfully accurate 60mm mortar crew with the shot of the day, killing all three MG crew with a single round.
The Germans were battered but not out and with the M16 suppressed they still had a chance. They took the surviving troops in the objective house under fire and shotdown the survivors. The US took another chit for their destruction and pulled the single Endkampf chit forcing the German player to draw three extra chits! With the German army despondent at losses and the end of the war looming, the German morale fell apart and they fled, their Battle Rating exceeded by a single point, leaving a very bloodied and very battered US force the, somewaht dazed and surprised, victors.
