Decided to blow the dust of the Jagdpanthers and field all five of them for the first time ever, good old RV does keep the cost down a bit. So I went with 654 RV lot out of Bridge at Remagen. 3 nebs, 2 Mobelwagons, 4 Luftwaffe 88's and a single King Tiger rounded out the list.
My opponent wanted to use an "elite" US armour list so he borrowed my US toys and put together a CV armour list out of BGG. 5 easy 8's and a M4A1 76mm out of 10 Sherman's, backed up by 4 (CT) Jacksons and a CV recce plt. 1750 doesn't go far when you start playing with the big toys!
We rolled up Breakthrough and set up……
(Nope, they didn't start the game like that, the Sherman's grouped around the bridge for their real deployment!)
88's and Neb's cover one quarter……
Whilst a pair of Jagdpanthers and the boss cover the other.
How they really started!
..and after one move, with one platoon doubling and hoping I don't get reserves straight away!
I don't get reserves but the big boys manage to roll a single 6, first blood, (not an e8 though)
The yanks come roaring in and bag a Jagdpanther…..
Oops, so much for FA10! With no reserves I pull the surviving pair back to avoid being flanked whilst the Nebs rain death on the Sherman's, but my firepower lets me down…..
The yanks don't let up and keep the pressure on, this time KO'ing my Company Commander, things are not looking good.
I get just one reserve platoon on turn three so they are going to really have to be awesome! It starts well but I can't pass a gun tank roll! My 88's also manage to bag an e8 which expsoed itself.
I've also lost my Neb' spotter by this point to a MG shot so the Neb's are effectively out of the game, as are the 88's!
Retaliation is swift and my newly arrived platoon becomes the target of the M36's.
Ouch, not only that but my surviving Jagdpanther that was falling back was also knocked out. 2 platoons dead, 2 remaining. I'm not going to be able to contest the objectives so it's all about avoiding the 1-6 now!
The mighty King finally rolls on and misses with his one shot. Having rof 3 is not much use right now!
Whilst my two Mobelwagons just try and hide.
e8's try and flank the King, but fail to hit.
Whilst the jacksons go and hunt some smaller prey,
The King blows away an e8 whilst the 88's get another long range snipe to kill another Sherman. My opponent passes both platoon morale checks denying me any platoon kills for this one.
His recce plt secure the objective, 6-1 to the US.
Well that was rough. My opponent did pass all three morale checks he had to make during the game, but since two were right at the end I don't think that would have made any difference if he'd failed the early one! He didn't use "smooth ride" once since he kept pressing very aggressively with all his tanks, which clearly worked!
I never fired smoke with my Neb's but since the yanks were always on the move anyway that was a mute point.
dips his toe into the Russo-Japanese War.
