Hi Guys,
We played a scenario today based on a well-documented action fought by a task force of the US 4th Armor Division, in its offensive in the Saar-Union area of eastern France, in mid-November, 1944. Team West from CCA, comprising a company of armored infantry and medium tanks each, reinforced, was charged with taking the town of Guebling, and continuing their drive eastward. In the meantime, the resupplied, crack 11th Panzer Division had been moved into the area, setting up blocking forces, which were reinforced with small armored groups, and amply supported by artillery. The die was cast for what turned out to be a slugging match between these two elite combat forces.
This was the German sector map, showing the static defenses already established the armored reserves were to be placed by the German team before the game started (all units starting out hidden). The American armored column would arrive into this sector from an area just north of [above] the Kutzeling Farm.
As usual, when I'm judging, my picture taking is at irregular intervals, but here's some I took at this point the Americans have conducted an initial push into the area, and have encountered the dug-in infantry north of Guebling and on the ridge which divided the battlefield in half -
The US player deftly recognized that his advance had to be incremental, with the confines of the terrain dictating more of an armored infantry action than a tank rush he went to work securing the local ground, and clearing the enemy with infantry attacks, supported by artillery strikes and a Sherman 105 assault gun platoon (the bulk of the Sherman company being uncommitted off-board after the initial contact was made by the out-front tank platoon) -
A slightly higher shot shown below, this one perhaps taken by the US L-4 observation aircraft that had arrived over the battlefield, and had observed the two Panther platoons and Panzergrenadiers situation behind Guebling and the intervening ridge. These enemy units were taken under artillery fire by the Grasshopper overhead, with some losses achieved, and more importantly their ambush positions now revealed to the American ground forces -
The battle would play out with a probing, flanking effort in the southern hill area after Guebling had been secured, but the US commander decided shortly thereafter to go over to the defensive as not to suffer undue losses by attempting to rush for Bourgaltroff under the guns of defending Panthers.
As the early winter dusk began to creep across the fields around Guebling, tank engines were heard vacating the area and moving eastward no doubt to a ridge-line further beyond, and to another position that would need to be bested in the days ahead ones that would be filled with endless mud, cold, freezing rain, and more hard fighting…..
