Operation Breakout: Defence of Hex GB, US infantry defending in Envelopment against 21st Panzer division

Following some hard pressed victories, the US 29th infantry division were withdrawn back to hold hex GB following rumours of a German Envelopment...

In the second game of the evening, Keith rocked up with a nasty looking dual platoon force consisting of the following:

2 x 2nd Lt with 2 men all Assault rifles
4 x 5 Heer Grenadiers, 3 Assault rifles
2 x Hanomags
Sniper
222
Stuka za Fuss
Panzerwerfer 42

The first wave was an HQ, 222, sniper, 5 man squad and both Mutli launchers

The outflanking reserves were below

Although potentially bad, it wouldn't have been so bad on a mission other than Envelopment, where the German had to exit the board to maximise victory points... And Keith also plays for fun and does some mad things!

My US force was same as previous: 2nd Lt +1, 4 x 9 man reg GI's with smg and BAR, 2 x 7 Vet Tough fighters with 2 BAR, Medium howitzer, flamethrower, sniper, Air observer and bazooka team.

I set up my air observer in the bell tower 1st floor, sniper on the roof, 2 regular GI's central and one on the extreme of each flank with the howitzer on the road facing down it to prevent mad dashes. I kept my vets, officer, flamethrower and bazooka in reserve.

1st turn,
1st dice. German sniper in the central small barn takes out my Forward Air observer. Bugger! My sniper goes on ambush, as does the artillery and then I advance up both my flank squad to hedges or go down. Mt resrves adn teh German flankers all go down. The Germans all concentrate in the big barn farmyard out of sight of my howitzer and fire ineffectually. My 2 central squad run up, determined to close with the sniper and in under the arc of the multi-launchers.

2nd turn, 1st dice German sniper clears the church, taking out my sniper. That's it, both central squads go for him, putting pins on th Stuka as they advance over hedges! All German reserves go down,  but both vets come on, one either flank to edge to stop straight drives off. The za Fuss misses. 222 pokes out behind a barn to try getting a bead on my howitzer who ambushes it...

Who's a silly little Lt Gruber???

The panzerwerfer 42 moves up to launch at the howitzer but misses,

Turn 3, 1st dice US. Howitzer fires, panzerwerfer 42 explodes

Who's a silly little Werfer???

Have to say, beats the hell out of an air observer, although any planes in the

area would have had a nice view...

The German sniper went out the back of his barn, pursued by one squad of GIs while the second advanced on the Stuka za fuss, which missed its target. The outflanking forces went down, while the US vets went on ambush as did the flank guard regulars.

Turn 4, 1st dice US, 9 GI's charge the stationary Stuka za Fuss

Then cockily close up on the offficer and small Gren squad sheltrring in the ruined vehicles

The Heer Grens open up and kill 5 GI's who surrender on the spot!!!

The hanomag with 2 squads tries to come on on my left but fails... The US officer turns up with flamer thrower there, bazooka goes right in case... my mistake, both hanomags were due on teh left, and second one came on with officer and squad, who all took 2 pins from ambushing vets and reg GI's. They jump out, and reduce the Vets to 2 men...Aargh!!!

The second GI's in centre chase the sniper toward the burnt out Stuka za Fuss...

Turn 5 1st out is US dice, flamethrower burns out the small Heer squad, who flee and then the flamethrower runs out... Next dice, US, Vets charge the officer squad..

Or rather, they shoot the howitzer up...

 third dice, US officer assaults, Germans defensive fire but miss as teh US then fluff their attacks and get wiped out. 4 th dice, depleted GI's go in and take tehm down, leaving only the NCO. Hanomag drives through the now big gaps and off board. 2nd Hanomag comes on and drives straight off...

My left flank consisted of 2 Vets with bar, a reg GI Nco with smg and a 2 man howitzer, which worked well enough to nail teh German officer squad advancing out behind the barn. The German sniper also died to my other big GI squad. Three units on the right wondered where all the Germans were?

Turn 6, German have 1 dice against my 7. Howitzer targets the remaining 5 men, who go down but still get hit, losing 3 men and taking 2 pins. 

They pass their test. The 2 Vets with bars, advance, but miss. The GI;s who offed the sniper run up and pray for a 7th turn... The right flank advance on the church to try and add their voice to the prayer...

Turn 7...Yes, there is! Big squad of GI's open up, Germans hit the deck and I fail to wound...

Howitzer misses! 2 Bar Vets, need to kill one German to force a test. They do, but the Germans hold on denying me 2 victory points...

This was incredibly tense and hard fought, those plucky Grenadiers staying in the fight meant I killed 7 German units for 14 points rather than 8 for 16. The US lost 5 units for 5 points and this little lot got off for 3 points each... Game ended 17-14 victory for the Axis

That was a very good game of Envelopment, despite the Germans ability to outflank and get off fairly easily. The barnyard became an inferno even without Allied airpower, but the small Grenadier squad were awesome, taking out a full 9 man GI squad, killing 5 in one round and breaking them, then surviving a hail of lead and even a direct shell hit.. Of course, the sniper didnt do to badly in teh first 2 turns either...

Anyway. the second game with Kieth was just as much fun as the first, and as I said, it may look nasty but the launchers never hit and I got stuck in at them. It was a really good game!!!