1st ROUND AAR
Steven MacLauchlan (me) running US 3rd Armored Division Tanks:
HQ (add dozer)
1st Platoon (4 shermans)
2nd Platoon (4 shermans)
3rd Platoon (4 sherman 76)
light tank platoon (5x Stuarts)
Armored Rifle Platoon (full)
Armored Mortar Battery (full)
Brian Burgess running trucked Panzergrenadiers
HQ w/ panzerfausts
Kamfgruppe- 2ic + panzerschreck + 2 MG teams
1st Platoon- full strength pzg platoon
2nd Platoon- full strength pzg platoon (less the kamfgrupped teams)
2x Tiger IE
4x Stug III G
Wespe Battery (1 section)
2x armored AAA guns
*Brian's army was all converted Axis and Allies miniatures and looked fabulous.
Had he not said anything I probably wouldn't have noticed. I'd post a picture of it but I'm afraid it might be against the forum rules.
However, he took all of these great pictures and plenty more. Please check out his blog at www.battlevault.com
Brian was fairly new to Flames of War, and I attempted to help as much as I could. It wasn't until the game was almost over
that we realized he hadn't been storm troopering (which I should've caught for him early, but nestly I can't even remember to storm trooper my own guys :P)
and it wasn't until my drive home to Richmond that I realized he didn't roll for Tiger Ace skills either.
But without further ado: the battle!
We were placed on the Sainte Mere Eglise board ( at least I think that's what it was- the terrain was incredible ) and were to play a Hold the Line.
Brian chose the bocage half of the board to defend. He put his Tigers and Stugs in ambush and began with 1 panzergrenadier platoon and the kamfgruppe on the table.
The pzg platoon was placed in the long building on the right at the end of the row, and the kamfgruppe was placed in the red-topped farmhouse to the right of the name cards.
One objective was placed near the group of red-topped buildings int he back, and the other in front of the bocage fence in front of the cows.
My force was mostly deployed along the main road, with the mortars in a small courtyard where the platoon commander had a good view of most of the battle field.
*THE BATTLE BEGINS*
The Stuarts used their spearhead move to race forward along the road, and on turn 1 took positions behind a hedgerow and started MGing his panzergrenadiers in the building. The armored rifles were behind them in their halftracks waiting to strike and capture the building.
The shermans followed the main assault effort ready to pour through the openings in the row of buildings.
Brian got no reserves, and held on to his ambushes. His panzergrenadiers kept their heads down, waiting for the americans.
*THE INITIAL ASSAULT*
The Armored rifles dismount and send their tracks to the rear. Mortars range a smoke barrage on the rear half of the building to minimize defensive fire, and the tanks line up and spray the area with MG fire, easily pinning the defenders.
the assault meets little defensive fire, but does not overwhelm the defenders the way I had hoped. In fact, the panzergrenadiers repulse the Americans after a few rounds of back and forth. Casualties are high on both sides, and the armored rifles fall back to regroup.
Brian still gets no reserves, and again holds his ambush. His MG teams open up on the armored rifles and inflict some more casualties.
*THE GRIND*
The tanks open up again and the Armored rifles assault for a second time. This time they manage to entirely clear out the panzergrenadiers, but the stubborn hauptmann remains in the building. The armored rifles are ground down to just 5 stands.
On Brian's turn he springs his ambush. Tigers fire from down the cross street and knock out the 2iC and bail a second sherman. The Stugs fire from across some hedgerows and manage to knock out a stuart. The Hauptmann opens up with his SMG on the remaining Armored Rifles, and kills a bazooka team and the platoon commander.
The Armored rifles pass their second roll to stick around, but are left with just 2 LMGs and the mortar team.
*THE TIGER CONUNDRUM*
The next few turns mostly devolved into stationary shooting between the shermans and the tigers. The 76s knocked out 1 Tiger early on, and bailed the other one a bazillion times, but it took a long time to finish the job. The rest of Brian's reserves arrived.
The panzergrenadier unit moved up behind the bocage near the objective. His AAA half tracks had no targets so he mostly kept them hidden, but not before a sherman managed to knock one out.
His wespes were kept in check the entire game by the mortars, and never managed to get any shots off. His Stugs were mostly in the same boat, cautiously hunting the Stuarts.
*STUG CHARGE AND CONCLUSION*
Finally Brian became frustrated with being smoked and came dashing forward with his Stugs. They managed to knock out the remaining Stuarts, but were dispatched by a quick response from the Sherman 76s and the weakened sherman platoon.
Shortly thereafter, the remaining tiger was knocked out and Brian manned up and attempted to assault my Company commander with his kamfgruppe firing the panzerschreck and hoping for a hit. Unfortunately, my defensive fire was severe and the kamfgruppe was swiftly destroyed. This put Brian below half strength, and he subsequently lost a company morale check.
*CONCLUSION*
So far I am very happy with the 3rd armored division list. I have plenty of decent tanks to bring the fight to the enemy and over the course of the whole tournament we ran into and destroyed 4 tigers and 4 brummbars, who got a combined kill total of 2 shermans and 2 Stuarts.
My mortars were very reliable the entire tournament, landing a barrage (smoke or othwerwise) every single turn except 2 (one being turn one of FFA and the other a missed smoke barrage on Brian).
I hope Brian enjoyed his game, it was a very close fight and he certainly held his own.
Brian if I have left any major details out here feel free to chime in. Hopefully we can get another game in in the near future!
