Steven's SS Panzergrenadiers attacking Tom's Goums in No Retreat
SS Panzergrenadiers
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HQ
3 full strength combat platoons
Heavy Platoon (HMGs parcelled out to 2 pzg platoons)
10.5cm Artillery Battery
4x Panzer IV H
Goum Rifle Company
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HQ w/ bazookas, mortars, and lmgs
3x full combat platoons
Goum HMGs
Goum Mortars (4x)
Mounted Goum Recon
Goum Pioneers
3x 57mm AT Guns
105mm Battery (vets)
155mm Battery
AOP*
Priority P47
*Though this is unofficial, we decided that it was only due to the outdated PDF.
AERIAL RECONOISSANCE:
The Goums have entrenched in the East, holding 2 vital bridges. GHQ demands this strategic point be recaptured in a timely fashion. Hauptmann MacLauchlan has been charged with the task. The forward bridge lies in a narrow pass, in the midst of rocky and wooded terrain. A small Italian church and monastary are the dominating man made features. Recon reports the Goums are heavily fortifying the buildings.
DEPLOYMENT
The Panzergrenadiers, having long since lost most of their trucks, lined up broadly across the front. The 105s and mortars set up where they could draw line of sight on the enemy, and the panzers prepared to race across the first bridge, hopefully taking the goums by surprise!
The Goums deploy one platoon far forward, backed up by the pioneers. The 57mm AT guns are in ambush, and the 105s and 155s are deployed off the board.
View from the German starting positions
The Goums
Panzer 213 takes point
The Goums prepare for the attack
Goum 2iC
The Goum pioneers check their ammunition
Deployment
TURN ONE (GERMAN)
The order to attack is given, and the men and tanks race forward under the cover of a smoke barrage laid by mortars and 105s. The Panzers rush across the bridge, and open fire with their main guns. The Goums, though well entrenched, suffer some light casualties. HMGs deployed in Panzergrenadier platoons 1 and 2 find good firing positions, and prepare to open up on the North Africans.
The Panzers race across the bridge
2nd Platoon takes up good firing positions
The Goums keep their heads down
TURN ONE (FRENCH)
Within minutes of learning of German movement, an L4 grasshopper appears over the ridge, and calls in artillery fire on the approaching panzers! Simultaneously, a well hidden 57mm AT gun platoon opens up from the southern ridge. Despite all the concentrated fire on the panzers, only minor casualties are reported from platoon 1.
L4 Observer
TURN TWO (GERMAN)
A second smoke barrage is laid down, providing cover for the southern elements who prepare to assault the Goum positions. 2nd and 3rd platoons continue moving forward. The Panzers rush headlong into the enemy lines. A swirling melee ensues, seeing many dead goums, and 2 burning panzers. In the confusion, the two remaining panzers slip behind the goum lines. Panzergrenadier platoon 1 assaults the 57mm AT guns, and wipes them out to a man. Hauptmann MacLauchlan is pleased with the progress his men have made in such a short period of time.
The Panzers prepare to assault
PG platoon 2 pushes forward
two panzers burn thanks to American bazookas
1st platoon takes out the Goum AT platoon
The panzers slyly push behind the Goum lines
TURN TWO (FRENCH)
Things are looking very bad for the Goums, but hope arrives in the form of a single, silver P47! The P47 strafes the 1st panzergrenadier platoon, absolutely decimating them! The platoon continues to exist in name only, as only the commander and an attached HMG survive! Being SS, however, they do not falter in the face of such events. 155mm artillery rains on the Panzers, bailing one out. 105s saturate the area around panzergrenadier platoon 2, but casualties are light. When the barrage of the panzers lifts, the brave Goum pioneers charge forward. The tank commander is very experienced, however, and causes horrendous casualties with bullet and tread, and the pioneers decide that discretion is the better part of valor, and retreat back to the building!
A lone P47 annhilates Panzergrenadier platoon 1
Platoon 2 weathers intense artillery fire
The Panzers, deep behind enemy lines, weather an assault and a 155mm barrage
Goum Pioneers are killed in droves
TURN THREE (GERMAN)
Despite heavy casualties in platoon 1, things are looking good for the Germans! The bailed panzer remounts, and 2nd platoon unpins, and is in a fine position for assault. But fate has a cruel way of turning on you in the blink of an eye. The panzers race forward and charge headlong into the scant forces defending the rear bridge, only to find themselves completely swamped. One of the tanks is captured, and the 2nd is left burning on the bridge. 2nd Platoon charges forward, and makes a good showing for the first few rounds of a bloody assault, until the Goums finally overwhelm and wipe them out to a man.
2nd Platoon is decimated in the face of the overwhelming amount of Goums.
Left only with 1 panzergrenadier platoon left, and in the face of overwhelming numbers, air support, and artillery, as well as Tom's reserves coming on strong, Hauptmann MacLauchlan decides to gather his remaining forces and retire the field of battle, giving Tom a 5-2 victory.
Steven's Closing thoughts:
First off- I really like this mission. Obviously it's harder on the defender than Hold The Line, but you get into the action so much faster!
What can I say? I don't feel like I made any major mistakes- except underestimating Tom's air support. I think having my panzers breakthrough into the rear area could've really paid off- if I hadn't rolled horrible armor saves in the one round of fighting I had to endure! Small, elite forces really do not appeal to me, I think I'm a little too wreckless with them, and am always punished for it. If these SS boys were US Armored Rifles we'd've gotten the job done and been home in time for hot spam sandwiches!
This was a fun game, and again, I highly encourage you to look at the pictures I censored out on my blog- Tom's Goums are great!
