When last we saw Jaime and Joe, they had an epic tank battle at Sidi Bou Zid, which Joe just barely won. Jaime was out for blood.
Jaime was running German Panzers, while Joe was defending with a Green US Rifle Platoon.
More after der breaken. I don't know German.
KAMFGRUPPE JAIME TORRES
HQ- 2x Panzer III N
4x Panzer III L
2x Panzer IV F2, 1x Panzer III N
3x Stug F/8
3x Panzer II F
E Company, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division
JOE MESSERLE COMMANDING
HQ
3x Full Combat Platoons
Full 81mm Mortars
3x 57mm AT Guns
4x M4 Shermans
105mm Battery
Combat Engineers (full w/ Sherman Dozer)
The mission was No Retreat with Jaime attacking.
The view of the battle field after deployment. Jaime's panzers are all crammed in on the right. Joe deployed his 105 battery on the ridge in the top right, his Engineers in the town in the center near the forward objective, and a rifle platoon in the olive grove immediately behind that objective. His 57mm AT Guns are in ambush.
The US Engineers prepare to hold the line. And hold the line they do!
the 105 Battery is keenly positioned to rain death on the axis forces.
The rear rifle platoon securely holds the back objective.
Hauptmann Torres gives the move order!
Attack!
The Panzers rush forward en masse.
fire!
The German panzers knock out the sherman dozer, but the engineers are otherwise unscathed.
Immediately a platoon of shermans arrives from reserve, taking long range shots on the German Stugs and failing to cause any lasting damage.
The panzers continue forward, saturating the americans with fire.
But only kill one engineer stand.
Just what are those green shermans thinking?
More american reserves arrive and the green horde surges forward.
Reserves truscot trotting through the desert
105s call in fire on the panzers, but do no damage.
One sherman is knocked out and two more bailed in return fire as Hauptmann torres prepares to storm trooper away form the 105s' ranging point.
The Shermans decide to race for cover as more engineers succomb to constant direct fire from the mass of panzers.
The engineers held their ground with determined resolve.
The panzers have hardly moves from their gun line.
Schwerepunkt at its finest.
105s finally knock out a Stug F/8.
The German advisory panel: Hauptmann Edwards, and Unteroffizier Scout. Leftenant Combat, the attached British advisor is easily distracted by, and decides to eat, the blinds cord.
The Germans continue blazing away on the Engineers, knocking them TO half but not below. Not a single other Engineer would die this battle despite the Germans' best efforts.
The Shermans whip around and fire on the panzers, but score no kills. An engineer bazooka knocks out a panzer II as fire form the 105s knock out 2 panzer III Ls.
The US infantry surges forward. In the distance, German Stugs sneak through the woods to off the US artillery.
Stugs begin firing on the US artilley from the treeline.
The Shermans evaporate and flee the field in the face of fire from the Panzer IVs.
German progress
More from the American point of view.
Artillery bails a Panzer III
The Germans race forward, contesting the objective! The Stug F/8s have knocked out 2 105s.
American artillery is no match for Stugs.
The objective is contested!
The Germans have been largely stationary but finally go for it in their bid for the objective.
And finally Joe reveals his 57mm AT gun ambush! Side shots at close range on Jaime's panzers. Surely it's in the bag, right? Joe, not realizing he is not contesting the objective, counts on the 57s.
German MGs kill a US stand in the south west, but all attention is zeroed in on the Panzer IV F2 and Panzer III N holding the objective!
The 57s sight in on their targets. With such a juicy target in the stugs, Joe decides to split fire. One 57 to the Stug at long range, and 2 on the close range panzer platoon.
The dice are rolled! And with 6 dice needing 4+ to hit, Joe COMPLETELY misses the mixed panzer platoon, but DOES manage to knock out a Stug. Simultaneously, artillery knocks out another Panzer III L.
At this point the game is Jaime's, though he must roll below half checks for both Stugs and Panzer IIIs. Like good Prussian soldiers, they soldier on and nary a roll is failed.
6-1 for Jaime.
