In keeping with this teachable game, we decided to play a terrain-heavy Fighting Withdrawal game. Ted had never played a boccage game or a Fighting Withdrawal, so we gave it a shot.
Here are the lists:
Germans:
Dirty Jon's Grenadiers (CV)
HQ with Knacker upgrades
2 Grenadier Platoons with Knacker upgrade +Trucks
2 Tigers
3 Nebelwerfers + Sd Kfz 11s
Big Ted's Grenadiers (CV)
HQ with Knacker upgrades
2 Grenadier Platoons with Knacker upgrade + Trucks
4 Panzer IV Hs
3 PAK 40s + RSO Traktors
US Forces
Luke's Light Tank Company (CT)
HQ - 2 Stuarts
Stuart Platoon - 5x Stuarts
Stuart Platoon - 5x Stuarts
Tank Destroyers - 4x M10s
Armoured Rifle Platoon
Eric's Armoured Rifle Platoon (CT)
HQ
2x Armoured Rifle Platoon
Stuart Platoon - 5x Stuarts (Cheaters!)
Tank Destroyers - 4x M10s
Armoured Mortars
Setup
The Germans put their objective on the left of the line in some woods. This was the one objective that could not be taken away. The US forces put the other two objectives in the middle and to the right to force the Germans to spread out.
We ended up with 2 Grens and the Tigers on the left objective. On the other two, we put 1 Grenadier platoon, with the middle group supported by the Panzer IV Hs and the right group backed up by Nebelwerfers ... pretty thin. We figured that the PAK 40s in ambush could go where needed, and the mobile Panzer IVs could help either objective.
We also figured that the left objective had to be held -- it was the one we could not remove later -- so we put 2 interlocked Grenadier platoons on it with Tiger support. Pretty solid.
The US plan was a good one -- drive toward the middle objective bisecting the defense. This plan would require very fast movement.
Armoured Rifles, Stuarts and M10s prepare to move on the German left flank.
Luke's Armoured Rifles and Stuarts move in on the German right flank. This force will attack while the left is held in check by Eric's forces.
The German middle/left. The Grenadiers will hold the middle objective (pictured) while the Panzer IVs are available to support either this objective or the one on the German far right
-- which is held by a Grenadier platoon and the Nebelwerfers.
As usual for Luke and I, we got into the heat of the battle and forgot to take more pictures! I know, we suck. Anyway, the Germans won this one in a nail-biter! Luke and Eric went crashing towards the middle. Luke lost a bunch of the Stuarts to Tiger and Panzer IV fire, and Eric lost a platoon of Armoured Rifles to MGs/Assault by the Grenadiers.
We did think that keeping the Fighting Withdrawal rules vanilla was a bit of a burden on the Defender in a 2 Company list at 1000 points each -- the minimum is 4 platoons, so one will always remove units.
Dirty Jon
ps - Eric cheated and put an extra Stuart platoon on the board. Heh