AAR - A Paratrooper Battle (American)

[UP844]

You asked for it... [:D]

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The Plan

1) The American Airborne have higher firepower but lower morale and must advance on open terrain. So, I will exploit my firepower advantage to neutralize the FJ with long-range and mortar fire.

2) Before I can advance, however I must neutralize the German long-range weapons: the Lt Mtr is the first target, since it has a high ROF and can hit my units in the northern woods with a -1 TEM; the German MMG is the second, as it can reach the squads moving south of the stone building in the center and the LMG (with its B** leader) is the third.

3) I am pretty sure that 2-3 other FJ squads (and at least another leader, since I only see two) are in the VP hex not currently in LOS. As a consequence, I plan to advance from the north, using the orchards as cover and dealing with a few FJ at a time. A stack will move west to take care of any German units routing South (to win, I must kill 3 German leaders, and I am not in the mood to hunt them across the whole map).

[Big Ivan]

Nice!! I can't wait for this one to get going!

[UP844]

Turn 1 - American

Fire Segment

The 60mm mortars manage to break the German Lt Mtr; the northern one keeps ROF and switches fire on the MMG with no effect (but gaining acquisition for the next fire phase)

The three squads fire on the MMG with no effect. Tough times for the HS in the southern part of the map [:D].

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Turn 1 - American

Move Segment

Since exchanging the MMG with a full squad would be a time-consuming effort and I don't think I will need the Bazooka (*), the HS will draw fire to allow the Airborne squads to move forward with less risk.

As expected, the BAZ-Hs is broken and the MMG-HS is killed outright.

The pesky German MMG retains ROF and also fires on the B** leader and his stack but only pins one squad.

(*) I do not expect AFVs, even though in a scenario by Rico everything is possible. In any case, I can always resort to Close Combat...

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Turn 1 - American

German Defensive Fire Segment

The German B** leader stack fires the LMG at one of the 60 mm mortars with no effect

American Advancing Fire

The two moving stacks fire at the MMG (long range) and at the C* leader and FJ (normal range) with no effect

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Turn 1 - American

Rout and Advance Segments

In the American Rout Segment, I lost a HS for FTR (Forget To Rout) [8|]

The broken German FJ routs back, leaving the Lt Mtr in the trench (objective #1 achieved!)

The B* leader and his three Airborne squads move forward 1 hex to engage the lonely FJ and C* leader

[UP844]

To be continued later... now its 9.00 PM and it's time to join my Friday night D&D session via Skype [:D]

[UP844]

Turn 1 - German

Fire Segment

The MMG fires 2 times and kills the HS manning the upper 60mm mortar, retains ROF and fires 2 times at the other mortar with no effect.

The LMG fires at the lower mortar and pins the HS.

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German Turn 1

American Defensive Fire

All the American units fire but with no effect at all (I hoped to break the C* leader and his FJ squad [:@])

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American Turn 2

Fire Segment

The southernmost B* stack fires (21 FP @+1) on the wooden building, kills the C* leader and breaks the FJ Squad

The southernmost 60mm mortar fires 5 times at the MMG and finally breaks it, then fires on the stone building just to keep the broken squad at "Broken+" status and finally fires on the B** stack to gain acquisition.

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American Turn 2

Movement Segment

1 A single Airborne squad Assault moves to draw fire, and is broken by the LMG (I am happy it had not been killed outright)

2 The B* leader and two Airborne squads move to recover the abandoned 60mm mortar; the LMG fires again but with no effect and the mortar is recovered.

3 Now that the LMG is in "Final Fire" status, the B** and one squad (I didn't select the other two squads!!) run safely to the north

4 The forgotten squads must move double time to reach the B** leader and will be tired on the next turn (my failure).

As expected, the southernmost VP hex is held by some Germans: a B* leader and 2 FJ squads with a Psk.

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Turn 2 - American

Advancing Fire

Fire from the moving units breaks a FJ squad (unfortunately, not the LMG-armed one).

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Turn 2 - American

Rout and Advance Segments

The broken FJ MMG squad joins the other broken squad

The broken Airborne joins the B* leader and the other squads

The B* stack advances adjacent to the wooden building holding the broken FJ HS.

The B** stack advances further north.

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Turn 2 - German

Fire & Defensive Fire Segments

Only the German LMG fires at the southernmost mortar, with no effect.

The Germans do not move.

The Americans fire a lot, but the only result they achieve is Casualty Reduction on the broken FJ squad (42 FP @+1, perhaps I should have made 2 or 3 separate attacks) and keeping the broken FJ at "Broken+"; one of the mortars malfunctions [:@].

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Turn 2 - German

Rout Segment

The broken HS routs (in low crawl mode to avoid being interdicted) away from the adjacent Americans.

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American Turn 3

Administrative Segment

The broken AB squad rallies, the 60mm remains broken

Fire Segment

The 60mm mortar fires 4 shots at the B** stack with no effect (I was not expecting much from this fire, but a Pin would have been nice... [:(]).

The northernmost B* stack, however, breaks the only Good Order FJ squad and kills one of the broken ones, opening the way for the B** and his stack

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Turn 3 - American

Movement Segment

1 - An Airborne squad Assault Moves into the wooden building; the German fire with 2 FJ and a LMG, directed by the B** leader, but their fire only pins the squad. The German units are all in "Final Fire" status, so they won't be able to fire on any following units unless they are in an adjacent hex.

2 - The B* leader and the remaining two squads also move into the wooden building; the Residual fire has no effect.

3 - The B** leader and his three squads dash forward and stop adjacent to the broken FJ squads.

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American Turn 3

Advancing Fire

The B* stack fires on the German B** stack with no effect

The B** stack fires on the broken FJ, killing a squad and Casualty reducing the other

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Turn 3 - American

Rout Segment

The broken HS routs into the B** building

The other routs (always in Low Crawl mode to avoid being interdicted) away from the American units in the wooden building.

Advance Segment

The B** stack could advance adjacent to the German B**, but I doubt it can withstand 26 FP @+1, so it will remain in its current hex. The B* stack in the wooden building "only" risks 13 FP @+1 and can easily rout south, so it will remain there.