Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 1

[Overview | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Photographs]
SETUP
The first mission in the campaign (which is detailed here is a Hold the Line with the American’s defending a position to the north of Schalbach. The Panzer Lehr are attacking in a southerly direction in an attempt to disrupt the American XV Corps as they advance through the Vosges mountains.

The terrain was setup as shown with the road representing the present day Route de Hirschland (Present day satellite image).

Figure 1 – Setup: Terrain, Deployment Areas and Objectives

The battle was fought in an area roughly 4′ x 4′ with forces approximately 1000pts in size. Peter’s U.S. army consisted of –

• Company HQ (plus 1 sniper)
• 1st Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• 2nd Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• Tank Platoon (5 M4A1 Shermans)
• Weapons Platoon (Light mortars and LMGs)
• Artillery Platoon (2 sections of M2A1 105mm guns)

As the defenders the Americans must keep at least half of their platoons in reserve. Peter opted to field the Company HQ with the 1st Rifle Platoon and the Artillery Platoon. The remaining platoons were in reserve (meaning that on the first turn Peter would roll one die – on a 5+ he could choose a Platoon to come on from his table edge. On his second turn he would roll two dice, again looking for 5+. On the third turn he rolls three dice and so on). His forces are deployed on the southern edge of the map below.

Figure 2 – Deployment

My German force consisted of fewer troops, but they were very well equipped veterans –

• Company HQ (Company Command and 2iC mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 1st Panzergrenadier Platoon (6 MG Teams and 3 Panzerschreck Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 2nd Panzergrenadier Platoon (6 MG Teams and 3 Panzerschreck Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• Tank-Hunter Platoon (3 Jagdpanzer IVs)

All of my force was deployed at the north of the map. As attackers my force would have the first turn and I decided to keep them mounted in their transports in order to have maximum mobility. Their mission was to seize one of the objectives and hold it unopposed.

The maps below do not relate directly to individual turns, but rather attempt to capture the flow of the battle. The legend shows which units are represented by the stylised APP-6A symbols.

THE BATTLE
On the morning of the 23rd November 1944 the Panzer Lehr screamed towards Schalbach with all of their troops mounted in transports. The Company HQ and 1st Panzergrenadier Platoon gambled on catching the defending U.S. forces off balance and sped down their left flank to assume a position on the outskirts of the town (Figure 3). They were in relative danger having failed to unmount their 250s (I forgot their Stormtrooper move!). Luckily none of the the U.S. reserves arrived and their artillery was ineffective despite ranging in on the lead vehicle. Meanwhile, the Jagdpanzers pushed forward to hold a commanding position in front of their objective. The 2nd Platoon moved up behind the cover of a hill, remaining in their vehicles in order to act as a mobile reserve.

Figure 3

The Jagdpanzers moved closer to their objective (Figure 4), while the 1st Platoon and Company HQ left their vehicles also advancing towards the objective. They were relatively exposed and the U.S. artillery observer (who took up a position beside the south eastern building) successfully ranged in on them wiping out a team. The first of the American reserves, a platoon of Shermans, began to arrive. They too opened up on the exposed panzergrenadiers killing another team.

Figure 4

The German tank-hunters steadied their aims on the advancing Shermans and took retribution wiping out three of the tanks (Figure 5). A cheer went up from the 1st Platoon, who had taken out their entrenching tools in order to dig in, as the remaining two Shermans fled the field leaving the burning wrecks. The cheers were short lived as another bombardment from the U.S. artillery came down on them, but this time they escaped injury. The infantry 2nd panzergrenadier platoon disembarked from their transports and set up their MGs on the hill overlooking the objective.

Figure 5

Seeing that the German’s were perilously close to overrunning their right flank the U.S. 1st Rifle Platoon rushed towards the objective and the Company HQ moved north to act as an artillery spotter (Figure 6). The Jagdpanzers moved up to engage the artillery managing to knock out one gun. The returning fire bounced off their armour, but shook them badly. A sniper opened fire from the north eastern building sending a shot whizzing over the 2nd Panzergrenadier Platoon. In the meantime the U.S. Weapons Platoon laden with light mortars and LMGs joined the battle and took the positions vacated by the 1st platoon.

Figure 6

The American 1st platoon came under heavy fire from both of the Panzergrenadier platoons (Figure 7). They lost many men, but none-the-less the few remaining teams held firm. Having had a scare from the artillery the Jagdpanzers backed behind the cover of a building and fired ineffectively on the beleaguered 1st platoon. The artillery returned to their original target, the Panzer Lehr 2nd platoon, and fired with great effect. They wiped out three transports, but failed to kill any infantry, who had dug in well. The Panzergrenadiers morale was shaken by the awesome bombardment, but their Company HQ steadied their nerves.

The U.S. Company HQ radioed the light mortar teams who had just joined the battle with the coordinates of the 2nd Panzergrenadier platoon. Their shells fell on target killing two teams, but the troops stood firm. An on target shot from the sniper however had everyone ducking for cover and pinned atop the hill. The last of the American reserves, their 2nd Rifle Platoon, arrived and moved through the forest.

Figure 7

The U.S. 1st platoon was wiped out to a man under sustained fire from the Jagdpanzers and the 2nd platoon, who only fired sporadically as they were still keeping their heads low in fear of the sniper (Figure 8). The German 1st platoon and U.S. 2nd platoon exchanged fire causing few casualties. In retribution for their 1st platoon the mortars wiped out three MG teams from the 2nd Panzergrenadiers. The U.S. artillery battery failed to range in on any target.

Figure 8

The Germans again were close to winning the day forcing a squad from the Weapons Platoon, lead by their second lieutenant, to make a desperate lunge towards the Germans (Figure 9). The rest of their platoon again fired effectively on the grenadiers on the hill. The Germans and Americans on the right flank exchanged fire, again causing few casualties. Given their vulnerable position the transport teams of the German 1st platoon disengaged and were sent to the rear. The Jagdpanzers moved forward to fire on the artillery guns, time wiping out two and severely reducing their effectiveness. The American position was looking untenable.

Figure 9

The transport teams of the 2nd platoon followed those of the 1st and returned to the rear (Figure 10). The Germans surrounding their objective concentrated all of their fire on the lone squad from the U.S. Weapons Platoon, wiping them out. Realising an assault on the dug in Germans would be suicide the U.S. 2nd Rifle Platoon held position and opened fire. The order came down the radio to withdraw and the Americans retreated from the battlefield.

The Panzer Lehr had won the day, but at a terrible cost. Their 2nd platoon was almost wiped out and the 1st platoon was almost and reduced to half strength. If the Germans are going to progress into Schalbach they will need to bring many more troops forward. The American resistance will be fierce.

Figure 10

AFTERMATH
This was a very bloody battle. By the time the Americans quit the battle they had half a dozen infantry teams remaining and a single 105mm gun. The veteran Germans fared little better and with the prospect of pushing into the centre of Schalbach they will need to bring up many more reserves. From a campaign perspective the Germans will achieve at least a draw in the campaign after their win in this battle, but the next two battles are not going to be easy regardless of the outcome.

Owen