A mini-campaign game, TOT 44 features a number of German "toys" fending off a very large U.S. tank/infantry force through three 6-turn scenarios. Mike and I played the first two Parts only, due the decisive defeat of the initial American attack in Part I.
The scenario uses a section of the La Gleize map, specifically rows P-EE, numbered 16+. This terrain is a long, relatively narrow valley, with the Retiger Hotel at the high end. The U.S. enters the valley at the low end (hex 56/57), and must drive at least up to the Hotel and surrounding buildings to win. The Germans win when they inflict 56 CVP of Personnel/Inherent Crews on the U.S.
The U.S. force consists of 11 Elite sqds (4 747 Sappers), 3 hts, 2 Armored Cars, and 10 tanks, including a M36B1 and 2 Crabs. It's 1945, the U.S. gets 3 BFTs and 5 Gyros to distribute, and has 105 OBA available.
The Germans begin their defense-in-depth with 3 436s, sitting in front of 2 128L AA guns (each receiving 3 BoreSights). The conscripts don't HAVE to start in front of the Guns, but it's the obvious choice - given that the Guns must set up in OG, at least 6 hexes apart, in rows 42-48. The clump of Woods around W46 was Mike's choice (with one sqd moving up to U49 right away). Behind this are 7 467s, 12 hexes of Known 8 AP/3 AT minefields in 4 lines of 3, a JgPz IV, and 2 Sturmtigers... the 12" rocket launchers. Reinforcing on turn 1 are 2 more 467s, 2 hts and a 251/sMG.
After Mike did his set-up, I made the first of several mistakes. I did not analyze the terrain, especially my avenues of approach and how they might be covered by the 128Ls. The terrain offers three AoAs, in ascending order of difficulty:
Although the map extends to row EE, for U.S. purposes it actually ends at BB, due to the Sunken Road from CC49 to EE48. This is significant, because the 128Ls have a few choice set-up Locations, and the cutting off of three hexes from their field of fire make them VERY choice. The Locations Mike chose (remember, the 128Ls are HIP at start, so I don't know where they are - unless I really study the map) were W42 and CC42. These two Locations offer the widest fields of fire, while being as far away from the U.S. as possible. Thus they will have the longest length of time to engage the advancing force, which can only advance along three known routes. Mike set up a Sturmtiger to cover each flank, and added the JgPz to cover the valley. His infantry was scattered in a line roughly from R40 to EE41. At this point I've already made two errors: more are on the way.
My force can enter on any of the first three turns. On turn 1 I chose to enter the OBA observer in the corner at Q57, with some infantry porting LtMtrs. The 3 hts started up the Z/AA rows. Up the road came the ACs in the lead and the BFT/Gyro equipped M24 right behind; this tank veered off to X48, where it was stunned by a 436+LMG. I wanted the fast (and non-L target) AFVs to speed up the road, eluding enemy fire with their speed and size, and spot the 128Ls. The remaining infantry headed up the road with a Sherman, their job being to engage the 436s before they could creep up and "paf" the armor. The M36B1 came on the DD row. Error #3: not getting the OBA Smoke down to cover anything before stepping into the Nazi crosshairs. #4: Spreading out my force to advance along a broad front, especially a front with numerous lateral obstacles that making shifting AoA very slow.
On the first turn the speedsters are left alone, and the 128Ls are placed on-map. I can see that the valley is covered by both Guns. Row W is covered by CC42 and the 436s. Only the most difficult AoA is even partially safe; in the Germ half an AC and the M24 burn. Error #5: failing to immediately adjust my AoA to the AA row.
The second turn things get ugly. In my MPh I lose an AC and get the Sherman "paffed" at 2 hexes by conscripts. Another 436 breaks the 9-2 escorting the Sherman, and his two 667s. I advance the unbroken 667 into CC with the offender. My OBA SR, which is targeted on the Sturmtiger parked in Q41, wanders off-map. The 2nd AC gets burned by a 128L. The hts are Bogging on the hedges at Z50-BB51; a squad and HS dismount and move up on foot. I bring on the M4A3(105) behind the TD. The Crabs and another Sherman come on, heading up the valley road. The Sherman gets burned in the Germ half of the turn, while the OBA finally comes down on P40.
Turn 3 I bring on the remaining AFVs. I move a tank up the road, and it fails an ESB in S47. Another Sherman, with a malf'd MA, actually survives up to R47. One of the Crabs gets burned. All this time, the hts are negotiating the hedge lines on the AA AoA, and all of them are still Bogging. I call in another OBA, this time WP, trying to get the infantry around R40; the FFE ends up in Q42, causing no harm - other than convincing the Sturmtiger to relocate. Two more Shermans, of the last three to enter, get burned by the 128Ls. A 436 breaks 2 667s, with one squad scoring a '12' MC. The 667 in melee with the 436 finally defeats the conscripts.
Turn 4, and the infantry moving up row AA get their first taste of the MMG in EE41. These guys hunker down around the Sunken Road the hedges from Z45 to BB48. The infantry moving up row W has the 2 remaining 436s backed up to a Foxhole in X45. With the tanks in the valley I have 3 227s, each carrying a DC, led by a brave 8-0. This close-assault section heads up the road, across the stream, and gets in position to try some runs up at Q41. The Germ DFPh sees my OBA harmlessly pounding infantry in Foxholes and the JgPz. Error #6: I continue to try to push up the valley road, losing the last of my Shermans in R43. At this point I have the M4A3(105) and M36B1 still in reserve, along with a Crab. The hts are at last free of the hedges. My armor thus far has had exactly one effective return shot, an Immobilization of the Sturmtiger in AA38. This was from a BFF shot.
Turn 5 my close-assault section leaps up, bravely crossing OG to get at the JgPz. They prove to be unequal to the task. The last M4A3 heads up the valley road, using the burning wrecks as cover. With its MA malfed, the Germs let it go, at least across the stream. The last of the conscripts get cleared out of the W46 Woods clump, and I actually get some IFT fire on the W42 128L. My Observer has carted his Radio off the Q55 hill, and spends the rest of the scenario strolling along the Chemin du Fond. Around the AA row, the hts get clear of the hedges but cower behind the Z46-CC48 crestline. No infantry that has poked their heads up have survived unbroken, and thus are also hiding; with no Rally Terrain and just one leader, they are not getting their fighting spirit back quickly.
Last turn; my disarmed Sherman gets burned. A 227 DC team breaks trying to make one last run at the JgPz, routing under the new smoke generator when they get what's coming. The successful infantry, a fanatic HS and their 9-2 leader, get into the X45 Foxhole that's crowded with dead German highschoolers. At this point I should mention that the "inter-phase" between Parts includes the determination of the next Part's Set-Up areas; the U.S. set-up area is basically everything 2 hexes behind the farthest-advanced U.S. MMC/AFV. I'm trying to get up as close as possible to the 128Ls, so that in the next Part I have the ability to set up in LOS of them and Prep them away. In the Germ half of the turn, the boys in the X45 Foxhole take a CH from a 128, removing both leader and HS. The 227 hiding under the burning wreck (in R44) also suffer a CH, for good measure.
At the end of the Part, Mike has suffered an Immobilized Sturmtiger, and a few dead conscripts. I have lost 9 of 15 AFVs, a 9-2 leader, 3 crews, and about 3 squads. I am within about 20 CVP of the German sudden death victory. My set-up line is row 48.
Part II
The U.S. receives fresh troops: 6 more tanks, including another M36B1 and 2 76L M4A3s; also 7 more 667s. However, the Germans also get reinforced: 2 Panthers, a Puma, and 3 467s led by a 9-2, with a PSK for the heck of it.
ust barely overcoming my instinct to concede, I set up. In this Part my OBA receives a Pre-Registered hex, and this is CC42. I put the other three tanks in positions to Smoke/HE the W42 Gun, and array the infantry in Crest along the Sunken road, with the hts in front of it. The reinforcements are set to come on along the valley road, again. Mike's set-up hasn't changed much.
Turn 1: The OBA, a WP mission, actually comes down! It misses the 128L by 1 hex, long, thus applying only a +3 DRM to its fire. The shots by the tanks at the other 128L cause a net of a Pin result. My infantry start heading for the WP'd Gun, and get zapped by the MGs covering it. The reinforcements come on. By the end of the game turn I have lost two more tanks.
Turn 2: In my MPh I lose more AFVs. At this point Mike crosses the 56 CVP threshold and wins.
Lessons Learned:
This is really a difficult scenario for the U.S. The 128Ls are absolute death, and have a ROF of 1! There was no need for Mike to IF at all with those things, and they never missed twice in a row. The only thing the two of us could come up with as a counter was to attempt a massive OBA/sM barrage against one Gun, with the infantry closing on it. However, this requires several not very high probability events to occur, and takes most of the first Part. And, this only takes care of ONE Gun. The German AFVs, infantry, and the second 128L are untouched. There's simply no time. It takes at least 3 turns for the U.S. force to get into position, around BB48, with the sM-equipped tanks, infantry, and Observer. Then it takes another turn to get the OBA down - if the Observer, who has to be in LOS of the target (there's nowhere to sit and gain LOS to an adjacent hex), survives that long - and then two turns for the infantry to run uphill, over at least one hedge, cross 6 hexes of OG, and leap into the Smoke-enshrouded Gun's Location. Meanwhile, the 3 436s have to be held off. Neither of us even bothered to consider what the Americans do in the next two Parts, assuming they successfully deal with the first 128L.
The only other option seems to be laying a long Smoke screen along the T/U hexrow, and trying to run the gauntlet up the valley to P40 vicinity. This could be done safely, using OBA Smoke. Unfortunately, once past P39, both 128Ls have LOS again, and the burning wrecks will pile up. And too, this isn't even considering the JgPz or the Sturmtigers (yes, Mike actually managed to destroy a Sherman using the 300R - I had to mention that, for Mike's sake :] ). The U.S. tanks are doomed in a straight-up gun battle; each 128L can kill 1 tank every fire phase, on average. The Shermans will have a difficult time living long enough to put HE on the emplaced 128Ls.
Because of the terrain, the American force either has to spend several turns manuevering its traffic jam in congested areas, or commit itself piecemeal against powerful weapons. The latter method cannot win. Massing units for a single strong point of attack takes so much time that only very limited gains can be made. The U.S. in this mini-CG are in a bad way... Unless the 128Ls malf right away, or some such good fortune occurs.
Tom Mueller
As some of you may recall, I have been involved in a long standing game of TOT 44. We played the first scenario in May? and 4 turns through the second scenario in August. Yesterday, we finished it!
A brief recap of the story until yesterday's play.
- Scenario 1 was a very quiet affair, with the Americans creeping onto the board ad eating their way up to the German minefield (Row 43). Total losses were 2 tanks and a Armoured car, plus 1.5 squads for the US, and the Germans had a few ELRs and lost one AA Gun to a lucky BAZ CH. - major highlights for scenario 1 were the Sturmtiger CH on its first shot, killing a squad 6 or 7 times over, and the US radio malfunctioning on first contact. Index number = 45
Scenario 2, Turn 1-4 was a much more heated affair, with the Germans pulling well back from the minefield, with the Main line of resistance being just west of the stream. The US minefield breaching force sets up on the hill, whilst the main force moves up the valley. The M36s create a long range crossfire. This time the SturmTigers aren't hulldown, and the Jackson's have the edge so Alan tries to reverse them out of trouble. Back to back CH from the two M36 snuff out the SturmTigers. Unfortunately, the Panthers arrive and an improbable CH does away with a Jackson.
The minefield succumbs to the charms of the Sherman crabs and the Engineers, and soon the Hillside is full of Yankees, meanwhile, in the valley a battle is raging consuming vehicle after vehicle. The Puma AC is the first to go as it tries to cross the crestline. American units force the stream, at the loss of two Sherman M4A3(75)W and several German infantry, but the Panthers counterattack, trapping a M4A3(76)W in the stream, and destroying two M24. The OBA has been pounding away at positions far back on the hillside, keeping German heads down.
Such was the position starting yesterday, with any exit possibility for the US destroyed. Capturing the village it must be.
Scenario 2 Turns 5-6
The US infantry keeps powering on up the slope, knocking the German infantry around a bit. The trapped Sherman deliberately immobilizes one Panther, intensive fires for his very life but is unsuccessful and is soon blazing. US forces on the hillside are now starting to get the overwatch positions, and put the immobile Panther out of its misery. The last Panther pulls out of the crossfire, while a BAZ puts a round clean through the front of the JgPz IV, ending the long and annoying existence of this menace. Unfortunately, in the last player turn I get HoB (Hero & Fanatic) and has a German sniper activation that kills my artillery observer. The Fanatic status almost immediately disappears at scenario end, whilst the hero lingers a little to meet his demise in the village. However, having the radio unpossessed means no pre-reg and I can't start it anywhere but where it fell. For some reason I am quietly confident, but the Germans still have 7 1st or 2nd line squads, plus 3 conscript squads, a Panther and the SPW 251/sMG, plus a multitude of MG.
Index Number = 32, and all hexes breached except U & V.
Scenario 3
Again Alan pulls well back and sets most of his men in reverse slope positions in the village. Aside from the leader attempting to recover the radio and a HS to recover an abandon PSK, pretty much everyone mounts a vehicle to speed the assault, or sets out on foot along the flank. The US 9-2 with a HMG and 2 MMG provides covering fire, searching out units on the high ground.
Turn 1 goes well, with the Jumbo driving straight up the road and pumping out a CH on the Panther from his Gyrostabilised Gun on the move! Panther was hull down and everything. This was simply a "give it a go, you never know" shot. Unfortunately the Jumbo then proceeded to roll a 12 an a MC, for a STUN recall. What goes around comes around, and a good trade none the less. A good force of US infantry and tanks are in the valley around T28 by the end of turn 1, and the German MG position directed by the 9-2 KIAs one squad and knocks a few more around but takes a beating from the HE firing Shermans.
Over the next two turns, the US infantry close in on the village as the Germans slowly give ground back to the Retiger Hotel. The 9-2 directing the SPW 251/sMG at pointblank range kills the hero and another squad, but a bazooka does the job on the halftrack and the formidable US firepower does the rest. This is the first scenario I have really used the Sherman Crabs and the Engineers. The Crest-Slopes in front of the village make this terrible tank terrain and I have to take two Shermans and the AC the long way around the flank to surround the village.
Having sent a leader to reclaim the radio, he fumbles the pickup in RPh 1 and has to stoop again in the MPh. Racing forwards, he finally reaches a position to observe the Retiger Hotel by turn 3. I'm hoping for smoke for the final assault.
There is also a brief excitement as Alan drives the RSO Ammo Vehicle at me attempting a UUV overrun. I immobilize it in the adjacent hex. In his turn, he fires at the wreck to turn it into a blaze, which detonates the Ammo. A 16FP attack in adjacent hexes! I never saw that one coming. Net effect was to stun a Crab.
Turns 4-6 I am just feeding the US infantry into the front-line as the vehicles blast away. LT. "All the way" Wray moves his MG stack into position, riddling the flank of the Retiger Hotel. By this stage, the Germans have all pulled back to the Hotel with the exception of a small covering force around the Marechals Forge. I'm waiting for the artillery smoke, but the observer firstly fails contact, then the SR shot is wild and offboard, then two contact failures in a row. It just isn't going to happen is it? By turn 5 I have completely surrounded the Hotel, but I need to get inside. Desperate attacks by the Engineers are driven off with ELR failure (which we did wrong, not underlined as per SSR 10). 1 HS gets inside the Hotel to hold a few in melee. There are about 4 squads, 2 crews, the 9-2 and a wounded 9-1 in the Hotel.
In German Turn 5 DFPh, the American lines explode in Def Fire, knocking the Germans about and encircling the melee. The crew and the US HS are destroyed, and most Germans are broken. US Turn 6 PFPh sees "All the way" Wray lining up his HMG and 3 MMG on the Hotel, he rolls.... a 12!! No fun. All the vehicles shoot as well and everything but the leaders are broken. The US infantry surges forward, chasing the German brokies upstairs and seizing the ground floor. The US assault fire breaks everything and he has to rally.
German Turn 6 RPh, the 9-2 leader (now a 9-1, he suffered ELR) rallies. He is the only German hope and the roar of the US DFPh is almost deafening. He breaks and the campaign is over!
US Victory...just.
Campaign Impressions
Well the Germans have some fun toys, the SturmTigers, the 128L AA Guns and apparently the Demo truck.. I mean Ammo tractors. As usual the German armour is formidable, but thankfully the German infantry is plain vanilla, which the US Elite infantry more than match.
The US also have some fun toys, most of which you can use. The Crabs and the Engineers must be kept for their special role until the minefield is breached and well cleared. The Yanks have a lot of vehicles, with a lot of novelties. The Gyros were fantastic, they really bring the M4A3(76)W much closer to the Panther. The Bow FT were in the M4A3(75)W, and two of these were destroyed without being used (one in scenario 1), and the final Bow FT malfunctioned first shot :-(. Both Crabs had F-S Soft Armour, since I expected to start the minefield clearance under infantry fire. As it turned out, it wasn't required, and at the end game when I pushed a Crab into the village, the PF shot rolled a TK=9. On a 10 it would have been a Dud! Oh well! The other armour I forgot about in the excitement, but I had Steel Applique on two M4A3(76)W, one of which was destroyed by the Panthers. The M4A3(105) had F Soft Armour, but was recalled for some reason (MA Disabled?). Mike Reed, how about some counters for these armour types, my memory just isn't that good.
The US OBA was OK in scenario 2, but was otherwise useless, malfunctioning in scenario 1 and just failing in scenario 3. There has to be a better way.
The real problems for the US player is time and the narrowness of the play area. It is very hard to flank the Germans, and as the village is approached, the terrain gets steeper and the barbed wire gets more profuse, making movement of both vehicles and men quite difficult.
Casualty count, the Thundering Herd suffered about 50% casualties, possibly more in vehicles. 2 vehicles (the Sherman 105 and the Jumbo) were withdrawn and a M3 halftrack immobilized on start up so I suppose they are reclaimable. The Germans were almost completely annihilated, the only survivors being an RSO Tractor, a SPW 251/1 and a wounded 7-0. I guess the Herd got their revenge!
Dave Bishop, rack up them Bear points!
This is the second of these Mini-Campaigns I have played, both of which have been excellent. The interphase is well thought out, and although I know Alan didn't much like the way the US forces all moved forwards on the basis of one squads performance, I think this more accurately reflects the consolidation after an attack than Red Barricades does with perimeters.
In terms of sheer ASL thrill, I'd give it a 10 out of 10. For a starter, it came down to the last turn after 3, 6 turn scenarios. It has something for everyone, combined arms, special vehicles, a chance to use the LG board with the US and win! It is almost mind-numbingly complex, with the slopes and pine trees causing real LOS confusion, so many different Ammo types to choose from. Ample smoke for the US. Minefield clearance under fire! Excellent stuff, well away from the usual scenarios I play.
It also restored my faith in Shermans. Really quite a good tank for so many situations, but outclassed by Tigers and Panthers in tank fights. In this campaign they did a great job of infantry support, and were sufficient in number to get the Panthers eventually.
Mark McGilchrist