I'm getting pretty bad at this AAR thing: 3 scens behind now (again). Here is a from-memory account of TOT42, with Mike Licari as the Yankees:
Belgium, New Year's Eve '45
Map (W to E): 18, 17, 22 - R-GG only North= R row
6 1/2 Turns, USA vs
Germans
Victory: US wins at end by controlling 22W8 & 9 other buildings
on 22 (Ger win with 25 CVP of Personnel/crews)
SSR:
1) Ground Snow, Stream is frigid; MTs are +2 to Bog Exiting Stream
2)
Set in 45 for all purposes {PF, WP, etc.}
3) Each multi-hex wood bldg on 22
gets one random hex Rubbled (Falling NA)
5) US has invoked No Quarter; AFV
crew vol Abandon NA
German sets up first [ELR 4] {SAN 4} on 17/22, HIP for 1 sqd-equiv.: 7x 468,
9-1, 2x8-0; MMG, 2xLMG, PSK, 81mm Bn Mtr OBA (HE/Sm); 12 Mine, 13x?, 2x Hasty
Roadblock, 8x Foxhole; 3x Pz IV/70A
Reinforcements enter turn 3 on E edge of
22: 4x 447, 8-1; LMG, PSK; Pz IV/70A
I drew the Nazis for this scenario. After some thought, I chose to defend the S half of the map heavily, and let the Stream guard the N edge. A IV/70 went in 17U1, the 8-0+Rad HIP in S6, and the MMG in W5/Fh. The heavy flank got 2 IV/70s behind the Roadblocks, with squads in the road behind the wall (check the map), out of the Fhs in those three hexes. This looked like a really good idea: the squads duck into their holes and out of LOS, but are still covering the BB4/CC5 avenue of approach. The panzers back them up, in anticipation of the main armored push through this "corridor." (Foyer is more like it!) A HS+PSK sat in Z3, listening for which side of the Woods those Detroit motors came from. The rest of the infantry was set up in a picket line from R5 to Z7. I also put a 12-factor AP minefield in 22X8, as a last minute surprise for the Yanks as they close in.
U.S. Moves first [ELR 2] {SAN 2}, set up in non-level-0 locations and/or
hexes 4+; vehicles may be in Motion: 11x 666, 3x227, 9-1, 8-1, 8-0, 7-0;
2xLtMtr, 2x BAZ45, 105mm OBA; 57L AT, M7 HMC, M3A1, M3, Jeep
Reinforcements
enter Turn 1 W edge of 18: 3x M4A3(76)W, 2x M4A3(75)W, 2x M3A1, M16 MGMC
Mike set the ATG on the hill (Y7) with the Jeep adj. The infantry were in the Gully, and the vehicles back a bit. His tanks paraded on around CC10, making for a typical U.S. traffic jam around 18Y1-DD4.
I overlooked the fact that the pond in 17AA10-BB9 was frozen: my MG Firelanes didn't cover those hexes, and the Yanks skated right over it - as well as coming through the Orchard and Woods nearby. The nast MGMC started firing when it got to 17Y10, safely away from my AT weapons. I was ready for this - kinda; Mike and I in playing TOT#3 have seen a lot of vehicular FTs and MGs, and my OBA came down right on top of the "chopper." True to my form, though, I managed to miss the MGMC thru the full fire mission! But it was silenced for a while.
Mike's infantry crept up, with the Priest helping out. The hts bypassed along the edge of the BB-row Woods, staying out of effective PF range, and out of LOS of the panzers. One of the IV/70As sneaked a LOS at the Priest and toasted it, however. On the other flank, where the ATG was scaring the HE out of my panzer, I backed it out of its position and tried to sneak behind the Woodline to a safer locale. The ATG got a glimpse, and as Mike seems to do whenever he needs it, tagged the most vulnerable AF - one panzer down!
My turn 3 reinforcements ran for the VC building, with the MMG team falling back to 22X5 and the extra IV/70A going to 22Z6. A struggle for the 17Y2+adjacent area began; my PSK team dodging 666s and the "chopper" to get shots at vehicles on the Y1-AA2 road. At some point a Mild Breeze had kicked up; wreck blaze Smoke was drifting at the VC building, and giving the U.S. AFVs cover. The two flanks were engaged by holding forces, while the main thrust drove towards Y1. All 3 of my remaining IV/70As were trying to get low-odds hits, without much success. PFs did most of the work. The critical move was Mike's running his two Stuarts right at the "extra" panzer, who couldn't hit with PB shots. This panzer was overrun and KO'd, while the platoon in the VC building got shot up (pass a MC? Hee hee...). By turn 6 he had forced enough squads onto 22 (thanks to drifting OBA smoke, wreck smoke, and ineffective defensive fire) to guarantee a victory.
This scenario looked pretty good for a German win after turn 4. Mike's bull rush on 5 & 6 succeeded gloriously, though, as I could not muster decent shots (or any HE for the panzers) to make him pay. At the end, it came down to my 3 447s and 8-1 hanging on in 22W8, and they were not up to it.
Lessons learned:
This scenario is a bit of a change of pace: a straight-up fight, with no fancy gimmicks and lots of IFT DRs.
Tom Mueller
I can tell you some more about Thunderbolts, since my memories are still vivid. It is an "ardennes" scenario that depicts a combined arms assault on a town. Three half boards, but only 20 hexes or so to cross to victory area in 6.5 turns (forgive inaccuracies, since i have neither maps and nor scenario card).
attractions:
Playing (and having lost with...) the americans, I had the opportunity to study the setup of my friend.
Interistingly, he sat up some of his foxholes (which are, as fortifications allowed to be HIP) to hide the top counter of his boys and thusly save precious dummy counters.
One of the Jagdpanzer was hull down on my right wing. I was not pleased at the Idea of being channeled through a narrow orchard with two concealed stacks on my left, the board edge on my right and a 75LL in front. The second Jagdpanzer was behind the two houses on the left, with LOS over the whole middle board. His flank was protected by three concealed stacks placed in the woods at the intersection of my starting board and the middleboard. The third beast was held in reserve, near the clearing behind the two hex wooden building in the middle of the playing area. The big woods he was in was infested of ? topped stacks. A single counter was in the town, at the highest level of the victory building. I easily identified it as the OBA spotter.
My setup was organized to mop up the little woods on my left, neutralize the jagdpanzer behind the houses and then rush for the big central woods, under smoke cover.
Frightened by the hull down jagdpanzer, nobody was placed on the level two hilltops which were all three in the LOS of the AFV. My firebases and the bulk of my forces were on my left flank, with the two mortars to lay down smoke and WP on the woods. To divert fire, two squads sat up in the end of the eastern gully. My worst set up was done with the ATG. It never fired of he game.
The game started with the discovery of the first hasty roadblock, placed on my right flank, thus channelin even more an attack on this side of the board. Things went worse when I picked up a red chit for my OBA. Anyhow, WP and heavy fire (with low DR) eliminated two dummy stacks in the woods on my left, and I waited for my reinforcements to reach me before leaving the starting line. At the end of the first US turn, I had no SMOKE left with the SP gun, and both mortars. The light tanks and meatchoppers approached to finish the cleaning of the woods. My friend also draw a red chit with his OBA.
During the first german turn, we both lost contact radio. The german MPh saw the reserve panzer moving (with a three counters concealed stack underneath) to interdict the exit of the woods I was mopping up. Recon by fire during the DFPH was innefective, mostly do to skulking (stacks not in foxholes) and bad dice (stacks in foxhole
The secong game turn saw a SR land on the map, to lay down smoke for my next movement phase. I started moving toward the german side of the woods, taking fire from the forces my friend dispatched the turn before. The last defenders of my little woods was found to be a 467+lmg (as found later, those ones were raised eating sauerkraut even as babies !). A light tank lost cannister to no avail, and swarming around it with infantery show me that its retreat was prepard (foxhole to rout to the two buildings behind). I was unable to break him and suffered my first losses. A HIP stack (9-1, 467, MMG) in the stone building on the left flank opend fire made me think twice before crossing at once all this open ground. I lost a 76L sherman due to a long range shot from the reserve panzer, after the infantery smoke went away in the DFPh. A second 76L was waiting on the right side of the board, within striking range of the german forces. The third one was held in reserve with the meatchopper, to my eyes a much valuable piece not tobe thrown away in disregard. The two 75 shermans were in place to lay smoke for the next turn rush. The 467+lmg in the woods volontary routed to the formerly hipped 9-1 leader in the stone house, choosing interdiction (and succeding the MC) in the foxhole hex to be there in a single rally phase.
The second german turn saw this squad promply rally. My friend had then enough infantery to redeploy his defence : the two jagdpanzers on my left advanced to have more aggressive positions for next turn. Of this two, the reserve one (near the big wooden building) went CE, and his infantery redeployed in the woods and the wooden building. My friend's OBA SR landed offboard. I was able to break the 9-1+467+MMG stack as it was dashing wawy to make a second defensive line.
Taking all this as a good omen, I tried to lay down smoke to rush towards the big wooden patch. The SR base level landed out of sight, and I was unable to convert... The 75 sherman laid down smoke and WP in the middle of the open ground. I started advancing a few squads to block some defensive fire options and they managed to survive (with a 6 morale, it is a kind of surprising for the moves I ordered...). My halftracks were positioned to eliminate the 9-1+mmg+467 for failure to rout. Then, I felt that the two jagdpanzers were then destroyable by swarming around them. The one on the left used his BMG to present his front armor to one of my light tanks. The other one had enogh MP to get behind him, but was nailed by a panzerfaust shot by the 467+lmg in the house. The tank was destroyed, and the 2MC from the backblast had no effect. The jagdpanzer in the middle was hindered by smoke as a 76L sherman went next to him, forcing him to swing his turret and destroy him in defensive fire. The meatchopper went hungry and entered the hex to dish a 36+3 attack on the crew, which got stun. The last 76L sherman (stunned the previous turn due to sniper activity) used his sM to position itself to nail him in the next fire phase. The end of the Mph was infantery only, with squads positioning for CC against the panzers : 8-1 + 2squads made it to the woods to deal with the stunned Jagdpanzer. 1 squad against the tank on the left. I realized that the 467+lmg that defended the small wodds and who now was in the stone building was a real thorn in my hide since most of my infantery was trying to deal with him. In the CCPh, I immobilized the stunned jagdpanzer, but the lone squad on my left flank did not pass his PAATC.
In the third german turn, the panzer on my left malfunctions his gun as he was firing on my last light tank. The hull down jagdpanzer rolled ut to the roadblock, to cover the german flank and a 75 sherman acquires it. A new german SR is placed on board. My defensive fire is mostly innefective, the famous 467+lmg being still alive and well....My radio operator is killed by sniper fire.
No more time to prep fire much things during the fourth turn. The german reiforcements are about to arrive, and I am really in a hurry. Nevertheless my 75 sherman fires at the jagdpanzer (basic to kill of the 75: 14,jagdpanzer AF turret: 14, hull: 8) : turret hit, ROF, turret hit, ROF, miss. Aargh ! time for the wild card : intensive fire yields multiple hits in the hull. The dreaded panzer finally eruptes in flames on the second effect DR. I start penetrating the woods, but the german resistance is very stiff, and organized in a "reverse slope" way. As always, the infantery attracts fire, and the meatchopper takes away the schwerpunkt when it is under a final fire counter : moves, stops in hex (even in bypass) and yields a 36 IFP attack with 2 ROF !
Anyway, realizing how slow I was and How far the town still is, I concede, after a tremendous afternoon. My friend reveals his minefields, located in the orchard covered by the hull down tank on my right flank.
Lessons learned :
Guillaume Counio