This Sunday we played the first turn of the Firestorm: Lorraine campaign at the
Ottawa Miniatures Gamers
I was defending a river crossing with a Panzergrenadier company consisting of 3 Platoons of infantry (one of which was a firestorm unit), 1 platoon of Panthers, 1 platoon of STuGs, 1 platoon of Marder IIIs, 1 platoon of PaK 40 AT guns and a fortified strongpoint. Francis, my opponent, had a US Tank Company with 2 platoons of Jumbos and Sherman 76s, an armored infantry platoon, a pioneer platoon, a mortar platoon and a 155mm artillery platoon
We rolled for hold the line which meant I had to keep half my platoons in delayed reserve but I got to have 2 in Ambush.
I put 1 infantry platoon in the fortified position on the left and I kept the Panthers and AT guns for ambush. I was tempted to have the infantry in ambush to protect the other objective on the farm but the AT guns would be close to useless if they had to move onto the table (and not using the Panthers doesn't really seem like an option at all!)
The tanks moved towards the fortified position and the infantry moved up the other side. I was expecting a rush to the side with no one on the table but the Americans were quite cautious so I delayed placing my ambush.
The US infantry moved up to the river and the tanks were trying to take out the MG nests in the fortified position so continued to be patient (not my usual mode of playing) and kept my ambushing units off the table
The tanks took out one nest and the artillery was pinning the infantry in the trenches but not getting any kills. On my turn 3 I got the first of my delayed reserves (the STuGs) and decided to Ambush the Shermans with the Panthers.
One platoon of Shermans was wiped out in the ambush.
The US artillery counter-attacked and took out one Panther (I think he managed to hit 3 of them but I made and armour save on 1 and Francis rolled a 1 on his firepower for the other)
This was my turn of mistakes (fortunately not fatal ones). I spread the Panthers out on the river bank when I should have gone across the bridge to force the Shermans to turn and face them so the AT guns and Marders could get side shots on them and I moved the STuGs close enough to the US infantry that they could be assaulted.
Lots of smoke this turn, the Panthers were smoked to force them to move and the STuGs were smoked to aid in assaulting them. Fortunately the assualt failed (I don't remember exactly what happened)
The next turn the Panthers did cross the bridge and the Marders managed to take out the two remain 76mm Shermans
The Company Command Jumbo somehow managed to only bail one of the Marders (though since I was Reluctant, he remained bailed for the rest of the game)
The 2 remaining Panthers ran between the building to hide from the artillery (the US mortars had nowhere to hide from the Panthers though...)
The US infantry was now facing the German Infantry that had moved up into the farm, the Panthers that were moving up to the ford, the STuGs on their flank and the remaining Marder on their other flank.
The US artillery struck again taking out 2 STuGs.
The game ended with the US infantry wiped out and a 6-1 German victory.
It was a very enjoyable game, I think it would have been hard for the US to win with the river there but if they had been more aggressive in the first 3 turns they would have had a reasonable chance.
I would like to get the PzIVs and PzIV/70s finished for the next game to give me a bit more choice for the next list but I also want to get a unit of Roman Legionnaires done and my 28mm Germans
