Purple Heart Draw TM2

Played the second Tactical Mission (TM - a campaign game scenario) quite a while back and am just writing it up now.  (one more writeup and I am up to date with my game writeups!  but I have a game scheduled for tomorrow...)

Sadly I lost or messed up my usual vasl log file so I don't remember many details...

On the plus side that means you don't have to plod along through most of my usual prattle...

The entire map at the start of the second TM.  The prep-fire markers denote units that have gone through their refit phase, not that they have fired.

Here is a closeup on where the North of the map where all the action for the coming TM will take place.  The Allies have made very little headway so far, the Germans started the campaign game 5 hexes away from the top of the map and I contested every hex.  The big note for this TM is that I was able to purchase a 75L and put it in the building where it could fire on the Sherman (with a 10-2) in no man's land.  At the end of each TM units in No Man's Land have to roll to move out of it and the Sherman failed the roll, this left the tank in a VERY bad position - otherwise it could have moved its full MA i to anywhere behind the Allied lines.  Having run out of 75L AT guns to purchase I bought an 81mm mortar for the right flank.

And the first shot of the game does just what was expected (TH11 or less due to range and target size).  Come to think of it the Shreck holding squad was probably toasted first but easy come, easy go...)

Next up came a TM long arty duel.  The US got off the first shot and smoked my (obvious) observer location.  The shot drifted in the next to worst possible way leaving me an LOS to part of the enemy (actually the LOS may have been to the left of the board but after a couple of turns Tycho moved on to bombarding my frontline leaving my Observer free to spot anywhere).  I don't remember my arty actually doing much the whole game but it is a matter of perspective - although it did not cause many casualties it did keep Tycho from moving his troops forward.  At one point he had troops in the Foxhole the line is pointing at for a couple of turns while the arty fell on top of them.  Another interesting bit about Arty in the game is that pulling two red chits does not end it, each red chit is put back into the draw pile and ANOTHER is also added.  So it is possible to get the full amount of Arty no matter how many red chits are drawn.  I ended up drawing most of my black chits but wasted two of them trying to fire at concealed units...

And the end of the TM.  Highlights are the hidden guy I had in the area marked on the right, he opened up at point black on a moving enemy - and did squat!  Then he did squat on an FT toting leader, I don't remember the leader doing anything in return (perhaps he broke and ran, memories....).  The blue lines show me frantically moving units from the left to right flank.  By the end of turn 5 my guys were practically done for, on turn 6 they just managed to hold on and then the TM ended.  They would most likely be able to regroup back across the draw and be prepared for the upcoming TM restored and armed.  Since the US does not have the Bridge area contested (no Tactical Location in their control nearby) I would be able to place AT Mines, AP Mines, Wire and another roadblock there.  In addition to the bridge the draw entrances already have AT mines on them (I could not add more since they are contested now).  The US could clear away the defenses and make a lodgement on the other side of the draw by the end of TM3 but that would leave only 2 TMs left to capture the paved road at the bottom of the map.  Starting on TM3 the Germans are able to purchase Stugs, which makes the US armor less useful since there is a mobile threat to them in addition to the 75L guns.  All this in consideration we called the game there.  We both liked the game and I went and bought all the other Lone Canuck campaign games since they are an excellent value.  In addition we plan on playing the campaign again in the future with lessons learned from this first play through.

As for the Germans and their victory, it will be short lived with the preponderance of Allied men and material stockpiling in Normandy.

This particular picture is courtesy of the Wargames Exchange Facebook group, don't know where they found it but I love it.