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.

Purple Heart Draw Tactical Mission 1

Played Lone Canuck Publishing's Purple Heart Draw in Early October with Tycho.  Just the highlights so I can get caught up on my blog entries!

An overview of the map.  US enters from the top and the objective is to clear the 4 intersections near the bottom of the map (Circled in red).  They have 5 Tactical Missions (TM) in which to do so.  A TM is similar to a campaign game being a random number of turns from 5 to 8 or so.

And a close up of the top of the map where all the action for the first TM would take place.  Note the illegal purchase at the bottom left!  Gone if a puff or rules!  My primary objective was to keep an armored breakout from trashing my line.  So I purchased two roadblocks (one on the far side of the bridge and the other near the town in the north) and an AT gun which is hiding to the woods just to the right of the bridge on the south side.  On the left side of the map I have a minefield and two hidden PSK armed squads (another oops, only 1 squad was allowed to be HIP - but the second one never revealed himself in the first game so I unhipped him at the start of the second and continued from there)

The US tried a blitz and ended up with a burning Sherman!  (HIP PsK squad one revealed himself to fire)

The situation at the end of Allied turn 1.

And the end of German turn 1.  Took a faust shot and pinned my own guy...

Another burning Sherman!  Ran into the minefield and went up in flame.  That made this flank a relative backfield for the rest of the TM.  Note that poor broken slob at the top, they never rallied the whole game.

The situation at the end of turn 2.

End of Allied turn 3.

End of German turn 3.

End of Allied turn 4

Pesky Sniper!

End of German turn 4.

The US has created a hole in the line and the Germans will be hard pressed to limit the damage!

End of US turn 5.

In my rush to try to cover the hole I make a major mistake - a squad dies and the attached leader goes berserk!  I could have had them stop back one hex and advance the final spot...

Following my major blunder my opponent makes one of his own, he allows me to roll for TM end and I roll a 1 of course...  Instead of a breakthrough the US units are stuck in a salient of no man's land.  This will allow me to purchase and place reinforcements to cover the threatened area.  To be continued...

ASL09 To the Square

Played ASL scenario 9 on October 9th and the following couple weeks using VASL against Jay.  A fun and large scenario of the old school  (can't get much more old school then scenario 9...)

Setup at Start of the Game.  Russians have to capture the building with a squad in it at the top of the map (error!  see below for where it really is!).  The other option is to get X number of VP off the top of the map.  The T34s with a leader and squad would do that nicely.

End of Turn 1.  Not a whole lot happening yet.  Russian is pushing out slowly being nervous of the two HIP squads.  (I had them at the top of map 1 to cover a possible AFV bum rush.

First shot of the game!  Game turn 2 with a 6-3 shot ends up only causing a pin...  I will not whine!

End of game turn 3.  Russians are still pushing ahead slowly but are close to being able to breakout.  The only problem is those HIP units could show up in their rear.

OOOPS!  The VC building with the extra level is in H3, NOT N3!  We moved the extra level to H3 and the squad and leader would have to hoof it to there next turn...

End of Turn 4.  Russians did searching in the buildings to the right and moved their tanks forward to breakthrough the woods!  (not there yet though)

Turn 5 Russian movement phase and a CE tank with the Russian OBA observer leader come in range of the 9-1 and his MMG.  A roll of snakes!

Later that turn the same squad and leader KIA an enemy squad entering a building with a roll of 1,2.  This causes a sniper that whacks another leader right behind said leader!  ASL givith and ASL takith away...

The end of the very active turn 5.  My boys have started to skeedadle.  Probably a bit late.  Russian armor is about to swarm on my left flank!

Another German leader whacked by a sniper!  (with a 3 activation number this gives an idea of how lucky my dice were.  Though in this case I think it was making a MC that would have passed on an 8 or lower...)  Yup that is my leader that took out the OBA observer and a tank with well aimed IFT fire...

 

A Hero of the Fatherland is created!  Woohoo!

End of Russian turn 6.  They have started a trail break on the extreme right side of the board.  Also note that the hero in question was killed in CC...  Put up a good fight though, well at least till the CC when he went out in an instant.

End of German turn 6.  My boys in 1N9 got DM'd by and 8+3 shot.  (I'll pass on the whine Icon this time...)  I place Infantry in position on the German left flank to take PF shots at approaching enemy tanks.

The Russians push forward and DM my stack that was in N9 once again!  I do have a sneaky LOS shot and DM them as well.

The first enemy tank charges out of the woods and goes right by my squad that tries two PF shots.  Can't find the first one and can't hit with the second!

End of game turn 7.  The Russian armor swarms up the right side of the board (we forgot that armor using a trail break has to use half MP to go through...)  Alas, no tanks were hurt (by fausts) in the execution of this manuever...

And here my log got lost (BOOHOO!).  Highlights.  First off my opponent new that he needed to take the building in order to win.  He moved the T34 at the top of map to where it is and fired at my guy with an area shot.  After much fussing about we figured out it was a miss after rolling for improbable hit.  (I was the more experienced player and should have remembered the extra plus for firing in AfPh if you actually moved, otherwise a 2 would have been a crit rather then a miss).  To hit was 7 (area) -2( turreted moved) -2(concealed) -1(BU) -2(AfPh) meaning a 0 to hit.  If that shot had hit it would have killed the HS or leader (or both) and then his crew could have gone in to take possession before my squads ran back.  Instead my squads ran back and got into the building leaving no time to pry them all out before the end of the game.

A fun scenario that I may play again someday, which is saying a lot since I have so  many ASL scenarios I have not played yet...