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Background:

The Americans had been having trouble getting across the Rhine. An enterprising divisional commander had decided that to hell with waiting and had put a cable ferry across the river at Tängermunde.  Having got a company across the river an incredibly lucky artillery shot severed the cable, sending the only pontoon ferry the division had floating off downriver towards Holland.  The company on the east bank was not dismayed though as resistance along the river was very light.  This all changed rapidly as morning gave way to afternoon.  Shellfire and heavy small arms fire could be heard on the eastern bank and the divisional commander started to worry.  A hurried and garbled radio message from the eastern bank mentioned a rapid counter-attack by a large German armoured force.  The 9th SS Panzer division had arrived!

Set-up

The setup is fairly straightforward.  The Americans have their backs to the Rhine.  The battlefield (we played on a 6 x 4 table) was littered with ruined buildings and a collapsed autobahn.  The buildings were considered to be hard cover and the rubble on and around the autobahn was considered soft cover.  This set-up is supposed to represent the town of Tängermunde along the banks of the Rhine.  The Americans deployed anywhere in their half of the board and the Germans deployed along their start line.

The Americans deployed first taking positions in the buildings by the river.  The HQ was carefully placed to lend support to both infantry squads if necessary.  The tank set up hull down with the infantry in the building closest to the autobahn, while the mortar set up in deep cover behind a building. The observer for the mortar took his position in the highest building overlooking the whole battlefield.

The Germans set up for a frontal assault (which will turn out to be a mistake) with one of the Panthers on the far right flank to provide covering fire, a diversion or a flanking attack as necessary.

Victory Conditions

The Americans have to hold out for ten turns (a lifetime!).  If they do the Americans win, if they don't the Germans win. Simple.

Turn 1

The Germans gained the initiative and Panzergrenadier squad 1 set off, making full use of the cover afforded by the remains of the autobahn. Barely had they taken position when the familiar sound of the M4A1's 75mm gun was heard.  The shell rocked the Panther to the right of squad 1 blowing off one of the massive tracks.  Being made of sterner stuff however, the tank crew simply got on with the task in hand and lined up a return shot.  The Sherman's hull down position saved it though as the shell blew up against the wall of the building in which the American tank was taking shelter.  As the dust cleared suppressing fire, including that of a .50 calibre machine gun kicked up the dirt around the Panther and Panzergrenadier squad 2.  Casualties were light but the small arms fire was the prelude to a shot from the squads bazooka.  A lucky shot pierced the Panther's heavy frontal armour and left it a charred and smoking wreck on the spot where it had started.

Meanwhile Panzergrenadier squads 2 and 3 made a headlong dash, with their platoon leutnant, for the rubble and craters which marked the route of the once proud autobahn.  More fire, this time from the building closest to the river was laid down across the Panzergrenadier's path causing still more casualties.  None of the Panzergrenadier's return fire was effective.

Across behind the ruined factory the other Panther slowly edged forward looking for a suitable target, although none presented itself.

Turn 2

The American mortar started to rain down shells on the German positions causing the infantry to scatter far and wide. Having broken up the attack, the GI's then proceeded to lay down extremely effective suppressive fire on the Panzergrenadiers cowering in the rubble of the autobahn.

The Panther reversed back through the factory to draw a bead on the Sherman.  The shot was lined up and a sudden explosion destroyed the whole of the left wall of the building in which the Sherman was taking cover.  The Sherman was knocked out instantly and the Panther's co-axial MG started mopping up GI's.

Turn 3

More mortar fire delivered more casualties (although nothing like the casualties from the turn before), but the Panzergrenadiers who weren't pinned down prepared to over-run the remains of the building in which the brewed up Sherman still smoked.  Before the charge could hit home, the squad bazooka managed to get off a shot at the Panther, now trapped in the piping and rubble of the factory, taking out its main gun.  The crew held their ground and fired back with the co-ax again but to little effect.   As the Panzergrenadiers closed for hand-to-hand, the Americans abandoned their positions falling back towards their HQ and the river.

Even as the close assault petered out, leaving Panzergrenadiers strung out in the open, the American squad in the building by the river took advantage, decimating the Germans with close range small arms fire.  The squad bazooka here managed to take out the Panther's suspension and, while not demoralised the crew opted to abandon their stricken vehicle and take the fight to the Amerikaners.

Turn 4

This turn proved to be no better than the last for the German assault.  Desperately trying to cover the open ground between the autobahn and the buildings by the river simply left the two remaining squads in the open to be cut down by the combined fire of the Americans. The return fire from the Panzergrenadiers was nothing like as effective, although the American lieutenant had a lucky escape as his squad was cut down around about him.

Turns 5 and 6

A well placed mortar shell wiped out the Panzergrenadier platoon HQ early in the fifth turn, which set the scene for the rest of the turn and the following turn. Although one American squad had suffered quite heavy casualties, the other was in position in the last building. With less than half the original manpower in the platoon and both Panthers out of action the Germans were left with no option but retreat.

Aftermath

Mein Gott, the Fuhrer will have us shot for this! In retrospect, the deployment wasn't as decisive as we could have hoped, while the Americans were dug in on easily defensible positions. Neil and I should have adopted a move and fire approach to our advance, especially in those turns where we had initiative. Instead we made a frontal assault with no artillery or air support. What a waste. It was still a good game though.

For the scenario itself, either take away the American mortar team or add an extra squad of Germans. Either of these would probably have made the game a close run thing.

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