Breaking out of Normandy, Maj. Gen. Stroh's "Pathfinders" of the 8th Infantry Division advanced quickly across the Breton coast and was the first infantry division to arrive in the Brest area, relieving the 6th Armored on 18 August. In a hasty attempt to catch Fallschirmjager-Regiment 7 off guard in late August, some of the 8th spearheads got too far ahead of their supporting elements. On the night of August 28, companies E,F, and G tried to infiltrate through German positions near Kergoas and Hill 97, but were halted early in the morning by two assault guns and a captured M4 Sherman. This panzer counter punch was beaten back, but caused considerable havoc among 2nd Battalion. They were promptly counterattacked by the always-aggressive German paratroops.
Attacker: German (Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 7, Fallschirmjäger-Division 2)
Defender: American (2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division)
6.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:12.0 D:12.0
AFVs: A:0 D:0
Guns: A:0 D:0
M2 60mm Mortar
Misc Rules:
Bocage, all buildings ground level only
Map Board(s):
4
54
Overlays:
NONE
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:
A nice scenario with many pitfalls for both sides. The German troops were sharply decimated in the middle game. However, I manage to keep in good order enough squads to theoretically achieve German VC. The issue was decided in the last turn with the accurate DFF of JC's American troops cleverly positioned to deny the exit hexes... A deserved American victory.
2020-05-04
(D) Scott Sherer
vs
David Langley
American win
Starting this one, I thought it was going to be a real snoozer, as both sides start on one side of the map and have to pull back to capture buildings and/or exit on the north side (or prevent said capturing/exiting). With the Americans setting up on the periphery of the boards, the natural inclination for the Germans is to come in the middle, it seemed like it would be a race back with little action. Boy, was I wrong. The Americans have to try to get to the top center of the board to set up a defense before the Germans beat them to it, and the reinforcements that come in on that side of the board helped shore up the line. The Germans did manage to find a weak spot in the defense, getting off 4 VP's early before the line was stabilized. The Americans managed to pretty much confine the Germans into the center cell of bocage in the N/M/O/P hexrows, bottled up by squads in J2, K2, O1 and R1 and the woods hexes along the top of the board. Interlocked MG fire lanes emanating from K2 and T4 plus the rest of the American firepower made the last 100m an impassable wall of lead. The Germans tried to get the final 4 VP off that they needed, but the bodies strewn across the road was a mute testament to the futility of their effort. Fun, straightforward scenario and a great one for learning the bocage rules.
2020-02-22
(A) Andy Goldin
vs
Stephen Worrel
American win
I've lost the game as both sides so the scenario must be balanced. This time we read the setup SSR correctly and it requires the US player to leave the center of the board clear of American units. The obvious move for the German is to drive up the center to grab the victory buildings or exit, which is what I attempted. The US reinforcements enter to prevent a quick victory. Based on my read of his tactical positioning and the opportunities it presented, I shifted my efforts left to exploit a weakly held area on my left and managed to exit two squads and a leader. In a couple of key rolls (passing an NMC and killing a CX paratroop squad in close combat) Stephen managed to close the gap and then had me boxed in. Running short on time and manpower, I had to attempt to blast my way through the center. Like Lee at Gettysburg, it could have worked, but didn't. Another win for Stephen!
2019-12-09
(D) Andy Goldin
vs
Stephen Worrel
German win
I had inadvertently left my left flank largely open and Steve went right for it. Nonetheless I succeeded at scrambling to get myself into position to meet the assault and got some good effects with low probability shots while my fire lanes caused him to have to go through terrain and burn time. This drove him to the board edge, where he exited more than enough to win on Turn 7. While I had some good fire attacks and a sniper shot KIA'd a leader, my squads typically failed their MCs by ELR, so that by the end I had only one first line squad remaining. Steve played well, and I'm surprised the game lasted as long as it did. Great scenario for those just starting out with ASL or who need to complete a game in a single sitting.
Update: turns out I didn't set up my Americans correctly, which had actually made it easier for the Germans to exit. The US setup requires the center of the map to be free of US units, thereby leaving a gap for the Germans to enter.
