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Karl and I had a fun game. “Edge of Extinction†looked pretty interesting; The Americans get 5 M-24 “Chaffeesâ€, a couple of halftracks, a jeep and a gaggle of first-line infantry. Their mission is to take out (or immobilize) two late model Tigers protected by a couple of platoons of late-war German infantry (mixed quality) with ELR 2. They have only 4.5 turns to do it.
I really like ‘recon’ type troops (of all nationalities), and these Americans have two of my favorite vehicles; the Caffees and what I call a ‘Rat Patrol’ type jeep (a jeep with an AA-mounted .50 Cal. MG.) As a kid, “Rat Patrol†was one of my favorite TV shows; the opening credits show two of those jeeps jumping a huge sand dune…gotta love it. I’ve been a sucker for recon units every since. J
I set up the Germans in a fairly tight cluster along on the northeast board edge. I put the Tigers in I2 and J0, a 467 with a PSK in H0, the 8-1, 467/MMG at first level of G4 with the 436 in the same building and a 447 in J3. I set up a secondary position with the 8-0, LMG/467 at 1st level in P1 and a 447 at 1st level of P2. I converted the six dummy counters to 5/8†dummies, with two each in G1, H0 and L0.
The secondary position was certainly a gamble, since it was badly exposed and would be difficult to rout out of the building, but I felt I needed a strong southern outpost to delay an assault from that direction. If KJ came in heavy toward the G4 building, the P1 position could cover the approaches along the hexrow G6 to K4. If he came in from the southwest, he’d have to spend valuable time eliminating this position to use it as a jump-off for his main assault. The Americans have only 4.5 turns; barely enough to clear this position and still launch their main assault.
KJ’s attack came in from the west and south, using the approaches I had to leave uncovered by fire. Two Chaffees immediately engaged my P2 position, while his infantry force unloaded (mostly) unmolested in an arc from H6 to P5. By the bottom of turn 2, the P2 position had fallen, and KJ had his Ami’s set up for a turn 3 assault on my position. I had shifted my forces from the G4 building over to J3, leaving only the conscript squad in the building and the 467/PSK concealed in H1. Karl launched his main assault on turn 3, forcing my Tigers to fire everything they had. Lucky for me one of the Tigers kept rate on it’s initial shot, allowing for second, non-IF shot on the approaching Chaffees.
Karl surprised me with a quick flank movement to my right, bringing a Chaffee up to challenge my lonely 436. By the bottom of turn 3 two Chaffees, the tracks and jeep were burning or abandoned, but I was running out of good order infantry. The final blow came to the Ami’s when my 436 got a lucky PF shot on his flanking Chaffee and burned it. By turn 4 it was obvious that Karl didn’t have enough time to regroup his two remaining tanks and infantry for another assault, and called it a game.
In our analysis, we felt that this scenario is pretty challenging for the American player, and in an initial playing the German probably has the advantage, since the defender’s choices for set-up are fairly obvious. For the Americans to win, they need to use every trick the Chaffees have to offer: smoke mortars, WP, Gyros, fast traverse, multiple hits, and lots of speed, to dash to a position where they can get a bounding fire rear shot or survive long enough to get a deliberate immobilization.
Even then they’ll need a little luck (something Karl is always notoriously lacking.)
I was hoping to use this scenario for a mini (or The Melee) at WCM, since it’s an interesting scenario that plays very quickly, but I want to see it played once or twice more before I’ll do that.
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