THE BATTLE FOR WEISSE
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| Overall view of the ame board. Set-on is indicated by brown and blue "pipe cleaners" |
Dick White developed a Cross Fire scenario on short notice, thus the name of the battle. The Forces and missions were as follows:
Germans
The Americans are trying to take the road exit beyond the town of Weisse. You must hold at all costs.
Your Force
9TH Infantry Co (Veteran)
1 Coy CO (+2)
3 HMG
1 FO 81 MM mortars w/ 12 FM (3Smoke)
1/9 inf platoon
1 PC(+2)
3 Rifle sqds (one w/panzerfaust)
2/9 inf platoon
1 PC(+1)
3 Rifle sqds(one w/panzerfaust)
3/9 inf platoon
1 PC(+1)
3 Rifle sqds(one w/panzerfaust)
3 Mk IV Tanks
Germans win if they control the road exit at game end. Control equals no unsuppressed American unit within 12” of Road edge.
Moving Clock is in use. Game begins at 0600 hours and ends at 1800 hours. The clock advances 30 Min on a roll of 4+ when the Germans loose initiative.
Place first, start dug-in and hidden anywhere south of the indicated line on the map. The tanks are able to use camouflage nets to hide them until they move.
Americans can hold any number of troops off board at their option for later entry.
Buildings hold 2 combat squads plus one commander and one FO.
The blue oval is a swamp which does not block LOS and is impassible.
Fields: Vehicles BOG DOWN on a 3- Un Bog on a 4+*
Woods: Vehicles BOG DOWN on a 3- Un Bog on a 3+*
* Un-Bog result of 1 means that you are permanently bogged
Americans
You must occupy the road exit south of Weiss. This is accomplished by having a least one unsuppressed stand within 12” of the exit at game end.
Forces:
1 BC(0)
1 SMG Sqd
1 FO for 105mm Howitzer (8Fm, 5 Smoke)
4 Sherman Tanks (Commanded by Rich Bryant)
Engineer Platoon Veteran) (Commanded by Rich Bryant)
1 PC(+2)
4 Inf Sqds
A Company (Regulars) (Commanded by Rick Bryant)
1 CC(+1)
1 60mm Mortar*
3 Rifle Platoons ea. w/
1 PC(+1)
2 Rifle Sqds
1 Bazooka Sqd
C Company(Regulars) (Commanded by Jack Breen)
1 CC(+1)
1 60mm Mortar*
3 Rifle Platoons ea. w/
1 PC(+1)
2 Rifle Sqds
1 Bazooka Sqd
*60mm Mortars loose initiative if fail a smoke attempt.
Fields: Vehicles BOG DOWN on a 3- Un Bog on a 4+*
Woods: Vehicles BOG DOWN on a 3- Un Bog on a 3+*
* Un-Bog result of 1 means that you are permanently bogged
Moving Clock is in use. Game begins at 0600 hours and ends at 1800 hours. The clock advances 30 Min on a roll of 4+ when the Germans loose initiative.
Place second North of the indicated line.
The writer, Dick Bryant, was the German commander and as such, I wrote up an Operational Order for my subordinate for this game, Dick Messier. I did this in the interest of starting a game sooner by having all the players briefed BEFORE they come to the game. I also gave him a small map showing the German dispositions as shown in the Battle Report Map.
The Operational Order
TO Dick MessierFROM Dick Bryant, Commanding
SITUATION:
The enemy is trying to take and occupy the road exit to the South of the swamp. We must prevent him from coming within 1 ft. of the exit.
ENEMY:
Expect between 1 reinforced Company (5 platoons) to two companies with armor support. His main effort is expected to be on our left as he has more covered approaches in that area, though he may try an armor attack from our right.
FORCES:
2/9 Platoon
1 PC (+1)
2 Rifle Sqds
1 Panzerfaust Sqd (also acts as rifle sqd)
1 HMG
3/9 Platoon
1 PC (+1)
2 Rifle Sqds
1 Panzerfaust Sqd (also acts as rifle sqd)
1 HMG
In addition a FO reporting directly to the Company Commander with 2/9
FRIENDLY FORCES
1/9 is on your left rear and holds the left flank.
3 Mk IV tanks are in immediate support to the rear near the road exit.
MISSION:
Occupy the positions as shown on the map. You will dig in and remain hidden until detected by the enemy or forced to fire.
Hold your position (the center and right) as long as possible, causing casualties to the enemy as much as possible. If heavily pressed fall back to positions in the town, but maintain your zones of fire. If falling back, wood “A” must be held. Be prepared to reinforce the left by pulling straight back into the town on my order.
Bring all possible fire to bear on enemy when he shows himself except to keep one sqd from going “no fire”.
NOTE: You kill the enemy by firing on him – do so!
If you pull straight back out of a defensive position you cannot be fired upon until you exit the terrain feature!
You do not have to place the units in the positions they are indicated on the map. When you have to reveal them put them in the MOST ADVANTAGOUS position for the situation at the time of placement.
The 1/9, the armor and the Off Board Artillery were commanded by Dick Bryant
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| The overall map showing th German defense and the American attacks |
The Americans opened by moving on to the table rather than setting on at the indicated line on the map. While this gave the Germans no advantage as they did not have a LOS to the table edge, the Germans did get a better idea of what the American plan was. After smoking the north-most house, the Americans moved to both flanks while a Sherman came down the road toward the town. The Sherman was knocked out by a MK IV shooting down the road. The American Engineers entered at the center near the road, in position to assault the German defenses once they had been suppressed. On the German initiative, the 60mm of the left-most American column was suppressed (at position 1) by the German off board 81mm, then the right hand American column was pinned. On the U.S. initiative another Sherman came down the road to meet the same fate as the first. Two Mk IV went to the right to take that U.S. column under fire and essentially destroyed the lead platoon with HE and MG Fire. These two tanks pinned the Right hand U.S. column in place the rest of the game, especially after several missed bazooka shots and the loss of the bazooka team. On the German left the Americans slowly advanced slowly by “Recon by Fire” and occupied the 1st of 2 houses just past the field. When the Germans moved a tank toward the left, that advance halted.
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| Sherman brews up |
After a few initiatives of indecisive firing, The German tank on the left moved back to cover the road just as the Americans sent another tank down the road toward Weiss. It met the same fate as the first two.
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| Germans move to cover the right - note remains of US platoon in cener woods -yellow marker indicates "pinned" |
The Americans were down 3 of their 4 tanks and the Germans had lost none. The American Company on the German Right was bogged down, one platoon wiped out, with little chance of advance against the two German tanks and had no counter with the loss of so much armor. The Germans had lost one Panzerfaust stand. The Americans decided to withdraw to fight another day.
Had the Americans set-on on the line as given in the player briefs and been more careful of their armor assets, a much different outcome may have been the result.
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