Cutting Hell's Highway

     My son and I played a game of FOW today to get ready for Historicon.  We played the "Surrounded" defensive battle with 1500 point forces.  The rule going into today's skirmish was to use as many of the forces we had painted but hadn't seen the gaming table yet.  That and various new terrain pieces made this a slightly newer setup than our standard Normandy bocage bash. Plus, it was a good time to brush up on version 3 rules.   

      I had the Germans with a force from the "A Bridge Too Far" book using the SS KG Spindler list.  I had an HQ with 2 panzerschrek teams, 2 SS Panzergrenadier platoons, an SS Panzer zug with 3 Panthers, an SS nebelwerfer battery with 2 launchers, and a Wehrmacht Assault Gun zug with 2 StuG IIIs.  Not an overwhelming force, but since they were mostly Fearless Veterans, I was confident. 

      The Americans had a force based on the US Paratrooper force from "Hell's Highway."  My son had a HQ with 3 bazookas, 2 paratrooper platoons, an engineer platoon with 3 bazookas and supply cart, a mortar platoon with 2 tubes and an armored recon platoon with 4 armored jeeps and an ATG platoon with 3 bazookas and 3 57mm guns. 

The table with all the accoutrements.

Looking across the table.

Another view.  XXX Corps will drive up the gray cobblestone road if the US Paratroopers can keep it open. 

A US objective.  This was new!

One objective at the edge of the US deployment area.

The other objective at the town edge.

Only C-rations and Lucky strikes in this container.

US Paratroopers deploy to hold the town and the objectives.

Another Paratrooper platoon digs in to hold the other objective.

Holding the line at the town outskirts.

Another new platoon - the Paratrooper Armored Recon Platoon.  Their construction was harried as the pieces fit poorly and required multiple assemblies. 

Diggin in in the woods with a very nice field of fire. 

Achtung!  Here come the krauts.  Two platoons of SS Panzergrenadiers in camouflage (one newly painted) and a Panther zug.  This is the main thrust all geared for the one objective. 

Another view of the SS KG with its nebelwerfer section.

From the other side, a pair of StuG IIIs from the Wehrmacht threatens the US positions. 

Alone and unafraid, these assault guns were to menace the US positions while the main thrust from the other side went in for the kill. 

The US deploys its 57 mm ATG guns in ambush near the threatened objective, giving pause to the Panthers. 

Another view of the US defenses. 

Recon jeeps redeploy to menace the nebelwerfers. 

Turn 2: The SS advance continues. 

StuGs line up to shell the Paratroopers . . .  with no effect. 

Jeeps race across the fields to attack!

The German right flank is open to attack!

Priority air support hits the exposed StuGs . . . and misses.  No JDAMs for the 9th Air Force. 

Germans take up positions to shell the US lines, but with only 2 nebelwerfers it is slow going against dug in Fearless Veterans.  Even the SS Panzergrenadiers hesitate to attack.  At the bottom left, the panzerschrek teams and company 2IC move to protect the nebelwerfers.

The StuGs motor around the farm to help the SS attack.  This will not end well. 

US Paratroopers move out of their foxholes to attack the German flank. 

The Paras at the objective take minor losses from the nebelwerfers and Panthers. 

A SS Panzergrenadier platoon moves out of the woods and across the road. 

Another P-47 attack ends in failure as the flyboy realizes the target is too close to friendly lines. 

The KG commander ponders his next move . . .  Trading fire with the US Paratroopers results in the death of the  Company Commander. 

Meanwhile the other side of town the Para Engineers go after the StuGs.  Remember the Gammon bombs? 

Another view. 

Panzerschrek teams manage to bail out a jeep crew, the best they EVER manage before being shredded by .50 caliber MG fire. 

Somebody has to cross the road first . . .

Bazooka fire bails out a StuG and prepares the way for a US assault!

Fearless Veteran Engineers should easily carry the day.

Fearless Veteran Engineers lose a stand and fail to destroy the non-bailed StuG.

Fearless Veteran Engineers fail a motivation check and retreat. 

Meanwhile the armored jeeps harry the German flank. 

The StuGs were equally unimpressive in attacking the US Paratroopers, who attack again. 

Panzerchrek teams are shredded and the 2IC hides in the orchard. 

German panzer and nebelwerfer fire is consistently ineffective.  The 57 mm ATG guns rotate and destroy a StuG. 

The Fearless Veteran Engineers kill the 2nd StuG with bazooka fire.  One German force has been destroyed!

Seeing the planned attack is going nowhere, the Germans shift their schwerpunkt and attack the Paratroopers who are pressuring their flank.  The nebelwerfers smoke the US ATGs to prevent any flank shots on the Panthers. 

  Exposed Fearless Veterans take heavy casualties. 

Nebelwerfers take many shots from the jeeps but manage to survive. 

Panthers see a road to victory if the US Paratroopers can be broken. 

The US platoon resists an assault from the SS Panzergrenadiers but loses too many stands causing it to break.  The Panzergrenadiers break as well, but the Panthers see their chance!

The Fearless Veteran Engineers see the threat and move back to contest the exposed objective. 

One would think the jeeps with MGs would rapidly kill the nebelwerfers.  Perhaps they didn't want to mess their paint job . . .

Panzer Marsch!  Nothing can stop us now!

. . . except another US platoon that leaves the woods and assaults the Panthers from the rear.  The Paras take some casualties and the Panthers survive to continue on. 

Panthers drive up and hold the objective at the end of turn 6. 

No US forces are close enough to contest the objective.

The US player has few options left. 

He elects to assault the nebelwerfers and HOPE that the P-47s can destroy the Panthers. 

The Air Corps misses again. 

The nebelwerfers survive a hail of MG fire. 

Victory is mine saith the 2IC who spent most of the game cowering in the orchard.  Still, a win is a win. 

The core of the SS kampfgruppe.  I am starting to get the hang of pea dot camouflage. 

SS Panzergrenadiers on the march. 

Perhaps the USAAC could hit this target . . .