Last nights game was a 400 point set-piece battle using the 'Village' scenario. The Germans used the Infantry list as did the Americans, so both sides were very heavy on infantry and artillery with only a handful of tanks on either side. The Americans, as the attacker, had to capture three objectives, two of which were located in the village itself.
The attack was led by a US FAO Team who raced forward in their jeep, only to run over a cunningly placed minefield. The blast destroyed the jeep and killed all the occupants. Not long after this the second US FAO Team came under shell fire and were pinned down. In return US Artillery stonked one of the German anti-tank guns.
An artillery duel then commenced and the US suffered the worse with the second FAO Team dying under a Nebelwerfer barrage and the group
HQ becoming casualties due to a 120mm mortar stonk! Things seemed against the US but then the Shermans arrived. These advanced without risk and various elements of the Ost Platoon fled rather than stand and fight. Even the arrival of two StuG IIIs did little as they took out one Sherman and then both were destroyed in return. To add to the German woes, a passing P-47 arrived and began to rocket first the German supply column and then the Radio truck and finally one of the German anti-tank guns. Despite a brave defence the Ost Battalion took heavy losses, watching in disbelief as their Panzerfaust bounced off the Shermans. With the US Infantry pinned down by Nebelwerfers and
HMG fire it was left to the US tanks to do the job. This they did with aplomb, as the Pak38 with the Ost Platoon seemed to be firing duds!
Finally the German morale broke, although the US force was teetering on the brink too... Ironically, the German Grenadiers in the line with the Ost Platoon suffered no casualties at all!
In the end a lucky US victory, which saw a distinct lack of lady luck on both sides!
