BdF2 - Parker's Last Stand

Guys, I rarely do AAR's but this scenario was so good, I figured I would. It won't be a detail studded account for two reasons, one. it was played on VASL over about 3-4 months, and two and most important, I'm cruising on some pain killer called Norco right now. ( as an aside, does anyone else have to chase their monitor around the room before typing?) Anyway, to the scenario.

I was playing a guy named Randy Shurtz on VASL. Randy is a nice guy, we rolled for sides and I came up American. The scenario is from the BDF pack. The Germans come at the crossroads from both sides, have off board observed 105 + an on board observed 80mm mtr. The Americans get 3 meatchoppers and a meat chopper wannabe, along with 2 M8's. They are outnumbered in squads about 2-1, the Germans also get 2 81 mm mtr, but the EC is snow, with Deep snow, so no smoke. The Germans have to come away with 7 bldg locations to win at scenario end. They have 8 turns, which is adequate given the terrain and start points. The Americans can fortify one location, and have a 9-2 with a couple of mmg's to keep him company. They also get a couple of 105 arty pieces to play with. There is a +1 lv hinderance at 0-6, +2 at 7-12 etc going on too.

Randy came in from both sides, which is very useful as it greatly restricts the rout capability of the American forces. The highlights of the early fighting were his 105 OBA pounding my 9-2 and friends at the stone house, my meatchoppers getting blown up by his 81 mm mtrs in thier next to useless trenches, and his main push hitting my mlr in the orchard wooden bldg sector of the map. The 9-2 held out ok, as he was in the cellar, so no real harm came to him. the choppers were out of action early though, and had a very small role in the fight. My 60mm mtr crew, were MOH candidates, CHing a hmg nest, blowing the radio operator to kingdom come, and later breaking up yet another advance with a ch / kill combo on a squad.

By turn 4 my speed bumps outside the stone house were kicked in, as were the last of the choppers. The 105 in front of the stone house did nothing, but the one in the orchard fought well. He sends a replacement to grab the radio from the dead 7-0 and along with the 105 begins to work over the wooden building, and troops there on the extreme part of the perimeter. It is clear the attack vs the stone building while strong, is intended as a pinning attack, and the main thrust is at the wooden buildings, in the orchard and the far right facing the American position. He eventually, Turn 6, overwhelms the Orchard position and then sets up to make a run at the right flank buildings. the 9-2 has moved to a wooden building abutting the stone building to lay down firelanes across the fields vs the advance from that side vs the right flank, the surrvivng M8 has moved to a position to hit the attack coming from the other direction. The dead M8 treating me to one of my first ever sucessful cannister attacks. He has cleared the orchard buldings by now, and has only to move against the right flank. His arty continues to soften them up, and on his last turn he launches the assault there. The by now badly depleted forces attacking the stone building get a break by rolling a 2 in cc, and can backdoor into the stone building. In his turn he walks through 6 2-2 firelane attacks without a pin or break, and captures those buildings on the right flank. He does not take the upper level of that particular one hex, 2 lvl building though, so ends his turn controlling 8 locations. To make matters worse, he has rolled a snakes in a 1-1-1 against some units tying up a 4-4-7 and mmg next to the 9-2. giving him an 8-0 and withdrawing to better positions to cover my last turn counter attack to get the locations back. I send the surrving M8 at his ft hs, 4-4-7 holding the closest bldg to the Stone bldg. and get a surprise in the process. I thought that the +2 for moving vehicle applied to the ft and mol. No, only mol's. Also the mist didn't apply on a tk roll for a ft. so he had a 10 or less to kill it, which he did, (8, flambe) next the 9-2 and friends dropped their mmg's and lit out for the hex adj to the building with the now first fired ft and sqd. they surrvive a 9+1, 5-1,4.5-1,8+1, 4+1 to get there. The ldr pins on the last shot though, leaving only the 2 hs to try to get in. in adv fire. I roll a 3 on a 6+2/3 respectively vs his ft/sqd position. the sqd breaks his 2-3-8 hs passes. In the stone bldg I have a 3-3-7 ,9-1, 5-4-6 facing a 5-4-8 with a schrek holding a location in there. We exchange futile prep/defensive fire shots. it comes down to a 3-1 and a 3-2 cc. I kill his hs, with no loss in the orchard bldg. Then bush the 5-4-8 in the stone building, following with a snake eyes roll for the win. Last turn, last CC. Can't ask for better. I highly recomend this scenario to anyone out there. It was a lot of fun. Bob, I'll paste this on the web site in the AAR section. Enjoy guys.

Carl N