A little Force On Force, a new meeting place, and date.

Well, the second meeting of the DC Gamers worked out very well. Curt showed up, as did me and Jage. We ran a scenario of Curt's design that was about the fighting in Anzio during the static phase of the beachhead fighting. It simulated a local push by German 3rd PzGrd Div (mot) against the perimeter of 3rd Infantry Division as part of Fischfang.. The players were the US side (me) and the Germans, ably played by Jage. The US was understrength, with two squads, a .30 cal MG and a Bazooka team.

The map was mostly open, with a couple small stands of woods and a line of ruins over mostly muddy terrain. The ruins were mostly towards the German side of the table, and they used them well to get in position to launch the assault on the US position on a rubbled building forward of the main line set up in the woods.

The German objective was to get at least a squad or more off the US end of the table, or failing that, to take the house. The US job, hold on for dear life. Both sides pulled one asset card before the game, I pulled a sniper card, and Jage a Light Artillery card.

The Germans opened by gaining initiative and shooting up the house, even with the cover the US troops had, the casualties began to mount. US fire was somewhat effective, but did little in the way to slow the Germans down. In the center, the US squad holding the woods traded fire with two German squads set up across the muddy fields in the line of rubble.

On turn 3, the Germans had killed all the Americans in the lower floor of the building and were in the process of assaulting it. But, as the Germans moved forward, the US sniper and remaining Americans on the upper floors took their tool, wounding or killing several Germans.

In the center, the casualties began to mount as the Germans found that even the cover of the buildings didn't protect them completely. Casualties on both sides piled up.

On turn 4, the worm turned, and I finally won initiative. The Americans stymied the German assault on the house just short of their goal. The squad in the center failed it's morale check, but the Americans paid for it...with German counterfire mauling the squad in the woods, the remaining defenders of the house falling and an attempt by the Americans to reinforce the line with the .30 and the Bazooka ending badly, as both elements were shot to pieces, the bazooka team fleeing back to the safety of the woods.

On turn 5, the game ended with more fire being traded by both sides and a German fire mission finally arriving to pound the woods to little effect. After that, it was agreed that the US had won a marginal victory on points...as the Germans had effectively taken the house, but they had bled so much taking it that the US could simply pull back and set up a new line based on the woods. Two German squads were combat ineffective, and the third had two seriously wounded members and wouldn't attempt an assault on it's own, even with three halftracks...the Bazooka was still out there.

Here's some pictures:











In other news, we have a date and place for the next meeting, 24 April at Victory Comics in Falls Church. You can find name and contact information in the previous Battletech post here.

We might have a sooner 15mm sci-fi event either at Pallisades or Victory Comics, but that's space dependent. Watch this space for details...and hey, if you're in the DC area, reading this, and like any of the AAG games, come join us!