Last nights battle - 14/10/2010 - Phil's SS Kampfgruppe Spindler Force vs Paul's Cobra 3rd Tank Company - 1750pts

This was a practice game for Paul in preparation for Roll Call 2010 Tournament - we rolled up 'Hold the Line' which is replaced with 'Hasty Assault' but as we didn't have the pdf, we kept to this mission.

As Paul was taking Cobra, they automatically are the attacker; so I made him take the end with the River bisecting his advance and placed my objective deep on the right flank, whereas Paul placed his objective as far forward as could be done on the right flank. I deployed one Panzergrenadier platoon with attached HMG round this objective and the C-in-C in front of my objective, with the Panther Platoon in ambush. It was going to be hard work for Paul, facing a Dug-In Fearless Veteran SS Company all armed with Panzerfausts!!!



Note: Army Builder does not include Warriors in the Cobra list build but Paul had Staff Sergeant Lafayette Pool leading the 76mm Sherman Platoon


Forward Objective defended by Dug-in SS Troops


US Armour parks up waiting for the order to advance


Aerial view from my Bf 109E fighter bomber support


Americans advance across the bridge, while the rest move up to the river bank (which will be a Skill test to cross with vehicles)



German 1st turn - StuG G reinforcements arrive to support the HQ team


US push forward with Staff Sergeant Pool leading; meanwhile 2 Stuarts bog crossing the river.


Armoured Company dismount to reduce the likely ambush positions of the Panthers


Panthers deploy from ambush ready to fire on the 76mm Shermans, I forget to measure the distance (still think as a WH40K player doh) and find that only one Panther is in range - 2 shots 1 hit and a failed armour save, Staff Sergeant Pool leaps from his tank but is caught in the explosion - Paul's run of bad luck 3 failed rolls to save him.
First Kill to the Germans.


76mm Shermans decide to shunt left behind the wood to get out of the Panther LOS, fire on StuG's and bail one


Unfortunately, the Panthers move over and get a bead along with the StuG's which results in 2 burning Shermans and 1 bailed.


View from American side, remaining 76mm hide behind the wood, meanwhile the other Shermans and Stuarts advance on the right flank. Infantry advance through the fields awaiting their opportunity to strike.



Seeing the mass of armour moving to the left flank, the Panthers and StuG's move over.
My 2nd PanzerGrenadier Platoon arrives and moves up to aid the C-in-C in defense of the 2nd Objective.


The Americans pull an agressive strike for the front objective with the Armour (at the time I felt that the Infantry should have gone in as well - especially with the pinning and smoke - giving the best opportunity).


The ensuing assault with the 2 Stuarts - kills 2 German Stands for 1 Stuart tank. Paul decides not to assault with any of the other Shermans!


In return, the Germans move out the smoke and destroy the Stuart, the lead Sherman and 2 of the Sherman 76mm.
The PanzerGrenadiers have no targets for their Panzerfausts, so lay down suppressing fire on the Rifle Company killing 1 stand. The Stuarts need to pass a Morale test and fail, re-roll with C-in-C fails and they all retreat.


Paul realising that he should have committed last turn, sends everyone in to the attack - hoping to pin the PanzerGrenadiers and sweep them off the objective.

4 hits later and a failed ranging in with the Mortars - the Panzergrenadiers are not pinned
and ready themselves to give defensive fire


The Defensive fire amounts to 15 hits which kills 6 Infantry Stands and pins them in place.

In the next German turn, the Panzergrneadiers unleash a torrent of fire which kills all but 1 Infantry Stand who promptly fails his morale and flees.

Paul makes one last desparate attempt to kill a Panther or two, but fails and realises the game is up as he will have lost 4 Platoons (76mm Shermans, 75mm Shermans, Stuarts and Armoured Rifle Platoon) plus the C-in-C, leaving an Armoured Rifle Platoon and the Armoured Mortars.
On the German side - I've lost 1 Panzergrenadier Squad and 1 HMG Squad.


This is a hard mission for the Attacker to win, can see why it was removed from Tournament play.

Love the Kampfgruppe Spindler list - great armour and great infantry, just need to add Artillery so that I can play with Smoke as well.
Not sure with the Air Support - they appeared turn 1 and 2 but only managed to bail 1 Armoured Mortar each turn.

They may do better next week against Mark's British Airborne as we fight over Arnhiem Bridge again.