Monthly Archives: June 2024

FT109 Hitler’s Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

FT109 Hitler’s Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

This is the first of a series of thrilling Motor Gun (Torpedo) Boat scenarios that are part of LFT St Nazaire, reflecting action around the world. The ocean’s at level 0, so a beached MGB, bristling with weapons, poses an exciting situation for garrison units with a taste for adventure. All houses are wooden and ground level only apart from the building at the top left that’s highlighted in orange. These MGBs have 14PP rubber rafts to ferry tourists to shore, but if MGBs are willing to risk going aground in the shallows, they can unload directly onshore.

This was Norway 1943, and the Norwegians were conducting a Commando Raid at Strød Island. As such, their 8 morale was fanatic on Ocean-Hinterland hexes. They win in 6.5 turns if they can successfully exit two DCs toting 338s via the space marked on the top of the map with the British roundels.  There’s a +1 LV and Moderate Mist to help those on the move.  

The Strød Island Garrison, who must have thought they pulled a nice assignment on the island in 1943, were 8 2nd-line half squads with 2 LMGs. Plus they had a pair of 105mm ART guns on the stone pier that the Norwegians already knew about!

After Action Report

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

I pointed my 105mm guns each to a side.  The +1 LV hindrance and the Moderate Mist will at least a +2 to all shots.  However, if they hit, the Norwegians run the risk of drowning half their OB.  So I didn’t think they would come up the middle where the gun(s) need to make a +3 turn to shoot (a flat shot in reality since the boats were -3 targets).  My weak OB and the the MGB’s awesome firepower convinced most of the German Garrison to stay away from LOS to the waterline.   

Act of Valor movie

I had most of my garrison on the left of the map.  I figured the right of the map wasn’t as easy to get through, plus it was more of an Open Ground for commandos to cross from there to the exit space.  I had both of my LMGs and a 7-0 in the middle of the map as a backstop.  They had a stone wall that shield them from those MGBs but turned out the hindrances from Moderate Mist kept them well protected anyways.  

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

As I suspected, the pair of MGB crashed into shore right away and offloaded their commandos!  My 105mm fired but missed (LOS blocked and Gun malf’d).  One of the MGBs went aground (loud expletives) with a Gun tagging on Acquisitions, a gunfight ensured.  We got a hit but couldn’t get an effect apart from claiming one HS.  Since the commandos went ashore, the Germans wasted no time running backwards from the shore.  

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Whilst the right 105mm and the stuck MGB traded shots, the left MGB went for the stone pier since the Germans couldn’t fix the right 105mm.  At 4 hexes, a torpedo splashed into the water and scored a direct hit on the pier!!  Both guns disappeared in a shower of rocks.  

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

With half the MPh’s left, the Norwegian on the left made it to the top of the map.  The Germans fought to stay in front of them, with the LV & the Mist helping both sides.  One of the LMGs in the middle thought they would go to the big wooden building to help but quickly realised that the battle would move too fast for that.  One HS and three dummies on the right would keep the other half of the Norwegian OB delayed.  Meanwhile the two MGBs tried to find useful purchases.  The hindrances made it impractical to shoot at that distance.  They were there largely to strip German concealment.  

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The ‘VC’ stack on the left, with a leader and two DCs toting 338s, was almost at the end zone! The Germans made a dash for it too, with their LMG’s moving into place. The Norwegians on the right moved freely as well, since it was clear that most of the German garrison were on the left. We had to keep any DC toting 338’s at bay for two MPh!!

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The left VC stack was 2 hexes from the exit.  The German garrison crowded up that space.  However in the meantime, the right VC stack arrived at the scene.  

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

There was a lot of movement and loud bangs, but when the action subsided, the Norwegians were still on board! An attempt on the left was thwarted for now, but the Norwegians were still in the thick of it! The right VC stack got closer to the exit, and things were really heating up! 

FT109 Hitler's Lost Iron After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Germans made a valiant effort to stack up their two LMGs, but it was for nought. The Norwegians on the left were stopped, but they got the right VC stack off the board! What an incredible game!

Tenor

ITR13 To the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

ITR13 To the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

Victory Conditions

This is the summer of 1942 and the Germans are on the march! They’re looking to clear the NKVD headquarters at Rostov.  They’ll win in 8 turns, if they control both buildings K8 and L12.  You can see the two buildings marked with big yellow ‘V’s on the map.

The Russians have eleven 8 morale squads, mostly 628’s, so they’re ready for the fight! These are supported by a 10-0 commissar and a 9-1 plus an 8-0. They come with four Fortified Locations, twenty Mine Factors, an ATR, a MMG and a Flamethrower. The Germans have sixteen squads, four of them 548 with 3 smoke. They have 5 leaders with a total of -4 modifiers amongst them, four MMGs and 4 tanks. I knew these buildings would take forever to clear, but I was excited to see how quickly my squads could work together to overcome the challenge.

After Action Report

ITR15 TO the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Germans were situated directly across the street. We spotted a rout trap protecting the top (west) building and so we decided to focus our forces on the bottom (east) building. We wanted to get behind these two buildings as well because if the Russians get to rotate concealed units out, we would never win this battle. For the time being, we would ignore but isolate the three Russian stacks in that building on the top of the Russian deployment. We had four MMGs distributed between the 9-1 and the 9-2 stacks as deathstars to support the assault troops moving across the street. The 548’s would provide smoke (& close up assault fire) and the 467’s would deploy where possible. We would have to note the hexes the Russians step into if we want to avoid the mines. They would undoubtedly withdraw into the top victory building (west), so we’ll have to be quick!

ITR15 TO the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

In a stunning turn of events, the Russian flank guard melted away in an unexpected blaze of glory (a break and then Fate). The Deathstars tried to stop the Russians from moving up to the middle and the top building. We were moving troops to the left (south) side of the buildings, and it was going great! The four tanks arrived on the scene, ready to provide smoke and armour cover to those crossing the streets. We made it through the first of the Russian fortified positions! There were three more to go!

ITR15 TO the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

The Russian 10-0 commissar kept putting brokies back in circulation, which was a great move! We had to move the AFVs to put a stop to the unacceptable situation. One of the AFVs moved too close and got destroyed (fine, I wasn’t paying attention), though it became a nice crossing point. The Germans blew through the second Fortified location, yeah! The deathstars started moving to support the attack on the top (west) building, although I have to admit, I wasn’t covering them from Russian sniper well.  At this point in the game, both the Russian ATR and the flamethrower malfunctioned, which was a real shame.

ITR15 TO the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We had no choice but to stack ourselves up to the often 12+3 or more firepower from Russian 628’s.  We had to keep up the pressure!!  The 9-2 broke trying to organise his men at the new deathstar position.  An 8-1 dived through his own lines and tried to deliver a DC to the Russians, he got killed for his efforts.  I had to move a wounded 7-0 to that center building to keep the attack going.  There’s a Russian 9-1 nursing a broken MMG on the corner of the last VC building.  We had to move the AFVs in to mess with that rout as well.  

ITR15 TO the Last Bullet After Action Report (AAR) Advanced Squad Leader scenario

We got the Russian hemmed into a corner of the top VC building! The two Russian leaders are in the hex with the last Fortified Location, and they’ve got all the brokies! The tank I dispatched to keep the brokies away from the Russian 9-1 was killed by a LMG from the 8-0 stack we tried to isolate in the building at the top of the Russian layout. But that just made the rest of us more determined to get the job done! In a bold move, they then tried to dash across the street to join the fight! Unfortunately, they got pinned in the street, and I sent a tank through and overran the stack! My 9-2 was shot by the Russian sniper, but that allowed his machinegunners run across the street to help! It was after the German AFPh that the Russians finally gave in in disgust.

I think the one thing this scenario taught me is to target one bit of the puzzle at a time and focus all your firepower, assault troops and AFVs on it.  It’s basic tactics but it’s one that I failed to get my head around in execution till now!  On the otherhand, this seems to be a scenario that’s tilted to the German side.  Perhaps those of you who played this will share your thoughts?