Tag Archives: AAR

OB9 First Crack at Hellzapoppin’ Ridge

Advanced Squad Leader scenario OB9 First Crack at Hellzapoppin’ Ridge

Bougainville!  The 3rd Marines need to control more Level 4 hexes than the Japanese and wrestle the 2 guns away.
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Recently updated Advanced Squad Leader AARs, Apr 17 2019

Ongoing

Note : I keep about 10 to 12 scenarios & CGs running at the same time.  While I play 4 of them in weekly live VASL sessions, the rest of them are PBeM.  About half of my games are CGs (some playtest CGs) and the rest scenarios.  I update my AARs as the games roll along and so this is a notice to my readers of AAR updates and completions.

BFP18 Necklace of Pearls

Advanced Squad Leader scenario BFP18 Necklace of Pearls

Next one up in our Bocagefest (BFP Operation Cobra) is another one by George Kelln.  The Americans were still trying to breakout of the neverending Normandy bocages.  This time they need to clear a road from the north to the south in 7.5 turns.  The difference here from the last scenario is that there are now 3 Panthers and they are mobile (*shudder*).  Oh, there’s also this big 81mm ROF3 mortar that, my opponent gleefully reminded me, can be dismantled and loaded onto a Panther.  Sure enough, the mortar scored a critical hit firing through the trees at a Sherman moving behind a Bocage!

.. and the world went quiet for a moment as it rolled slowly to a stop.

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Gavutu-Tanambogo, Assault Period 4

This is it!!  The last of 4 Assault Periods in the “Sand & Blood” CG.  All Marines have landed.  The Americans win by controlling all land hexes on both islands (IJA has to surface to get land hexes) and not losing more CVPs than the IJA.

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So I (as the USMC) lost the equivalence of the entire IJA OB in CVPs.  That makes it impossible for me to fulfil the 2 fold Victory Conditions : to hold all land (aboveground) hexes and to not lose more CVPs than the IJA.

I believe landing the first wave on the south part of Gavutu (bottom island) behind the hill was a good decision.  Landing all the remaining groups in Assault Period 3 was a good decision as well because that effectively overwhelmed the defenders with targets.  I was lucky in that we took out the 2 x AA guns on Gaomi early.  That took out the guns from behind our backs as we attacked Tanambogo.

I would have used my fighter bombers more effectively though, to hit the island early as the landing crafts were approaching.  Sighting on units that broke from NOBA would have brought more devastation.  Oh, DCs are precious.  Sinking a few boatloads of DCs in the first Assault Periods resulted in a lot of Close Combats and manpower wasted to guard IJA exit point.

This is a great little CG.  I learned a ton about ASL seaborne assault.

Here’s the whole series:

(Sand & Blood CG is an Advanced Squad Leader campaign about Gavutu-Tanambogo that comes with MMP Rising Sun)

Recently updated Advanced Squad Leader AARs, Mar 9 2019

Ongoing

Starting up

  • DB002 Sochaczew
  • 3 The Czerniakow Bridgehead
  • SoF2 Berserk!
Note : I keep about 10 to 12 scenarios & CGs running at the same time.  While I play 4 of them in weekly live VASL sessions, the rest of them are PBeM.  About half of my games are CGs (some playtest CGs) and the rest scenarios.  I update my AARs as the games roll along and so this is a notice to my readers of AAR updates and completions.

FrF67 Collecchio

We have Brazilians in Northern Italy, April 26 1945.  They are to capture 5 out of the 8 buildings on the map in 6.5 turns.  The map has the buildings split up, 4 to each side.  The Germans have 3 Italian AB41.  The Brazilians have these really nice M8 Greyhounds as well as 3 Shermans, one sporting a 105mm howitzer.

 Shermans

Your pretty common M4A1.

M4 with a 105mm Howitzer!!  This thing has S7, WP9 & sM8!  Should be able keep them smoked for a little while.

M8 Greyhound

Fine, it’s OT and not the most well suited in an urban environment.  However, this sweet little car has Cannister shot (C7) aside from FP8 from its CMG & AAMG.  Its 36 MPs & urban pave roads yells “go anywhere shoot anything”.

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M8 Greyhound from the Tank Encyclopedia http://www.tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/US/M8_Greyhound.php

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DBP3 Down & Dirty

DBP3 takes us back to Dien Bien Phu again!  The French Legionnaires, the Algerians & 2 Chaffees start with 3 trench networks on the right and need to take 3 more in 7 turns.  Heavy Rain’s in effect and so is Mud.  The going’s slow and the malf numbers are low.

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FrF2 Maczek Fire Brigade

This is September 4 1939, Poland.  The Poles rushed the Maczek brigade to plug gaps in the defense.  The Germans win this scenario by taking 12 buildings in 5.5 turns.

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Here are some of the AFVs involved by the way (from the wonderful site – Tanks Encyclopedia) :

Polish

Vickers Ejw(b)

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The Ejw(b) is armed with a 47* (TK8) and a FP6 CMG.  AF2/1.

Vickers Edw(b)

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The Edw(b) has twin turrets (6×2*), each with a wz.30 7.92 MG which can be fired independently of each other.  AF 2/1.

TKS

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The TKS is armed with a FP2 BMG and the TKS(L) with a 20L  (TK6).  AF 1/0.

German

Pz IIA

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The Pz IIA was the main battle tank in Poland, spotting a 20L (TK 6 IFE 4) and a FP5 CMG.  AF 1/1.

Pz IB

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The Pz IB has a FP6 CMG that does 2 TK DRs per hit.  AF 1/1.

PSW 222

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The PSW 222 is an OT armored car with 33MP.  It has a 20L (TK 6 IFE 4) and a FP6 CMG.  AF 1/1.

Recently updated AARs, Jan 19 2019

Ongoing

Starting up

Note : I keep about 10 to 12 scenarios & CGs running at the same time.  While I play 4 of them in weekly live VASL sessions, the rest of them are PBeM.  About half of my games are CGs (some playtest CGs) and the rest scenarios.  I update my AARs as the games roll along and so this is a notice to my readers of AAR updates and completions.

Six guys in a Steeple against the World!! (DB132 One Last Victory)

This is a particularly interesting Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) scenario.  As the SS, having Assault Fire should tip you off to the fact that they should move as fast as possible in spite of heavy American firepower. At one point I had broken SS all over the board but we recovered and got to the last turn barely “on time” for the jump off!

The last turn was classic ASL: keep in mind I needed to get 2 of the 3 key buildings.

A Hero placed a DC in of the VC buildings.  That thing blew up with a original KIA and rubbled the building!  (YEAAAHHH)  The Americans had a 9-X Leader and a couple of squads on the Ground floor. It was bad.

I got my FT HS within 2 hexes of another one of the VC buildings, while under Concealment no less!  This HS X’d out the FT on the first shot!  These guys hadn’t done a thing all game and X’d out the FT on the only shot they got!!

The rest of the SS’s Advanced Fire was ineffective apart from pinning a couple of squads.

I had to win one of two CC’s to win the game.  In the first one,  the SS ambushed the Americans but boxcarred the roll.  Okay, I need to win one of one CCs .. then I realized I had a problem.

I had 2 SS squads at the bottom of the church where a pinned HS and an 8-0 got holed up in the Steeple.  Normally, this would have been the easiest CC to do.

But it’s a Steeple.

My 2 SS squad had to take a +3 overstacking penalty going in, so it’s a 3:1 or 8 +3, needing to roll a 5 (or really a 4).

I rolled an 8.

Notes:

  • Read the VC carefully: the German player needs at least 12 building which includes 1 of 3 buildings around hex D2 (in the back) and 2 of 3 stone buildings around hex J4.
  • Part of the German OB are reinforcements that will show up between Turn 1 to Turn 3.  They are good for keeping the Americans in place and also to grab a building around hex D2 in the back.
  • Keep in mind that the Germans have Winter Camouflage amidst Ground Snow .. ie if needed, they can Advance into Open Ground without losing Concealment (against ridiculous US firepower).
  • We completely forgot about SSR#5 Interrogation
  • That Steeple (J4) is useful in that it keeps an oversized contingent of SS from piling in.  The SS best focus on the other 2 stone buildings around hex J4.

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Next in the countdown: DB131 A Thorn in the Side!