KG_Kharkov
11-28-2005, 12:51 PM
KG_Soldier and I fired up VASSAL last night and began playing the Band of Heroes' scenario "The Road to Foucarville". This scenario is set on the morning of D-Day and features 7 American airborne squads attacking across two boards to capture key buildings in the town of Foucarville at the northwest exit of Utah Beach, located on Board 15. KG_Soldier decided to play the 101st while I played the Wehrmacht's 91st infantry division, commanding 4 squads and a mortar weapons team. I set up in a concentrated defense around the town and the game began.
Soldier entered his troops in plodding fashion, while I moved a spritely Hun squad forward to scout and interdict key advance routes. The first 3 turns saw little action as Soldier advanced his troops to the midpoint of Board 16 (the board he entered on). He triggered a special event marker which noted that the town was more heavily defended than he thought. Bullets flew and after a die roll from Soldier, I was awarded another squad and a sniper ala Saving Private Ryan. I placed my sniper in a wheatfield behind a hedge with a good field of fire while my recon squad moved into a good interdict position in the middle of Board 16.
Turn 4 saw major action as Mark's blundering paratroopers ran into the 91st division buzzsaw. My recon squad fired at a stack of three squads (let's call them 1rst platoon) and a leader with no effect, as Mark moved those troops closer to my recon squads treeline. My sniper sighted in his modified Kar98 and plunked off a few rounds, winging a member of Squad B of 1rst platoon and shaking the squad. My MG42 team fired at long range and ripped into a squad next to 1rst platoon as it hunkered down behind a hedge in a field of low crops. The fire direction was superb and Soldier's squad was visibly shaken. Lt. Koch acted as a spotter for the 50 mm mortar set up in the streets of Foucarville and called down a mortar barrage on 1rst platoon. Sergeant Baumann lost his nerve and began rocking back and forth and calling for momma. Squads A and C were shaken by the sight of Baumann's loss of nerve, while the men of Squad B -- already panicked by the earlier sniper attack -- failed to take appropriate cover, suffering 5 casualties in the process.
We called a temporary halt to the game after Turn 4 to allow General Soldier to complete some term papers that needed to be filed with his command college.
With Utah Beach in doubt, warfare should resume this weekend.
Soldier entered his troops in plodding fashion, while I moved a spritely Hun squad forward to scout and interdict key advance routes. The first 3 turns saw little action as Soldier advanced his troops to the midpoint of Board 16 (the board he entered on). He triggered a special event marker which noted that the town was more heavily defended than he thought. Bullets flew and after a die roll from Soldier, I was awarded another squad and a sniper ala Saving Private Ryan. I placed my sniper in a wheatfield behind a hedge with a good field of fire while my recon squad moved into a good interdict position in the middle of Board 16.
Turn 4 saw major action as Mark's blundering paratroopers ran into the 91st division buzzsaw. My recon squad fired at a stack of three squads (let's call them 1rst platoon) and a leader with no effect, as Mark moved those troops closer to my recon squads treeline. My sniper sighted in his modified Kar98 and plunked off a few rounds, winging a member of Squad B of 1rst platoon and shaking the squad. My MG42 team fired at long range and ripped into a squad next to 1rst platoon as it hunkered down behind a hedge in a field of low crops. The fire direction was superb and Soldier's squad was visibly shaken. Lt. Koch acted as a spotter for the 50 mm mortar set up in the streets of Foucarville and called down a mortar barrage on 1rst platoon. Sergeant Baumann lost his nerve and began rocking back and forth and calling for momma. Squads A and C were shaken by the sight of Baumann's loss of nerve, while the men of Squad B -- already panicked by the earlier sniper attack -- failed to take appropriate cover, suffering 5 casualties in the process.
We called a temporary halt to the game after Turn 4 to allow General Soldier to complete some term papers that needed to be filed with his command college.
With Utah Beach in doubt, warfare should resume this weekend.