Old hickory part 2

Old Hickory Part 2

So today was round 2 of the Old Hickory Campaign and it turned out to be an interesting game.  So after round 1 the southern(yellow) approach becomes available to the Germans and the Americans gain the 2 squads that remained of the platoon holding the road(all off map). So with 3 approaches, and Kati and her Germans already 1 step into red and yellow only being a 1 map path, I was worried about how to divide my troops.

To be safe I loaded up red and yellow path and left a token force on orange as it seemed the least likely attack route(it still had two maps).

And to my surprise Kati attacked the orange path figuring that I had left a token force there and it would be an easy way to hurt my force.

The table is a VERY open approach following a railroad below a hegde covered hill. The mission was probe so the Germans had to exit one team off my table edge.  The game is played along the table, so I had that going for me.

And as I explained earlier I had a token force stationed there.  Squad 2 (vets of the first game) down 2 men, my sargent, a 3" AT gun, a 57mm AT gun, bazooka team and a observer was the entire force opposed by...

Katis 2nd platoon at full strength with an extra squad and a panzer iv (very original;0)

This was going to be a short game.

my jump off points ended about where I wanted them to be 3 along the hege and one behind the wall around the building.

Kati's markers were all on the table edge but she was able to get one about halfway up the map.

My force moral ended up being an 8 (another bad sign) and hers was an 11 so she went first.

First phase saw the Germans deploy squads at different points on the table and no surprise the poor saps from another company entered at the closest points. These guys have been given the name of "Kati's Cannon Fodder"(KCF).

I deployed my 3' AT gun along the hedge and my squad along the wall.

Kati moved her tank on and advanced KCF towards the building.

I started to shoot at KCF.

The PZiv advanced steadily down the road.

Another German squad enters the table behind the already hurting KCF.

By this point my 57mm has deployed as has my mortar observer and he has radioed in.

KCF advances only to break in the next phase. 

I roll double six's and pull of an on target ranging shot and in the follow phase, call in a mortar strike.  My AT guns start to throw shells at the PZiv but they either miss or ding off.

The PZiv is undeterred and continues rolling up.  Kati uses a CoC point to end the turn and save her men in the barrage.

I deploy my bazooka team in the building as a last defence against the tank.

The German infantry can't seem to advance an inch so they start returning fire.

Her tank gets past 2 shots from my bazooka (and about 5 from my AT guns at this point).

Another German squad breaks and runs. Then her poor LT. takes a volley and falls, her moral at this point is 2.

Her tank is literally inches away..  I will have one phase to stop it.

Then I roll 3 6's.

The bazooka pulls it off just in the second of my 2 phases time, killing the tank and dropping her force moral to 0 ending the game.

What we both went into thinking would be a German victory turned out the opposite.  It was a close game, if I hadn't got back to back phases, I would have lost the game.

I lost 4 men from my squad when it was all said and done and the German 2nd platoon lost 12 men including their Lt, not to mention all of KCF and a PZiv.

The German high command has been put in her place with this loss.  A loss she vows will be the last....we will see..

Until next time.