AAR 53rd Welsh vs Grenadiers - Hold The Line

With the build up to Corrivalry I had a great game with Army Dave, he's preparing to attend  his first tournament, so we thought we'd get a practice game in.  After all my to and thoughts about lists on the last podcast, I was using my 53rd Welsh whilst Dave was using his German Grenadiers from Grey Wolf. We rolled for Mission and got 'Hold the Line', I used my attacking list, Dave his defensive one, so I would be attacking at night.

Adam's 53rd Welsh Infantry HQ Full Infantry in Ram Kangaroos + .50cals Full Infantry in Ram Kangaroos + .50cals 3 Universal Carriers 4 M10c's 2 Breaching Groups (one with AVRE) 4 25 Pounders 4 5.5 Artillery

Army Dave's German Grenadiers Hq + Faust, Mortars and Panzerschrek Full Grenadiers + Faust Full Grenadiers + Faust 2 Sets of 3 Mortars (One Kampfgrupe from the HQ) Infantry Scout Platoon 3 Pak 40's 5 StuG's Captured T-70 2 Quad 2cm AA Sporadic JU 87 Stuka

Generated by WWPD's BatRepper Software.

Deployment

The Board

 I placed my forward and to one side hoping to split his force

Dave placed his objective far back to one side of the mid line,

I deployed my artillery far back, the rest of my force ready to make a press for the near objective. Spearheading as much as I could towards it.

Dave deployed his infantry on the two objectives, with Nebs on the back edge, StuG's and Pak 40's in ambush.

Turn 1 

My turn 1 was relatively in eventful, the force moved forward, one of the artillery spotters rolled high for night fighting and I dropped a combined bombardment on them killing two stands of grenadiers.

Dave deployed his two ambushes, the Pak 40's in the woods near the front objective and the StuG's in the crops behind. Dave's Nebs hit my 3 rams on the right, but all saved. His StuG's, pak40's all rolled low on night fighting and didn't shoot. 

Turn 2

My whole army pushes the objectives.

Typically with Dave not seeing, neither did I! Whilst my force had moved further up, the barrage of 1's for night fight meant I couldn't shoot! Dave conversely managed to eat his carrots! His Pak 40's hit and destroyed 3 M10's

The StuG's shot at the Ram's on the left and destroyed 1 killing it's occupants, but the others bugged out.

Turn 3 

I maneuvered the Rams closer on the right, deploying their troops to move closer to the front grenadier platoon. The remaining M10 fired but missed as did one Breaching group, the other hit the StuG's though, with their smoke. 

Night continued in Dave's turn, he failed to unpin his units, but the StuG's advanced through the smoke destroying a Sherman whilst the Pak 40's killed the last M10.

Turn 4

With a little desperation I hit the StuG's with artillery, whilst the Ram's and infantry fired on the infantry and Pak's. With one breaching group dropping smoke and the other destroying a Stug. The infantry managed to avoid the defensive fire and in a bloody combat destroy the Pak40, grenadiers and a Stug.

Dave finally got reserves bringing on his SP AA. He moved his second infantry platoon towards the objective, whilst moving his StuG's towards my battered infantry. His shooting managed to drop 2 bases off the infantry, but they passed their moral test, whilst the plane hit the left infantry squad it only killed the 2 Ic . Dave's StuG's moved to assault the infantry team mid table, killing one and watching them fail a platoon moral test, but in doing so. 2 bogged leaving 1 operational 

Turn 5

The Churchill tanks destroyed the SP AA - while the breaching group destroyed the last Stug forcing the bogged ones to flee . The other breaching group and carriers hit the 2nd grenadier platoon killing enough to force a moral test they failed.

With both grenadier platoons, StuG's , Pak 40's and AA dead and his IC dead, Dave failed his company moral test handing me victory.

It was a close game with it going either way a couple of times. But my plan to hit one place hard worked handing me the win