AAR Volksgrenadiers vs US Rifle company - Fighting withdrawal

Hi all,

been a while since I did an AAR but I thought I'd brighten you're day with this one.

This is my Volksgrenadier's first outing!

I was playing another local player Paul and his US rifle company, his list was something like this

3rd infantry division

HQ + 2 bazook's

Rifle Platoon

Rifle Platoon

Intelligence and Recon platoon

Tank platoon (4 shermans)

Tank Destroyer Artillery Platoon (4 M10's)

Armoured Rifle Platoon

Armoured Field Artillery (3 Priests)

Where as I took

Volksgrenadier 12th

HQ + 2 Schreks

Sturm Platoon with Schrek

Sturm Platoon with Schrek

Schutzen Platoon with Schrek

Mortars (2 sections)

Infantry Guns (4 IG37's)

Recon platoon (short)

Anti Tank Platoon 3 Pak 40's

Volks tank Hunter platoon (3 StuG's late)

We rolled up fighting withdrawal and with my scouts I knew I was attacking, Paul spread out across the board, keeping sherman's in reserve. I decided my best plan was to hit hard and fast, but keep at least one threat elsewhere.

With that in mind I deployed my Sturm platoons with the scouts on the right flank, hoping to smash up that side and out flank him.

Turns 1 and 2

 I start by moving up using the Stosstaktik rule, and then keep on going, I try to use my mortars to give me some smoke cover but they miss, and use the infantry guns for a pin, but they miss too.

Paul fires back at my with his artillery and men, pinning the middle sturm platoon and the schutzen, but only one casualty.

despite my IC being around neither of the platoons unpin, worried that the shermans may arrive behind the hill I resolve to go for broke and try and push the platoon off the top, but sadly both the artillery and smoke fail to range in, but the assault rifles at least pin him. My pinned teams manage to dig in whilst a Stug smokes a priest. 

I charge into assault, but pauls counterattack is too hard pinning my boys. 

Paul decides that he's going to hunker down again, but his artillery strikes killing two stands from the middle platoon, but thankfully his M10's miss my Stugs.

Turns 3 and 4

Again the dice god's against me as the team which had hit combat and the one on the left continue to remain pinned even with an IC reroll, but the platoon in the middle, gets some smoke coverage and goes for it!

Sadly despite being pinned Paul manages to hit 5 out of 6 shots on a 5+ (I repeatedly asked for a stewards inquiry into his dice lol) and stops my assault, before breaking the platoon with artillery in his turn making them head for the hills. 

On the bright side I get rid of his priests, whilst he withdraws his I&R platoon turn three and his M10's turn 4. Sadly his shermans now do appear from behind the hill and start having a pop at my poor pinned platoon on the right!

Turns 5 and 6

The sherman's having fired at the sturm platoon are now the target for vengence! my Pak's leave their holes as do the infantry guns, and together manage to kill 2 bail 1 forcing the platoon out. But the sturm platoon take more hits from the rifles and bug out too. 

On the left flank the Schutzen platoon finally unpin and with the stug's try to take out the rifle platoon there, but with one bogging down and another being lost to defensive fire the Stug's fail their counter attack and bug out, whilst the Schutzen platoon against the unpinned, un smoked rifle platoon also die. 

As i've lost all 3 infantry platoons I call it here. 

Conclusion

Well it all went a bit tits up!

I was a little too head strong and not methodical enough. I've been caught out before attacking in this mission by going too slow and running out of time, but this time I felt so under pressure due to my platoons constantly rolling 3's for unpinning/moral in general.

I really should have moved up and threatened and finally assaulted when I got smoke and pinning to work and not rushed, though I did forget to use my scouts as scouts, as lifting gone to ground may have helped (i'll try not to blame my dice and instead blame me!)

But fair play to paul, he did what he needed, he dug and held. It's how infantry win. 

As for next time, well I'm thinking instead of Stug's I'm going to take Sturm Tigers, they should help deal with pesky dug in infantry, oh yes, I like the sound of that!

Anyway

Thanks for reading, here's to better luck (and skill) next time

Dr Cox