AAR – Late War - Panzer Kampfgruppe vs Canadian Armoured Recce – Cauldron

Hi everyone,  Thought I’d bring you a nice exciting little AAR between myself and my Paul. I was feeling like trying a list I've not used in a while so took the Canadian Armoured Recce list from Market Garden (really liked the idea of having some sneaky Shermans).  Paul was experimenting with a list from Desperate Measures, taking some veteran Panzers. We rolled up for a mission and got Cauldron with Paul as the attacker.

Canadian Armoured Recce HQ with David Currie 2 Shermans + 2 Fireflies 2 Shermans + 2 Fireflies 2 Stuarts 2 Stuarts Full Rifle Platoon + Ram Kangoos 4 25Pdrs

Panzer Kampfgruppe HQ Panzer IV 4 Panzer IV's 3 Panzer IV's 1 King Tiger 2 Ostwinds Half Track Panzerspah 2 Flak 88's Panzer Kampfgruppe (1 Weapon Team) 3 Nebs

Generated by WWPD's BatRepper Software.

Deployment

I chose a side with some wood’s to hide in, sadly this also mean I could never get all 4 guns shooting any way but straight up the field! I deployed the 25 Pdr’s around both objectives, and a sheman platoon in the woods, hoping the duckbills would be worth it!

Paul randomly rolled, his 3 panzer 4’s, nebs and KT were all in my right near quadrant, whilst his 4 Panzer platoon (and IC) went in the far right Quadrant.

My 2nd Sherman platoon was in immediate ambush and I deployed it in site of the three panzer platoon, knowing I’d be like Han solo, and shoot first…

My forces deployed

Pauls forces

More of Pauls forces

Turn 1

Frequently I do nothing on turn one, but this time was the exception. My shermans on my left flank moved forward, with one of the regular shermans bogging. The 25 Pdr’s hit but failed to damage the KT, but the shermans from my immediate ambush Sif’d a pair of panzers to death, but their colleague was enjoying the war. The other shermans shot but missed.

Paul’s reserves did not arrive, but he cautiously moved up his KT and Panzers, the lone panzer did nothing, whilst the Neb’s smoked my observer. His KT missed a Sherman poking it’s head out, but the 4 Panzer 4’s advanced bailing a firefly and destroying a Sherman.

defended objective

another defended objective

lets go panzer hunting

how did this happen?

my bad...

Turn 2

With the KT being almost unassailable and the lone panzer hiding, I moved all my fireflies in range of the 4 Panzers – sadly the bailed one stayed bailed, but the bogged one freed itself. The 25 Pdr’s tried to hit the nebs but miss. And the Fireflies (even with one having SiF all miss too… and are now sitting targets.

Paul has equally poor luck, his 4 panzers miss entirely, but the loan panzer kills a Sherman in the open. The KT and nebs miss their targets.

lone panzer and a KT

the panzers advance

you sunk my battleship/sherman

and bailed another

 Turn 3

I roll for reserves but none arrive, however my dice decide to help me, and the Fireflies manage to reduce the platoon of 4 Panzer 4’s to one Panzer 4, and kill Pauls IC in the process, The IC and 2IC start to manoeuvre to get close to the remaining panzer from the first platoon, as he’s now approaching my lines behind a hill, alongside the KT.

Pauls Kamfgruppe platoon arrive from reserve, and the Pak snipes a firefly! Whilst the remaining panzer from the first platoon kills a 25pdr, and the KT bails a Sherman. The last panzer from the second platoon fails to hit me, but retreats into the woods.

Canadians are woodsmen

birds eye view

ranged and bailed IC

what happened to my sherman!

oh this did

look panzers

where did they go?

us again!

Turn 4

The 2IC leave the woods to hunt the last panzer, but fails to damage it, whilst the 2 tanks from one of my platoon (having passed a morale test) chase the remaining Panzer form the 4 panzer platoon (but fail to hit!) meanwhile my remaining platoon of shermans move to the right flank, one sadly bogs!, and 2 stuarts arrive from reserve and destroy a neb.

Paul now has his Ostwinds arrive behind my stuarts, but they thankfully cause no damage, unlike the Pak 40, which kills a firefly, and with one alive tank, one bogged and two dead forces a morale test they fail! The Kt continues to miss, whilst the other panzer 4’s only bail the 2IC and miss the remaining shermans.

we're camping

reinforcements

good shot

lets go!

the chase begins

outflanking

big picture

stuarts yummy

thankfully only bailed

Turn 5

More stuarts arrive from reserve, but it takes all 4 to bail the ostwinds. The 2Ic springs back into his tank and kills the last Panzer from the first platoon, and the 2 remaining tanks from the armoured recce platoon kill the last panzer from the other. The 25 Pdr’s smoke the KT to try and keep him out of the party.

Paul now has his Flak 88’s arrive from reserve killing a Stuart. Thankfully the ostwinds stay bailed and his KT and Panzergrenadiers fail to do anything.

last panzer dead

they're only bailed

and another last panzer dead

my objective

pauls reserves

they hit me!

Turn 6

The roo’s come in from Reserve and move towards the german lines. The shermans move up cautiously, aware the KT, Flak’s and Pak’s can hurt them. The Stuarts advance but fail to hit, whilst the 25Pdrs range in on the Pak and Flak’s but only kill the flak command.

In Pauls turn his Recon arrives on the other side of the board and tries to molest the 25Pdrs to no effect. The Flak’s kill another stuart, claiming Pauls 2nd Platoon. The nebs try to target the Roo’s but fail, whilst the Pak stays GtG and the KT misses.

roos arrive

before 25pdrs

after

King Tiger skulking

recon arrives

Turn 7

The roo’s come even closer, with the IC moving to deal with Paul’s recon. The sherma’s manage no damage but between the Stuarts and 25Pdrs AGR the flaks vanish, and the infantry are pinned.

Paul tries to shoot with the KT to no effect, whilst the recon also fail to damage my guns. However the nebs destroy a Roo, killing 2 infantry stands.

infantry out

recon annoying

Turn 8

With both panzer platoons, the ostwinds and Flak’s gone, all I need is another platoon for the win. The Infantry dismount to move up on the grenadiers, whilst the firefly misses the KT. However the Sherman kills a neb, the last neb, fails it’s enjoy the war test, and with another platoon gone, and no IC I take the game.

KT survives

where the nebs were

Final result 4-3 to the Canadians.

Summary

What a great close game, I was lucky with my initial hits, but my poor positioning cost my shermans in the game, as did paul’s dice when my army was entirely exposed. I think the problem with the list is the very expensive platoons, you just have so little and FA6 dies eventually. On the other hand the KT still divides my opinion, it’s almost untouchable, but not great on bang for buck (especially when paul rolled a 1 for it’s skill). Either way it was an enjoyable game and nice to break out a list I’ve not used for a while.

Hope you enjoyed

Adam