World at War: Eisenbach Gap Deluxe

First Panzer: Fight to the Death

After Action Report

Line of departure (Pre-battle):

Turns out the blind spots don’t really exist for hard targets. The ITV TOW on the hill waaay in the back reaches down to where it says 20. The German Marders reach to the 13s. The Abrams have LOS between the two lines. The only approach for AFVs is over that central hill.

Maybe use that as the axis for 1st Tank and send 33 Mot into Eisenbach on foot? Or put smoke on the ITV TOW and reverse the axes?

If 33rd Mot HQ stack w leg infantry, it is a soft target. That’s how to call the arty!

Turn 1:

1st Tank to hold in woods on hill out of LOS as exploitation force and pinning GDR forces.

33rd Mot to clear US forces in front of Eisenbach w/ man portable ATMs and arty/air – plus 69th Attack Sqdrn from turn 4.

NATO may get peeled off forward slopes into reverse slope defense. Abrams engages infantry in town 3/5 ob. Infantry is 2/5 on defense. Sagger is 3/4 on offense. Abrams 4/5 on defense. 2 Saggers plus 6 ATGM-armed BMPs to play shoot and scoot w 3 Abrams platoons. 8 to 3 says “back the hell up!” Hinds are 4/4 stationary, 4/5 moving. That’s 10 to 3 odds.

Team Yankee falls back on and defends Schlafenburg? WP needs two towns for victory.

1/171 Pzr defends the other two towns?

Schlafenburg is the key. Bergebbiffel falls to 33rd Mot.

Done with Turn 1. Thinking ahead. I don’t think the forward slope can hold. Still don’t love the WP odds. Final battle becomes 1st Tank vs everybody. Team Yankee can take 1st Tank alone. Not great for WP.

Turn 2:

Does ITV pull back or risk 3 for 4 airstrike w 2 for 6 defense? I say yes. Cd easily get reduced for no good reason.

ITV moving off.

End of Turn 2. No firing. I managed to pin my T-62s in the on the wrong side of the firing lane. No. Each SOV moved once. 33rd took the optional move.

Turn 3:

End of Turn 3. US aggressive forward defense. Infantry advances to exchange fire w/ SOVs in Eisenbach. US armor exchanges ineffective fire w SOV ATGMs.

End of Turn 4. Only 33rd and Team Yankee activated, Team Yankee twice. Again, no blood.

Turn 5:

End of Turn 5. Huge Turn!

33rd rolls out. A whole Abram platoon falls to Saggers, Team Yankee CO killed. Team Yankee falls back on Schlafenbauer. 33rd loses some BMPs to ATGMs. Hind section falls to Team Yankee Stingers.

33rd is still intact. 1/171 Pzr is screening NATO center/right flank. 1st Tank will take Schlafenbauer if 33rd cant.

A little upset about the Abrams. Darn Saggers, plus it didn’t undisrupt the previous activation, so two more hits and done. The dice can be cruel as can ATGMs.

Turn 6:

End of Turn 6. A short turn.

33rd infantry assaulted US infantry, we’re repulsed. All disrupted. Hind did not activate. Clock is starting to tick on releasing 1st Tank.

33rd Mot all strung out along road due to poor planning and short command radius. The tank battalion is stuck in the rear. Big mistake, even T-62s would be helpful against the US dismounted infantry.

Lead two infantry platoons failed in assault. Balance of regiment just cleared the ridge. Only one activation. Next turn 2 x US infantry platoons vs 5-7 WP infantry. With 3 x T-62 in support, wd be rout but tanks stuck solidly in rear, 1 km plus away.

See Part Two next week, for Turns 7 thru 12 and conclusions!