Liri Valley Counterattack: An AAR

After too long a break, Patrick and I threw down a game last weekend. Pat was keen to give a tournament list a try and I wanted to get my German medium tanks on the table.

I also wanted to have the excuse to put some new terrain on the table. I've been spending some time working on my terrain collection, fixing it up, etc. I've also made up a couple of more forest bases and based up some pine trees I had lying about. Finally, I wanted to make sure that my new railroad pieces made it on the table, including my new curves and switches pack and the switching tower. I love these little sets adn would highly recommend them if you haven't got them already!



The Lists
Patrick is gearing up for BattleCry, a local gaming convention here next weekend. It's a de-escalation format and he's taking his new Kiwi Rifle company and wanted to test out the top tier at 1600 points. Quickly off the top of my head he had:

3x Rifle Platoons
1x HMG Platoon
1x Mortar Platoon (4x mortars)
2x Carrier Patrols (3x ea)
1x AT Platoon (4x 6pdr)
1x Light AA Platoon (2x Bofors)
2x RA Batteries (8x 25pdrs)

With a lot of family stuff on that weekend, I can't make it to the event, but I can certainly help Pat test out his Kiwis. I grabbed a standard Panzergrenadier force from Atlantik Wall. I had:

2x Panzergrenadier Platoons (trucked)
1x Heavy Platoon (2x HMGs)
1x Panzerjager Platoon (4x StuG standing in for jPzIVs)
1x Panzer Platoon (4x Panzer IV)
1x Tracked Panzerspah Platoon (3x Pz II Luchs)

We rolled up Counterattack as our mission and I won the roll to attack (Pat decided not to night attack). Patrick chose some ground with good fields of fire. Meanwhile, I too wanted those open areas to drive my tanks through, so I deployed opposite near the switching tower.

The battlefield.

Patrick's deployment on the right. A rifle platoon is poised to secure the open objective.

I mass my firepower against the left objective, with my Luchs positioned to hop over the stream in a shallow flank maneuver, destined to swing toward the train station and wedge themselves between the rifle platoons.

Oof. Recon moves discover that the embankment is a bit tall!

Panzers marsch!

The Panzer IVs assault into the flank of a rifle platoon, eliminating several teams and opening up a corridor.

The Panzer IIs remount, but immediately bog down again.

The StuGs push into the Kiwi lines, wiping out the first Rifle Platoon and getting in close to the HMGs. Meanwhile, Pat's 6pdrs ambush and manage to bail out all of the Panzer IVs and the 25pdrs bail out all but one StuG assault gun!

Pat's infantry bags the Panzer IVs, but the StuGs are just out of reach. Lucky for me!

The deadly 6pdrs that bailed everyone.

The StuGs remount and press through the HMGs and the infantry follows up.

Pinned by mortar fire, the infantry falls back. The StuGs are again all bailed out by the 25pdrs. Luckily Pat's infantry stays put in their foxholes, and all of the StuGs remount and press on.

The Panzer IIs, finally unstuck after three turns of bogged down results, engage Pat's reserves; a carrier platoon bearing down on the Nebs.

Through weight of fire, the Stugs eliminate the mortars and one 25pdr battery and assault the remaining infantry command teams there.

With nothing to contest the objecctive, the StuGs crunch their way to victory!

The result was a 4-3 German Victory. I need to seriously consider pausing my Panzer IV project for a StuG company! They were brilliant! Pat learned a few things about his list and I think he'll do well at the competition. He's one of the best offensive trackless infantry commanders I know, and he'll be sure to surprise more than a few opponents next weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!
-M