Panzer Pioneers vs SS Grenadiers in Hold the Line

The long road into town. I played this game last week at Perkins Hobby house in Petawawa. It was another 1650 LW game, with me tinkering again with my list. I went with Panthers again to see if I really do like them. I was playing against Thomas who is a recent edition to the normal FoW crowd. We rolled up hold the line and this is how it went.

Panzer Pioneers HQ and 2IC with Fausts Full Panzer Pioneer platoon with supply vehicle and faust Full Panzer Pioneer platoon with supply vehicle and faust 3 x Panzer IIs 3 x Panthers 4 x Marder III Hs

SS Gernadiers HQ, 2IC and Tank hunter team Infantry Platoon Infantry Platoon 4 x 15cm guns 2 x AA guns 2 x 8-Rads Barkman in his Panther

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Objectives are on the road back left and behind the tall trees in the very back right

German Infantry holding a blown up Marder objective

Don't be fooled these are the AA guns your looking for

Barkmann and the Coy HQ holding the other objective

Pioneers Marders ready to roll out

Panzer Pioneers ready to roll out covered by Panthers!

The 2IC plans on following the action on the right flank

UNITS IN RESERVE
Panzer Pioneers Nil	SS Grenadiers 2 x 8-Rads 4 x 15cm guns Infantry platoon

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Panzer Pioneers: Given that Thomas only had one ambush and it was a single 88 I figured that I could push him back with my Recce tanks and then have the chance to get other forces into position denying him the chance to really use it effectively. Given that there was a road running down the middle of the board I wanted to try and take full advantage of the increased mobility for the half tracks. SS Grenadiers: This mission limited Thomas in what he could deploy. He placed a platoon of infantry on one objective, the HQ on the other and had the AA guns and Brakmann as free runners.

TURN 1

Marders rev their engines and advance

An over zealous Recce tank gets stuck in the weeds

Meanwhile his platoon mates are already into the town

The half tracks on the right flank use the woods to cover their advance

The Panther's advance slowly hugging the terrain

Recce leads the way!!!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Panzer Pioneers	SS Grenadiers

TURN 1 SUMMARY

Panzer Pioneers: Everything advanced in one way or another. The right flank had all the half tracks move up. In the centre the half tracks sped along the road behind the lighter Panzer II tanks. On the left the Marders advanced ready to start hammering the dug in infantry next turn. SS Grenadiers: With delayed reserves its going to take some work to keep the Pioneers off the objective. The road in the middle isn't helping and deploying the big guns on the table at the start of the game would have been a good idea.

TURN 2

Recce tanks sneak past Barkmann and launch an assualt on the Coy HQ killing off the 2IC and tank hunting team before being driven off

Marders and half tracks surrond the infantry platoon only to have the 88 ambush and kill a Marder

To draw fire away from the left flank the right double times into the teeth of Barkman who destorys 2 half tracks and 2 of the infantry stands

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Panzer Pioneers 1 x Marder III 2 x half tracks 2 x infantry stands	SS Grenadiers 2IC and tank hunting team 2 x Infantry stands

TURN 2 SUMMARY

Panzer Pioneers: Pioneers continue to advance hoping to seize the objectives before reinforcements can arrive. SS Grenadiers: The AA guns can't hit anything and despite Barkmann killing some half tracks the Panthers will be in range next turn and it is 3 to 1.

TURN 3

Recce tanks followed by half tracks move in for the kill against the old man

The old man watches as his mounted Pioneers assault and destroy the infantry platoon holding the objective

The Panthers hit Barkmann but only bail him out

The 15cm guns arrive from reserve and fire on the light tanks, knocking one out

Pioneers firmly hold the other objective

AA and big guns are just outside of range to contest the objective

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Panzer Pioneers 1 x Marder III 2 x half tracks 2 x infantry stands 1 x Panzer II	SS Grenasdiers OC, 2IC and tank hunting team Infantry platoon 88 Platoon

TURN 3 SUMMARY

Panzer Pioneers: The Marders returned fire and knocked out the 88. The half tracks in the centre wiped out the infantry holding the objective. On the right flank the Recce tanks and half tracks took out everything holding the other objective. SS Grenadiers: In retrospect it would have made more sense to deploy the guns, infantry and perhaps still the 88. Dice were not friendly this game.

In the end I held both objectives at the start of turn 4 so the game ended 6-1. I think that Thomas' army list wasn't meant for fighting against another German force and would likely have done well against an allied force. Plus he wasn't feeling well and we've all tried to push through illness and sometimes we should have stayed in bed. I can't wait to get another game in against him, but this time I hope he's feeling better. Stay tuned for another 1650 LW and some updates on painting. The OMG LW double is on 20 or 21 Oct and I need my stuff done before then.

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