US 7th Armoured vs Panzer Lehr in No Retreat

 

 Shermans dead ahead, FIRE!

Game 1 of Perkin's Hobby House and Petawawa Miniature Soldier's annual Battle Cry tournament (LW 1650) was against PanzerKommander.  The mission was no retreat where I was the attacker and PanzerKommander was going to have to keep the US Armour at bay.  This was the first game that I had played with this list.  I had a tank platoon like this for US Nationals and really liked them, plus I got my hands on a 7th Armored box set in a trade so it seemed like a perfect match.  I placed the objective to one side after he placed his centrally at the back, hoping that I would be able to get around on a flank and roll him up before reserves could arrive.

PanzerKommander Lehr
OC and 2IC
Full Grenadiers Platoon
Smaller Grenadiers Platoon
4 x Panzer IV Hs
3 x PaK 40's
4 x 10.5cm guns
4 x Pumas
2 x SP AA


My 7th Armored
Patton
OC - E8 and 2IC - Jumbo
4 x Shermans (2 x E8, 1 x Jumbo, 1 x M4A3)
4 x Shermans (2 x E8, 1 x Jumbo, 1 x M4A1)
4 x Stuarts
2 x 81mm Half track Mortars
Div Recce Jeep and Half track
3 x Priests
AOP

 Set Up

 Ojectives are in the far centre wood and the far right wood, this was taken turn 1 after movement

 Poor Panzer IV H's are surronded before even getting to fire a shot

 Lehr Infantry hold the Centre of the table and the right objective

Turn 1

 Shermans open fire and knock out all but one Panzer IV H

 German guns respond bailing an E8

Turn 2-3

 Shermans swarm the 10.5 cm guns knocking all but one of them out and then force the PaK 40's to pop from ambush

 AOP using the Priests hunt for the last Panzer IV H

 Achtung! Shermans dead ahead!

Turn 4

 The PaK 40's take down an E8 before being wiped out

 Stuarts look for an avenue to advance being mindful of the lone Panzer IV H

Turn 5

 Shermans break from cover and begin advancing on the full Grenadier platoon and the newly arrived smaller platoon

 The AOP is redirected from its Panzer hunt to break up the infantry around the objective

 The Panzer IV H is able to knock out 2 Priests but it's too little too late

 Newly arrived Pumas take a pot shot on the 81mm Mortar carrier and knock one out

Turn 6

 Shermans and Stuarts combine their MGs and gut the full grenadier platoon caught in the open

The OC and the other platoon open fire on the small grenadier platoon gutting them as well.

We called the game at this point PanzerKommander had lost his 10.5 cm guns, PaK 40s, both grenadier platoons were below half and ready to break.  The Shermans had carried the day by overwhelming speed and violence.  Afterwards we discussed how having the other Infantry platoon on the table would have been good and using the tanks in ambush.  The spear head move coupled with always attack is a deadly combo.  The final score was 6-1 for me, not a bad way to start the day.