Battle Report: 1500pts American Armour Vs German Panzergrenadiers

The Americans kicked off the Allied attempts to move Patton’s whisky cabinet one step closer to the Reichstag with an armoured assault towards the recently lost Gatow airport.  Running into the remains of the ever present 18^th Panzergrenadier Division they stalled on the edges of the outlaying airport buildings.  With German resistance stiffening the footsloggers were sent on a flanking manoeuvre while the armour demonstrated in front, only to be cut to pieces by MG fire from the buildings they had hoped to capture.  

The edge of Gatow airport - Shermans massing by the trees while the Germans defend the buildings.

American AA halftracks getting too close to the StuG's.

German StuG assault guns and PaK43’s arrived to duel with the American armour, with the AT guns swiftly put out of action, but the Yanks armour piercing ammunition proving a dud with the StuG’s improbably surviving shot after shot.  In return they knocked out several Shermans, and when the panzergrenadiers began to advance through the ruins; hunting down a Sherman Jumbo with panzerfausts and a panzerschreck, the American CO decided it was time to cut and run before his losses became more than he could bear.

Panzergrenadier counterattack.

Of course he missed.

The Yanks lost their cavalry recon and infantry platoon, while the Germans lost their last heavy AT guns in the PaK43’s but in the subsequent Allied retreat they gained a large swath of woodland to the West of Berlin.

Four Days In Berlin - Campaign Report - Day 3

‘Day 3’ of the campaign saw the commander of German forces in Berlin vanish in a haze of dust, possibly heading towards a rendivue with a U-Boat on one of Berlins many canals while seeking to escape the territory of the newly conquered ‘Dennis Land’.  Indeed Dennis’ Romanians have been most busy; surrounding the Reichstag before moving in for the kill while swatting away the attempts by Peters SS to prevent them reaching this icon of German defiance.  They followed this up with a comprehensive defeat of the 18th Panzergrenadier Division (what little was left of Rick’s division!) as they attempted to force a crossing over a canal near the Reichstag.  

The Russians now hold much of central Berlin, while the Allies, bereft their Yankee leader, procrastinate around the West of the capital, and the Germans reel from one defeat after another.

3rd Hand account of Commander of Berlin; Andy Von Paulus, last words;  “I was last seen disappearing into the smoke and flames with a suitcase stuffed with negotiable bonds and the details for several Swiss bank accounts.  Rumours of my reappearance in various far flung and exotic locations will persist for many years, until it emerges that I have been proprietor of an expensive hotel in Torquay that has hosted various Tory and Labour party conferences, not to mention providing key funding and technical advice to NASA.  Zer I vill liff until ze UKIP getz elected unt I vill vunce again rule ze vurld.  Guten tag!”

Players & Timetabling:

Germans: Andy (CO), Rick, ‘Tiger’ Phil and Peter.

Allied: James (CO), David, Ian and Aidan.

Russian: Dennis (CO), Luke, Ben and Red

We now enter Campaign Turn 4, the home stretch!   Turn 4 lasts until Sunday the 19th of April when I plan to finish off Germany and declare VE day after a nice big FOW punch-up on the gaming weekend on that Sunday. 

Campaign Turn 1 - 4th December - 8th January

Campaign Turn 2 – 15th January - 5th February

Campaign Turn 3 – 12th February - 12th March

Campaign Turn 4 – 19th March – 19th April

This being the last campaign turn players can play as many games as they like, with the restriction being they can only play each opponent once.

Peter's SS in a wonderful looking city scape taking on Dennis' Romanians - Germans near side.

My (Ricks) panzergrenadiers mass to try and force a crossing over the (oddly wiggly) canal.

Romanian heavies.

The panzergrenadiers try to force the issue, having made it over the bridge more by luck than judgement.  Too many Romanian machine guns and rifles around however,

Romanian infantry.

Main map - end of Turn 3.

The Reichstag captured!