RPT52 Death Rattle

 

VASL has heard my grievances and has thrown me a bone.  I don’t expect it to last.

My last game finished in 2019 was RPT52  Death Rattle with Joe Moro.  Eight British squads and two Comets (!) must clear 6.5 German squads from the multi-hex buildings between H and P on board S.  The Germans get a StuG to help with the very rare Comets (rare because the Comet got to the war just as it was wrapping up.  I’ve read some tank experts who believe the Comet would have been the best tank of the war, had it gotten there earlier.).  5.5 turns to get the job done for the Tommies.

I got the Germans and set up pretty spread out, the buildings are not that close together and it was going to be challenging to slow the enemy, especially if the Comets got behind the StuG.

I don’t often gamble on my defensive setups, but this time I put the StuG up front……..very up front.  I hoped to make it plain that I didn’t intend for the Comets to get out and run.  This gamble paid off, but I had to extricate the StuG from trouble numerous times.  Good fortune was with me in this game.

 

 

My infantry was not without the means to stop the Brits.  An HMG, LMG and Panzerschrek carried a nice sting in this game.  Joe’s PIAT would get a couple of shots on my TD, but could never make him pay.

Joe brought the fight straight to my forward halfsquads, seeing the opportunity to put the StuG out of action early.  I had to spin in the woods, and bogged.  Doesn’t look good at the start

 

 

I got unbogged, and matriculated out of trouble using the SnoogieWoofer to generate some smoke, weathering a PIAT shot.  But the Comets had stayed back, and Joe’s infantry at the bottom of the map began moving forward.

On turn 2, I once again found my TD in trouble, facing down another PIAT shot, but a second SN smoke generation saved my bacon yet again.

 

 

The StuG spent the rest of the scenario there , creating a load of trouble for Joe.  I began my slow retreat as the Tommies entered the forward buildings.

To the bottom of the map, Joe began his push but the top of the map was a bit stuck.  The Comets were sitting still, and one of his shots generated a German Hero who would become a serious thorn later.

 

 

Once again, it looked like curtains for the StuG, but Joe was never able to put him out of action.

He decided to get the Comets in play moving one to get a rear shot on the StuG.  My TD spun and survived, killing the Comet in my prep with rate of fire, and spinning on the subsequent shot to get facing the right direction.

The second Comet moved to the center of the board as the Infantry got set up to assault the last three buildings.

 

 

I was managing to keep the Brit infantry in front of me and at arm’s length.  Seeing an improbable opportunity to get to the other Comet with my newly generated Hero, I moved him out..  He suffered a wound on the way, but managed to get into CC with the CE tank, rolling snakes on the Kill, after finding an anti-tank magnetic mine.

 

 

 

With a half turn left and Joe needing to get across the street and eject my troops from two buildings, he gave it the ol’ college try but came up short.

A nice scenario that went my way.  I gambled with the StuG and probably should have lost it early, but it survived the scenario, facing down three PIAT shots and killing a Comet.  I managed to fall back nicely and got some timely rolls.  Quite a difference from my last few scenarios.

My last completed scenario of the year ended with a win.  Hoping for more in 2020.

Thanks for reading.