Post by insterburger on Apr 7, 2013 16:27:32 GMT -5
This was lssah44's first event, and while it was a small one, it bodes well for the future. It was a nice field, the action was awesome, and fun was had by all. For New England guys who were on the fence: the field is closer than you think, definitely make it down here if you can next time he hosts one!
There were only 4 Allied and 3 German troops, but the numbers don't reflect on the quality of the play. We were able to play a number of different games that reflected some of the limited actions that occurred throughout Germany in April of '45 as German resistance slowly crumbled. The slight American numerical superiority gave the Allies a historically accurate edge, and even the composition of the opposing sides were appropriate for a very-late-war scenario: Airborne had younger (but combat-tested) troops under the command of an older, savvy Sergeant, while the German forces consisted of older (40+) WH soldiers under the command of a very youthful, fiery, motivated SS officer.
With permission of the CO, here's my initial report from the German side:
It is early April, 1945. Allied forces moving west of Magdeburg in preparation for the crossing of the Elbe encountered a cluster of small villages with modest concentrations of fragmented German troops, stragglers whose units were destroyed, or who had become separated from their units. Lacking a proper command structure, and with the risk of desertion or surrender imminent, young SS troopers were given emergency commissions because of their prowess and “political reliability” and put to the task of forming the disjointed and demoralized soldiers into an organized resistance. The Allies felt they were "mopping up.” Reich forces were determined to show them that the war wasn't over yet.
In the first action, the Allies attempted to take a village with a force equal in size to the defending German unit. The American force was destroyed, and the village held... for the time being. This proved to be the only German victory of the day. The Allies soon increased the size of their force to outnumber the defenders, and were able to take the town in a second attempt. It was during this attack that the commanding SS-Untersturmführer, his soldiers all dead and surrounded by the Americans, surrendered himself rather than die for the Reich. (Had the local Gauleiter not shot himself earlier that morning, he surely would have ordered the young man's family executed in retribution). The SS command would subsequently show no such lack of faith in ultimate German victory (though the Wehrmacht troops eventually would...).
The Allies continued to mount assaults against German-held villages and, despite sometimes significant American losses, were able to take their objectives in every attempt. Reich forces were able to mount sporadic counterattacks to attempt to retake villages or disrupt American positions, but all were successfully repulsed by the numerically superior and tenacious American defenders. In fact, at least one of these actions ended up turning around to become successful Allied counterattacks.
In a series of actions where both sides attempted to capture assets outside the villages (capture the flag!), the Americans were always able to best the Wehrmacht forces and capture and retain the assets.
In one of the Allied victories, as the town fell, one of the German Landser heroically rushed into a house to kill an American at close range. Unfortunately, he himself fell within seconds ("Safety kill!" followed a second later by “Safety kill” from around the corner.... oops.). The town was lost, but one more American will never see the lights of Broadway again.
In the second-to-last action, a change of tactics brought modest success for Reich forces. The German troops allowed the Allies to advance to the very edge of town before exposing their positions and opening a withering fire. The Americans were surprised and suffered some of their highest casualties of the day. Unfortunately, they were able to reform and subdue German resistance. But the cost of this action to the Allies was heavy.
Completely unplanned by anyone, the final action provided an end to the day perfectly fitting a scenario about the collapse of the Reich... as American forces closed in yet again to subdue the last German village, one of the two defending Landser left the battlefield and said he'd had enough (deserted back home to see his wife and family?). Only the SS-Untersturmführer and a sole WH-Gefreiter remained to defend the town. The Gefreiter told his young commander that, with the other soldier gone, German forces outnumbered 2 to 1, and no hope of victory remaining, it was his intention to surrender to the Allies. The Untersturmfüher yelled angrily, "Surrenderers will be shot!" To his horror, that statement was answered with a shout of, "SAFETY KILL!" from his own trooper. After fragging his SS commander, the Landser calmly held up his weapon and surrendered himself peacefully to the Airborne troops surrounding the town. He turned over his weapons, was searched and brought to the American commander for questioning. With none of the Airborne speaking any German, conversation was difficult, but he was able to communicate that he had shot the local SS commander and the town was safe for the Allies to enter. Resistance in the sector was at an end.
So the Allies were able to achieve all of their tactical objectives and claim ultimate victory, although Reich forces made them pay for every village taken (except the last), sometimes very dearly. And, in the end, the German troops turned their backs on their Nazi leaders and conceded victory to the Allies. It was a wonderful evocation of the countless small actions that played themselves out during the collapse of the Reich, and a great day of gaming.
An awesome time, and a classy group of players. Congratulations on your first event, Graham, and thanks for the hospitality! I hope many more will follow, and that they keep growing!
There were only 4 Allied and 3 German troops, but the numbers don't reflect on the quality of the play. We were able to play a number of different games that reflected some of the limited actions that occurred throughout Germany in April of '45 as German resistance slowly crumbled. The slight American numerical superiority gave the Allies a historically accurate edge, and even the composition of the opposing sides were appropriate for a very-late-war scenario: Airborne had younger (but combat-tested) troops under the command of an older, savvy Sergeant, while the German forces consisted of older (40+) WH soldiers under the command of a very youthful, fiery, motivated SS officer.
With permission of the CO, here's my initial report from the German side:
It is early April, 1945. Allied forces moving west of Magdeburg in preparation for the crossing of the Elbe encountered a cluster of small villages with modest concentrations of fragmented German troops, stragglers whose units were destroyed, or who had become separated from their units. Lacking a proper command structure, and with the risk of desertion or surrender imminent, young SS troopers were given emergency commissions because of their prowess and “political reliability” and put to the task of forming the disjointed and demoralized soldiers into an organized resistance. The Allies felt they were "mopping up.” Reich forces were determined to show them that the war wasn't over yet.
In the first action, the Allies attempted to take a village with a force equal in size to the defending German unit. The American force was destroyed, and the village held... for the time being. This proved to be the only German victory of the day. The Allies soon increased the size of their force to outnumber the defenders, and were able to take the town in a second attempt. It was during this attack that the commanding SS-Untersturmführer, his soldiers all dead and surrounded by the Americans, surrendered himself rather than die for the Reich. (Had the local Gauleiter not shot himself earlier that morning, he surely would have ordered the young man's family executed in retribution). The SS command would subsequently show no such lack of faith in ultimate German victory (though the Wehrmacht troops eventually would...).
The Allies continued to mount assaults against German-held villages and, despite sometimes significant American losses, were able to take their objectives in every attempt. Reich forces were able to mount sporadic counterattacks to attempt to retake villages or disrupt American positions, but all were successfully repulsed by the numerically superior and tenacious American defenders. In fact, at least one of these actions ended up turning around to become successful Allied counterattacks.
In a series of actions where both sides attempted to capture assets outside the villages (capture the flag!), the Americans were always able to best the Wehrmacht forces and capture and retain the assets.
In one of the Allied victories, as the town fell, one of the German Landser heroically rushed into a house to kill an American at close range. Unfortunately, he himself fell within seconds ("Safety kill!" followed a second later by “Safety kill” from around the corner.... oops.). The town was lost, but one more American will never see the lights of Broadway again.
In the second-to-last action, a change of tactics brought modest success for Reich forces. The German troops allowed the Allies to advance to the very edge of town before exposing their positions and opening a withering fire. The Americans were surprised and suffered some of their highest casualties of the day. Unfortunately, they were able to reform and subdue German resistance. But the cost of this action to the Allies was heavy.
Completely unplanned by anyone, the final action provided an end to the day perfectly fitting a scenario about the collapse of the Reich... as American forces closed in yet again to subdue the last German village, one of the two defending Landser left the battlefield and said he'd had enough (deserted back home to see his wife and family?). Only the SS-Untersturmführer and a sole WH-Gefreiter remained to defend the town. The Gefreiter told his young commander that, with the other soldier gone, German forces outnumbered 2 to 1, and no hope of victory remaining, it was his intention to surrender to the Allies. The Untersturmfüher yelled angrily, "Surrenderers will be shot!" To his horror, that statement was answered with a shout of, "SAFETY KILL!" from his own trooper. After fragging his SS commander, the Landser calmly held up his weapon and surrendered himself peacefully to the Airborne troops surrounding the town. He turned over his weapons, was searched and brought to the American commander for questioning. With none of the Airborne speaking any German, conversation was difficult, but he was able to communicate that he had shot the local SS commander and the town was safe for the Allies to enter. Resistance in the sector was at an end.
So the Allies were able to achieve all of their tactical objectives and claim ultimate victory, although Reich forces made them pay for every village taken (except the last), sometimes very dearly. And, in the end, the German troops turned their backs on their Nazi leaders and conceded victory to the Allies. It was a wonderful evocation of the countless small actions that played themselves out during the collapse of the Reich, and a great day of gaming.
An awesome time, and a classy group of players. Congratulations on your first event, Graham, and thanks for the hospitality! I hope many more will follow, and that they keep growing!