Fall of the Reich, End of the Rat race

                                                "Right boys this way to Berlin"

With my new American armoured Platoon finished and with the recent arrival of Fall of the Riech mdf morale chits I ordered we played a scenario out the Fall of the Rich book called The end of the rat race. The objective of the game is for the attacker to destroy the German Rear guard. The defender has set up a road block in the middle of the table on the road. A destroyed vehicle is placed on the road to represent the ambush been sprung onto the attackers Vanguard. my force was to arrive in column which enters from the table edge, I managed to start with 6 units on the road, D6 reinforcements will enter The game at the start of each turn, the Germans defenders entered D6 at the start of turn 3. The game was played at approximately 600 points patoon level, my Dad played the Germans and choose (from memory) a Volksstrum Grenadier platoon with HMG and Pak 40, Senior HQ, Ammo supply truck, Platoon Panzer IV H, Tiger I, HMG Nest, a minefield, two Target points, off table 105mm Artillery support and a forward observer and also for good measure a 88mm A/A gun. My dad started with 5 units on the table in ambush fire. 

The table at set up

My American armoured force, Platoon of Infantry + M3 Half Tracks, HMG team, Forward HQ and Jeep and communication team, Reece team Jeep, 4 x M4 Shermans, Jumbo Sherman and a Greyhound armoured car and of table 81mm mortars. I also had a timed air strike set for turn 6 and a timed 105mm barrage for turn 4.

The head of my column enter the table, the Reece teams led the way followed by two Shermans and 2 M3 Halftracks and mounted Infantry squads.

A dug in 88 mm on the hill for a clear view readies itself on ambush to open fire onto the American armoured column.

As my Americans spread out off the road one the Shermans became a early victim to the Panzer IV in the field near the road block, the morale chit was a high one which added to the two I had to take for the Germans holding both objectives at the start of the game put my BR up to 11 already. A round of 105mm artillery also finds its mark and pins the is mounted infantry and Halftrack .

The Panzer IV after knocking out a Sherman becomes involved in a long distance fire fight with two other Shermans.

American infantry are given the order to dismount and run for the cover of the hedges across the field towards the German 88.

The HMG team takes position on the top floor of the building to give covering fire, I put it on ambush fire but over the next few turns I forgot about it! The recce Jeep team dismount and find a position in the building giving them a full view of the battlefield to call in the off table mortars.

My dismounted infantry ran through the ploughed field to get In bazooka range of the Panzer IV with the support of a Sherman. The troops had ran straight into a pre targeted register point (PTRP) and 105mm shells rained in killing a couple of infantry men and pinned the Sherman. The Panzer IV then fired and hit the Sherman, although it didn't penetrate the armour I was forced to take a morale test which resulted in a 1, my tank crew had decided that enough was enough and abandoned the vehicle and ran!

A much needed sight was the Thunderbolt dropping its bombs onto the German infantry in the wood, who suffered a direct hit and were destroyed meaning two morale chits to the Germans BR. The Panzer IV which had entered from reserve was lucky to be out of the blast radius.

With half my armour on fire the infantry teams closed to bazooka range, a side shot onto the panzer IV hit and blew it up, the second Panzer in support also suffered the same fate shortly after from the Sherman Leader tank. My other infantry squad took the roadblock objective back from the Germans.

 

After crossing two mine markers which proved to be dummy minefields I forgot about the third and final minefield marker next to the road beside the field. Obviously this was the main minefield, and I rather rashly sent my Jumbo tank top speed down the road after both the Panzers had been knocked out to take the German road block position. My dad some what surprised by my move informed me i had just past through the minefield, Sure enough I rolled badly and set the minefield off and blew my Jumbo to bits, not the greatest debut! I managed to pull a aircraft chit but it didn't turn up in my next turn.

My dad revealed a second PTRP in the second field down the road and a shell direct hit my Sherman making short work of its armour and destroying it. My infantry squad in the ruined house near the roadblock are forced to flee due to heavy casualties from MG38 and rifle fire becoming pinned while under 50%

On my right flank my remaining infantry squads dismount and enter into the woods waiting on reserve move for the pre programmed 105mm strike to come down on the wood opposite them where the HMG nest was housed.

Boom...a couple of direct hits destroys he HMG nest and the American infantry quickly take the position using their reserve move in the following German turn.

Seeing the danger to their flank the German Grenadiers take position behind the fields hedges with a LMG in support. The Pak 40 which had been quite over the last few turns was waiting on ambush keeping my one remaining Sherman hiding behind the wood.

after Knocking out the Panzer IV the infantry squad turns its attention to the 88mm and after pinning it with area fire for a couple of turns with area fire they open up with direct fire killing all the crew despite the fact they were dug in.

The Tiger 1 enters from reserve and perches itsself on the hill near the Forward observer team covering the wood in case the remaining Sherman command tank made a dash for it

 A Panzer IV moved down to the wood and opened up with MG fire on my infantry squad who had over run the HMG nest destroying them after they failed their morale test. I pulled a 5 for the  morale chit! I targeted the Tiger with mortar fire but my co ordinations were well off the mark and missed wildly.

The final turn,what was left of my infantry platoon were now in a position were they could not advance without coming into mg fire and my sole surviving Sherman was stuck behind the wood with a Tiger waiting for it to appear into view. My Dad also just consolidated his remaining troops and with time almost up we decided to call it a day. With no out right winner A quick tot up of the points saw the Germans take a tactical victory by a couple of points 26 to 24. The last chit I pulled had lost me a tactical victory and my Dad had managed to pull low chits all game and avoided all those nasty out of fuel markers and low on ammo chits etc which would make life even harder for the German defence. 

This day though the Germans had just about done enough to hold the American advance up for a little while longer.