updated 060412
The scenario in use for the final match was WG111, "Nutcracker". The scenario represents a cautious American assault vs a German city across board halves of city boards 20 and 21. The boards are less dense than board 1 but possess a variety of stone and wooden buildings, several of which are multistory. The large graveyard in board 21 is converted to woods, with other changes to negate post-SL terrain. The Americans are attacking to gain uncontested control of the dominant building 21J3. The German player benefits from being able to use sewer movement without the requirement of a leader. Additionally, after setups are complete, the German player decides who moves first.
The American force is centered on 12x666 squads, a mix of leaders & support weapons, a 105mm howitzer, an M4M52 Sherman and an 81mm OBA. A late-game pair of M10s completes the US arsenal. The defending Germans are centered on 8x467s, a mix of leaders & support weapons including a captured .50 cal HMG and a relative wealth of Panzerfausts. Additional assets include a 50mm ATG and a single-hex 120mm OBA with six fire missions. Mid-game reinforcements include a StGIII75, a MkIVF1, two squads with leader and SW. Most significant of these is a smoke-capable 838 with DC.
The players agreed to sides after a bidding process which resulted in David VanBronkhorst leading the Americans with one additional 666 squad added to his OOB. John Blazel, continuing his underdog status, led the German defense. Due to its recent design, this scenario was new to both players.
During opening maneuvers the German HMG and 120mm mortar exacted heavy casualties (3 squads KIA’d and one broken) as the Wehrmacht soldiers shrugged off any return fire and kept on the move to deny the American 105mm guns (Howitzer and M4M52) any targets. However, the defense (including the HMG and 9-2 leader) stretched its left flank a bit too far across the graveyard/woods, creating a weakness in the center. The US then struck quickly through OBA smoke, gaining a toehold in the central objective building and knocking out a leader and the German radio. The German left wing was able to collapse back to the building but the defensive outposts on the right wing were cut off from the central building by American MMGs sited down the road. Simultaneously, German reserves arrived and the assault engineers counterattacked in the building under smoke, breaking the squad spearheading the American assault.
The German STG was knocked out attempting to overrun the Howitzer in the street. The Panzer IV finished that job, but on its own was unable to make any dent in the American armored force. As the Germans’ stock of panzerfausts dwindled, with none of the shots finding the mark, the Sherman 105 was able to get in position to bring the central building under fire, and promptly took the German 838 out of the action with a barrage of HE rounds. A vicious exchange ensued in the building: the German 10-2 and HMG squad were KIA’d by fire directed by the American ranking officer, but the Germans quickly recaptured the HMG.
In the last two turns, the Allies were on the brink of losing due to casualties,
but their concentrated firepower methodically wore down the defense in the
building. In the final turn, German defenders remained in one upper level
hex and one lower, while a lone leader and broken squads held control of
2 other VC hexes. The Americans used enhanced mobility from the recently
arrived M-10’s (losing one in the process to the German ATG) to cut
off routs and eliminate the broken units, but could only mount a single-hex
head-on assault on the good order squad in the upper level manning the HMG.
The gamble paid off as the German defensive fire was ineffective. It looked
to all like the game would come down to a final round of close combat, but
in a surprising turn the Americans called up snakes for their advancing
fire and KIA’d the final German holdouts.
WINNER AND CHAMPION: David Van Bronkhorst (VA)!