PB4 Killean’s Red
The next stop in our VASL sessions was the fourth scenario in Pegasus Bridge, “Killean’s Red”, started in December 2006. I had the attacking British trying to get into Le Port. Between the loss of the previous scenario, and an extremely lackluster performance this time, Patch did most of the reporting:
With Rindis’ recent surrender in PB3, Piecemeal, we’re trudging along faithfully to the next scenario, Killean’s Red. I’m taking the Germans so I defend this time.
Set up on this one is a pain. 5.5 squads? Second line? Conscripts?!? Do the Germans want this damn town or not?
My set-up is up front to try and have someone in the path of attack. I hope to shuffle units to the axis of attack once it develops. With just 5.5 turns, Rindis has his work cut out for him trying to take 15 building locations and the steeple. My defense is anchored on an 8-1,447, and MMG in GG13. HIP units are to the south, covering the canal road and hopefully providing some FtR casualties if he comes up the middle.
Rindis came up a bit more spread out than I had anticipated for a scenario like this. Two squads and the 9-1 assault into the CC10 woods, and the remainder come up the center. Things go badly for the Brits from the start.
The 8-1 and company CR the 338 on a scouting mission, and Rindis fails to do any return damage. In my turn I skulk, leaving Rindis with little else to do but roll boxcars on a 16FP attack on GG13. Time to move the defense lynch pin to GG12!
Turn 2
Those damn civilians reveal my HIP unit in II15h1. Curses! Rindis prep fires most everyone, but moves a unit into EE10 which draws fire and leaves 2 Residual. He then executes a poor move and bypasses the hex with a 648, and I roll snake eyes on the IFT. Bye bye squad. Little else happens for return fire besides loads of Pins, and Rindis advances into the village in FF11, making his PIAT squad CX.
My turn those chatty civilians make another appearance, but pass along bad intel and TIs a unit! 
Must find them and shoot them, as he was needed for my cunning plan. Prep fire fails to dislodge FF11, but Pins the unit. Since the southern route looks like it’s not coming into play, and I’m not liking how the north is developing, my remaining HIP unit in JJ16 makes a run for the village (fat lot of good they did), and we pause for Defensive Fire through email until next Wednesday.
An interesting scenario. Not enough units or time to permit many mistakes. I look forward to seeing how it pans out.
End of German Prep Fire, Turn 2
Tork commented:
“This scenario, while slightly pro-brit, is a fun one to play. It is quick enough so you can play it twice in a day, switching sides to see whose Germans can hold out best.”
“I’ve seen the Germans put the MMG in GG14 (?) in the woods, hoping to pound the Brits who NAM to try to go past. If the Brits remain unbroken/pinned, then the German voluntarily broke to get back to the church. Then there are the games to pick up building locations against possible HIPsters. Definitely fun.”
Patch responded:
An interesting tactic, but with the small force size I’d hate to risk losing the MMG in Adv Fire, or several player turns through poor Rally DRs. The force size doesn’t allow much room to gamble.
But yeah… that 16FP +0 (or -1 if you toss in the leader) is sweet.
I finally weighed in for the end of the game:
Been really remiss on posting to this.
Part of the problem is sheer embarrassment. Turn 2 was really bad, and I did it to myself.
First I prep fired an important group that frankly, I should have moved.
Next, I was trying to push a squad into FF10, to clamber up the slope and into GG11. I bypassed EE11 and immediately afterwards realize that they would have an extra MF, and that they could move through the cover of the building and still get there. Patch fires, gets a 2 and KIAs the squad. (Why is it he always rolls 2s right after I do something insanely stupid?)
I had joked, after losing a HS on my first turn, that if I lost a HS per player turn, I should just about make it through the scenario. …And the dice just had to take me up on it by killing a full squad a turn later….
That rather took the wind out of my sails.
I eventually got moving. But I wasn’t breaking any of his units at all (until I got a HS on turn 3), and 15 Locations was looking like a really tall order, never mind getting into the church for the Sniper.
Well, I eventually did a little math, and realized that thanks to the fact that I could often get four Locations just by entering one corner of a building (and the fact that I’d seen both of his HIP appear) I could get to 15 pretty easily.
My first attempt (Turn 4) killed a squad. (Open ground; wanted to pick up a couple buildings, and have time to have him affect the end of the scenario.) He then also broke two of my remaining three squads, killing the offensive, and forcing my Hero to pull back.
Patch was talking about counter attacking on his turn 4, until both of my squads rallied….
So Turn 5, and things are grim. A quick count shows that I *can* pick up 15 Locations (or really, 10; I had 5), and have troops to assault the church. If I can get them across the HH12 road in the face of a lot of German fire power.
It went… better than it deserved to. Patch wasn’t done firing, but the main fire had only killed one HS (out of two squads and a leader). The problem was, that he had Pinned everyone else (note that was on MCs, not PTC’s).
It looks to be a really fun little scenario. My biggest complaint is my own performance….
Next up is PB5, “Taylor Made Defense”. He gets three tanks and a Marder, and I have… 2 PIATs? Something’s wrong here….
I don’t remember this one too well. Patch commented on my ‘broad front’ problem again. I’m not entirely sure just what my plan was, though I noted while scrolling through an old log that I commented on screwing up two moves; doing things wrong and exposing myself to worse shots than I needed to.
I do remember that that final turn was something of a revelation for me, as I started seeing just what needed to be done, but my forces were too depleted to make it work, and I was already on top of the time limit. Might be one to revisit at some point, though I’m looking at the beginning and have no idea just how the Brits can not walk into more than they can handle.
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