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The fifth game of Patch and I’s tour of the Market-Garden scenarios got going in September 2009…:

In our continuing series of Annual ’91 Market-Garden games, we discussed for a bit, and I decided to take the defending Americans.

Then I look at ROAR and find the Americans are the underdogs! >.< I demanded the American Balance. Not that I expect depriving him of Schuerzen to actually do much.

It’s an odd setup. The Americans start out piled in two hexes and move first. Then the Germans enter on their half of the turn.

I sent half the force east (up) through town to guard that road in, since I figured there was a good chance that Patch would send some infantry around that way behind the grain. The other half proceeded through town, behind the jeep, which dashed off to set up the 57mm ATG in 16B5.

Patch did not disappoint. Six of nine squads swung south to go around the edge of the pond on board 13. My MMG was in 10Z10, and I used it to put residual in 13Y6 (the first hex of the elevated road) the first time he moved through. Sadly, the original shot, and two Resid rolls did nothing. He parked the first PzIV in 13Y10, giving him a nice LOS down towards my position.

He did surprise me by having the StuH stay back.

Situation, both halves of turn 1.

For my second turn, I started shuffling the east force around, to cover the NE area, especially since there was now a good chance that he’d end up in that area. I should have pulled the jeep out of LOS in 16B5, but decided I’d rather keep my quick move options open. He nearly got it with a DFPh shot that did cause a PTC to strip Concealment on the crew.

The StuH also fired at 19G10, obviously preparing to fire smoke there on his Prep.

Situation, American turn 2, DFPh.
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We continued our tour of the Market-Garden set of scenarios in A ’91 with “Guards Attack” in August 2009…:

Started the fourth scenario in the Annual ’91 Market Garden set last week. I think I’d be doing pretty well as the defending Germans if I could just remember what I need to do….

For some reason, during most of my set up, I just completely forgot that he was going to be entering board 13, instead of setting up on board 13. I don’t know where that misconception came from, but I was kicking myself the entire first session over it.

Obviously, it’s expected that the ATG will set up to ambush Shermans as they cross the stream over the elevated road. None of that here. So, Patch got to enter in safety on the first turn.

Situation, British turn 1, beginning of DFPh.

Obviously, my turn was generally occupied by reshuffling my forces a bit to set up the real defense, and slow him down. Thankfully, despite a good volume of British fire, nothing happened.

Situation, German turn 1, beginning of DFPh.

Patch began his second turn with a pair of WP shots. One hit 17B3, but depleted the ammo, while the second (at B4) turned into no shot at all. The same tank then tried for regular smoke, but didn’t have any of that either. (One wonders if they remembered to pack lunch?) He then tried a regular shot, got a hit, but no effect. Bad dice. Glad I wasn’t rolling them.

During movement, Patch sent the bulk of his infantry west (bottom of the board) around the tree line. Thanks to the WP, I could only get a PTC on the first group and nothing on the second. (Well, with the cower, the second was bad no matter what.) So I pinned a squad and leader, while the rest got way too close to what had been intended as the second defensive line before I even abandoned the first.

The Shermans (that didn’t fire) moved up cautiously, keeping the front armor front at all times, and staying scrupulously out of PF range. My first DFPh shot did nothing but malfunctioned a LMG. Then I revealed the 838 and 10-3 at three hexes from the CE Firefly, and got a K/2 to STUN/Recall the tank.

Not a bad start, really.

Situation, British turn 2, during DFPh.

If I can just get a handle on the west edge….
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Patch and I actually flipped sides a fair amount during our play the M-G scenarios in Annual ’91, to keep from constantly being on the attack or defense. I ended up defending as the Americans in “Lash Out” at the end of July 2009…:

Okay, this one really is going quick.

I completely blew my defensive setup. “Lash Out” is a bit like A33 “Tettau’s Attack”, with the Germans trying to exit units off the narrow (east) edge of the board. This time their quality is a bit better, and while the scenario is 3 turns shorter, and they need to exit twice as much (6VP), they also start about 5 hexes closer to the goal. Also, this time Patch is playing the attacking Germans.

Board 16 is mostly grain, with a couple long hedgerows, and three wooden buildings, one of which (L6) the Germans set up at. This building is nearly surrounded by a stone wall, and the only multi-hex building on the board is close by at the edge of the American set-up zone in O3/O4. I decided to mostly set up in a line a couple hexes back in a grainfield to threaten high-FP (and high-Hindrance) multi-location attacks, while anchoring the north side on O4 with the 9-2 and MMG. On this board it fairly well dominates the terrain, and I didn’t want him to just walk into it.

Patch set up a lot of firepower facing O4 and rolled poorly on a 36 +1 attack breaking the 747 manning the MMG. (I wish I’d listened to the tiny voice saying to set up behind the building….) Further fire broke the squad and a half on the north end of my main line. Admittedly, part of my idea had been to slow him down by virtue of him prep firing instead of moving, but I hadn’t fully thought it out. My Sniper thankfully pinned a couple units, and defensive fire broke a HS, but the building was looking awfully lonely and exposed….

Situation, German Turn 1, end of MPh.

On a good roll, the squad in S8 recovered. I would have gladly swapped that roll with the one for the squad in O4h1. Meanwhile, Patch discovered a small flaw in his setup when I realized the unit in L6 was not a leader, giving him an MMC that had done nothing, and no way to rally the unit that had routed there.

Needing to save O4, O3 Prepped, but a lousy roll got no result. My turn was mostly spent running away, as I tried to figure out what I was going to do for the next defensive line with what was left. Patch’s Defensive fire didn’t go entirely his way; HoB created a Hero in O3. But then he broke the squad there, and also pinned the 9-2 and CRed the squad in O4h1. My advancing fire managed to Pin the HS in O4.

Naturally, the squad in O4h1 surrendered (which was accepted), having nowhere to go. The real bad news is that I had planned to take out the HS in CC, but but was down to the Hero. Even with just the 9-2 helping, I could probably take him out, and then tie Patch up for another turn since he’d have to get rid of two ML 9 units that could generate 1FP -3 shots before any other mods.

As it was, the Hero went in alone, barely managed an Ambush, and with a -3 for (enemy) CX, Hero, and Ambush, barely managed to take out the HS, rearming the prisoners as a Green HS with the German’s guns.

I really wished the 9-2 was there to help. As it was, he recovered the MMG during RPh.

Situation, American Turn 1, end of MPh.

O4 drew the same 36 +1 shot as before, and the 3KIA made me quite happy that the 9-2 hadn’t gone downstairs….

He then cut off the fleeing survivors in Q2, forcing them to surrender (invoking NQ this time), and started to occupy the grainfield I was abandoning. He also sent a HS after the 9-2, which was pinned in O3h1. I did manage to nail a squad moving into O2 with a K/1.

Situation, German Turn 2, end of MPh.

The 8-1 and 747 Preped to no effect, and the 9-2, seeing the trap closing on him, spiked the MMG before it could fall into German hands. I maneuvered to start setting up near the Y/Z hedgerow.

Then fate decided my job wasn’t tough enough and Patch got a 2KIA result against the 747 and 8-1 in T5. It took him several shots, but he managed to break the 9-2 as well.

Situation, American Turn 2, end of MPh.

Patch in his turn rushed forward with everything. Considering that I didn’t have much to resist with, there certainly was no real reason not to. I did manage to break a HS creeping along the north edge though. Also, the Sherman started making itself felt by breaking a HS in U2.

Situation, German Turn 3, end of MPh.
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