Using our modified version of the "Memoir 44" boardgame, the Jackson Gamers played a WWII 15mm battle on June 30, 2012 at Jay Stribling's home in Jackson MS. The Germans were on the offensive and attacked with three forces. The Americans were on the defensive with three forces also.
The Commander-in-chief on each side had an armor-heavy force, with the Germans having five Panthers and a Tiger (each tank model represented a platoon of 4 or 5 tanks) and three infantry platoons and a mortar platoon. Each platoon of ground-pounders was represented by two stands, either with three infantrymen or one mortar and two crewmen.
Jay Stribling was the game-master and also played on the American side as the right-flank commander.
Artillery marker placed on advancing German Infantry.
This army was originally set up for the Crossfire rules set. So each infantry platoon had three stands (3 squads). Here we are using a strength marker behind the 2-stand platoon to show its strength (from 4 down to 1 point). As along as it has at least one point left, a platoon moves and fires at full strength. When that last strength point is killed off, both stands are removed, as the platoon is combat ineffective at that point.
We are not using the platoon leader stands, but we are using the Company commander stands. A platoon with a company commander in the same hex may ignore the first "Retreat" result in any combat dice toss. However, every time the unit takes a casualty, a separate die roll must be made to see if the company commander is killed also.
German effort in the center. The Panzers have outstripped their Infantry support.
As a further torment to the Germans, the cards from the "Commander's Special Deck" drawn by the Americans produced and "Air Attack" card. A model P-47 was introduce and its 50-caliber machine guns damaged German armor, but missed the infantry.
American P-47 fighter makes a strafing run.
After two runs, the P-47 departed. Later, another U.S. Air attack card was pulled, but the Germans countered it with a "Luftwaffe drives of enemy aircraft" card.
The village in the U.S. center
There were three villages on the U.S. side of the game table. The Germans were trying to take all, or at least two of them. There were also three hills that the Germans would attempt to capture. Actually they took none of these.
After the game, the German players accused the Game-Master of making them start too far away. Their infantry could not keep up with their tanks so the tanks attacked alone, with some artillery support. This was a very valid criticism. The Germans should have had extra movement to get closer to the enemy. This will be remedied in future games.
One of Jim's tanks has been destroyed by U.S. M-18 Hellcat.
In real life the M-18 tank destroyer, while not mounting a really heavy gun was very mobile and had a high "kill to loss" ratio against the German armor. In this game, Sean Pitts, using only one M-18 tormented his father Jim Pitts, by using the mobility of the unit to get on the flank or rear of the German tanks and dispatch them.
The M-18 Hellcat gets another one!
Although the Americans were on the defenseive, Sean Pitts, on the American left decided that The best defense is a good Offense!. He moved out, attacking first the German Armor with his M-18, and then bringing up his infantry. He used infantry fire and artillery (EVERY American stand can call in off-board artillery) to shred Jim Pitts Germans. At game's end, Sean was across the table in the German rear.
The M-18 finally meets it's end after destroying 4 German tanks
The German players were: Phil Young on the left flank, Ed Sansing (CinC) in the center, and Jim Pitts on the right. THe Americans were Sean Pitts on the left, Bill Hamilton (CinC) in the center, and Jay Stribling on the right. Bill had four M-4 Sherman tank platoons and a company of infantry. Sean had two companies of infantry, an M-18 TD and a 57mm AT gun. Jay's force was similar to Sean's except that he had two AT guns and no armor.
The German forces were divided similarly but each commander on the flank had 2-3 tanks or SP guns as well as three companies of infantry. The commander had 6 tanks and a reinforced infantry company.
Each player on both sides also had an 81-mm. mortar platoon (2 stands) and on-call off-board artillery. In the American army, each stand could call in artillery. On the German side, only company commanders or specified "Forward Observer" stands can request artillery.
The American center and left early in the game.
The German attack in the center
Then the Germans get an"Air attack"card and an FW-190 comes in to strafe, shooting up some U.S. footsoldiers
It's damage done, the FW-190 streaks away from the battle.
The "Cauldron" in the center of the table consumes the tanks of both sides.
In the center, stout resistance by American infantry and the inability of the German tanks to wrinkle the U.S. footsoldiers out of the woods and towns finally told. The Germans should have had infantry support, but it was still slogging up from the start line when the game ended. The game-master agrees that this was an error on his part and vows to do better next time.