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Post subject: La Fiere Bridge, West of St. Mere Eglise, France 6-6-44
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Confusion reigns across Normandy. The German Wehrmacht is too paralyzed by leadership gaps and Berlin's micromanagement to organize an effective response to the widespread disruption from the elite British and American Airborne units. In this uncertainty, it falls to the 1057th Grenadier Regiment supported by outdated elements of the 100th Panzer Replacement Battalion to secure access the to beachhead through St. Mere Eglise. In the way are the tenacious remnants of Company A 505th PIR of the US 82nd Airborne guarding a tiny bridge across the Merderet River. This is the battle at La Fiere Bridge.
Victory Conditions: The Axis players must control the two hexes surrounding the bridge and the Manor hex closest to the river by the end of turn 7. Any other outcome is an Allied victory
Map
Map 6 to the West
Map 4 to the East
Axis starts on or behind the road on map 6
Allies start on or behind the river on map 4
Game Length: 7 Turns
Axis
Elements of the 1057th Grenadier Regiment
Mauser KAR x 4
Panzergrenadier x 4
Veteran Wehrmacht Infantry x2
MG 42 x 3
50 mm Mortar x 2
SS Haupsturmfuhrer x 1
Wehrmacht Oberleutenant x 1
Elements of the 100th Panzer Replacement Battalion
Panzer R 35 (f) x 3 (Proxy with Romanian or French R 35)
Allies
Company A, 505th PIR, 82nd Airborne Regiment
Screaming Eagle Paratrooper x 4
Screaming Eagle Captain x 1
M1919 x 2
60 mm Mortar x 1
Bazooka x 2
57mm AT Gun x 1 (Proxy with UK 6 Pounder)
SSRs
before deployment, Allied player places 2 foxhole hexes anywhere on allied side of map
All hill hexes are forest hexes instead
Place 2 town hexes at location of Le Manoir in map image
Balance:
German - Remove one US Paratroop
American - Remove one MG 42
Aftermath: Facing withering fire, the paratroopers knock out the antiquated French tanks, but slowly succumb to continuous mortar and machine gun attacks. Finally, with the Airborne forces down to less that a single platoon of total strength, the Wehrmacht calls a truce to retrieve their wounded. During the calm, the Wehrmacht quietly retreats having no idea how close they've come to erasing the American hold on this tiny objective.
Last edited by Thuddeus on Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:23 am; edited 4 times in total |
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 Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:21 am |
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Hellcat Commander
AHF Silver-Rated Trader
Posts: 1074
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Good job buddy! Looks great. Bring it with you on a Wednesday if you can. I cant make it next week, but the following week I'd love to play it.
Snippersly
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| Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:02 pm |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
Posts: 1467
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| Fri Sep 11, 2009 11:34 pm |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
Posts: 1467
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| Sun Sep 20, 2009 10:42 pm |
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Posts: 113
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| general Hoth wrote: | A question: Is it the SS panzergrenadier 
The germans have a tough job here. |
Standard panzergrenadiers. In real game terms, since there are no vehicles to ride the grenadiers are identical to the mausers. I only included them for historical reasons and to keep low the number of given units a player would need.
As for the difficulty of the job for the Germans, I've played this twice, once on each side. As the Americans, I barely held out. As the Germans, I routed the Americans. I think this scenario actually favors the Germans. The German machineguns and mortars are nearly free to stay out of LOS for most of the US units. Only the US machine guns can reach them, and they are outnumbered 3 to 2. The Germans also have an advantage with their mortars.
If the Bazookas can be cleared out early, the Americans must charge the French armor or face constant pot shots which eventually take their toll.
Placing of the US AT gun can also be tricky. It has to be in range of the tanks, but avoid the machine guns.
Have you had a chance to try the scenario? What was your experience?
For balance the Germans can remove one mg or the Americans can remove one Paratroop. In fact, I have written that into the scenario.
Last edited by Thuddeus on Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:00 am; edited 1 time in total |
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:48 am |
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SOCCEROO FEVER
Posts: 6779
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very cool
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:00 am |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
Posts: 1467
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 9:43 am |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
Posts: 1467
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Ok, i'm going to give your scenario a go this afternoon. I've seen on "the other site" a very similar scenario. is this you who posted it?
anyway i'll take a few pics and let you know soon the outcome. 
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 1:04 pm |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
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A very enjoyable and fast playing scenario!
As you can see from the pics it was a very close affair. I thought the germans would have an easy victory but the US paratroopers fought for their lifes...and the bridge.
All 3 renaults were destroyed by close assault or bazooka fire.
In the end the germans controled the bridge but the americans still held the manor with 2 paratroopers, a bazooka and a disrupted leader.
The germans still had 2 MGs, 2 mortars, a disrupted leader and one infantry.
I'm not sure that even with a couple more turns that they could have taken the manor, as by then their assault had lost its momentum.
I would say it was a draw.
Nice scenario. thanks!
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:23 pm |
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Thanks for the pics and the AAR. I love your selection of tiles. Mine all bite. Are those from Memoir? or Tides of Iron?
A tactical draw is a strategic win for the Allies since it prevents German men and armor from reinforcing St. Mere Eglise.
I've been toying with adding a few turns of prelude action where the 505th has to drive an MG nest out of the Manor before they can occupy the bridge crossing. That would make the scenario more interesting tactically for the US and also make it harder for them to hold on once they are in place. I'll have to play test some options before I release it to the group, however. I'm open to suggestions from players familiar with the battle. |
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:06 pm |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
Posts: 1467
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| Thuddeus wrote: | Thanks for the pics and the AAR. I love your selection of tiles. Mine all bite. Are those from Memoir? or Tides of Iron?
A tactical draw is a strategic win for the Allies since it prevents German men and armor from reinforcing St. Mere Eglise.
I've been toying with adding a few turns of prelude action where the 505th has to drive an MG nest out of the Manor before they can occupy the bridge crossing. That would make the scenario more interesting tactically for the US and also make it harder for them to hold on once they are in place. I'll have to play test some options before I release it to the group, however. I'm open to suggestions from players familiar with the battle. |
You could try a "mini" campaign in 2 or 3 games.
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:11 pm |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
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The tiles are from memoir and the shellholes from a game i've forgotten the name of.
I also really think that tiles are the best option at the time to "modify" the map nicely.
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:13 pm |
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| general Hoth wrote: | Ok, i'm going to give your scenario a go this afternoon. I've seen on "the other site" a very similar scenario. is this you who posted it?
anyway i'll take a few pics and let you know soon the outcome. |
I saw that scenario and was interested that our force compositions were so similar. Tactically the author of that scenario has the forces on opposite sides of the bridge. He also simulated the flooding of the area, which I ignored for simplicity. After reading several accounts of various phases of the conflict around the bridge, I'm not actually sure what side of the bridge the US occupied. I think the situation was so fluid that it's very possible the attack and defend sides of the bridge alternated over the course of the 3 days the bridge was contested.
I'm pretty sure I got my sides correct for the particular stage I simulated, but who knows. The way I read it, the US was around the Manor and the Germans were in Cauquigny. But other accounts have the US defending Cauquigny while the Germans fight from the Manor. Who knows?
I chose the sides I did because it makes sense that the US would be trying to keep Germans away from St. Mere Eglise and Cauquigny iswest of the Merderet while St. Mere Eglise is east of it.
Game on! |
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:20 pm |
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"My dear general, the war can now only be won by the politicians." Von Rundstedt to Kurt Meyer.
Posts: 1467
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Its true that the line up and units name mentions were very similar.
That's what one calls History!Thats also why i wasnt sure.
Nice scenario.
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| Mon Sep 21, 2009 10:31 pm |
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