Battlegroup: Sicily

 

  While I was free to walk about at Siege of Augusta, I was able to play some other games. In this case, I joined up in a Battlegroup game base during Operation Husky in Sicily. The gamemaster made up the scenario, but I was to hold the line against the advancing Americans. Now, I have, at this point played only four games of Battlegroup. I am not sure why is has been so little, since I have the rules along with several campaign books. Either way, I was remembered from last year playing my last Battlegroup at Siege of Augusta 2020. So for that reason, I was mainly left to fend for myself it this game. The American player never played one game of Battlegroup, so he got the main help, and advice, and options how to defeat me. I was not upset over this, because I was just happy to play. Challenge accepted! 

  I cannot say I remember exacted what the forces were against. The Americans had a Battle Rate of 30. My Germans had a Battle Rate of 24. I believe that the Americans had a three tank Sherman Platoon, Three Rifle platoons, two 30 machineguns, one 75mm pack howitzer, an HQ, one medic, one Jeep, one Bazooka team,  and a 60mm Mortar team. There may have been more. I had an HQ section, one artillery observer, a couple of Grenadier squads, one tripod M42, a PAK40 AT Gun, and a Stug III. A couple of units like the Stug III were held off table in reserves until turn 4. No problem! There was a lot of stuff to deal with, but I was inside buildings and dug in. 

    This game started with a lot of artillery call in's. The batteries on both sides must have been bored, because neither of us had any problem with call ins. By turn 2, I held two objectives. The Americans took the third one on a knoll closer to them. That is when I really open fired! The dice was hot on both sides of the table. There was a record number of "sixes" being rolled on this table. I was half tempted to take the folding table home for it's good luck statis. It was by mid-game, dice went cold. We must have rolled all of the "sixes"? The Pak40 was able to take out one Sherman through the trees before it was pinned for the rest of the game. I got the impression that the Pak40 was not expected to survive the whole game. It did! Despite a couple of very low order rolls (talking 4 orders for three turns), I manage to hold the line and win the game based on morale. The Americans got to 30. I happened to survive the game with 3 left before hitting my Battle rating of 24. It was a long game, but enjoyable!