Rehearsal: Fulda Gap demo game

Last night at the Wollongong Wargamers we set up a mini practice game for a forthcoming Team Yankee demo game at the Illawarra Plastic Modellers Association show. We were figuring out the scenario, how the terrain looked, and the balance of forces, as well as checking our pooled resources.

The basic ideal is a rehash of an old favourite when given access to two long tables: two adjacent attack corridors, one on each table, for the Warsaw Pact to advance down in the critical Fulda Gap area: Rasdorf - Leibolz; and Grusselbach - Unterrufhausen. On the day we will have four forces: for NATO, US and Bundeswehr; for WarPact, Soviet and East German.

View of the Rasdorf valley from the Inner German Border looking west.

For this evening we would just be using one table and playing out the Rasdorf valley table:

The Soviet force was mainly T-80s:

The US Force was focused on Infantry and ATGW, supported by a company of venerable M-60s:

The US team, Peter and Stuart, set up their anti-armour ambushes on both sides of the valley:

Ed took one company of T-80s left flanking along the edge of the hills, I took the other one straight down the middle:

After losing half our Fast Air and Aviation to US Air Defences, the surviving Frogfoots and Hinds made inroads targeting the US Chapparals and VADS.

At this point my 'invulnerable' T-80s started taking losses to ITV TOW-2s lining the northern side of the valley. Ed suggested I use the mobility of the T-80 to get within the TOW minimum range. Great suggestion!

It was unclear where our Motor Rifles would be needed so they kept to the middle of the valley, occasionally firing off a STABBER ATGW up at the hills on either side.

Using T-80s against the US infantry and M113s was great fun until their DRAGON ATGW joined in the fight against my side armour. ERA can only go so far and I lost another couple of tanks:

By this time the SU-25s had all crashed and burned so the surviving Hinds joined in picking off the US ATGWs up in the hills. The US platoons of two ITV proved surprisingly good at passing their last stand checks, unfortunately...

With their Cobras helos placed in delayed reserve, when they eventually arrived on scene deep in the WarPact rear they caused some consternation!

Our Shilkas, up covering the T-80s, were out of range, and our SA-13 Gophers utterly useless! But Ed recalled that my BMP-3s, loitering in the rear, had cannon with an anti-helicopter capability:

It was the turn of US aviation to crash and burn! At this point, having spent a lot of time discussing the the look and feel of the game we are going to present, we ran out of time....

Much useful experience had been gained. We are going to modify the scenario somewhat so that all sides stagger the arrival of reserves, to be determined by a smaller 'covering force' battle the week before the big game. I think both side's Forces lists will be revisited: the US gaining a Spearhead capable force to expand their deployment area, and the Soviets not wasting points on arming T-80s with AT-11 STABBER ATGW when the heaviest thing they will have to face are M-60s!

Clash of Steel: Elsdorf 1945

 

This Clash of Steel game is inspired by the tank duel in Elsdorf between M26 Pershings and Tiger 1s. The battle took place during the Allied advance into Germany’s Rhineland, Operation LUMBERJACK, aiming to capture key locations, including the city of Cologne, which was a significant industrial centre for the German war effort.

310 M26 Pershing tanks were sent to Europe before the end of the war. 

The US 3^rd Armored Division (Lt Gen Maurice Rose) received 10 of these, CCB’s Task Force Welborn and TF Lovelady each receiving a handful, each manned by a veteran sergeant Tank Commander and a hand-picked crew. These would lead each TF's column.

On the 26^th February 1945 General Rose was impatient to get to the Erft Canal, last obstacle to Cologne, before its defense had time to coalesce. 

This required a swift strike through either the Hambach Forest on the left of the axis of advance, or through the villages on the right, known to be the haunt of Tiger Tanks…

In this game: TF Welborn; with two M26 and three M4A4E8 will attack the village of Elsdorf by going left flanking through the bitter woods. 

TF Lovelady, with just the one Pershing and lighter M24 Chaffees and M18 Hellcats, would attempt to race through the outskirts of Elsdorf to the right. Total US points for three M26, five M24 and four M18: 30 points.

The defense consisted of two Tiger 1Es from sPzAbt 301 and four Panthers from the 9th Panzer Divison, for a total of 21 points:

The German tactical thinking was the Tigers would cover the long range fields of fire of the Hambach forest approach, whilst the more nimble Panthers would start off in town and react to any unexpected approaches.

Unexpected approaches is exactly what TF Lovelady had in mind as they burst from the woods and drove at full pelt to past the outskirts. Exposing side armour is something of a moot point for Chaffees and Hellcasts - would it pay to rely on speed and surprise?

TF Welborn took a more considered and covered approach across the tracks and into the cover of the Hambach forest:

Inevitably the dash past the Panthers on the US right...

Exacted a toll:

But the rest of TF Lovelady was able to seek cover to the rear of the Panthers, seeking potential side shots:

Whilst on the US left the covered approach left the Tigers wondering whether to leave their covered positions:

But patience paid off as the Easy Eights finally rumbled into view...

Unfortunately for the Tigers their shooting was poor...

And the Easy Eights and Pershing's armour was thick!

But TF Welborn's return shooting rolled high!

Meanwhile the agile TF Lovelady overcame its poor firepower with nifty maneuvering...

 To gain lethal sideshots:

After the lone surviving Tiger failed its last stand test, TF Welborn was also able to creep up on the now distracted Panthers...

Getting rear/side shots of their own! With all the Panthers wiped out, TF Lovelady had a clear run to the Erft canal at the edge of the table.

A clear US victory!

A fast and enjoyable game. But price paid in reality would have been high.

Sources: Both highly recommended!