During six months of static mountain warfare around Cassino, the New Zealand Divisional Cavalry had found little use for their lumbering Staghound armored cars. This changed after Rome fell. In hot pursuit of the retreating enemy in the Liri valley, the Cavalry were often in the lead, receiving a liberator's welcome from the Italian population. This did not last long: at the end of July they ran into the outposts of the Gothic Line, defended by the hardened veterans and Bassotto (Dachshund) assault guns of 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division.
Attacker: New Zealand (23 Battalion and A Squadron, Divisional Cavalry Regiment, 2nd New Zealand Division)
Defender: German (II. Bataillon, Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 12, 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division)
I was Germain defender vs British attacker. British player was very aggressive with his Stagehounds. All three eventually went up in flames due to PanzerFausts at close range. My initial Stug did poorly and fell to his Infantry in a CC attack quickly. British was able to break into the village center, but my turn 3 counter attack forces were able to seize several buildings he had previously captured. A late desperation charge by British was cut down. One die-hard German Squad tied up his forces in the village center for most of the game.
2022-11-02
(A) Marc Grad
vs
Ericzag
German win
German troops wisely deployed their outnumbers squads (allowed by SSR) making it harder for the new Zealanders to know where the German strength was concentrated. Accordingly the New Zealander's entered the map from both the Southwest and Southeast with about 50% of their forces in each group. Almost immediately one of the Staghounds was torched by a Panzerschreck armed German halfsquad in a foxhole in the woods hex at CC4. The commonwealth force had better luck in the south, bypassing the board edge ant CC10, getting around the 105mm Italian Assault gun hiding in the building at Y6. Unfortunately for the New Zealander's, despite several close in attacks from infantry and a Staghound, they were unable to take out the pesky AG which succeeded in blasting several squads who tried to find cover in the building at AA7.
Still the NZ forces were able to push their way into the building at Z4/Z5, not before one squad got routed after finding the minefield at hex BB5. The Germans in the buildings further North drew fire from the NZ troops, without revealing their positions. The NZ troops didn't take enough buildings before the German reinforcements arrived on the Western road leading to the village. These forces pushed East, linking up with the assault gun, and the allied troops threw in the towel on the last turn.
Fun game!
2021-09-03
(A) Nate Gregg
vs
Chris Gregg
New Zealand win
2021-08-25
(A) Jonathan Kapleau
vs
Duenskie, Ron
German win
2021-07-25
(D) Vic Lauterbach
vs
JM
German win
Very close with several dramatic changes of fortune. It looked bleak for my defense early, but I clung to the hexrow 7 buildings. Jim used his Staghounds aggressively to neutralize the Bassottos, but my counterattack was just enough to secure the win.
2021-04-16
(D) Nate Gregg
vs
Martin Vicca
New Zealand win
Played live with on a Friday eve (GMT) with Martin Vicca and friends (via Skype).
2021-01-21
(A) Mike Grogan
vs
Dale Wetzelberger
German win
A close game which could of gone either way but a sniper broke one of my 4-5-8s late on in the game, which with a skilful German counter-attack meant I was 2 buildings short.
2021-01-14
(A) Eric Topp
vs
John Fedoriw
New Zealand win
NZ took nine buildings so Germans had to recapture two to win. Game came down to a Kiwi HS defending against two German 548 squads and a 9-1 leader. The HS survived the 4-1 CC for a NZ win.
Well done MMP republishing this scenario!
2021-01-08
(D) Paul Works
vs
Nathan Wegener
New Zealand win
NZ troops entered from south and east. Germans had some good shots on turns 1 and 2, but failed to get any hits or kills. I took an ill-advised PF shot from a building that ended up a) missing, and b) breaking the full squad that took the shot. this resulted in that flank collapsing. Nathan used his vehicles to force surrenders on that unit and a couple others. Ouch. My counter-attack units nearly did the trick. I had a 2-1 CC and a 1-2 -2DRM CC that (if I had rolled well) would have won the game for the Germans, but gacked them both. Well played by Nathan! This a fun, tight scenario.
2020-12-30
(D) Jason Wert
vs
Michael Daschbach
German win
2020-12-19
(A) Kermit Mullins
vs
Dan Best
German win
Dan's first rolls were pretty bad with a 12 on a Panzerfaust effect, a MALF'd Stug on its first shot and a miss from the Panzerschreck. My New Zealanders secured 9 buildings, but by Turn 5, Dan had taken three of them back. On Turn 5, I retook one building, but a 1 factor shot pinned my 4-5-8 who was going to move into CC for #8 and that was game. Good win for Dan's Germans.
2020-12-19
(D) Dan Best
vs
Kermit Mullins
German win
2020-12-05
(A) Steven Cummings
vs
David Rosner
German win
2020-12-03
(D) Andy Bagley
vs
Neil Brunger
German win
Great little scenario, which we both really enjoyed. It looks as though the New Zealanders have go a lot going for them, heavily outnumbering the At Start German forces and able to come on from two map edges, but too much aggression can fall victim to HIP German units and mines, and of course those panzerfausts. The luck swung both ways in this game, and it went down to the wire: the New Zealanders captured seven buildings but could quite manage to take the eighth they needed for the win.