Flames of war - Late war - No retreat

Forces 1500
Overlord - US - Medium Tank (CT)
HQ 2x M4 Sherman

4x M4 Sherman

4x M4 Shermanl

Mortar half track platoon
Recce Platoon

Tank destroyer section

4x 105 mm Howitzers

2x 155 mm Howitzers
AA half tracks
AOP

Panzers to the Meuse (pdf) - Panzer Lehr (CV)
HQ Panzer IV
4x Panzer IV J
Gepanzerte panzergrenadiers w/ tank hunter
2x Wirberlwind
2x Puma Scout car
2x Jagdpanther
3x Volks Nebelwerfer (Reluctant Trained)

In this scenario the Panzer Lehr defends the fields of Normandy against the oncoming horde of american tanks. The US attack thanks to their always attack rule. The German side puts Wirbelwinds, Pumas and Nebelwerfers in reserve and places the platoon of Panzer IVs in ambush. The Americans makes a recon move with the recce teams and a spearhead move with a tank platoon before the game starts.

Turn 1 

All mobile US units move forward and the artillery tires to range on on the Jagdpanther, but fails.

The Nebelwerfes arrive thanks to a lucky reserve roll, but not much more happens.

Turn 2

Further movement takes the US forces closer to the German lines. The artillery hits a Jagdpanther, but it passes its save.

The Pumas arrives from reserve. One Jagdpanthers takes a lucky shot at a Sherman and destroys it, but fail to move out of the ranged in artillery with its storm trooper move.

Turn 3

Units push forward in concealment and the scouts reveals the gone to ground infantry. Combined fire kills one infantry team. Then the heavy bombardment repeat its salvo and destroys one of the Jagdpanthers. 

The Panzer Ambushes at the German right flank and the Wirbelwind platoon arrive from reserve at the left flank. The Panzer IVs destroy the 2iC, one Sherman and bail 2 other Shermans, not enough for a test though. The Nebelwerfers fail to inflict any damage.

Turn 4

The Tank destoyers deploy and fires a salvo at the Pumas, but poor shooting result in only one puma being destroyed. The Panzer IVs takes a lot of return fire but saves it all except a long range shot from a Sherman that bails a tank.

The CiC, the remaining Puma and the Wirbelwinds kills two of the tank destroyers and bails another. The do however pass their morale. The Nebelwerfers bails a tank.

Turn 5 

The last operational tank destroyer kills the last Puma and one platoon is down. The remaining platoons position themself to avoid the Jagdpanther. The Shermans fire at the last Panzer IVs, destroying one. The Artillery does however kill two more. They pass their morale.

The CiC destroy one Tank destroyer. Combined infantry and Nebelwerfer fire destroy one recon car and bail 3 of the mortar trucks. The last Panzer IV destroy one more Sherman and forces the two bailed tanks to flee the battle.

Turn 6

The bailed tank destroyer remounts and fire at the German CiC but misses. The Shermans in the center also shoots at the CiC, scores one hit witch is saved. The US CiC fires at the last Panzer IV, but misses the shots. Another two infantry teams are killed by the massed .50 cal fire.

A well placed Nebelwerfer hit destroy one and bail two mortar trucks. The Infantry then kills another one with a panzershreck and the platoon flees. The CiC Panzer destroys the last Tank destroyer and the last Panzer IV destroys the Company command tank, but the commander quickly remount in a nearby Jeep. 

Turn 7

With heavy losses on both sides the AA trucks takes safer position behind a building. The remaining Shermans tries to destroy the CiC but the only hit is saved. The artillery fail to range in on any target.

The CiC backs away from the Bocage to avoid destruction while the last Panzer IV moves up the escarpment to fire at the Sherman platoon. Nebelwerfer fire once again proves useless.

  

Turn 8

The three remaining Shermans fire 6 shots at the CiC but all miss. The AOP range in the artillery at the last Jagdpanther. The mighty salvo penetrates the armor - but fail to destroy it. The power of the bombardment does however cause the crew to abandon their tank and flee the battle. Two platoons down.

The CiC backs moves up to the Bocage in an attempt to snipe the remaining armored car in the scout platoon. A well placed shot hits and destroys it, and the US are down to four platoons. The Panzer IV hits and one Sherman. The Nebelwerfers fail to inflict any damage but the infantry manage to blast away the US CiC with MG fire.

Turn 9

Two Shermans takes pot shots at the CiC now bailing the Commander. The last one tries to finish of the last Panzer IV - but the shots miss. The Artillery hits the Panzer IV, but it saves the hit.

The CiC fail to remount. With the US CiC and 2iC out of action the one objective is to break a fifth platoon. The Panzer IV destroy one Sherman. The infantry moves up to kill the AA trucks, supported by Nebelwerfers, and in a storm of fire the AA trucks goes down and the US are down to three platoons - and flees the battle.

German Victory 4-3. 

The Panzer Lehr hold their ground.

Comments
What seemed to be a uphill battle for the outnumbered Germans turned out to be an quite even game. Maybe a more safer approach from the US side would have given the Americans a solid victory, but then it would have turned out to a rather boring game of dice statistics.

For me (as German player) I expected the TDs (Tank destoryers or Teleport destroyers, depending whom you ask) to be the biggest treat, but it turned out to be the artillery that dealt the deadliest blow. Six guns combined fire gets double wide template with AT5 FP3+ for same points as four TDs - ouch!

For my opponent the Infantry was the Achilles heel. A ten man strong platoon with three Panzershrecks and one Panzerfaust is almost impossible to assault with tanks. And this time there was not enough guns to blast them away.