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Hosingen, Luxembourg 1944-12-16 ()
Designer: Chas Argent
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
GermanAmerican
46.929824561404%

Overview:

At 0525 on December 16th, an intense German artillery barrage commenced against U.S. forces astride Route N16, “Skyline Drive”, one of only a few paved roads in the Ardennes. A thick fog obscured anything beyond a few hundred yards and as the morning progressed the Americans began to hear Germans bypassing their positions to the north and south. These were units of the 77th Grenadier Regiment which were on the move to seize the bridge at Clervaux. Around 0730 the fog began to lift and shortly thereafter the Grenadiers attacked Hosingen in an effort to take control of the vital roads leading west. . .
Attacker: German (II Batt., 77th Regiment, 26th Volksgrenadier Division)
Defender: American (K and M Co., 3rd Batt., 110th Regiment and 103rd Engineer Combat Batt.)  
5.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:15.0 D:8.0
AFVs: A:0
AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0 D:0

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: possible snow on DR by ATTACKER each Rally Phase; if snowing +1 hindrance on attacks 6 hexes or more
Map Board(s): y
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
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Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentResultComments
2022-08-26(D) Jack Wilson vs Bob T. American winMy third time with this one, but first time on VASL. Finally got a win as Americans. Please see my comments of my previous two (failed) attempts. There is much to like about this scenario. Although I will once again question the two FTs in the American OB. Perhaps giving the Americans those toys was to provide another opportunity to experiment with the flamers. OR it is because the only MGs in the SK1 American counter mix are 3 MMG and 1 HMG. So, "let's throw those FTs in there!"

Having lost twice with the Amis, I convinced myself that I had solved the riddle of the opening set up. Essentially, I put two squads far left and two squads far right with four more, including all three MGs and leaders spread out across the middle to cover the wide OG expanse. The idea (not too original) was if attacked in force on either flank I would delay with the trip wire squads, until the heavy hitters could scamper across the board.

Bob chose to come in full force on his right, my left. He wisely grabbed that cluster of buildings early (I decided not to contest them) and sealed off the battlefield with his MGs, so that 6 of my 8 squads were confined to my right half of the map.

The only thing keeping me in the war was those three MGs dominating all that open ground he would have to cross to get to the VC exits. He was making a sweep around my left behind the cover of the woods, and it looked like he was going to be able to approach the VC exit hex without having to make the suicide run across open ground. However, my one 7-4-7 over there was able to make a heroic stand a broke three squads before succumbing to overwhelming FP.

Couple that with me rolling to end the snow on turn five which meant none of those goofy +1 hindrances for shots of 6 or more hexes, and the last turn was going to be tough for him.

Bob made a valiant effort. By the last turn he had eliminated 3 of my squads, and I had committed a fourth to a CC which was now locked in melee. Which left me with only 4 squads and two MGs to hold off the last turn mad dash. To make things worse, all but 1 of the squads would be firing at long range.

He got 4 VP off and had another 2 more ready to make it in the advance phase, but I was able, with some low rolls on my part, and high rolls on his part, to stop him from getting anymore off.

Very fun game that came down to the last turn, I honestly think the snow stopping was the key. A crazy SSR.
2022-06-08(D) Jack Wilson vs Eric Filipkowski German winMy second time FTF with this scenario as the Americans, and I am 0-2. It was a touch-n-go game that literally came down to the last squad on the last turn,
Although outnumbered almost 2-1, I decided to try to at least contest the whole map with the expectation that Eric would hit one flank or the other, allowing me to rush reserves to the threatened sector. Instead, he came on en masse in the center. Doing so opened him up to many shots with little or no TEM as the center is fairly open. And for the first few turns it looked like I would hold the line. My HMG with the 10-2 leader was making rate so many times that I started to feel like I was piling on with each continued shot. I broke many squads and leaders, including a KIA and a few CRs. BUT, he held on and kept creeping forward.

One of the SSRs allows for a possible snow DR. And, for the second time playing this scenario, I rolled for snow on my second turn which did not stop for the rest of the game. As I mentioned in a previous post, the snow hindrance helps the Germans but really hurts the Americans who are already forced to cover huge swaths of open ground with a few units mostly firing at long range. That +1 snow hindrance makes most -1 FFMO/-1FFNAM shots turn into a +0 shot, instead of a -2 shot. Ouch!
For almost the whole game, I benefitted from good dice. In fact, my first squad didn't break until turn five. But, when it began to rain, it poured. And in one turn, he broke a squad and leader with an MMG covering a crucial area, my HMG Malf'd (again) and he won three 1-1 CCs.
Still, I had a chance as he had only one turn to exit 9 VP across OG over which I would have at least four DF shots. Unfortunately, even though I got at least two 1MCs I didn't pin or break a single unit.
Looking back, I feel I made a couple minor tactical mistakes. My opinion is that the Americans are stretched so thin they do not have the luxury of tactical mistakes, no matter how minor.
Still, it's a fun scenario, and Eric played a great game.
2022-05-02(D) Jack Wilson vs Ken Walsh German winAnother fun scenario vs. Ken, and another loss for me! I set the Americans up with most of the FP on the American right. From my previous solo plays, I felt the German attack avenue was a little easier for them coming through the heavy woods on that flank.

I put a 7-4-7 w/FT in the stone FF6 building, and a MMC w/MMG and 8-1 leader in V6 and a MMC w/the HMG and 10-2 ldr in P6. I figured if he flooded my left flank, I would have time to move units from right to left.

Turns out he went all-in on his left, my right. He rushed a lot of squads across OG to the woods. My DF shots broke a good number, but he was able to rout toward his Victory exit and advance into CC with my 7-4-7. Although the squad held out a number of CC turns, it eventually succumbed on turn 5.

Meanwhile I was able to move enough units into place to put fire down on the OG exit hexes. It was going to be tough for him to move across OG. HOWEVER, on turn two, I rolled an 11 for the snow hindrance., and it never stopped snowing.

This, as it turned out, was probably what really cost me the chance to win. The snow made every shot of 6 or more hexes a +1 Hindrance. And since three of my four FGs were firing from that range, I ended up with a bunch of +0DRM shots instead of -2DRM for FFNAM/FFMO. On top of that, the Hindrance penalty would move my Residual FP an additional column left, so what would have been a 4RFP ended up a 2. A devious little SSR!

Still, the game came down to the last turn. He only had three GO squads left, and he needed to get one off the board to win, and they had to survive a 6RFP -1 DRM. The first two squads survived the MCs, and the game was over.

As usual, Ken played a solid game. My only take away is that I got a couple of good ideas of how to better set up the Amis if I ever play them again.
Well-designed scenario.
2022-04-06(D) davide galloni vs Marco Bria American win
2022-03-07(D) Doba Serge vs Samuel M American win
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Jwil2020 Added a playing2022-08-26 01:37:28
Jwil2020 Added a playing2022-06-09 01:04:43
Jwil2020 Added a playing2022-05-02 22:38:13
mcgallons Added a playing2022-04-06 21:57:58
Serge Added a playing2022-03-07 20:33:54
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.69Votes: 113
Views: 10949
To-Play list count: 6
Estimated Play time: 2.9 hours
Recorded Games: 84
Archive recorded plays:
German35
American45
Drawn:2

ROAR Data: (as of November 2021)
Welcome Back [Confirmed]
[A] German 72
[D] American 76
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