Rommel Late War Americans v Germans: Breakthrough

Another introduction to Rommel game, this time for Gary. We went for the "Breakthrough" scenario with me taking Late War Americans and Gary the Germans. I had an Infantry Combat Command and an Armoured Combat Command while Gary went for an Infantry KG, a Volksgrenadier KG and a Panzer KG.

In this scenario the attacker has to capture two out of four objectives while holding one of their own. Most of the terrain inevitably ended up on the German side of the table with two objectives placed by me and two placed by Gary. Initial deployment saw the Germans place their Infantry KG on their right, the Panzer KG in the centre and the Volksgrenadier KG on their left. The Americans had the Infantry CC in the centre and the Armoured CC on the right:

The Americans launch the Armoured CC to take the two objectives on their right:

Both are quickly secured so the Germans will now have to counter-attack to retake at least one:

They quickly move their Panzers to assault the Americans holding the nearest objective:

The Americans start to take some losses but hold on:

The German assault continues further weakening the American holding force but taking some damage themselves:

More troops are fed into the 'meat-grinder' by the Americans:

The Germans had been wondering what the uncommitted American Infantry CC was going to do? Feeling that the time was right and that sufficient Germans had been drawn off from the American left the Infantry CC launches itself at the weakened Germans holding the other two objectives: 

On the right the battle for the furthest forward objective rages on, it almost falls but one battalion of American armoured infantry holds on desperately! The Americans are almost done defending this objective but they have bought a lot of time and used up a lot of German strength:

The Infantry CC races on isolating one objective and almost taking the second, unfortunately driving back some German infantry onto the other objective with an ill-advised attack they didn't need to make: 

More American infantry cross the river and prepare to attack. The Germans have reinforced the sole infantry battalion on the second objective with another but are under attack by the Infantry CC's supporting armour: 

On the right flank the Americans are making a last stand on the furthest forward objective. It will fall soon. However, the second one is still firmly under American control:

The American Infantry CC makes another assault on the defending German infantry:

Both objectives fall to the Americans! They now hold all four and night is approaching:

The Germans finally recapture the objective they have been attacking for the entire game but have no prospect of taking another two resulting in an American victory:

Another really enjoyable game which Gary found thought-provoking as he could see where he could have done things differently which might have changed the outcome. 

As with most people who have not played that often he didn't realise just how quickly my 'reserve' Infantry CC could move when I committed it or that isolated units are relatively easy to smash. He became very involved in the fighting with the Panzer KG to retake the second objective I took which is very easy to do but can sometimes make you miss the bigger picture.

For me the main choice was where to commit the reserve Infantry CC, either to support the Armoured CC which had already taken two objectives or to send them to attempt to seize the other two objectives which were available. As Gary had moved more and more units to his left and the Panzer KG was fully engaged I felt that taking the other two objectives was a better option so went that way accepting that one one the initial ones I'd captured would fall and the other might (though it didn't in the end).

I've now introduced Jerry , Dave and Gary to Rommel which they have all enjoyed though Jerry and Dave are looking closely at 'O' Group and have played that a few times so it does have a rival!