Chain of Command "29 Let's Go!" campaign game 3

Having driven Gary's Germans from La Cambe in the last game the next objective for the Americans was to capture Arthenay where the Germans were attempting a delaying action.

Looking at the map the Germans had an orchard and a few buildings they could occupy in the centre of the table while the Americans could form a strong firing line behind the hedges near their table edge. Having gained some painful experience in the first two games I decided not to go with three Shermans this time and took a single Sherman, a .50 caliber HMG, a 60 mm mortar, a flamethrower team and a medic for my support options.

The plan was to form a strong firing line on over-watch then use scout teams to force the Germans to deploy and hit them with the maximum amount of firepower.

The battlefield:

One US squad deploys on over-watch on the right while a second deploys in the centre:

The 60 mm mortar joins the squad on the right while the Sherman appears. Everyone is on over-watch now waiting for the Germans to appear:

Germans in the orchard! They open up on the US squad opposite and cause some casualties. However, the Americans on over-watch return fire and cause several hits on the Germans:

The Germans in the orchard scuttle back unwilling to face the heavy US firepower. A second German squad deploys in the walled enclosure to support the first squad:

The HMG appears to support the US squad on the right. Fire is concentrated on the Germans in the walled enclosure:

The Germans take an absolute pasting with eight out of ten being killed including the corporal!:

The Germans launch an ambush attempting to catch the third US squad which has deployed on the left in the open. The German fire has little effect while American retaliation from units on over-watch cuts down the ambushing LMG team. German morale is falling fast:

A German sniper has been targeting the HMG crew, the US squad in the centre attempts to spot him but fails:

The third US squad reaches the forward hedgerow on the left flank:

A Pak 75 deploys and takes a shot at the Sherman. It misses! The Germans then fire an off-table Marder at the Sherman which hits, immobilizing the tank and putting some shock on it. Again having units on over-watch pays off for the Americans with the gun crew taking casualties and a load of shock from return fire:

More fire from the US HMG sees the German gun crew fleeing through the town with the remnants of their infantry:

The victorious Americans advance to take the village while the Germans withdraw after heavy losses:

So Colonel Goode's opinion goes back to 'Worried' and the campaign moves on to the next scenario, flanking St Germain-du-Pert where the Germans will have a fresh platoon. The one that fought the first three games will be a whole squad down if it is used again.

I think I applied the lessons I learned from the first two games well in this one. Taking the HMG and mortar rather than the three Shermans was a better choice and I defended the Sherman from ambushes much better than before. I used all the firepower I had to demolish any Germans that appeared. Probably a sniper would have been a better choice than the flamethrower.

Looking forward to game 4, Gary gains two Marders in that game so my bazooka team which has not made an appearance yet might get into action!