GOSS Atlantic Wall - Air landings and German Response

Men of the 6th Airborne Division

Weather forecasts be damned, the Order of the Day has been given and the men of the 6th, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions shuffled onto their transports. Guided by their Pathfinders they have jumped into the night sky over Normandy France.

CW 6th AB Sector

The Red Devils had a relatively safe and wildly disorganized landing. Couple units on Extended Scatter track. Only three Coys worth of FoW units in dead pile (GOSS AW paratroops are broken down into companies and a few dummies mixed in. No player knows what those FoW counters contain until regrouped). Pegasus Bridges were of course captured and the Merville Battery mission failed.

Only got three FoWs regrouped. One via blowing that bridge over the Dives. My attempt to establish communication with Pegasus Bridge was rebuffed. During 2nd movement, Fritz was able to get stronger units and an Eng blocking my path. Given that the rules say no regrouping for the next three turns (all of June 6th!) there is no hope for 6AB.

I believe one german Z-step arty got landed on and destroyed. The white crosses mark Germans yet to be activated. That 5-6-6, 711ID Bn, twice failed (retreated) their attack on FoW. Panzers have moved up. 

For the record; CW drop zone results (letter is A(best) to E(worst) impacted how much units scattered, a fair bit. Number in paren is chance to regroup FoW counter in DZ's hex:
DZ K: no scatter C(50%)
DZ V: scattered 1 hex D(40%)
DZ K: no scatter D(40%)

Overall I'd rate this a moderately poor drop. I have a sample size of two (played drop once before).

[I'm overly annoyed by no regrouping until June 7th.  A change/typo in 2016 rewrite. Unless you DZ rolls are amazing, during airborne assault stage the little to nothing is on DZ for 1st regrouping. And with 30-40% chance to regroup each counter during 2nd regrouping, very little such in my case gets regrouped. It's just so dumb to have Germans (and allied beach forces) swarming all over for three turns while FoW counters huddle around DZs. Overly annoyed.]

US 82nd and 101st Sector

Not being the US forces player, I have much less detail to report. They seem to have opposite of CW drop, well concentrated but deadly. The dice are number or less on d10 needed to regroup. He did reveal a slew like 10-13 of FoW counters and has equal number in dead pile. Was able to reform a reduced Bn, the 1/507/82nd.

German has withdrawn and consolidated. Several of their batteries died during the jump.

Comments

  1. Randy M31/7/26 20:18

    German losses from the Airborne phase were two Z-step units and 4 artillery companies. Most were landed on directly by the airborne, while the poor unit in St Mere Eglise was squished after surviving the landings. The British drop was, as you say, poor. The Pegasus bridges fell intact, but the scatter allowed the Germans to seal off the Ranville hex. The incompetent 5-6-6 did indeed fail twice to damage the one FOW unit in front of it. Tough choice for the baddies now, as does the 21st Pz go for the Airborne or head north of Caen?

    The US landings were awesome. Almost a perfect lineup on the primary road from Carentan to St Mere Eglise. The 6-7-6 of the 91st did its job and is blocking the road bridge, and I feel lucky to have held Carentan, which begins the game empty. I am quite disappointed in the R35's of the 100 Pz - they perform so much better in the ASL scenarios.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous31/7/26 20:29

    How'd the Germans get up there so fast?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Norman J. Harman Jr.31/7/26 20:39

      Up where? Germans start everywhere.

      Any unit near (1-2 hexes) allied unit gets to move a little, one or two hexes. d10 21st Pz units (Randy rolled 3) get to move full MA. Six units over by Americans get a full move.

      It's ok, more Canadians are coming over the beaches. The 6AB will be avenged! ;)

      Delete
    2. Randy M31/7/26 21:11

      Anon probably referring to the three German units of the 21st Pz. I rolled a 6 (halved to a 3) so two MK IV companies and one armored engineer battalion moved straight up the primary road to Caen. Plus there are two movement phases for the activated units. Still, most Germans are still asleep ... but some are active.

      Delete

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