The Battle of Schwarze Katze am Mais or Black Cat on the Corn, a fictional battle set in the latter stages of WWII.
All figures and vehicles are 20mm and with the terrain from my collection.
My opponent Rob, was thrown into a large-ish game for his second foray into Rapid Fire 2 rule.
The Allied forces are pushing the Axis forces back towards the Fatherland. A US Division has been ordered to push onto Remagen bridge and link with the US Forces there. A small combat command has been tasked with clearing the village of Schwarze Katze am Mais and securing the bridges across one of the tributaries of the Rhine River.
View from the Shitezen Forest. The German occupied the
heights and the village.
The retreating Germans could deploy anywhere within and to left of the three woods, and would all could be dug in.Regimental HQ 6 figs Could also observe for artillery.
1st Infantry Battalion 45 Figs (use the LMG and close range assault rifle rule)
Panzershreck, 3 Panzerfausts, 120mm Mortar, 2 MMGs, 75mm PaK40, 75mm IG.
2nd Infantry Battalion 39 Figs
Panzershreck, 3 Panzerfausts, 81mm Mortar, 2 MMGs.
1 STuG III 75mm
1 Panther 75mm
2 Panzer IV 75mm
2 105mm Howitzers + Observer
Luftwaffe AA detachment 16 Figs
1 Company LW infantry, 88mm Flak, 20mm Flak
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Taskforce Pont-Henri had been given the task.
The US CC Force
Regimental HQ 6 figs Could also observe for artillery.
1st Armoured Infantry Battalion 53 Figs
4 Bazookas, 60mm Mortar, 81mm Mortar, HMG, MMG, Flamethrower, 57mm AT Gun, 75mm M8 GMC
2nd Lorried Infantry Battalion 48 Figs
4 Bazookas, 60mm Mortar, 81mm Mortar, HMG, MMG, Flamethrower, 57mm AT Gun,
Armoured Combat Engineer Company 8 Figs
1 Bazookas, Flamethrower.
1st Tank Company
1 Sherman 76mm, 2 Sherman 75mm
SP Tank Destroyer Company
2 M18 Hellcats.
1st Armoured Cavalry Recce Troop 9 Figs
1 M8 Greyhound, 2 Armoured Jeeps (VMG)
Field Artillery
Observer Team
2 105mm Howitzers, 2 155mm Long Toms (every other turn)
1 A20 Havoc (3 bomb runs pre game), German AA can attempt to shoot.
1 P51 Mustang (1 Medium Bombs, 6 HMGs)
The US force approach end
Just before dawn the sound of aircraft approaching, awoke the tired AA units, and they prepared for the imminent attack.
The A20 over the target of the first bomb run. Second Run, saw it shot down.
TURN 1
The recon troop push ahead of the main thrust.
TURN 2
The PaK Opens up and destroys one of the recon jeeps.
Turn 5- STuG brewed a Sherman 75.
At this point my camera ran out of battery, and we resume on turn 6
TURN 6
The STuG took a heavy damage in turn 4, moved back in turn 5, then received a light damage
The Sherman 75 in the right wood causing the damage to the STuG (which missed all it's shots)
The off table artillery was destroying buildings and now German casualties were mounting.
An M18 was targeting the house on the left in the far distance
TURN 7
P51 turn up, only to be shot down by the AA 20mm.
Fighting rage across the front.
The STuG now became a victim of the "76"
TURN 8
The lorried US Battalion were now on their first morale check & became pinned down.
We broke for lunch only to have a Panther appear, that neither side knew about!
Turn 8 -German turn started with both battalions on morale checks, which both passed
Turn 9 Saw the Germans on consecutive morale checks, which they both passed again
TURN 10
The 76 became a victim of the Panther (proper tank, not Kitty)
The German 1st battalion filed their morale and routed off table,
leaving the US force to push up into the village.
TURN 11
The last remaining Sherman failed it's morale & routed
The Armoured battalion's flamethrower then brewed the Panther.
The rest of the US CC push on through the village & The P IVs took their wrath on the Hellcats,
only to have the heavy artillery come down and destroy one
TURN 12
The US Armoured battalion failed a morale check and had to retire to cover
The lorried battalion flame thrower attacked the luftwaffe company in the ruined shop and the Engineers attacked the IG with a flamethrower.
The German 1st battalion failed a morale check and the troops routed off table.
At this point, the Germans gave up the village and the last Panzer IV and the Luftwaffe followed their colleagues into the forest to find the rest of the retreating German army.
