	TURN: 30 OF 60	SCENARIO NAME: Going to Town

Fionn Kelly - Germans vs. Americans - Martin Turewicz

US Force Strength on Turn 30

Rank	Name	Unit type	Active	Casualties	Ammo
Cpl	Rawls	M1919MMG	5	0	1
Cpl	Faber	M1919MMG	4	1	LOW
Cpl	Doe	M1919MMG	5	0	5
Cpl	Jacobs	Bazooka	2	0	8
Lt	Sieland	Platoon HQ	2	2	23
Sgt	Riley	Rifle 45 Sqd	3	9	1
Sgt	Forbes	Rifle 45 Sqd	3	9	LOW
Sgt	Stanley	Rifle 45 Sqd	3	9	1
Cpt	Brown	Company HQ	6	0	30
Lt	Berger	Platoon HQ	4	0	28
Sgt	Forsythe	Rifle 45 Sqd	9	3	15
Sgt	Baldwin	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	24
Sgt	Ballew	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	15
Lt	Pierce	Platoon HQ	3	1	31
Sgt	Ham	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	15
Sgt	Hagan	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	12
Sgt	Turner	Rifle 45 Sqd	9	3	13
Cpl	Hanson	M1919MMG	4	1	LOW
Cpl	Gomez	M1919MMG	5	0	LOW
Sgt	Jared	Rifle 45 Sqd	6	6	1
Sgt	Reeves	Rifle 45 Sqd	5	7	2
Lt	Hopcroft	Platoon HQ	4	0	16
Sgt	Horner	Rifle 45 Sqd	8	4	18
Sgt	Sablove	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	18
Sgt	Grace	Rifle 45 Sqd	9	3	13
Cpl	Robinson	Bazooka	2	0	8
Cpl	Sullivan	M1919MMG	3	2	LOW
Lt	Henderson	Platoon HQ	4	0	20
Sgt	Amatucci	Rifle 45 Sqd	11	1	9
Sgt	McCracken	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	12
Sgt	Anderson	Rifle 45 Sqd	11	1	9
Cpl	Young	M1919MMG	5	0	LOW
Cpl	Norton	Bazooka	2	0	8
Lt	Travis	Platoon HQ	4	0	33
Sgt	Poswolsky	Rifle 45 Sqd	3	9	18
Sgt	Knight	Rifle 45 Sqd	9	3	9
Sgt	Winegardner	Rifle 45 Sqd	6	6	10
Lt	Matsuoka	Platoon HQ	4	0	37
Sgt	Vaughan	Rifle 45 Sqd	6	6	34
Sgt	Moylan	Rifle 45 Sqd	10	2	33
Sgt	Sanchez	Rifle 45 Sqd	7	5	39
Cpl	Daly	M1919MMG	5	0	52
Cpl	Rice	M1919MMG	4	1	49
Cpl	Miller	Bazooka	2	0	8
Cpl	Whitman	Bazooka	2	0	8
Sgt	Diamon	M4A3 Sherman	4	1	55h 18a 6s
		TOTAL:	263	107

Orders phase

With my position on the hill untenable, I decide to withdraw as quickly as possible to try and save as much as I can. The two squads from first platoon are in panic and leaderless, so there is no chance that they will listen to any orders. And also one other squad from second platoon is in panic. Since I don’t want to leave that squad back, I only order the other two squads to move a bit back but wait with the total retreat until the other squad can be rallied. I do order, however, the two MGs back into town. They move slowest so get to start going as soon as possible, before the Germans make the hook northwards and overrun my badly decimated defenses.

Sgt Knight’s squads from second platoon has been lucky so far - the artillery barrage took only one casualty. The squad is in good order and I move them into one of the shell craters on the hill to prepare for full withdrawal soon. The two MGs are ordered to retreat back into the first line of houses.

In the center, I have no further orders. It’s fire at will down there. But I do order another bazooka team forward, into a position to overlook the bridge and give my forward position some anti-tank support.

Another bazooka team relocates forward...

In the north, my Sherman has the task of stopping or at least delaying the German assault. It has plenty of HE ammo and the Germans are easy targets. I have another unit in that area (an MMG in a forward position), but I decide to leave it hidden for now and open up when some of the German teams come a bit closer.

Cpl. Doe remains hidden and is observing the approaching Germans, leaving the job to stop the enemy advance to the Sherman for now.

Looking over the map to finalize my orders, I spot a lonely enemy infantry team moving up towards the block house from the south-east. It’s moving in the open and I am not sure what to do with it. Is it there to scout my defenses around town? I order one squad from the platoon in the block house to open fire at the infantry team.

Enemy infantry team? Hmm, it’s either Scouts or this team simply got lost... ;-)

The pressure on my defenses is rising with every second. The artillery barrage on the south hill has hit me badly, almost nullifying two of my platoons. I will have to see what I can save, but I do not have a good feeling my stomach. Soon, the Panzer and the halftracks will be approaching the bridge, and my forward defensive position there is in big danger. I don’t see any hope for these units to withdraw successfully, but hope that the two bazookas from the town will provide some support if Fionn moves his armor forward.

Action phase

The artillery barrage on the southern hill continues with deadly accuracy, forcing heavy casualties. One squad is down to two men, some more squads panic or rout. One of the MGs moving north into town are pinned down, but one manages to break through the woods and move up almost to the first townhouse.

Withdrawing under heavy artillery fire...

Around the bridge, the situation is deteriorating fast. The Panzer roars down the road at full speed, halts briefly in front of the bridge and pounds my defenses with HE fire, killing a few men. It then moves across the bridge slowly while it keeps firing.

Only 125 meters away, the enemy tank rolls across the bridge...

One of the HE rounds ignites the trees on the southern end of my position, and three units (two squads and one MG) scramble to escape the engulfing flames.

Better news from the north. My immobilized Sherman is pouring accurate MG and HE fire at the German attackers, and manages to pin and break some of the infantry. I can see two or three enemy teams turning around and running back for the trees. At least one team is completely wiped out by a direct HE hit. But at least three other units move on, coming closer to the small dip in the ground which will bring them out of LOS of the Sherman. I still have, however, the MG team further east, that will take it over from there.

It’s like shooting with cannons at ants...

Oh yeah - and that lost infantry team south-east of town. After several accurate BAR bursts from the block house, it surrenders. It seems to be a vehicle crew indeed, with only one man left.

Obergefreiter Taus surrenders, about hundred or so meters in front of town.

Again, a pretty rough start in the final battle around the town. The Germans are closing in from the south and east, and it looks like nothing can stop them...