The Erft Effort ETO (id:#66941)
(Rally Point #21 ID: RPT208)   [next]   [previous]
Designer: Evan E. Sherry
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
GermanAmerican
57.142857142857%

Overview:

The 9th Infantry Division was advancing toward the Rhine. 1st Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment had taken the village of Lommersum. Their next objective was to seize Derkum less than a mile away and just east of the Erft River. Though little more than a small creek, the soggy ground conditions and steep banks mad vehicular crossing of the Erft problematic. While the Americans were consolidating at Lommersum, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division launched a counterattack at 0900 hours from the villages of Derkum and Hausweiler, consisting of 250 men supported by an assortment of self-propelled guns including StuPz IV's.
Attacker: German (Volksgrenadier Regiment 183, Volksgrenadier Division 62, Sturmpanzer Abteilung 217 and Sturmgeschütz Brigade 902)
Defender: American (1st Battalion, 39th RCT, 9th Infantry Division and 1st Platoon, C Company, 746th Tank Battalion and 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion)  
5.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:23.0 D:14.0
AFVs: A:8
StuG IIIG (L) x 3
JgdPz 38(t) x 3
StuPz IV x 2

AFVs: D:5
M4A3(76)W x 2
M4A3(75)W
M36 GMC x 2

Guns: A:0 D:0
M20 75mm Recoilless Rifle
M2 60mm Mortar x 2

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: Roads: Paved
Overlays: OG1 OG2 St1
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2025-04-05(D) Jason Wert vs Pete Palmer American winASL E-Open 2025. Outstanding game and very tense scenario.
2025-03-06(D) Jeff B vs John Fedoriw American win8.25 hrsGermans chose to attack over the southern bridge, with only a MG nest left behind in the eastern woods and a Hetzer and Brumbar to guard them. I had the H10 woods road covered with a mortar, but he of course used his special smoke SSR to shroud it, allowing his men a quick uncontested crossing. I was a bit stunned just how deftly he was able to execute this, but he was just as shocked at how rapidly my men were able to reposition, and they were securely positioned on the south end of town awaiting the onslaught, with my AFVs sprinkled nicely amongst them. Turn 2 saw him reach the C10 woods/building, only to be rebuffed by a lucky 6+3. This was a fairly crucial moment in setting the stage, and the start of what would be many ELR replacements on his brittle 537s. By the end of the game nearly half his force had reduced to conscripts, as his MCs were generally terrible. The bottom of the turn saw us trade tanks, but I got the better end of the deal when a sniper recalled a Hetzer. Turn 3 saw him lose a StuG to a sneaky LOS from a M4A3, and his first actual infantry losses to the tune of a HS and vehicular crew, but more than 1/4 of his force lay broken throughout the battlefield. Turn 4 saw his infantry losses mount as he began to force his way into town supported by a Brumbar, and a Hetzer broke its MA. His dice continued to be atrocious, his only bright spot being the three heroes he had generated. Had they been able to coordinate with the 9-2 kill stack things could've turned ugly, but the attack was too fragmented and the resistance too strong. Turn 5 saw the Hetzer with the broken gun immobilized by the RCL (its only shot of the day), while his infantry continued to take it on the chin. With the Americans having only lost a HS, the aforementioned tank, and a few pieces of equipment broken, the Germans called it a day. The 0.50 HMG was never even fired once. We both thought this was a nice scenario with decent replay value, but John's dice really let him down throughout the entire game. I'm not sure what the previous poster meant by the OG overlay and bridges being unimportant, as they are pretty vital to the initial assault. I wonder if they had the boards set up properly. The soft ground was definitely an incentive for the vehicles to stay on the road, which was of course to the defender's advantage.
2025-01-03(A) Dan Best vs Kermit Mullins American win4 hrsFirst to play and post.
2025-01-03(D) Kermit Mullins vs Dan Best American win4 hrsAnother meaty scenario with too much stuff...particularly Infantry Support Weapons...9 machine guns for the Germans and 4 for the Americans along with lots of Bazookas and Panzerschrecks. The Germans have 2 squads to each support weapon. The Americans have 10 support weapons for 14 squads. Seems a little excessive for the Carolina League. Lots of tanks as well with a total of 13 altogether. This is a complex scenario that does take a lot of time to manage. There are two Open Ground overlays that frankly aren't needed. The Bridges don't really matter either. Then you have the mud and tanks spending two MP per non-road hex, which just makes moving the tanks less fun than it could be. It's a grinding scenario with a lot of counter management, tough defensive terrain and 2 ELR for the Germans, which was a killer in our game as the Germans ELR'd left and right. The American armor had the edge and waited to shoot the oncoming Germans. At game end, the Americans had lost the 75 Sherman and nothing else, The Germans lost 2 Hetzers, 3 STUGS and 1 Brumbar. But the Germans still had a Hetzer and a Brumbar to face off against 2 76L Shermans and 2 M-36's. One M-36 knocked out a Hetzer and a STUG and then DM'd the German 9-2 in a squad with a 4 Rate of Fire, that managed to stop the final German assault. American win in what was a really exhausting and grinding scenario.
View all or balance report
ActionDate
jwert02 Added a playing2025-04-05 14:55:31
buser333 Added a playing2025-03-07 04:00:26
Hutch Modified the overview2025-01-20 15:56:13
Hutch Modified the Defender's Guns2025-01-20 15:44:36
Hutch Modified the unit counts2025-01-20 15:44:35
FileDescriptionUserViews
(german-usa.png)ImageHutch195
DescriptionUploaded by
TitleAuthorDate

Quick Map View

No Map available yet! Please create one, or upload a map image file...

Location

Images

 
Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.83Votes: 6
Views: 0
To-Play list count: 0
Estimated Play time: 7.6 hours
Recorded Games: 3
Archive recorded plays:
German0
American3
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
The Erft Effort
[Log in to Confirm or Edit]
[A] American 4
[D] German 0
All Rights Reserved. (c)2022 Dave Ramsey.