Skirmish Campaigns: Ranger Relief (Bloody Omaha Campaign, Game 2)

Friday night I had my second go at the Ranger Relief scenario, this time with the correct table layout. Unfortunately, pictures are a bit scarce due the concentration on the game itself.

D-day +1, elements of 116th infantry regiment, 29th infantry division moved towards Point-du-Hoc to relieve the rangers there. A German force from the German 726th infantry regiment, 352nd infantry division did it's best to prevent that. Meanwhile German recon patrols pushed behind US lines. (Skirmish Campaigns, Heroes of Omaha and Panzer Lehr, p.16)

German OOB	US OOB
2 infantry squads	2 PLs
2 recon patrols	6 infantry squads
2 MMG teams	2 scout teams
2 6" barbed wire sections	1 60mm mortar team
1 mine field

Edit: Due to the specific victory conditions as written in the scenario, I doubled the size of the base forces (with the exception of the mine field). From what I have read online, Skirmish Campaign scenarios are just scaled down forces,and can be scaled up without issue. Seems true enough.

The US objective is to move two squads off of the West edge of the map while the Germans need to to get one of their recon patrols off the East edge.

The map. 

The Germans were represented at the start by blinds with a portion of dummies, the recon patrol blinds would arrive on the West edge on the first German move card, and would be placed by die roll. The US was under my control, which was enough of a handicap for them.

I opted to attack in force on a 200 meter front with my two platoons, figuring we could deal a blow to whatever waited in the fields to our front and then push past them and off to the west.

The scouts proved their worth almost immediately and revealed an HMG and German squad operating within the bocage in the fields opposite the US positions.

Scout team spots German MG crew.

Unfortunately, for the US, the Germans would prove intractable, and they had the area well covered with intersecting fields of fire. Crossing the road to close assault the German position proved disastrous.

Shortly before crossfire from the US left - blinds revealed an MG and rifle squad - cut down a PL and squad caught in the open.

Meanwhile, the German recon patrols wound their way through the bocage and fields on the Southern portion of the map, and met their objective.

The US assault never gained any real traction before the game ended (presumably left to find another way around).

The game lasted 7 turns (per the scenario design, I rolled 1d4. The result of 4 meant the game ended immediately).  Had the game gone 1 more turn, it would have been a draw in terms of objectives (more smoke, some shooting that scored suppression and pins, and a good run of cards helped), but the US would have scored more victory points for kills. I know this because I kept playing just for giggles (the official result would be the end of turn 7).

The US still has two attachment credits left over from their victory in the last game,while the Germans go into the final scenario with 6 credits. The US still holds the lead 9-7 in victory points, so it's a nail biter. Tanks make an appearance in the next one, so my next step is to decide on some basic armor rules.