After Action Report - FHH Panzergrenadiers vs Canadian Armoured Recce - Encounter

Land Mattresses open fire on the left flank on turn 4

This after action report is for a battle fought at the Battlefront Europe HQ at their weekly game nights, where my Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadiers took on Anders' Canadian Armoured Recce in a 1780pt game using the Encounter scenario. This is actually a rematch between myself and Anders, as we fought using the same lists the previous week.

Unfortunately this report will be a little light on the photos, as I was concentrating so much on what I was doing that I completely forgot I was supposed to be taking photos until turn three, whoops!

Anyway, on with the lists!

Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie

Headquarters:
Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie HQ, 2 x Panzerfaust & 1 x Panzerschreck - 90

Combat Platoons:
Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadier Platoon with Panzerfaust - 190
Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadier Platoon with Panzerfaust - 190
Feldherrnhalle Heavy Platoon, 4 x MG42, 2 x GW34 mortars - 200

Weapons Platoons:
Feldherrnhalle Anti-tank Gun Platoon, 3 x 7.5cm PaK 40 - 155
Panzergrenadier Anti-aircraft Gun Platoon, 3 xSd Kfz 10/5 (2cm) (armoured) - 115

Divisional Support Platoons:
Feldherrnhalle Panzer Platoon, 3 x Panther Ausf. G - 560
Half-tracked Panzerspäh Platoon, 1 x Sd.Kfz 250/1, 2 x Sd.Kfz 250/9 (2cm) - 115
Rocket Launcher Battery, 3 x 21cm NW42 - 125

Total:
1740 points

Canadian Armoured Recce

Headquarters
2 Sherman V, 2iC has a 0.5 cal

Combat Platoons
1st plt: 3 Sherman V, 1 Firefly
2nd plt: 3 Sherman V 1 Firefly

Weapons Platoons
Recce patrol: 2 Stuart VI

Support Platoons
1st Infantry Platoon With Defrocked Priests
2nd Infantry Platoon With Defrocked Priests
Rocket Launcher Battery: 4 Land Mattresses

Total:
1780 points


I'm a fairly new player and I've not played Encounter before so this promised to be an interesting game. Unfortunately the only photo I took is the one that prefaces this article, so I will try my best to describe the action, referencing the picture above.

Deployment

I deployed along the long table edge, to the bottom left of the photo, Anders on the opposite side. The large hill dominated the centre of the board, which would make defending both objectives rather difficult with my limited anti-tank assets.

Objective placement was fairly similar on both sides, with an objective on each flank located in woods.

I opted to start with both Panzergrenadier platoons on the board, the PaK 40s and the Nebelwerfers. The HMGs were combat attached to the Panzergrenadier platoons. I opted to deploy a Panzergrenadier platoon on each flank covering the objectives (with the Panzerschreck attached to the right flank platoon - this proved to be a mistake(!)). I deployed the PaKs on the right flank, with two on the hill and one towards the centre  Finally the Nebelwerfers were placed on the left flank behind the Panzergrenadier platoon.

Anders started with one Sherman platoon, the Land Mattress Battery and one Infantry Platoon. The Land Mattresses were deployed on my right flank, with the Infantry Platoon in front of them. The Shermans, 1iC and 2iC were deployed behind the woods in the centre.

Anders won the roll for the first turn, so let's begin!

Canadian Armoured Recce Turn 1

The Sherman platoon, 1iC and 2iC move at the double down the left flank to sit by the side of the hill, keeping out of sight of the PaK 40 team in the centre. The Land Mattresses and Infantry Platoon dig in.

Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie Turn 1

The PaK 40s and Panzergrenadiers on the right flank fail to dig in, but the Panzergrenadiers on the left flank and Nebelwerfers are successful.

Canadian Armoured Recce Turn 2

The Land Mattress Battry range in and fire on the PaK 40 in the centre, pinning both Panzergrenadier platoons and the PaKs, but do not cause any casualties. The Shermans, 1iC and 2iC circle round my left flank and open fire on the Nebelwerfers and Panzergrenadiers, but do not kill anything.

Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie Turn 2

The PaK 40 platoon and Panzergrenadiers on the right flank fail to unpin, but those on the left are successful. I realise there is a bloody great wood sitting between the Nebelwerfer observer and any available targets so move them towards a nearby wood, and use a Stormtrooper move to get inside.

Canadian Armoured Recce Turn 3

No reserves arrive. The Land Mattresses opt not to fire this turn, instead reloading so they can fire a full bombardment next turn. The Shermans move around the left flank objective, opening fire on the Nebelwerfers and assaulting them, pinning and destroying one NW42.

Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie Turn 3

No reserves arrive. The Panzergrenadiers on the right flank fail to unpin, as do the Nebelwerfers and the PaK platoon. Some of the Panzergrenadiers on the left flank move towards the woods to help resist the inevitable assault of the Shermans next turn.

Canadian Armoured Recce Turn 4

In my last turn, I had unwittingly left a Panzergrenadier team from the left flank in the open right in view of the Land Mattress observer, doh! The range in roll is successful, and hits 7 infantry teams in and around the woods, two of which are destroyed. The Shermans move into position to assault the Panzergrenadiers in the woods and the Nebelwerfers. They open fire but do not cause any casualties. The assault by the Shermans turns into a very bloody affair indeed! After two rounds of combat from both sides, one Sherman has been knocked out by a Panzerfaust and one bailed by an HMG. On my side, a Nebelwerfer is destroyed and five infantry teams are lost. The platoon fails their morale check, which is rerolled by the 1iC, but he fails too! The platoon is removed and the left flank objective is now uncontested.

Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie Turn 4

No reserves arrive. The left flank has now completely collapsed, and I don't have any units in a place that would enable to them to move far enough to contest the objective this turn, so Anders wins at the start of his next turn.

Final Result

Canadian Amoured Recce - 6

Feldherrnhalle Panzergrenadierkompanie - 1

A very enjoyable game despite the rather significant loss. I certainly learned a lot of valuable lessons! Now to work out where to report this for the WWPD campaign so the defeat doesn't have too much of a negative influence on our standing...

Lessons

• Deploy the PaKs first, or leave enough room to deploy them covering both objectives.
• Don't spread the infantry out too much, this resulted in three platoons being pinned in a bombardment.
• When deploying observers, always check that they can actually see the enemy, or get into a position where they can.
• If your two biggest threats are Nebelwerfers and PaKs, don't deploy both on the same flank (that's the second time I've made that mistake!).
• Gun teams can fire over dug in friendly infantry as long as they are firing at tanks.
• I really need to buy some transports for my observers and PaKs, it would have been really handy if I could have redeployed them faster.
• Deploy infantry teams that have anti-tank assets near to the objectives.
• Don't forget to take photos(!).