Operation Mjölnir: 1st Battle

Operation Mjölnir: 1st Battle

We kicked off the campaign with the "Hasty Attack" scenario. In this scenario 1300 points of Americans would be attacking 867 points of Germans, trying to take control of a strategically important forest.

The German defenders (807 points)

The German force was 60 points short of the maximum allowed by the scenario, due to a calculation error during force selection.

• From the Grenadier Battalion (399 points)
• 1st Company (3 Rifle Platoons, Panzerschreck Team) - 151 points
• 2nd Company (3 Rifle Platoons, Panzerschreck Team) - 151 points
• Elements of 3rd Company (Panzerschreck Team) - 28 points
• Battalion assets (12cm Mortar Platoon, Heavy MG Platoon) - 69 points
• From the Panzer Battalion (357 points)
• 1st Company (3 Pz IVH) - 357 points
• From the Panzergrenadier battalion (21 points)
• Elements of 1st Company (Sd.Kfz 251/17) - 21 points
• Artillery support (30 points)
• 105mm Self propelled support group - 15 points
• 105mm Self propelled support group - 15 points

The American attackers (1299 points)

• From the Infantry Battalion (495 points)
• 1st Company (3 Rifle Platoons, Weapons Platoon) - 138 points
• 2nd Company (3 Rifle Platoons, Weapons Platoon) - 138 points
• 3rd Company (3 Rifle Platoons, Weapons Platoon) - 138 points
• Battalion assets (2 MG Platoons, 81mm Mortar Plaoon) - 81 points
• From the Parachute Battalion (115 points)
• 1st Company (3 Rifle Platoons) - 81
• Battalion assets (81mm Mortar Platoon, MG Team) - 34
• From the Tank Battalion (633 points)
• 1st Company (2 Sherman Platoons, Sherman(76) Platoon) - 275 points
• 2nd Company (2 Sherman Platoons, Sherman(76) Platoon) - 275 points
• Battalion assets (Recon Jeep, Sherman(105), Mortar Carrier) - 83
• Artillery support (56 points)
• 105mm Towed support group (12 points)
• 105mm Towed support group (12 points)
• 155mm Towed support group (32 points)

The Battlefield

We played on a 6x4 table, with light forests, fields and bocage scattered evenly across the table and two small villages. Sadly my phone died the day after the battle and we lost most of the pictures taken of the battle.

The German forces set up inside and around the small forest that was the objective. If they could hold this forest, they would gain one victory point and by destroying at least half the US platoons they could gain a second victory point. The Americans could gain one victory point by taking the forest and a second victory point if they could do so within the first 9 turns.

The setup as seen from the German side

The Battle

Foolishly the Americans decided to advance across the open ground right in front of the forest and despite advancing behind a smoke screen, the advancing Americans took heavy losses to enemy artillery. 

Getting ready for the assault on the forest, the US forces arranged their infantry in a line, with tank support following close behind.

Americans getting ready for the assault on the forest

As the smoke screen lifted, the advancing infantry was suppressed by German artillery and machine gun fire and a brief but bloody firefight broke out between the Shermans and the Panzers. During the firefight a single Sherman unit was destroyed outright, while another three were taken out of the fight due to failed Quality Checks. On the German side just a single Panzer platoon was lost due to a failed Quality Check.

It was clear that pushing on with the suppressed infantry had no chance of success and would only result in a major defeat. The US commander decided to retreat, accepting a minor defeat.

Aftermath

Resolving the post battle steps the campaign effect of the battle was:

• Americans
• Losses (313 points)
• 1 Infantry Rifle Platoon
• 1 Infantry Weapons Platoon
• 1 MG Platoon
• 1 Parachute Rifle Platoon
• 2 Sherman Platoons
• Remaining strength 86%
• 5 Exhaustion points
• No Command Points were spent
• Germans
• Losses (41 points)
• 1 Grenadier Rifle Platoon
• Remaining strength 97%
• 3 Exhaustion points
• 2 km advanced
• Initiative seized by the Germans
• 1 Command Point spent to affect scenario selection

While rated as a minor defeat, the US inflicted almost no casualties on the Germans and this was in reality a crushing defeat. Time will show if the Americans can recover.

The next battle will be a "Deliberate Attack" by the Germans.