OST Vol. 2 Phantom Division expansion scenario

[Barthheart]

The Shell Begins to Crack - Scenario 3
December 21st, 1944. Near St. Vith, Belgium

After several days of battle, the goose egg that was the American's St. Vith perimeter began to crack.

Early in the morning of 21 December, a mixed force of German infantry and AFVs overran the 27th Armored Infantry Battalion and a company of 811th Tank Destroyer Battalion. They punched through the American lines, advancing half a kilometer towards St. Vith.

A scratch force, made up of riflemen from Company A, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion and Company B, 9th Engineers counterattacked. Soon joined by a platoon of Shermans, the Americans drove the enemy back.

SETUP
Use entire map 4, from OST Vol. 2, odd for a Pocket Battles scenario but there you go.

US sets up first west of the green line. German setup second anywhere east of the grey line.

Victory conditions state the Germans must control all of the 3 buildings indicated at the end of the game.

[Barthheart]

US concentrate their forces around the 2 M18s. They will have reinforcements enter the game on Turn 7 anywhere along the West edge of the map. They plan to bring them on along the northern road to split the attention of the Germans.

[Barthheart]

Germans setup well back, in and around the objective buildings, circled in red.

[Barthheart]

A quirk with OST is the turns count down instead of up. So this is the situation at the start of turn 13.

Actions are controlled by impulse points that are rolled for each turn for each force. Each force is given their own pool of dice to use for rolling impulse points. This is a clever way to show the C&C of each force. Each action taken by a unit costs 1 impulse point. This requires some planning and rationing of points to accomplish all you want in a turn, because when you are out of points you can do nothing more that turn and the turn ends when both sides are out of points. Impulse points can also be used during a turn to rally troops that have shaken or broken because of enemy fire.

The Germans have 4D6+3 dice for their impulse pool, giving a possible 7 to 27 impulse points.
The US start the game with only 2D6+3 for their pool, giving a possible 5 to 15 impulse points. The get an additional 2D6 when the reinforcements enter on Turn 7.

Also the sides roll off for Initiative each turn. 2D6 each, highest get the initiative, ties are re-rolled.

Turn 13
US Initiative
US impulse points - 9
German impulse points - 13

US M18s and German StUGIIIG trades shots. The US move some of their troops forward, not all because they used 4 impulse points taking two shots each with each M18. All were misses or ineffective.
The Germans use their remain impulse points to have their units find additional cover in their hexes. This cover will remain until the hex is vacated by all troops.

[Barthheart]

Turn 12
Pictures show the troop positions at the start of each turn.

US initiative
US impulse points - 9
German impulse points - 14

More shooting and moving by the US, more digging in by the Germans.
The M18s manage to shake the StUG but it rallies during the turn. The Germans have lots of impulse points to use because they are not moving from their defensive positions and can afford to wait for the US to move into their guns.

[Barthheart]

Turn 11

German initiative
US impulse points - 5
German impulse points - 15

US move M18s forward trying to get better odds at hitting the StUG... to no avail.
The Germans move their additional StUGs forward in support, and continue to dig in.

[Barthheart]

Turn 10

German initiative
US impulse points - 10
German impulse points - 19

With their initiative, the German StUG fires at Cpt. Bannon's M18 and cause him to break. The US, however, has a Luck Card that allows them to rally anyone on the map at any time. So it's played to rally the M18 back to good order, who then shoots an destroys the StUG!
The Germans maneuver and take shots but to no effect. The StUGs the find cover, along with the remain troops in the buildings.

[Barthheart]

Turn 9

German initiative
US impulse points - 10
German impulse points - 15

Bannon's time is up, however, as his tank is destroyed by a StUG this turn. The second StUG is destroyed in turn by the second M18.
A third StUG maneuvers into range for next turn.
US troops continue to advance, mostly out of range of the Germans, except for one squad that tried to get too close and is cut in half.

Now each side has started to take casualties. For every 5 casualties a force takes, it will lose 1 impulse point from it's total roll next turn. So you can't afford to throw away your troops with out care. Each tank+crew is 2 casualty points as is each squad. Each Leader is 1 point, 1/2 squad is 1 point.
So far the US has 3 casualty points and the Germans have 4. So no impulse point losses yet for either side.

[Barthheart]

Turn 8

German initiative
US impulse points - 6
German impulse points - 14

The last M18 loses it's duel with the remaining StUG. US casualties have now reached 5 and next turn they will suffer a -1 to their impulse total. The Germans are still at 4.
US continues to use the few impulses they get to advance their troops, while the Germans wait...

[Barthheart]

Turn 7

German initiative
US impulse points - 13, now rolling 4D6+3-1
German impulse points - 16, still rolling 4D6+3

US reinforcements arrive this turn and stream onto the map by the northern road. The last StUG moves to meet this new threat and causes the crew of first Sherman to arrive to abandon their tank. Other Shermans follow and bring riders who dismount and spread out.
In the south, the US half squad is cut down by heavy German rifle fire.
US casualties now stand at 7.

[Barthheart]

Turn 6

US initiative
US impulse points - 20
German impulse points - 17

Another Sherman is destroyed as the US now use their many impulse points to advance all their troops on the map.
US casualties now stand at 9, while the Germans are still 4.

[Barthheart]

Turn 5

German initiative
US impulse points - 20
German impulse points - 19

More advancing all over as the US enjoys high impulse numbers now. But it comes at a cost. A US assault squad, in the north, is cut in half by accurate German fire and a medium MG team is damaged in the south.
US casualties rise to 10 costing them another impulse point next turn. The Americans have a lot of ground to cover, most of it open, and not many turns left to do it... it's only going to get bloodier for them.

[Barthheart]

Turn 4

US initiative
US impulse points - 19, rolling 4D6+1
German impulse points - 12, rolling 4D6+3

While the Shermans and the StUG traded shots, to no effect, an American engineer squad moves and then close assaults the StUG, destroying it but losing half their number as well. Also the half assault squad in the north, rushes the German position, is shaken but manages to rally, ready for next turn. In the south, the Americans are still advancing but lose the rest of the MG team.
Meanwhile, some German rifle squads have started to moving back towards the objective buildings to help protect them from the north push.

[Barthheart]

Turn 3

US initiative
US impulse points - 17, rolling 4D6+1
German impulse points - 16, now rolling 4D6+2

With the initiative this turn, the half assault squad attacks the German position in close combat and manages to kill the rifle squad while chasing off the German leader. The remaining Shermans advance along the road, but one is destroyed by a halftrack armed with a 75mm AT gun.
In the south, the US infantry continue to advance but come under fire causing the loss of an entire rifle squad that was carrying a mortar SW.
Casualty count is now US: 16 German: 8.

[Barthheart]

Turn 2

US initiative
US impulse points - 16, rolling 4D6+0
German impulse points - 15, rolling 4D6+2. But, the German's have a Luck Card that will add 3 impulse points at any time and chose to ply it now, raising their total for this turn to 18. They figure the might need the extras for Op firing as the Americans start to charge their positions.

The Americans do indeed charge as they feel the time running out to accomplish their mission. As the remaining Sherman and the halftrack trade ineffectual shots, the half assault squad closes in and attack the halftrack, destroying it. That's the last of the German armor. But elsewhere the Americans take heavy losses for the little ground they took, 3 half squads and a leader.
Casualty count is now US: 20 German: 10.