AAR - Hide and Seek

A buddy and I got together to give Hide & Seek from the 95 Annual a try. This one looks interesting because of the SSR concerning the foxholes and their relationship with the bocage. The analysis of it in the Annual also got my interest. We did rearrange the boards as they were in the original SL version and per the list discussion.

I had the Ami paratroopers while my opponent took the valiant German defenders (hi Other JR). One thing I did notice upon doing my setup was that while the terrain nullified the inherent range advantage of the German defenders it also made it quite difficult to employ the Shermans effectively AND stay out of 'faust/'schreck range. The ability to gain concealment bestowed by the bocage made feel like I was going to need all ten turns to satisfy VC. The scenario is also out of the ordinary in that the attacker sets up first. This is interesting because as the article points out, it you concentrate your attack on a narrow front the German defenders can also concentrate and may be able to effectively contain the Paras advance....So I opted to spread out a little. My setup was as follows:

The main thrust was obviously going to be on the American left. I wanted to deny JR the woods mass that ran fro 6T0 to 6X3, although I thought it unlikely that he would set up there. I did want to fight over for even a short period of time. A kill stack of two 747s, a MMG and the 9-2 were positioned to rake either 6U1 or 6W1 should any Germans be lurking there. 6Z1 was also in LOS. The 60mm went into 14K3 for the same purpose. The other MMG toting 747 went into 14R2 were it could either advance into R1 to lay a firelane down to 6X3 if necessary or assault move/advance to 14P1 to interdict any possible German movement in the center of board 6 or take under fire the main line of resistance along the 6S3-6X5 bocage line. I positioned two BAZ totin 337s in 14E2 to take any Germans under fire who set in 6CC1/6EE2. I was hoping no one would be to my front so I could hop them on one of the Shermans and run them to VC building 6X8 - but that was too much to ask..... To keep my crafty and respected opponent honest, two 747s with the remaining BAZ, a 337, and a 9-1 went into 14W2 to clear the area around the 6K1 building during PREP and be in a position to aid in a turn 8 or 9 assault on the VC building in 6K4. I thought it would be easier to capture X8 and K4, so off I went.

The Germans had a couple of HS in 6EE2 and 6CC1. A couple of foxholes were visible in 6Y5 and Y7. The main line of resistance did run from 6R2 to 6X5 along the bocage. A single concealed counter was in 6O2. A number of German units were clustered around 6K4 and a few were posted further to the German left. Also, three counters were in 6K1.

My attack started off well enough. The 14W2 stack exposed the Germans in K1 as dummies. My kill groups moved in the woods line on board 6 and advanced concealed into positions to take the German main line of resistance under fire. A few squads moved up the Z hexrow woods. The Germans in 6Y5 turned out to be a 467/LMG. The HMG/467/9-1 stack proved to be in 6V4 and a 467/LMG/8-1 were in 6T3. One AFV move to 14B0, while the others moved to 14P2 and 14O2. The 747/MMG was able to get to 14P1 concealed. The first turn saw a lot of ineffectual fire on both sides, with nothing much happening.

The second turn a massive firefight erupted on my left in which I got the worst of it, with a number of squads breaking and the 337 dropping the 60mm and heading for greener pastures. The Sherman on the left found the PSK HIP in 6CC4 with a HS...and the PSK found my Sherman.....turning it into a Sterno in a single shot. JR was using the bocage and foxholes to good affect and things were not looking good. On turn two I parked a Sherman in 14I1 as I had traversed all the woods hexes and found no other HIP Germans.

The turning point happened during the third German Prep. I had rallied two broken squads with the 9-2 in 14J2. Another 747/MMG was there as well. My opponent, after some thought, fired the HMG/467/9-1 stack into this hex. With both thought later that this was a mistake, as he would be looking at a 24 flat shot in return if his fire had no affect. He failed to get a result and rate and my dice got very hot; in one DFPh I managed to break his whole line on that part of the field. My dice stayed hot for two or three turns and that was enough to take 6X8 by turn 6 or 7. JRs were cold, as he boxed out a couple of squads/SMCs and could not seem to pass a MC. I HOB a 747 fanatic and created a hero which did not help the Germans cause either. He began to regroup his remaining troops to his left but by now I had killed off a large number of German squads and had taken maybe two squads plus the Sherman as loses. With such a troop superiority, my opponent faced a daunting task. When building 6K4 fell and was defended by 4 747s (one fanatic), the 9-2 and the captured German HMG, he elected to try to retake 6X8 with a 467/LMG/8-1 that was lurking in 6V9. I was able to break them and he conceded.

We both enjoyed this one. My dice were cruelly hot at times and this allowed me to survive some big time mistakes - advancing to melee a berserk German 467 or driving the remaining two Shermans around without giving thought to fausts - to name two. I also forgot about the no quarter SSR and the HIP German squad equivalent. I think this may favor the US to the tune of 55% or so. We played it in four hours despite some interruption for spouses, Chinese food and my sloppily affectionate Golden Retriever Chevie. I thought it was a good clip for a somewhat meaty scenario with some AFVs and neat SSRs.

Thoughts, comments and criticisms are welcome - but none about Chevie!

Pooch