24/07/2025
Fire & Move
Scenario 4 Roadblock
In this scenario the Germans must exit the StuG III off the top left edge of the table. The weather has made the terrain difficult, and as a result the likelihood of the vehicle bogging is increased. To add to their woes the Americans have erected a roadblock of fallen trees on the exit road. To clear the blockage three Germans needed to be adjacent to the roadblock; a movement card played; and a 4+ rolled on a D6, are required.
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Lieutenant Bart deployed the 2nd Squad (SL, Bar and four riflemen) in the clump of trees immediately to the right of the bridge. Covering their left was the 1st Squad (SL, Bar and three riflemen). They were concealed in the wood on the north side of the stream. The roadblock was at the entrance to the village. In a large building on the southeast corner of the intersection Bart had his 3rd Squad under his direct command. Besides himself the group consisted of a Bar, a Bazooka team of two men, and five riflemen.
Leutnant Stefanburg’s command arrived just south of the bridge early in the day. From that position the young Leutnant could clearly make out the roadblock on the crest of the hill leading into the village. Nothing else was visible. For the task before him he divided his men into three groups. Gruppen II (SL, LMG and three riflemen) were deployed east of the road. Ahead of the StuG he placed two scouts and under his personal command he had Gruppen I (LMG and three riflemen). They took post on the road behind the StuG.
The two scouts led the advance. As they reached the southern approach to the bridge the 2nd Squad opened fire. They killed one of the scouts outright but the other remained unharmed. Gp II then engaged 2nd Squad. They killed or wounded several of the Americans and pinned several others. Stefanburg then directed the StuG and Gp I to move up to the bridge. When the StuG reached the bridge, it came under sniper fire, and the commander was forced to button-up the vehicle. A protracted firefight then ensued between Gp I, the StuG and 2nd Squad. In the exchange the American squad was gradually worn down.
While this was happening the surviving German scout had made his way to the roadblock. With the American squad by the bridge either dead or pinned, Stefanburg ordered Gp II forward to join him. They reached the bridge without incident, and then proceeded over the bridge and up the hill under cover of smoke. When they reached the open stretch north of the bridge 1st Squad in the trees on the American left opened fire. Two Germans went down but the remainder of the Gp pushed on to the roadblock. Once there they attempted to clear the obstacle twice but failed both times.
In frustration the lone scout made his way over the tree trunks and pushed on to the “T” junction in the centre of the village. There he discovered the American Platoon leader’s group in the large building. He froze in place but drew no reaction from the revealed Americans. Instead, Bart directed his men’s fire at the three-man group at the barricade killing two.
It was now clear to the American commander that the Germans were pushing up the road and that his left was safe. To more heavily protect the roadblock, he ordered 1st Squad to move to the next clump of trees southeast of his position. Under the cover of a heavy smoke screen 1st Squad made the move without drawing any fire.
With Gp II almost wiped out, and his last scout isolated in the village, Stefanburg called on the StuG to break the impasse. The vehicle brought the American position in the village under fire and caused several of the defenders to seek cover. It then drove over the bridge and up to the roadblock. As the vehicle reached the barricade the Americans unleashed a storm of fire against it. Thought the Bazooka round went wide the rifle fire hit and killed the commander.
It was clear to the remainder of the StuG’s crew that there was no way at that moment of clearing the obstruction, so they decide to bypass it and hazard the wet field on the left. They found the going easier than they thought and even survived a parting Bazooka shot just before they went behind the buildings but then their luck ran out. In the field the vehicle hit a mine that blew off the right-hand track.
From his position by the bridge Stefanburg realised he'd failed in his mission and drew off the survivors of his force. In the village the surviving crew of the StuG emerged from their immobilised vehicle to be taken prisoner along with the scout and the sole remaining member of Gp II.
Meanwhile Lt Bart collected his wounded, buried the dead, called for reinforcements, redeployed what men he had left and waited for the next attack.
