To simulate the action of Baker Company, I rolled from among several enemy attack missions, winding up with Mission 10, Hold the Line. I decide to play with the (unofficial) North Africa SASL rules made available to me, and roll up desert boards 27 and 31, with a few sand overlays and one wadi overlay - no LOS obstacles anywhere to be found, so activation (ENEMY AC#2) will occur as soon as the S? come on board. With the at-start fortification points, I buy trenches and sangars and construct three platoon strongpoints. 1st Platoon, on my right, has the MG platoon; 2d platoon, in the middle, has the mortars. I choose to receive an AT section and receive two 37LL AT guns; I place one in a trench on each flank.
Turn 1: Two artillery strikes land harmlessly as Smoke concentrations; only 2 S? (of 13) were activated, one as a PzIVF2. During the US half of the turn, the Panzer is eliminated by the right flank AT Gun, and one of the smoke concentrations is corrected onto the 2d platoon in the middle.
Turn 2: The German OBA is converted in a new mission to 80+ Battalion mortar, and disrupts a squad in 2d platoon. Two S? (of 12) activate, with a 10-3, three squadsm and an HMG being activated. In the US turn, one of my mortars goes on a ROF tear, breaking one squad, before malfunctioning. The German OBA breaks a second squad and casualty reduces the disrupted unit.
Turn 3: An ENEMY RE results in two StuG IIIG entering this turn. The enemy artillery concentration continues with a new mission, gaining a critical hit and eliminating an empty sangar, and also breaking a third squad. The German HMG is malf'd during prep fire. During the MPh, two S? (of ten) activate, resulting in a 76L AT Gun and an elite squad. One of the StuGs breaks its main gun while dueling with the US AT Gun, but is quickly turned into a burning wreck. Another mortar goes on an ROF tear, wounding the 10-3 leader in the hamada but HOB results in a breserk squad in the same stack. During the US turn, the second StuG is eliminated.
Turn 4: The AT Gun with 1st platoon survives a snake-eyes from the 76L AT Gun during Prep fire. A PzIIF and a SPW 251/sMG activate, as well as another elite squad with a 9-1 and MMG (out of 10 S?). The berserker is KIA'd with a devastating shot from the MG section. During the US turn, a defensive fire critical hit from the PzIIF eliminates the gun with third platoon, while the gun with first platoon survives another direct hit. The mortars continue their ROF tears, breaking several squads and leaders. The German have penetrated to within three hexes of the battered second platoon positions in the middle of the line.
Turn 5: During German prep fire, the remaining AT Gun survives another snake-eyes, and eliminates the PzIIF during defensive fire. Only one S? (of eight) activate, as a conscript squad. The US MG section eliminates one squad and breaks another in the center of the German advance. In the US turn, the AT Gun malf's while shooting at the German AT gun.
Turn 6: A 20L[4] AA gun, a StuG IIIG, a PzIIF, two squads and a MMG are generated from 13 S?. The US second platoon has mostly rallied by this time, and beats off two German units which get to within one and two hexes of its position, breaking one and eliminating the other. During the US turn, reinforcements arrive in the form of 14 green squads; they enter and remain at the extreme west edge covering the FBE exits. 1st platoon eliminates the recently entered MMG squad, while 2d platoon finishes off the broken German unit near its position. My sniper wounds the 9-1 leader.
Turn 7: The US AT gun is repaired, only to be lost to a critical hit (the third snake-eyes it was subjected to) from the 76L AT gun. The German advance continues, slowly, as units move up against all three US platoons.
Turn 8: The Germans get another RE, this time a harassing OBA mission, which lands harmlessly in front of first platoon. During prep fire, the Pz malf's its main armament; during the US portion of the turn, it breaks its MA permanently, causing a recall. Third platoon gets a KIA versus a german squad double timing towards it, while the MG section eliminates another squad which had gotten to within one hex of the second platoon in the middle. The surviving SPW crew is eliminated by a shot from first platoon as well. During the US turn, heavy firepower from the mortars as well as the MG section break and eliminate several squads worth of Germans.
Turn 9 and 10: Heavy US firepower continues to make itself felt, as nearly all German infantry units are broken and eliminated. The remaining StuG IIIG makes an end run around third platoon, going for the FBE, but runs out of time to exit. A German RE in turn 10, raising the AC# to 3, is too little, too late.
In the end, the Germans caused 18 CVP, but the US wins the automatic victory since no German units exited off the FBE. During refit, two squads are battle-hardened. CGVP: +4