At last - a US (i.e. me) lead victory in France 1944! The mission, Operation Luttich, was to stop a midnight attack by German assault troops on a strategic hill (Hill 314) over looking large areas of the French countryside; the Americans won - just! With a 6 medal win requirement and the US facing 18 German tanks, including 2 SS Panzer platoons and 1 SS infantry platoon, Roshni (German again) looked like she would flatten the (mostly) infantry based US opponents in a few dice rolls! But how the fortunes of fate turn! In fact, a lot of it had to do with concentration and game length, which leads me to a slight criticism of the game - well, criticism is a bit too harsh, just may be words of advice for any potential M'44 gamers reading this; but more on that later; on with the game!
Here is the opening position with US armour to the bottom left and a small amount of infantry on the Hill preparing to face the German march - no, onslaught - top right. The US artillery in this scenario played a vital role.
Part way through the game; a huge thrust by SS tanks push the US battalion off the Hill.The US tanks were too far away to help or protect them. Artillery fire was diverted away to take out German troops rushing forward in the Centre sector. Things were not going well (again) for the US.The Germans had kept the other side of the river tied down, a central push was coming in hard and they were coming in thick and fast on the right over the Hill!
Here, in this overhead recon photo from US bombers, we see German tanks in the centre and right sector pushing right through. The tanks to the right eventually pushed on to XXXXX taking the German victory medal there. The US tanks were tied down with holding the bridge so stopping any German pushes there and stopping the tanks in the centre. Artillery did its bit, although one unit was lost to ranged German tank fire. The swing came with plucky infantry anti tank fire coming from the central bocage took out a lot of central sector German tanks and concentrated artillery fire caused a route.
In the end it was a very lucky US win (one medal won via a precise allied airstrike over the bridge). German forces held the Hill and XXX and several other key areas. Although the US won on a technicality, the eventual winner would be determined with whom ever re-enforced first!
