Below is an After Action Report for a “Do Your Own” mission for The Last Hundred Yards. We used Sector (Map) 5.

American intelligence learned that the Germans planned to move a flak gun into sector 5 on hill D4. A hastily assembled force of four platoons, each supported by an MG team, and supported by a 60mm section are sent to kick the Germans off of the hill. The German forces consisted of two platoons, one supported by an infantry gun, set up inside the walls of the farm, the other “behind” the hill supported by an MG.

Initial Setup (Note: Counters and Map are pre-production components)

Turn 1: Both sides roll a 10 for initiative (foreshadowing the good dice rolls to come for the Germans), but the Americans have the +2 modifier and go first. In LHY, an initiative roll of 10 results in a random event (FATE) -the fate rolls were nothing (Americans rolled Medic, which would have put a casualty unit back into play and the Germans got Indecision which gives initiative to the other side). The Americans move up closer. Two of the platoons are on the right side to take care of any resistance in the farm, two are on the left going to the hill.

Turn 1 Note: (Counters and Map are pre-production components)

Turn 2: Germans get initiative, slowing the American advance. The Germans fire on the units on the right side, and the Americans respond, disrupting one German squad. The LHY system gives the player with the initiative the only real opportunity to do something with their units, however, the non-initiative player can react to actions they see the enemy do.

Turn 3: American initiative and two squads move up to assault the previously disrupted German squad. The assault goes well and the Germans suffer 1-step loss and have to retreat out of the hex. An American squad takes a step-loss due to the Germans rolling a natural 10 and disrupts.

Turn 3 (Note: Counters and Map are pre-production components)

Aftermath of Turn 3 (Note: Counters and Map are pre-production components)

Turn 4: German initiative and the infantry gun takes a shot, but the Americans react, an entire platoon opens fire and send the IG to the casualty box.

Turn 5: American initiative and the disrupted section from Turn 3 rolls 10 and they go Heroic. In LHY, a Heroic unit must immediately move towards an enemy unit within 5 hexes and conduct an assault. Since the Heroic unit is two hexes away, it moves one hex towards the Germans where the Germans can fire at them before the assault takes place. The small arms fire disrupts the heroes and then lose badly in the assault and are all awarded Bronze Stars (posthumously).

Turn 5 (Note: Counters and Map are pre-production components)

Turn 6: The Germans roll 10 for initiative and get the fate Sniper, removing one of their leaders from the board. They retreat all of their units from the farm to behind the hill.

Turn 7: With the initiative, the Americans move towards the hill and suffer a one-step casualty from small arms fire.

Turn 7 (Note: Counters and Map are pre-production components)

Turn 8: Americans get the initiative again and great German marksmanship (i.e. another 10) gives the Americans two more lost steps.

Turn 8 (Note: Counters and Map are pre-production components)

The last two casualties for the Americans brought them to their “Casualty Difference” meaning they lost the battle due to excessive casualties. In the end, the attempt by the Americans to dislodge the Germans from Hill D4 was defeated by bad leadership (loss of initiative) and bad tactics – not enough fire support for the assault up the hill and failure to utilize their 60mm mortar support. The Germans were aided by excellent shooting and their smart decision to abandon the farm and concentrate their forces on the defense of the hill.

Author: Andrew Tabar