100 Battle of Avranches

Details: Written by: Ron Howard; Category: Western Front; Published: 18 January 2021; Last Updated: 05 January 2022; Hits: 1031

Victory Results:

100 %

0 %

Total plays 1 - Last reported by pino on 2025-10-28 00:48:03

In July 1944, the fourth armored division was told to get to Avranches along with the second infantry division. Combat Command B approached from the West and the East. The Eastern column was comprised mostly of mechanized infantry, and they came under heavy fire from Panzers on a hill overlooking the town. Six half-tracks were almost immediately destroyed.
The Americans brought up their Anti-Tank guns and destroyed the Panzers and take the hill, but it was an all day battle. The Western column had an easier time of it, passing a German headquarters set up in a building, while the Germans fled, before turning South and continuing on.

	American	German
Division 1	4 Squad Bases - 8 Regular Infantry - 5 Elite Infantry - 1 Officer - 1 Mortar Crew 3 M3A1 Half Track 1 M1 57mm Gun 1x AntiTank 1x Flamethrower 1x Medic	5 Squad Bases - 13 Regular Infantry - 3 Elite Infantry - 2 Officer - 1 Machine Gun Crew 1x Engineer 1x Medic 1x Concealed
Division 2	2 Squad Bases - 5 Regular Infantry - 2 Elite Infantry - 1 Officer 3 M4A1 Tank 1x Engineer 1x Flamethrower	2 Squad Bases - 7 Regular Infantry - 1 Officer 1 Tiger I Tank 1 STuG III Tank 2 Panther Tank 1 Flak 36 88mm Gun 1 SDKFZ 251 HT 1x AntiTank
Strategy Decks	American Air Support 1 Supply 1	Artillery 1 German Reinforcements 1
Starting Strategy Cards	3	3
Operations Cards	009 Tank Ace 016 Clear Tank Trap	011 Elite Tank Crew
Deployment Zone	Division 1: dark green hexes on map 7A. Division 2: light green hexes on map 11A.	Division 1: dark gray hexes on map 1A. Division 2: light gray hexes on map 4A.
Starting Initiative
Objective	Take the hill and the exit point, it is a partial win for the Americans if theytake either one, and a total win if they take both objectives. It is a total win for the Germans if they hold both. The objectives must be taken by the end of turn six.
Rounds	6
Actions per turn	3	3
Reinforcements	Round 4 (Command phase): 2 M-10 Tank Destroyers (in the reinforcement space on the map).	All German reinforcements also come in on the Reinforcement space on map 4A.
Special Rules	The destructable buildings rules from Nornandy are in play. See page 7 of the Normandy rule book. The Americans start with two command tokens. All of the Anti-tank guns start off in half tracks being transported. Use the same transport rules as squads, only AT guns only move out of the transport into the same hex, they don't get more movement.

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Posts in discussion: 100 Battle of Avranches

alecrespi replied the topic:

#1499

2 weeks 5 days ago

Yesterday we decided to try this scenario by Ron Howard.
boardgamegeek.com/filepage/117171/battle-of-avranches

We had some doubts about the initial setup, which apparently seemed to disadvantage the Germans. But during the game, we realized that it was exactly the opposite!

From the victory conditions, it seems that only the Americans can achieve a partial victory, controlling at least one objective (the Germans only have the total victory condition, controlling both objectives).
With the initial setup, the four German tanks have line of sight to the American tanks from the first turn. With two Panthers and one Tiger, their firepower against the Shermans is decidedly excessive. In fact, in our game, the three Shermans didn't last two turns.
Given the presence of a specialization on each base from the start, the Supply Deck cards are of little use (it's not possible to add or replace specializations to the units on the field, and the Americans have no non-specialized units).
The Air Support deck is too expensive, given that the Americans struggle to maintain 3 Objective Points after the third turn, having no tanks left to counter the German advance.
The shared reinforcement space is more disadvantageous for the Americans than for the Germans. The latter, with the reinforcement deck, can easily call up an infantry-only unit by spending a few command points and leave it on the "R" space, thus preventing the entry of the American tanks. (I think it's worth introducing the possibility of entering adjacent hexes, if the main square is occupied).
According to the official rules, Panther tanks have a movement of 7. Practically the same movement as a Half-Track! Next time, we'll probably use the unit stats recalibrated by James V. Hillegas-Elting (movement = 6). www.commandsandcolors.net/tideofiron/the...anzer-v-panther.html
If the Germans manage to unleash flak on the top-left hill, they will dominate the entire board unchallenged. In this case, the plateau effect rules aren't enough to prevent being targeted by the cannon (which is as strong as a Panther and can only be hit by long-range Shermans, as long as they hold out on the field).
The "Tank Ace" ability is more of a favor to the Germans than a help to the Americans. Since the tank never has the initiative, it is defeated by the second turn, so this card quickly turns into 3 command points for the Germans. In our game, the "Tank Ace" unit never fired a shot.

As you can imagine, it was a complete American defeat. The Germans eliminated all Allied units on the field at the beginning of Round 6.

I've also attached a replay of the game.

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