Panzer Grenadier Battles on October 24th:
Afrika 1944 #22 - PAKfront Leyte '44 #12 - Flying Wedge
Fronte Russo #9 - Potemkin Village Leyte '44 #13 - Failure at Buri Airfield
Red & White #28 - Bastion
PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > Lib2017
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Villers-Bocage
Liberation 1944, 2nd Ed #17
(Defender) Germany vs Britain (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Britain 7th "Desert Rats" Armoured Division
Germany 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion
Germany 130th 'Lehr' Panzer Division
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for Lib2017
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
3
Scenario Rank: --- of 1093
Parent Game Liberation 1944, 2nd Ed
Historicity Historical
Date 1944-06-13
Start Time 13:00
Turn Count 16
Visibility Day
Counters 82
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 2: 56, 58
Layout Dimensions 86 x 28 cm
34 x 11 in
Play Bounty 177
AAR Bounty 224
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 0
Duplicates LIBE017
Battle Types
Delaying Action
Exit the Battle Area
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Liberation 1944, 2nd Ed Base Game
Introduction

A successful attack by the U.S. 1st Infantry Division forced a gap in the German lines west of Caen, and the British 7th Armoured Division moved forward to exploit it. A combined-arms force met little resistance, turning the open flank of the German Panzer Lehr Division, until it reached the village of Villers-Bocage.
Conclusion

Using a borrowed Tiger, SS militia tank commander Michael Wittman attacked the British column without waiting for the remaining German tanks to join him or any infantry support. After knocking out a Sherman Firefly, his tank shot up several command tanks, light tanks, and supply vehicles inside the town before an anti-tank gun disabled the Tiger (the first Tiger lost by the Germans in Normandy) and Wittman ran away on foot. When the rest of the German tanks arrived, the now-ready British knocked out all six Tigers of Wittman’s command and eight other German tanks.

Wittman, with his Aryan good looks, had already featured in a great deal of SS propaganda, touring German factories, and appearing in newsreels. Pushed by corps commander Sepp Dietrich, the SS propaganda machine quickly churned out a highly modified version of events. This tale, highlighted by a glossy photo spread in Signal magazine, credited all 22 British tanks destroyed at Villers-Bocage to Wittman. The British withdrew from Villers-Bocage, but not because of Wittman; their tanks had also heedlessly advanced without infantry to cover them in the dense terrain.

Wittman would become a post-war cult figure as, in the words of historian Steven Zaloga, “the hero of all Nazi fanboys.” His tanks destroyed many Allied machines, but he was no Lafayette Pool.
Display Relevant AFV Rules
AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Self-Propelled Artillery: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • Anti-Aircraft Weapon Carrier: apply a -1 modifier to an air attack if within three hexes of the targeted hex (15.14).
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)
Display Order of Battle
Britain Order of Battle
Army
  • Towed
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Motorized
Luftwaffe
  • Leader
  • Towed
Schutzstaffel
  • Mechanized
Display Errata (6)
6 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 847

The "Optional Values" for the Achilles---and by extension the Archer---given in an Avalanche Press Daily Content piece on the 17-Pdr Anti-Tank gun (and printed on a replacement counter sheet Download) are now the Official Ratings, published in games like Cassino '44, Grossdeutschland 1946, and Indian Unity. These are:

8-5 / 8-8 Full Strength and 4-5 / 8-8 Reduced Strength.

(caryn on 2012 May 03)
Overall balance chart for 869

All Bren carriers should have a movement value of 7.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 838

The "Optional Values" for the Firefly given in an Avalanche Press Daily Content piece on the 17-Pdr Anti-Tank gun (and printed on a replacement counter sheet Download) are now the Official Ratings, published in games like Cassino '44, Grossdeutschland 1946, and Indian Unity. These are:

5-5 / 8-8 Full Strength and 3-5 / 8-8 Reduced Strength.

(caryn on 2012 May 03)
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 41

All SS PzIVH tanks should have a movement of 8.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
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