Panzer Grenadier: Cassino ’44
Developer’s Commentary, Part Three
By Doug McNair
June 2009

Here’s the final installment of my commentary on the scenarios of Panzer Grenadier: Cassino ’44.

Scenario Twenty-One
Across the Rapido ... Again
11 May 1944

Operation Diadem opened with the Allies trying to establish several bridgeheads across the Rapido. One such attempt was by the Indian 17th Infantry Brigade near Sant’ Angelo. They found the going no easier than the Texans had four months before, but this time the ground was drier and the Indians were just a small part of an even bigger operation.

Conclusion

The Frontier Force attacked to the south of Sant’ Angelo and the Royal Fusiliers to the north. Attempting to skirt the town and cut it off from the west, the Frontier Force moved into a minefield. The Germans poured small arms fire into them and the Indian advance stalled. The Fusiliers fared no better, and a reserve company of Gurkhas was called upon to aid in the assault. By morning the Indian 17th Brigade had established themselves across the Rapido, but the key objective of Sant’ Angelo town remained in German hands.

Developer’s Commentary

The Fourth Battle of Cassino kicks off with Indian, British and Gurkha troops making a night assault across the Rapido, trying to make it past the Gustav Line and ford the river to establish a bridgehead on the west bank. Dense fog works in their favor, but an interesting bit of chrome that first appears in this scenario is the Communication Breakdown special rule. Due to accurate German shelling, Allied communications across the Rapido kept being cut. So, whenever an Allied leader who occupies a hex west of the Rapido spots for off-board artillery, the Allied player must specify which off-board factors are firing and then roll one die. On a result of 1 or 2 those factors cannot fire at all this turn and the current Allied action segment is wasted.

Scenario Twenty-Two
British Bridgehead
12 May 1944

The British 10th Brigade was charged with establishing bridgeheads on the Rapido just south of Cassino town. The Germans fiercely counterattacked the lead units attempting to form the bridgehead.

Conclusion

The British crossing had been marked by confusion with units becoming lost in the thick fog. Most of the Brigade made it across, but units soon lost contact with each other and progress ceased as they faced increasingly fierce German resistance. The British did not yet have any anti-tank guns across the Rapido, so when they met the first German tanks they decided to dig in and wait for the guns to arrive. As dawn broke the Germans seized the initiative and attacked groups of the dug-in British. But the Germans could not push the British back across the Rapido, and a small bridgehead was reinforced.

Developer’s Commentary

This is a smaller and quicker scenario than the last one, with the British trying to ford the Rapido farther to the north. They don’t have the numerical advantage the Indians have in the last scenario, and since this is a dawn assault they don’t get as much cover from darkness either. They also have the same communication breakdown problems as in the last scenario, so I made victory conditions easier on them. They get VPs for each unit that’s across the river and within three hexes of a specific west-bank hex at the end of play.

Scenario Twenty-Three
Carpathians on the Massif
12 May 1944

Polish commander General Wladyslaw Anders did not wish to repeat previous mistakes by attacking areas of the Massif piecemeal or by making a frontal assault on the Monastery. So he decided to mount a major attack behind the Monastery in an effort to isolate it. The Carpathian Division was to secure Albaneta Farm and Snakeshead Ridge.

Conclusion

First Battalion struck down The Gorge trying for Albaneta Farm. Much was expected from the Polish tank support, but well-placed German guns and panzerfaust fire soon neutralized them. Without the tanks the infantry attack soon bogged down, and only a few isolated groups of Poles made it to within 200 metres of Albaneta Farm. Second Battalion moved along Snakeshead Ridge and quickly took Point 593, but casualties were very high and General Anders called off the attack. The Poles were ordered to withdraw to their start lines.

Developer’s Commentary

I shortened the game to 18 turns given the closeness and smallness of the objectives, and moved the start time up to 0500 since the Polish tanks will be of no use off-road on the Massif in the dark. Each side scores VPs for killing enemy steps and for controlling Points 447, 593 and the Albaneta Farm at the end of play.

Scenario Twenty-Four
Kresowa on the Massif
12 May 1944

In the northern prong of General Anders’ plan to cut behind the Monastery and isolate it, the Kresowa Division attacked along Phantom Ridge to secure Point 575 and Colle Sant’ Angelo.

Conclusion

The Poles ran into intense German fire almost immediately, and the fighting soon degenerated into vicious close combats. Polish troops became intermingled with German units, and that plus the mountain terrain made it all but impossible for Polish mortars to identify clear targets. Polish casualties were truly terrible, and the attack was called off and Polish forces ordered to withdraw to their start line.

Developer’s Commentary

This is the Polish assault on the other half of the Massif, which happens at the same time as Scenario 23. Game length is the same but the Poles have a somewhat greater numerical advantage in this one. I therefore made the objectives that are closer to the Polish jump-off points worth less and those that are farther away worth more, meaning the Poles will have to cover more ground to rack up the VPs they need to win.

Scenario Twenty-Five
Operation Honker
12 May 1944

This scenario combines Scenarios 23 and 24 to cover the entire opening attack of Operation Honker.

Conclusion

The Poles fought with skill and much individual bravery, but the end result was the same as the previous assaults by the Indians and Americans. But the difference this time was that Operation Honker was just a small part of an even bigger offensive, and it would not be long before the Germans were fully committed all along the Cassino Front.

Developer’s Commentary

This scenario combines the last two into one big battle, so I lengthened it to 24 turns and started it a bit earlier so the Polish infantry can make more of an effort to infiltrate German lines in the dark before the sun comes up.

Scenario Twenty-Six
Sant’ Angelo
13 May 1944

The Indian 8th Division had established a bridgehead across the Rapido and completed work on a bridge codenamed "Oxford." This had allowed a couple of squadrons of Canadian tanks to cross. Some immediately became bogged down around the bridge, but the remainder aided the Gurkhas in the capture of Sant’ Angelo.

Conclusion

The Canadian tanks greatly aided the Gurkhas in clearing the town. The Fusiliers were preparing to attack a German strongpoint north of Sant’ Angelo nicknamed "Platform Knoll" but the defending Germans on seeing the fall of Sant’ Angelo surrendered. The Indians regrouped and continued to press the attack towards Horseshoe Ridge.

Developer’s Commentary

I cut the game to 12 turns due to the short distances involved, and changed setup instructions so the Gurkhas don’t get to start the game adjacent to the Germans and assault them right away. Making them cover some open ground first at least gives the Germans a chance to shoot at them point-blank before being cut to shreds. I also let the Germans setup second because the ones in town are going to be overwhelmed anyway, so they may as well be as well-positioned as possible. Other than that I went with the same victory conditions as in Across the Rapido ... again.

Scenario Twenty-Seven
Hitting the Road
15 May 1944

With the British 28th Brigade’s failure to establish a crossing of the Rapido, it was decided to commit the 78th Division to attack across the Liri Valley. No bridges had been completed near Cassino Town so the division was forced to cross near Sant’ Angelo. This was the main supply route for 8th Indian Division so there was much delay in getting across, but as soon as they did so they received orders for an immediate attack towards the Cassino-Pignataro road.

Conclusion

The 6th Inniskilling Fusiliers led the attack with the 5th Northamptonshire Regiment on their right. Their objective was the "Grafton" line (named after a famous English foxhunt) just west of the Cassino-Pignataro road. By early morning the line had been captured but the Germans launched counterattacks and the area was not secure until mid-day.

Developer’s Commentary

I shortened the game but only by a third (to 24 turns), because this will be a tough fight on a broad front against a powerful enemy. I let the Germans start dug in and required the Brits to start spread out by setting up no more than two combat units per hex. The Brits win a Major Victory by clearing the Cassino-Pignataro Road and all hexes adjacent to it while killing more German than British steps, and a Minor by just clearing the road. The Germans win a Minor by killing 25 British steps and a Major by holding the road while killing more British than German steps.

Scenario Twenty-Eight
Pignataro
15 May 1944

Nineteenth Infantry Brigade, 8th Indian Division had crossed the Rapido just south of Sant’ Angelo and pressed forward. Its objective was the village of Pignataro, which housed considerable numbers of the Nebelwerfers that had caused the Poles such difficulties on the Massif. At 20:00 the 3/8 Punjab Regiment supported by tanks from 14th Canadian Armoured Regiment attacked the village.

Conclusion

The 71st Werfer Regiment had vacated Pignataro well in advance of the Punjabi attack. The Canadian armor provided direct fire support and after a couple of hours of intense house to house fighting the village was under Indian control.

Developer’s Commentary

I shortened the game to 14 turns due to the small piece of real estate involved (I would have made it even shorter, but the forces are relatively large and there are minefields for the Allies to cross). I let the Germans setup slightly farther outside of town to give them a bigger buffer zone, and I gave the Indians some Viceroy’s Commissioned Officers to improve their leadership. Players score victory points for killing enemy steps and taking or holding hexes of Pignataro town.

Scenario Twenty-Nine
The White Eagles of Cassino
17 May 1944

By the 17th the British, Indians and Canadians in the Liri Valley were making inroads into the German defenses. This was the cue for the Polish Corps to resume their attack. The Polish plan was to gain the high ground behind the monastery and then link up with the British in the Liri Valley. Fifth Kresowa Division attacked toward Colle Sant’ Angelo, while 3rd Carpathian Division renewed its attack on Point 593 and the Albaneta Farm.

Conclusion

Developer’s Commentary

The original game design had two scenarios dividing the final Polish assault on the Massif into subsections, with a third encompassing the whole thing (much like scenarios 23 through 25). I felt that model didn’t work as well here since the first two scenarios overlapped too much, so I ditched them and just went with the full-scale Polish assault. I lengthened it a bit to 30 turns because the Poles are attacking tougher opposition, but other than that I went with the same victory conditions as Operation Honker.

Scenario Thirty
Green Devils' Last Throw of the Dice
17 May 1944

Second Carpathian Division took Point 593 by midday, and the German paratroopers launched a series of increasingly desperate counterattacks to take it back.

Conclusion

German counterattacks failed to dislodge the Poles from Point 593, and by nightfall they had dug in and secured their new positions. Albaneta Farm was now under constant threat of Polish tank fire, making it difficult for the Germans to reinforce. German paratroopers still held Points 575 & 447 and the northernmost point of Snakeshead Ridge, but the last German attack on Cassino Massif was over.

Developer’s Commentary

Rounding out the standard scenarios in Cassino ’44 is a final, desperate attempt by the Germans to salvage their position on the Massif. By this point the German forces are so depleted that that they don’t have the numbers to do much of anything, so this scenario a quick and simple test to see if superior Fallschirmjäger morale is enough to dislodge the Poles from Point 593. I shortened the game to 10 turns because it’ll be decided by then, and the player who controls Point 593 at the end of play wins. That does it for the “historical” scenarios in Cassino ’44, but the best thing about the game is that you can write your own story of the First and Fourth Battles of Cassino by playing the campaign games. I added solitaire rules so that players can practice with the campaign system before facing a live opponent, so everybody dive right in!

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