Go For Broke (Third Edition):
Scenario Preview, Part One
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
May 2022

We’re bringing Panzer Grenadier: Go For Broke back into print in a new third edition; the differences lie in the historical background (the new edition has much more of it, and it’s along the same lines as the no-holds-barred searing truth we told in Panzer Grenadier: Black Panthers).

The scenarios have gotten a review, but they were very good already. And they’ve been re-grouped into chapters with battle games to tie them together. However, we never gave them a Daily Content preview; I’ve no idea why. But we can fix that now, and start with the first chapter, which concerns the battles of the Hawaiian Nisei 100th Infantry Battalion before the rest of the 44nd Infantry Regiment arrived. Let’s have a look:

Chapter One
Purple Heart Battalion
The 100th Infantry Battalion left the United States well before the 442nd Infantry Regiment, departing New York in August 1943 and arriving in Algeria on 2 September. Assigned to the 34th Infantry Division’s 133rd Infantry Regiment in place of that unit’s 2nd Battalion (detached as a palace guard for Allied Forces headquarters in Algiers), the Nisei unit debarked at Salerno three weeks later with the rest of the division. The Nisei saw no action in North Africa – the fighting was well over by the time they arrived – but would more than make up for that lack in Italy. Fifth Army committed the 34th Infantry Division to combat on the 27th, and two days later the Nisei had their first serious encounter with the enemy.

Scenario One
First Action
29 September 1943
North of Highway 7, the 34th Infantry Division’s 133rd Regimental Combat Team (including the 100th Infantry Battalion) advanced on Benevento. After a 20-mile forced march through pouring rain, the battalion deployed for its first action of the war. The Volturno River just north of the village would provide security against a counterattack once the village was secured. Leading the way was the Reconnaissance Company of the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion.

Conclusion
Accounts vary widely as to who entered Benevento first and on what date. The best evidence points to the commander of the 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion leading the Nisei in during the early hours of the 30th. The 100th suffered its first casualties, three killed and 31 wounded. This action provided a diversion for the 3rd Infantry Division that was securing the key crossroad town of Avellino further south.

Notes
We lead off with a relatively small scenario, as the 100th Infantry Battalion is on the attack with the aid of some scouts from a tank destroyer battalion. It’s raining like hell and the Germans are pretty salty, but the Nisei are determined and they have considerable artillery support behind them.

Scenario Two
A Trap Not Sprung
18 October 1943
As the 133rd Infantry Regiment prepared to pass through the 168th Infantry Regiment, they received a change in orders: proceed immediately to the north and establish a bridgehead over the Volturno River. It took some time to halt the troops, then more time as the leadership hatched a complicated plan to trap the enemy south of the river. The 3rd and 100th Battalions were to attack from the southeast while the 1st Battalion swung wide and circled back from the north. Once the details were all covered thoroughly, the troops set out once again, but daylight was waning.   

Conclusion
The 1st Battalion became lost and did not establish their bridgehead until midnight. That made them the first to reach their objective. Soon the 3rd Battalion arrived but it would be after dawn before the Nisei managed to fight their way there. This was long after the Germans had retreated north of the river and blown the bridge.

Notes
A tough assignment for the Nisei as darkness falls, with the Germans holding strong positions and the 100th Battalion having little choice but to dig them out. The panzer grenadiers are still salty and well-led, and this time the Americans bring only heavy instead of obliterating artillery support.

Scenario Three
High Ground by Daylight                                               
20 October 1943
The 133rd Infantry Regiment was to spearhead an effort to secure the town of Sant’ Angelo d’Alife. Their first objective was to reach the two junctions in the foothills below the village. The 100th Battalion was to secure the upper road junction while the 1st Battalion followed to take the lower road junction. Strong opposition was expected and Colonel Ray Fountain had warned his battalion commanders that if their men were caught out in the open at daylight the German response would be swift and deadly.
     
Note: This scenario requires a board from Invasion and Liberation; as well as German units and leaders and American units and leaders from Elsenborn Ridge.

Conclusion
At 1800 the Americans moved out with the Nisei initially making excellent progress. Upon reaching the hills around midnight things turned sour. Heavy and accurate fire stopped their advance cold and the 1st Battalion was diverted to their aid with 3rd Battalion ordered to take the upper junction. It was to no avail as the Germans were too strong to be driven from their positions.

Notes
It’s a tough night fight; the Americans have Nisei morale helping half of their force, but the panzer grenadiers are still eager for battle and they hold the high ground. Panzer Grenadier was designed with infantry fights first at its core, and the system shows itself well in scenarios like this one.

Scenario Four
Counterattacked 
21 October 1943
Despite the best efforts of the divisional staff, the 133rd Infantry Regiment was caught out in the open come daylight. They tried to penetrate the hills early in the morning and were unable to break through. Fountain was relieved of command and replaced by Lt. Col. Carley Marshall (Fountain’s career would recover, and he commanded the 34th Infantry Division after the war). Soon German armor was seen to the west gathering for a counterattack.

Conclusion
With few antitank pieces to combat the tanks the 125th Field Artillery Battalion used a Piper Cub spotter plane to target the enemy armor. For the cost of 736 shells they destroyed one assault gun and disabled four others. It was not enough to keep the Germans from inflicting heavy causalities on the Americans. Long after dark the two battalions finally managed to infiltrate the hills and dig in.

Notes
This time it’s the Germans on the attack, and they’ve brought tanks with them (well, actually assault guns, but since the Nisei have none of their own – and not much in the way of anti-tank guns – it’s a pretty dicey situation. There are a lot of Germans, giving the bad guys a serious edge in numbers and the ability to concentrate their force. This could be a long day for the sons of Hawaii.

That’s the first half of Chapter One; next time, we’ll look at the rest of the 100th Battalion’s adventures.

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Mike Bennighof is president of Avalanche Press and holds a doctorate in history from Emory University. A Fulbright Scholar and NASA Journalist in Space finalist, he has published a great many books, games and articles on historical subjects; people are saying that some of them are actually good. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, three children, and his Iron Dog, Leopold.

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