A few things have happened. Over the past 18 months or so I became really interested in Chain of Command - I picked up a PDF of the rules and played a couple of times at the club. Then Chain of Command 2.0 was released and I bought a copy - wishing I bought a PDF also but chose not to. I have yet to play 2.0 though as my 6mm forces aren't really set up for it (in my mind). I am wrong, however as my original US infantry and original German infantry have individually based figures who originally served as NCOs when playing the rules
A Sergeants' War. I also had figures one to a base for tracking casualties, but these days I dislike that one figure is on a coin. My current method has single figures on tiny metal discs , but they will be hard to make identifiable as Junior or Senior leaders for Chain of Command.
I also dusted off my 20mm figures, played with the Germans on one of the CoC games, but have not since done much about my 20mm collection. There are certain support options I will need, that I don't have, and I am loathe to spend money on 20mm stuff. I also don't have enough terrain, nor do I have the space for storing terrain in 20mm...although I have that set of ruins that I am slowly working my way through.
Thus, over the past few weeks I have been having that itch to get a game going, and Battlegroup seemed the obvious choice. I wrote up a couple of 379ish point armies, Brits and Wehrmacht, and found the time this weekend to let battle commence. But then I thought, let's give it some more context and decided to create a fictional british battalion around which I could base some of my upcoming games as they push further into France and the low countries. So I went to AI to help me generate some plausible names, along with some plausible background. I am quite impressed to be honest.
So, introducing the King's Hampshire Fusiliers. They are part of the fighting on the road to Caen.
A couple of German platoons have set up defensive positions in the wooded areas and fields overlooking an important T-junction. They are looking to hold the British advance for as long as possible. The British needed to hold the crossroads ASAP.
German Forces:
1 FHQ
1 German Infantry platoon - HQ squad, 3x rifle squads, 3x LMG teams
2 extra rifle squads and 2 extra LMG teams
1 80mm mortar team
3 StuG IIIs
1 Pak 40
There were two squads, 3LMG teams and the StuG IIIs all set to enter the fray from turn two onwards provided the Germans could roll a 4+.
British Forces:
1 FHQ in a Dingo
1 British Infantry platoon - HQ squad, 2x rifle sections with a bren each, 1x 2" mortar
1 Vickers MMG team
1 3" mortar team
1 PIAT team
2 Cromwells
1 Sherman Firefly
1 Humber Armoured Car
Timed 25pdr barrage to happen at beginning of turn 4 on the woods in the centre.
I was quite concerned with how the British were outnumbered in terms of units, even though their rifle sections packed quite a bit of firepower. British reinforcements would be a flanking force entering on the right hand side of the table from turn 4 onwards if they could roll a 4+.
We can see on the right of this aerial shot that there are a German squad and LMG team in both the woods on the right of the road, and the field. They are all ready to ambush - the significance of the red micro dice. The farmhouse in the centre is occupied by a squad of riflemen, then behind them in the woods is the platoon commander and a Pak 40. At the very rear, in the woods on the high ground is a mortar and the overall commander who is trying to hold this line together. The burning building on the left of the battlefield will actually prove to block line of sight quite a lot!
The British were going to advance up the centre flanked by a Cromwell on each flank. The Humber would try to cause as much trouble as possible. Now, here I must admit that I accidentally thought it had a 20mm auto cannon, rather than a 37mm gun. So while the Humber put in a lot of work, and had success, it was due to me being an idiot.
TURN 1 - The failed ambush
The Cromwell on the right flank advanced and sent some HE into the field, pinning the LMG team who were waiting on amush! They were now out of action until rallied. A great start.
First section advanced across the open ground and took some fire from the Germans in the farmhouse. One man went down in a hail of bullets. A morale test had to happen, but they sailed through it, returning fire, pinning the Germans who had fired at them.
The Humber AC advanced also, opening up on one of the LMG teams at the edge of the woods, killing two of the men. The third fled.
The platoon leader decided to send some mortar fire into the hedgerow bordering the field. It was successful in pinning the other squad of Germans.
The Germans then had their turn, but with the right flank largely pinned or out of range, and no other Brits being in line of sight, they just decided to rally those pinned units and order their remaining forces onto ambush fire and wait.
TURN 2 - The attack falters.
The Humber edged further forward, careful not to get into LOS of the Pak 40 and opened fire on the Germans hiding in the woods. The squad took significant casualties and the remaining men took off at a run. Now, at this point I was surprised at how ineffective the German ambush had been and was worried that the King's Hampshire Fusiliers would end up easily capturing the road junction and allow the main force easier access to Caen.
First section opened fire in an attempt to supress the farmhouse garrison, but it was not effective this time.
Second Section advanced to the edge of the field and had a hail of bullets head their way from the German platoon HQ - which pinned them down!
The British platoon HQ ordered more mortar fire - this time against the farmhouse, which managed to cause casualties. Also visible is the LMG team in the field who have been pinned by the platoon's vickers MMG team. The Cromwells did nothing but advance slightly, as did the platoon's 2" mortar team.
The German commander ordered the mortar team in the woods to fire in the British left flank, amazingly pinning the Cromwell, and keeping the second rifle section further pinned.
The Germans in the farmhouse pinned down first section, still stuck out in the field.
The garrison used their second round of fire on aimed fire, which caused enough casualties for first section to break completely and retreat. This was a disaster for the King's Hampshires.
TURN 3 - The StuGs arrive!
In response the King's Hampshires tried to dislodge the Germans in the farmhouse. They opened up with the 2" mortar, the vickers and the platoon HQ, pounding the farmhouse, causing casualties. But one lone German held firm. The LMG team in the field was also pinned by mortar fire.
He held so firm in fact that the cheeky beggar chanced poking his head up and popping off a couple of shots at the vickers crew, although it was ineffective.
Not only did he pass his morale test, he rolled a 6, which means he could take a free turn in a "Beyond the call of duty" situation. It is a shame he missed really.
The German commander finally managed to raise the StuG platoon on the radio and ordered them forward. Two StuGs arrived. One edged up the road and fired on the Cromwell - it hit but was a glancing blow, forcing the crew to button up and pinning them. The mortar team on the wooded highground also continued attempting to keep the heads of the British left flank down.
TURN 4 - Timed barrage and reinforcements?
At this point the timed barrage arrived. Shell after shell pounded the wooded area pinning the German platoon HQ and the Pak 40. This would enable some advances hopefully. Unfortunately the flanking force failed to arrive, they must be being held up elsewhere!
The Humber AC advanced further, bouyed up by the barrage, and opened fire on the remaining unpinned infantry on the right flank. The fire was not enough and their cover was strong enough.
The platoon 2" mortar finally removed the last resistor in the farmhouse, it was now time to charge across the field before the farmhouse could be reoccupied.
Oh no! Disaster! The Humber struck a mine and blew it up completely. It will not be salvageable.
Interestingly - this is a chit pulled by the Germans for losing the squad in the farmhouse. It was placed on the Humber, as the Cromwell is pinned, and they rolled a 1. That means The British were able to place the mine strike on StuG...who rolled 1. That meant the Germans could place the mine strike back on the Humber, which then resulted in a penetrating, killing hit.
The Cromwell on the left flank fired HE to keep the mortar team pinned, and AP at the StuG, missing. The mortar team didn't get pinned. Someone get that gunner some training!
The German defenders responded with yet more mortar fire, killing some of the men in second section. The StuG missed when firing at the Cromwell also. The German commander tried to rally the Pak 40 and platoon HQ in the woods and was successful. Hopefully they wouldn't get pinned again.
TURN 5 - Wearing them down.
The vickers MMG and platoon HQ in the centre, hugged the hedgerow and opened fire on the German platoon HQ. The British commander also directed some mortar fire into the woods...
...This all proved too much for the German platoon HQ who took casualties and broke. More ineffective tank fire was directed at the StuGs.
The Pak 40 took its opening shot, sending some HE into the hedgerow, killing some of the British platoon HQ, and pinning them. There was some more ineffective StuG fire, and visible on the right you can see the German squad who had been holding the field are now making a move to charge over to the farmhouse and reoccupy it, now that the Humber is gone. Not pictured, they charged through the bocage and made it down the road, hoping not to get caught in the open.
TURN 6 - The End
Aside from the two StuGs, the bulk of the German reinforcements haven't managed to emerged. This turn though, the British flanking force finally arrived. Not visible, a Firefly, a PIAT team and a squad of infantry have arrived on the right flank.
The vickers MMG team managed to occupy the farmhouse before the Germans did, and then opened fire, pinning the German squad in the open. Meanwhile the 2" mortar team attempted to pin the Pak 40 but was unsuccessful with this.
The Cromwell on the left flank, with his last ammunition, decided to launch HE onto the German commander - killing him and his team. With their own reinforcements not arriving, and the arrival of the British flanking force, the Germans called it a day and attempted a hasty withdrawl.
It was 11pm at this point and my wife had gone to bed early ill. My boys were up crying due to fireworks. The game had been interrupted enough and I was done for the night. I think the Germans could have probably held on for another turn to be honest and gotten a "technical" victory, but at what cost?
I enjoyed this game - seeing the power of HE and suppressive fire, rather than aimed firing to kill. The British did better than I thought, but then the Germans held longer than I thought. A fun game, and about the scale I like - a platoon with a couple of extra squads and some tanks. Lovely.
My intention is to get some more games in over the next few months to be honest. It wasn't that bad to organise and set up. My son helped me set up the table - and then I had to remove a few things. I love Battlegroup. It is still my favourite system, even though Chain of Command has its great aspects, and A Sergeants' War is also quite fun.
