Iron Ivan Fields of Battle "Without Fortune" Arnhem 1944

[H.M.Stanley]

 A friend and i are working through the excellent Campaign Book for Disposable Heroes

Scenario 1 Recon Rescue

Here 2 Patrol teams in SAS jeeps armed with 2 Vickers HMGs attempt to rescue a wounded comrade at a crossroads while elements of the SS Panzer Grenadier Training and Replacement Battalion close in ...

[to be continued]

[H.M.Stanley]

No photos for this one i'm afraid.

A road running across the the table East to West with the German in woods covering the road to the NW and SW. The wounded para covered by a crashed jeep at a T-Junction approx 2/3 along the road towards the West and the rescue party coming on from the East in Jeeps.

My opponent rolled 5 or less on 4 of 5 Campaign Dice to upgrade his 2 x LMGs to MG42s. I was successful on only 3 of 5 so opted for a Glider Pilot Rifle Section (an NCO with SMG and 3 Riflemen) who had to footslog.

We started with the Jeeps moving at Medium speed on the road each blasting merrily at the LMG sections (ignoring the German HQ Riflemen). With each jeep putting down 10 x HMG shots and the target units testing for pinning/activation by being shot at regardless of any hits (and at -3 Moral Modifiers) it wasn't difficult to force these boys keep their heads down.

Meanwhile my friend was looking more and more perplexed and burying himself in the rulebook between turns

EUREKA!!

We discovered that the jeeps only have 50% ROF when moving and shoud have -1 to Hit when moving as the jeep is loaded with passengers [ahem]

Having slung their wounded pal back out onto the road the Paras slammed the jeeps into reverse and headed at speed towards their starting positions passing the footsloggers on the way and telling them to get their ar*e back to the base point!

This is when it gettings really amusing for my friend.

He rolls high for the first time so far and has the first activation. He tries a cheeky long-range burst with one of the LMGs at the lead jeep ... and kills 4 of 5 Paras [effectively blocking the road for the 2nd jeep while the Glider Squad sieze the opportunity for a lift]

The reduced shooting from the jeeps balances things up. The jeeps get there but are taking casualties all the while despite the best efforts of the worlds worst German sniper.

The wounded Para is loaded into the jeep but his comrades die in the attempt leaving only a driver to get him safely back with the 2nd Jeep desperatley trying to put down covering fire.

Predictably the German sniper finally hits something other than something wide of a Barn Door and the driver slumps over the wheel.

The Paras have failed in both their Battle Objectives (rescue the wounded man) and Mission Objectives (destroy the HMGs). I also hadn't appreciated i had 7 turns not 5. RTFM!!

The Germans couldn't have done better ... Battle Objectives (HQ in good order +4 BVP points) and Mission Objectives (destroy the Para Squads +3 MVP pts)

We roll on the Campaign Chart for reserves for Scenario 2.

My man now rolls 7 x D10s (his base 5 dice plus 2 of the 4 BVP points - he keeps 2 in reserve for later in the campaign but must use his +3 MVP to modify the dice roll) needing 8 or less for a successfull roll. 6 of the 7 are good and he opts for an off-table mortar. One more and he would have got the extra HMG he was wanting - perhaps he shouldn't have saved those 2 x BVP dice?

I still roll the basic 5 x D10 with no modifiers. Only 1 is good and i have to accept D3 Scattered troops. Sure enough i roll a 3 so i'm missing 3 troopers from the off. [humph!]

All good fun though

Scenario 2: A Bridge too Late ...