Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Digits on April 15, 2021, 01:05:15 PM
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So, PrivateBuzz ( Jamie) and myself will be playing out the CoC Bloody Bucket Campaign. Bear with us....not done one of these before!
I will post up in here each action with an AAR....I hope it will be of interest.
I’m not looking forward to the first battlefield. As you can see, an awful lot of space to cover. Now considering I’ve spent the past few months accumulating a mass of fencing / hedge row etc......it’s bloody typical that there won’t be much, if any of it around this campaign!
I will be attacking from this end up toward the road junction. What I would give for a little smoke!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/52C487A7-B46B-483E-8860-26D8C56EA226.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
The view from the American position.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/64E34CE0-C67C-401A-AA31-5228F3163BD0.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Now....off to try and knock some semblance of professionalism into my largely untested Volksgrenadiers!
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I tried clicking on the pics, but they're stuck being tiny on my screen (perhaps 150 pixels each).
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I hope you & Jamie have fun.
I hear your chosen Umpire is a real B*****D !
He believes in being, 'Hostile to both sides'
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Elbows - thanks, sorted.
HasBeen.....I heard that too! Lol
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You should keep in mind that this doesn’t have to be the first battlefield. You can use the first few turns to infiltrate to the other assembly points (from where you can also try and interdict any American reinforcements). Given all the open ground there’s a good case to hold off attacking map 1 until German armour is available. The nice thing about this campaign is that you can attack any map you want in any turn (assuming you have troops in assembly points).
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Aye, I know....don’t worry....it would only take a few minutes to change the map but I was inclined to set it up now so I could carve out the “hill” plates such as they are.
But you do remind me, I’d best ask Jamie to bring a few more houses with him just in case....cheers!
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Interesting to note the different sense of space depending on scale. Here’s our table, but in 20mm.
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/923/B5bOId.jpg) (https://imageshack.com/i/pnB5bOIdj)
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Indeed...but camera perspective may be a little deceptive! I expect you did the same as me as measured off the map. Either way....it’s a damn long way to cross!
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Got a question for you however. You placed a few hay stacks to break up the open expanse? So how did you treat them? Presumably, you could not place jump off points behind them? But they offered what kind of cover or did they just block line of site etc
Cheers
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Got a question for you however. You placed a few hay stacks to break up the open expanse? So how did you treat them? Presumably, you could not place jump off points behind them? But they offered what kind of cover or did they just block line of site etc
Cheers
Purely decorative, the space just needed something in it!
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I thought that may be the case....cheers!
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Good luck! I look forward to reading the AAR.
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The night before it all kicked off......Monsieur Wooters and his wife enjoy a glass of wine, listening to the radio thinking the war must be over....
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/8D6F9C33-00B6-4549-98B5-48D4F1587FC6.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Dawn arrives and things were about to hot up....well that was the idea!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/EF9A4CDE-3BA0-4DB2-A8F7-C7D4FCB274DE.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Ok, so we had started the campaign. I spent the first couple of turns pushing Sturm Platoons down the track though the woods bypassing this first battlefield, but in turn three, it was time to launch attacks, opting to attack both this field (Skyline Drive) with a newly arrived Rifle platoon and attacking the second target (The Road to Holzthum) with the first of the Sturm platoons.
Having read a few AAR’s I had already determined that I’d need a miracle to try and take this first field. My head said I needed to wait until the bridge was crossed and I could rely on armour to help take it.....however, let’s have a go!
I knew the Yanks would not declare their positions too early, and I was able to deploy everything I had, building a solid fire base in the woods. My senior leaders ( I had opted for a second as a part of my support) placing everything I had on overwatch. Wishful thinking I suppose, but I was hoping SOMETHING would show itself....
I had taken two tripod mounted MGs and a “sacrificial” lmg squad that had started to move forward from its deployment point along the base line into the open expanse. I was trying to draw fire in the hope I could return it in kind.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/5B03DAE0-EC8B-4C33-975F-3E7035B0AFF3.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Jamie had rolled a lot of fives and in phase 7 then decided to deploy a senior leader into the house, then used his CoC dice to end the first turn, removing all my lovely covering fire markers!
In my first phase of turn 2, I immediately put six teams back into overwatch with my two leaders in the trees. Ha! That will show him!
My support section continued to move toward the house....and now I was within grenade distance....and a .30 cal machine gun opened up from a prepared position to the right of the house....hosing the section, killing three and lightly wounding the junior leader.
Damn it! By being so close to house, the MG had deployed so my overwatch could NOT react!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/A45365C1-4CE3-469A-9ED0-A1B5FA4FB566.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
I then had to move the squad to my right in order to open a lane of fire. That immediately halved the amount of fire they could throw out and they achieved nothing!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/36DF4C3E-9121-422D-8C3C-ACC97165B558.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Jamie in his very next phase rolled three sixes and this ended turn two!
DOUBLE DAMN IT! I lost all my overwatch AGAIN! And this time, with him holding the next phase, he deployed a section (with extra BAR) into the house and a .50 cal in another position to the left of the house. With fire from the house and the .30 cal, I lost firstly one lmg team, then another injury on the junior leader and finally the last team! Now, I know I cocked up here and should have rolled for losing both teams as a section at the end of the phase but I rolled on the morale effect chart at each, rolling high every time.....and dropped to 3 dice!
The .50 cal nibbled at my gun line in the woods with hits being spread about, th3 net effect being the loss of 3 figures.
What a disaster! The impact of having the sacrificial section was a total demoralisation and at this point, I decided this was going nowhere fast and decided it was time to get out of dodge......withdrawing the force.
An astounding and very quick loss!
In the wrapping up, ignoring the kills from my support section, decimated that they were,
The longer term impact on my platoon, was one guy never to return, and two missing the next game.
“Once ve get the bridge crossing open, ve vill be back Yankee!”
Stop for bacon butties.....a quick play with the dog......and a change of battlefield.....
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The second battlefield.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/CA1D930C-DA44-48AD-9FBF-F8E5FB3DA456.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Had I launched an attack from the first battlefield, I would have entered from the far end as you see it, but having snuck in from the track, I was attacking from the edge of the woods.
I had a choice of two engagement types, and opted for a probe, meaning I had to vacate a team from the opposite side of the table!
The Yanks manage a couple of additional moves in the Patrol phase and this needed some careful thinking out. You can see I managed to get a jump off behind the hedge, the remains two being in the tree line, opposite the far right house.
Jamie ended up with a jump off point in the orchard to the left, one behind the grey barn and one behind the lone house on my right.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/E0AB78F0-9DE6-4E81-8772-B9F79D2D770E.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Like the last battle, Jamie allowed me to deploy most of my chaps onto the table whilst toting up his fives....
I placed a solid firing block opposite the lone house with two MMGs and a senior leader, along with the lmg section from the Sturm platoon.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/D0910D35-99A5-4C53-B5DF-687463BF16E6.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
With no response from the quietly waiting Americans, I deployed my two Sturm sections with their Stg44s along with a senior leader behind the hedge.
in the next phase, leaving the left hand section in place and overwatch, I moved the right hand section toward the end of the hedge. Next phase they crossed it. I was expecting to get hosed....but it didn’t come yet!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/AC112A8D-D5E9-40E6-B00E-ED61A4289782.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
So I decided to push the left hand section over too. I hoped that having two sections in the open would entice him to declare his hand and at least give me something to work with.....but the only thing that opened up was a .30cal in the orchard......it accounted for half my left hand section! Nuts! But only having one firing unit allowed me to get the right hand team over the next hedge at least!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/35AA6A6F-B4E6-4A94-99D5-D4AB9237DD79.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
I tried to fire on the mmg but a Jamie used his CoC dice to interrupt me to fire once again on my exposed left hand section! This time not so much damage. I was surprised he’d not used it to break all the overwatch...but I think he was confident the section behind the barn had the moving section covered....besides, he’d be able to deploy another, behind th3 right hand building to catch me in a cross fire!
At this point, I expected him to pop a unit in the right hand house, but he was still wary of that overwatch. Besides, he then deployed a section behind the barn, placed into overwatch to catch me as I came out from behind the hedge.....
I had deployed my first smoke grenade to try and afford a little protection from the direction of the right house. I decided to try and give myself a fighting chance of getting near the table edge, I needed to try and disrupt the overwatching Yankee section so threw my final smoke grenade in their direction.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/B42083E6-4782-4E6C-B92F-6CCABB13C8E1.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
The dilemma came....do I play my now gathered CoC dice to take off overwatch?
But then the answer had come from Jamie’s use of interrupt. (We were both still learning here!)
I rushed the section forward to be hosed....they lost three guys and picked up another shock point with the ensuing US overwatch.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/22889782-CED1-4D4A-A866-883CD41C8051.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Phase end......Jamie prepares to fire at them...and I use the dice, interrupt and rush for freedom! Lucky dice then....I only JUST made it off!
Victory! Lost one, won one! Yanks get initiative in turn four, but hopefully I start trying to push open over the bridge.
I lost a few guys, the butchers bill ensuring I start with twenty chaps from this platoon next time, with a further 3 to return.
A very different kind of game.....and the fact the Sturm sections were one team, this gave them a little more longer term adhesion, not being as phased so quickly by shock than the rifle platoons sections.
Learning to use this CoC dice at the right moment of the game is critical!
My thanks to Jamie, good day, two battles played, spoils shared. Another game planned for next week.
Now, our umpire ( HasBeen) will be rolling to see if the bridge opens, and quietly letting me know the outcome.....
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A great read! I don't quite understand the ending on the second map though- was that all you had to do to win a German victory is cross the road? I thought you would at least need to take possession of the lone house to be able to cut the link between the two maps....how did you know the Americans didn't have a section in or near that house?
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Speed is of the essence here mate. No time to dally. Jamie had indeed units still to come on and that would have been the logical place for them.
I very nearly didn’t make it as it was.
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Crossing open ground certainly does seem risky in these rules....so does that count as you cutting off the road between map 1 and 2 then? So you will be able to attack map 1 from both ends next time?
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Crossing open ground certainly does seem risky in these rules....so does that count as you cutting off the road between map 1 and 2 then? So you will be able to attack map 1 from both ends next time?
The best way to think about it is to see the Americans defending a line of outposts running north to south. The Germans are trying to move east to west and in this particular case they are moving with some urgency to capture Bastogne. In the map just played the team crossing the table represented a German breakthrough to the west, effectively putting Germans behind the defensive position here. Hence the Americans abandoning/losing this map.
The Germans will continue pushing west, they won’t turn back to take map 1, that’s a job for other platoons, the main mission is to push west. For that reason map 1 can only be attacked from the one direction (unfortunately for the Germans tasked to take it!).
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Crossing open ground certainly does seem risky in these rules...
On that point, I think crossing open ground should always be a difficult proposition, but to make matters worse the Volksgrenadiers are rated ‘green’ and their lack of field craft and limited training make them even more vulnerable. Historically this feels right, the Americans have often referred to Germans crossing open fields in extended lines (and being shot up accordingly).
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In one of our early games of Chain of Command, one player
had a whole section badly chewed up by a concealed HMG.
as he tried to cross an open field. Rather than complain he
said, 'Fair enough, if I'm daft enough to walk across open
terrain like that, I deserve to get shot up.'
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True...but you don’t have much choice here...you have to cross the ground in order to either try and force them to expose themselves or try to take ground!
But yes....I can wait until I have a little armour to try it again.
The other lesson here....I should have attacked with the Sturm platoon. Less likely to have taken so many morale rolls it turns out, seeing as they are one team per section.
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Excellent write ups! Really captured the tense situation of sitting and waiting until the 'right' moment to deploy. I am still losing sleep over it trying to work out tactics for the next battles ;)
Thank you for hosting the day.
A question, dear readers, particularly those that have played this campaign;
What happens to the U.S. platoon from table 2? They ended the battle with their force morale intact (10) and only a single man killed. I think these are the options, but which one or is there another?
1. All men and supports are simply lost
2. It's classed as a withdrawal and treated as such according to the rules in At The Sharp End (ATSE)
3. It's classed as a rout (but the morale didn't reach zero!) and treated as such according to ATSE
4. The remaining platoon and supports retreat back along the main route to table 3
5. The remaining platoon and supports retreat back along the main drive to table 4 and roll for interdiction according to the Bloody Bucket rules on page 20.
I can make an argument for and against all of these. Any thoughts?
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The best way to think about it is to see the Americans defending a line of outposts running north to south. The Germans are trying to move east to west and in this particular case they are moving with some urgency to capture Bastogne. In the map just played the team crossing the table represented a German breakthrough to the west, effectively putting Germans behind the defensive position here. Hence the Americans abandoning/losing this map.
I think the section you need to look at is, 'Voluntary withdrawal'
In short you may successfully withdraw 2xD6 figures. If you want
to do that, e-mail me & I will let you know what that score is.
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Thanks for the AAR... your building source(s)?
I ask as there are a couple in the picks that I like...
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The first table “Total Battle Miniatures”...the second I think are Charlie Foxtrot laser cut.
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Great stuff :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
All your hard work has been worth the effort
I need to try one of these campaigns
Will be following your progress
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I think the section you need to look at is, 'Voluntary withdrawal'
In short you may successfully withdraw 2xD6 figures. If you want
to do that, e-mail me & I will let you know what that score is.
Yep, that’s it. The platoon withdraw but things are confusing, some head straight west and out of the campaign, some blunder into the Germans that have got behind them and are captured, and lastly, 2xD6 make it to Map 3 to fight another day.
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The buildings in the second battle are from Empires at War.
Thank you for the clarification on the withdrawal. I'll get Pete (has.been) to roll.
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Turn 4.
After the first two battles I was starting to think all the effort put into collecting and painting almost seemed wasted......the first battle, effectively over in five minutes, the second, a probe almost gamey, and again, with very limited action.
I decided to attack table 3, Holzthum Village with a flank attack from point B in the woods...with a Sturm platoon.
Splitting my patrol markers onto the two table edges. As you look at this table, I ended up with a jump off point on the left hand table edge, and a couple in the bottom right among the buildings. The left edge being totally exposed had me remembering how I got cut up in the first game, so not an appealing edge....but I did think it possibly influenced a little of the American deployment.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/A1024A92-97F9-48A6-A15A-F324B62AB200.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
To be continued....
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Only rolling a one on my morale roll, meant I was starting with a slightly lower force morale. Rolling ones was to become a familiar if unwelcome theme for me....
This game, once we had the obligatory gassing out of the way, lasted for a very intense five hours. I can not even begin to give you a blow by blow AAR because the phases changed hands so often to be untrue. The first game turn lasted all of literally three minutes as I rolled three sixes on my command dice - good job I didn’t take a barrage!
The rest of the game...all 4 hours and 57 minutes took place during turn 2!
All accumulated CoC dice being used to interrupt the opponent and wring out whatever additional shots we could!
The basis of my attack was to penetrate forward as quickly as I could into the cluster of buildings in the bottom right.
Unusually for Jamie thus far, he had decided this time to deploy some units early, placing a section in the walled garden and his platoon sergeant in the building to its left as we look up the table. This section was to take up overwatch and as I moved into buildings, I was conscious of not appearing at the windows until I had enough support ready - a reversal of where we were in the first games.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/5805D5EF-4726-45EC-9A73-4EE7378661F5.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/6DFC4E18-E63D-4AEE-AD69-64071E28A4F9.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/92485236-31B7-4643-A495-E39FA647695F.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
I had taken a second leader, an HMG, another assault squad and because I had two pretty wasted points, a wire cutting team that didn’t see the table and a mine clearing team.
The units pushed on
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/0AFFC553-3B55-4335-901F-116DCB59578F.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
The mine clearers did get on, and made their way to the placed field, had one attempt at clearing it before a mortar round sent them scurrying back!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/AB92487C-3657-4DB8-8E01-E283937E9DF4.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Mortar team in action
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/6B894B42-E54E-431D-9D07-3F9DED0A71CB.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Jamie deployed another section on the left of the buildings, maybe to cover the wayward jump off point, but certainly to cover the section that had taken up positions in the building up by the top left of the minefield, the furthest I was to push.
I can’t quite recall the sequence of what happened suffice to say, all hell let loose!
I don’t think I’ve played a game with quite so many shots pouring out both ways! My lmg section, occupying the top of the house in my bottom right, was about the only section unit I had relatively unmolested the whole game, and it was able to pour out a fantastic amount of firepower at the section in the walled garden for hours!
Likewise, my HMG team, manouvered into the top of the grey stone barn, also firing constantly at the section in the walled garden for most of the game...
My plan was simple.....I knew I couldn’t rush in, I’d be cut down in seconds, and I had concentrated my force, mostly because I had no choice in this back corner.....concentrate my fire on one unit and try and break them.
Early on I did kill their nco and reduced Jamie’s morale by one. But this did not really effect them too much.
This is because, the command dice we were rolling all night, really started to favour the fact that all fire was pretty much under the direct control of the senior leaders.
Much to Jamie’s amusement, I threw an unbelievable number of double fours with mine, time after time and Jamie was able to add his dice almost every time to keep his nicely placed commanders able to direct or remove shock when necessary.
The section in the walled garden took a very high number on incoming rounds, phase after phase!
The problem was....somewhere in the last week or so, I must have greatly offended the dice gods!
For hours, every time I shot, I was not getting many hits, and most that did find a target, were deflected by that damned wall!
Meanwhile, Jamie deployed an dug in .30 cal to support the walled section, and his third section, with the section on the left, with the express intention of pressing a flanking counter attack along the hedges.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/DA36F146-3B43-44DD-9434-7F06C838E8B9.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
By now, I was taking a lot of damage! Firstly, at least three of my junior leaders had been wounded, reducing their capacity to lead somewhat. My furthest section on the right, then got chewed up, the final two guys breaking and hitting my morale. I had however moved another section up near the house which ended up replacing them. It too however ended up being hit by some serious fire, and was wiped out! More morale loss!
Meanwhile my support section, in the minefield corner building, close enough to use the additional firepower of their assault rifles, was alternating between firing at the two sections on the left of the table. My luck held a bit with these guys. They walled building turned out to be very well constructed! The original american section had kept up a lot of covering fire to allow the flanking section to move forward.
American squads, with their re rolling of ones, and extra BAR’s are actually a hard until to trade shots with. For the best part of the game, I was being chewed up and I was hurting. With two sections gone, I was down to three command dice but I was still rolling fours and able to direct at least two if not three elements every phase.
We both could see the end coming, Jamie’s aggressive stance and flanking action was going to pretty much wipe me from the table. By now, he had about double my manpower
as it was getting late, we were pushing hard to get the game wrapped up.....
....and then, just as I was praying for a miracle (out loud) the dice gods, having played with me all night like a worm on a hook, decided to take pity on me and removed their curse!
The support section, with its three dice per gun, despite being down to four men, broke the flanking section!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/68FFF501-2471-4028-8744-784B269A0B88.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Jamie’s morale started to take a hit.
The support section though got slaughtered with only the nco surviving to run away, though he was steadied by my second leader who only had a solitary figure to command now!
All I had left was the lmg section and an HMG.
The HMG was attracting a lot of fire now and ended up at two men only, though I was able to keep the shock down.
However, like I said, the dice gods now seemed to a four me and in very rapid succession, the walled garden section finally broke (to be fair, they received more fire than any other unit all night) and Jamie was now on the same low morale (two) as me, with us both only having three command dice.
Up until this point, I had concentrated all my right hand firepower on the walled section and totally ignored, ( perhaps foolishly as at times I did consider putting covering fire on it but kept deciding not) but now I was free to fire on it......and with my best dice of the night, killed a few of the team and broke them in one volley, sending them scurrying!
This final loss sealed the loss for the Americans. A complete and unexpected reversal of the battle. Winning this table regained me the initiative but my original platoon, down to only 10 survivors, was effectively wiped out doing so!
That was brutal! The action kept up for hours with a phenomenal amount of traded firepower. The changes in fortunes were for me obviously welcome, but I do feel for Jamie here.....he did everything right I think and I couldn’t second guess any of his decisions. His move to outflank me should have worked and it was absolutely the right thing to do. His very well placed officers were able to command nearly every element each phase and it really end up coming down to a couple of (finally) extraordinary rolls at the end of the battle.
We both learned a lot from this game and things are speeding up for us.
Thanks to Jamie for hosting, table looked great and thanks to Kato, (Cooper) the collie for keeping me amused all the time I was these too!
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That sounds an epic infantry firefight. Somehow you must have got hold of Peter's dice at the beginning lol. No tanks this time then? Did you both roll low on the support options? Not even a Panzer II.... :(
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To be fair....rolling low did help when it came to effects on the morale loss table and on more than one occasion, it deflected a lot of hits.
It’s hard to describe the game though, I have rarely played in such a fight....” epic firefight” sums it up I think!
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It was indeed, epic. Thoroughly enjoyed it, even losing it was OK, as it was a fair and hard fought battle.
Losing on the probe battle hurt way more!
The points for support are effectively set and chosen before the campaign start for the Americans and are set points for the Germans. If Dave had lost, his points on a subsequent attempt at the same map, increase each attempt.
Also, no armour is available until his engineers rebuild the bridge at the river 'Our' (ever decreasing dice roll each campaign turn start at turn 4).
But when they do, I am toast.
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Watching other battle reports, I’m not convinced either way!
A tank would be good....but we’ve seen these destroyed rather quickly before now! ;)
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A tank would be good....but we’ve seen these destroyed rather quickly before now! ;)
Well that's Pz 2 s for you. lol lol lol
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If it’s Ardennes campaign, then keep running away. Eventually they’ll run out of fuel. :D
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Hmmm...fuel problems....that would be nice! ::)
If I had a tank to put it in!!!
So I decided to forgo turn five in favour of getting some troops down the track...but again on turn 6, no bloody bridge.....so no bloody tanks!
I probably should have attacked somewhere....but without a tank, I didn’t fancy my chances. Ok, pass again and get some guys down to “D”
Turn 7....STILL no sodding bridge....I do not believe my crap luck!
I can’t justify waiting again, so decide to launch an attack on field 4...the outskirts of Consthum.
I had a choice, probe or att@ck and defend.....stupidly, I missed the chance to scarper along the tree line in a probe dash, but instead decided to attack from the top left as you look at the board here.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/773D8036-36ED-4590-A98B-DAFC69B2E2FE.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
I ended up with jump off points behind the left most house and to its left...plus one on the table edge coming this way. The Americans had one in / at the White House to the right and two along the road hedge line running toward this edge of the table. I rolled a bit higher for morale this time and deployed my first section, lmg squad into the soft cover on the right of my fist house, near the green house and a senior leader in the house who put them on overwatch.
We had figured out that we had been mis representing the ability of the senior leader to remove shock in the previous game ( though as it benefitted us both...didn’t matter) and that our understanding of being pinned was wrong ( that it lasted until turn end if you removed shock! ). Not something we had encountered much though to be fair.
Jamie had stuck two minefields , one of which stopped me using the next house along! The sneaky rat!
A sniper deployed about 10 along the white fence and went into overwatch. This was necessary as I was certain much was going to happen from the Custer of houses (right top as you look above).
The houses near my jump off afforded me limited view into this cluster though as all fifer from the fronts was in a 45 degree arc to their fore.
Having lost my last clearance team to mortar fire...I was still prepared to give them an outing and promptly deployed against the minefield. On their very next phase...I rolled a six! They had cleared the first first in record time allowing me access to the house! A second section, with their stg44’s subsequently moved in.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/EF261389-EC4A-4B1C-9C91-AF68B6F94F47.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Jamie deployed a section into a defensive position on his right and my sniper took a shot, inflicting two points of shock, but not giving himself away. A senior leader appeared, helped with their shock and placed them on overwatch.....thus making the sniper think twice about taking a further shot and betraying his position.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/B0508312-738C-4B61-83EA-5A9D9C36C5BA.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Over the next few phases, Jamie kept his cool and allowed me to get my final section on to the field (I also got an MMG into the top floor of my first building covering towards the other two jump off points toward the Forrest edge) and move them up behind the closest house to his dug in section.....I was going to charge in, lob a few grenades and rely on the massed fire of my stg’s to carry the day.......
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/E3344EAE-E8B9-4D22-A752-29E31880BA32.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
.....and then blow me.....a hulking great M16 half track appeared and sprayed me with 50 cal....killing two and adding a bit of shock! Thwarted!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/177B232A-2313-43FC-B98F-73652DCBFFE2.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
My guys dived into the house!
I had taken a panzershreck team (I have a rep for using RPG’s...it would be rude not to, especially as I had thought I may encounter an AFV. My next phase saw me use it in anger, one shot and BOOM! Retribution served!
Jamie reminded me I could have used panzerfausts carried by the section attacked...but in the heat of battle, I kinda panicked, and opted to hide instead! To be fair, I’m as green at this game as my men! Lol
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/53115EE2-00BF-4B49-9578-0F211217A65C.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Stung into action at the loss of their half track, the dug in section were ordered forward to storm the house before the new inhabitants could bring fire on the position (Jamie I think wary of the stg44s firepower at close proximity from the previous game and not wanting me to set up so close to his position)
He ordered a couple of grenades to be thrown in....and rolled a double one as his minor league baseball pitcher fumbled and dropped the grenade at his feet!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/F14791F1-C094-46DD-BF8F-7A79EFB5F32E.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Not sure but I think he lost a guy.
Anyway, they pressed the attack, threw more grenades and hosed the building from the open windows, killing a few and breaking my section that subsequently scarpered!
My mine clearing team had been ordered to work on the next minefield, and very quickly cleared it too! (2 fields in four/five attempts....heroes!).
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/0D7EA493-D12B-4F9C-97FC-88C6E9428070.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
Jamie then used a CoC dice to end a turn seeing my broken unit rout from the field and all my overwatch disappear.
He then deployed a section at each of his two markers along the hedge (in hind sight, I would have put one in the building at his first jump off as it afforded hard cover with a clear field of fire and limited return fire due to my angles ) one section into a dugout and his furthest out simply into soft cover afforded by the hedge.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/494CF4B7-5B99-47F3-83F0-56810A7C4439.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
This gave him a great view of my units and he started pouring in fire, concentrating on my lmg section by the greenhouse.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/C857FA39-0AD9-4E51-A005-47D41F81BFA9.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
And some dice like this... 10 hits from twelve...would have been dangerous but for some prompt saves and an attached leader dealing with the shock.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/D42CA5FD-2534-4E9E-A65B-200977B9D4B8.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
But now I too had a good field of fire and over the next half a dozen phases, I concentrated all my fire on the furthest soft cover section...slowly killing a few and stacking up the shock.
Jamie had to move his 2ic along the hedge row to be able to help them.....but no sooner had he arrived, when an effective burst of fire hit and wounded him, dropping him.
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/F0EEBABE-8182-4455-820D-F42C249C61D9.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
With his morale dropping I had to keep up the fire, first pinning them, then breaking them! They bugged out dragging their wounded leader with them.....
I decided I wanted to keep up the pressure and the mmg shot another in their retreat whilst my remaining assault team was ordered to put covering fire on his dug in section (well, one team at least).
Jamie brought on his last support, an anti tank 57....I’d like to think he may have been expecting a tank....and took a shot at my mmg team inflicting some shock.
Then I rolled a few fives, gathered my second CoC dice (I’d used the earlier for an interruption), ended the turn and routed the broken guy from the table, dropping Jamie’s morale to zero, giving me the table!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/b76/DigitsDavid/FE53672F-B401-4AE9-AA7D-FC4ACB83EE62.jpeg?width=960&height=720&fit=bounds)
I hadn’t expected the win without a tank, but I will gratefully take it!
In the post action bits, because I still had a healthy morale, I only permanently lost one soldier with another missing the next round.
The host fed me waffles (it’s been over 40 years since my last but they were great - thanks! Great table and fantastic opponent. Cheers.
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Excellent report! Lovely game!
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Another hard fought game with lots of firing going on..enjoyed the pic of Jamie throwing his double one!
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An interesting fight.
The only problem I had was, to me ALL the buildings were WHITE!
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Ah...I see your dilemma! I think of some as grey!
Which white reference are you confused with?
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Cracking looking game :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
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Thanks fella. Jamie put on a great looking table.
I have corrected a few spellings above to make it a bit clearer! Lol
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What a great thread, lots of eye candy.
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This what caused my confusion.
near the green house
concentrating on my lmg section by the greenhouse.
Having read it again, & paid more attention to the very nice pictures,
I see you meant the glass, plant growing, type of 'Green House'.
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Those buildings are nice with attic windows.
Who makes them, or as they scratch built.
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Empires at war I believe....laser cut mdf with added rubble and a great paint job!
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Cracking figs, terrain, and report! Tough day to be a grenadier. Tougher day to be a GI....
CapnJim