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Author Topic: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)  (Read 2873 times)

Offline m4jumbo

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Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« on: November 24, 2015, 03:47:49 AM »
Normandy Bocage, Casual Con IV

This scenario of Bolt Action took place during Operation Cobra in 1944 and saw a reinforced US infantry platoon advancing through the claustrophobic bocage terrain in an attempt to secure a strategic crossroad from the dug in German defenders.  For terrain we used our 4x8 bocage board which has held up fairly well since it's construction in 2000.  I added few updates of more trees and some teddy bear fur grass to give the old board a slight facelift.

Forces were chosen from the appropriate Theatre Selectors in their army books.

US forces - 1944 Operation Cobra:
- Regular 1st Lt and two assistants
- Medic
- Regular Infantry Squad, twelve men
- Regular Infantry Squad, twelve men
- Regular Infantry Squad, ten men
- Regular Infantry Squad, ten men
- Regular Engineer Squad, eight men
- Regular MMG Team
- Regular Bazooka Team
- Regular M4A1 Sherman
- Regular M4A1 Sherman
- Reserves: Regular Infantry Squad, twelve men mounted in half track

German forces - 1944 Normandy:
- Veteran 2nd Lt and two assistants
- Medic
- Veteran Grenadier Squad, six men, two panzerfausts
- Veteran Grenadier Squad, six men, two panzerfausts
- Veteran Grenadier Squad, six men, two panzerfausts
- Veteran MMG Team
- Veteran Panzershreck Team
- Veteran Medium Mortar Team with Spotter
- Veteran Sniper Team

Several special rules were used for this scenario to better represent the difficulty of fighting in the dense bocage terrain.  For movement through the difficult hedgerow terrain we used the special rules from the Battleground Europe campaign book.

The German forces were not deployed on the board, but their positions were secretly plotted on a scaled map of the game board.  Until spotted by the US forces, the German's movement would also be hidden and plotted on these maps.  The German forces could also use the Dug In rules from the Ostfront campaign book.  Finally, spotting rules would be used to determine what units could be seen and therefore fired upon.   I used the spotting system from the Battleground WWII rules by Easy Eight Enterprises as it was a proven system we had used previously.   

To balance out these special defensive rules for the Germans, the US force had nearly one and a half times as many points worth of troops.  Unknown to the US players, there was also an additional US squad mounted in a half track that would become available after their first squad was destroyed.

Because of the restrictive terrain and playing down the length of the table, game length would be 8 turns, and on a roll of 4+, we would play one more turn. 

With the disposition of the German forces plotted on the map, the Americans placed their units on the board and the battle was set to begin.

The US infantry carefully work their way forward in the Normandy bocage. 




Leading the way, a US Sherman easily crushes the wooden gate that leads into the central field.




Unaware of the battle to come, these Normandy residents munch happily on the long grass.


A second Sherman accompanied by infantry support crashes through a different gate and finds itself under attack by a German ambush.  A hidden and dug in Grenadier squad fires a panzerfaust at the US tank, causing confusion with the crew (adding multiple pins), but not doing any real damage.  At the same time, the hidden squad unloads on the Americans immediately in front of their positions causing multiple casualties.


US Combat Engineers, a bazooka team and a MMG team follow up the front line troops.


A fierce close range firefight with the ambushing Germans breaks out resulting in the first US squad being wiped out. 






A second US squad moves up and assaults the dug in Germans, eliminating them and clearing the position.
So many games, so little time.
-----------------------------------
http://z15.invisionfree.com/Terrain_Specialties/index.php?act=idx

Offline m4jumbo

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Re: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2015, 03:48:43 AM »
The US tanks press forward, unable to spot the enemy (failed spotting checks), but setting off anti infantry mines as they cross the field.  Both tanks escape the mines unharmed but the revelation that the field is heavily mined causes the infantry following behind to hold up and wait for the Engineers to move up and clear the mines.




US squad cautiously moving up their left flank.


On the opposite flak, US infantry come under heavy fire from a dug in German MMG and becomes pinned down.


The reserves in the half track move quickly down the sunken road and disembark when they see the way forward cut off by a road block.  Hidden Germans on the opposite side of the road open up on the disembarked squad, forcing them to dive through the bocage to find cover on the other side.




Moving up to help the disembarked reserve squad.


Combat Engineers advance and unload on the MMG team killing all but one of the crew.




Bravely advancing through the field, dodging mines, incoming small arms fire as well as mortar rounds.


The US infantry prepare to assault the Germans on the other side of the bocage.


A panzerfaust takes out the half track.


Attempting to climb over the bocage and make a hole for the infantry to follow through, both Shermans are taken out by Germans waiting on ambush on the other side.  A shot from a panzershreck team takes out the first tank and another dug in squad with a panzerfaust takes out the second tank, both shots hitting the climbing tanks on their vulnerable bottom armor.




With both the tanks destroyed (and the turn limit coming to a close) the Americans call off the attack and fall back to regroup.

A tough day for the Americans to be sure, but I feel the special rules, especially the spotting rules from Battleground WWII worked out well.  The Dug In rules from the Ostfront book made the Hidden & Dug In Germans very hard to roust from their prepared positions as the Americans typically needed 6+ to hit throughout the battle. Even so, I think this represented the historical difficulty of rooting out the dug in defenders. 

The Americans were primarily spent at the end of the battle, but even though they didn't know it, the Germans were also getting short on troops.  Not staring out with large squads, the Germans had the advantage of surprise and being dug in, but they were a bit of a paper tiger as once the US had whittled down a few squads, the Germans had no reinforcements to plug any holes in their lines.

I'm definitely interested in trying out more special rules for hidden deployment, hidden movement and spotting checks with Bolt Action.  Either continuing to use the Battleground WWII sighting charts or making charts based on Bolt Action leadership rolls.

Offline Marine0846

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Re: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2015, 05:15:10 AM »
Excellent AAR.
Love your terrain.
Gaming Normandy is my favorite WWII period to play.
Thanks for sharing.
Semper Fi, Mac

Offline Norm

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Re: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2015, 08:33:01 AM »
Lovely setup.

Offline Dr. The Viking

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Re: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2015, 09:21:56 PM »
Great report!
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http://www.c0wabunga.com

Offline TaskForceTerrain

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Re: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« Reply #5 on: December 14, 2015, 09:00:46 PM »
Great report and outstanding board, captures the Bocage perfectly! Nice set of pics too.

Offline Miantanomo

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Re: Bolt Action: Normandy Bocage 1944 AAR (pic heavy)
« Reply #6 on: December 17, 2015, 02:45:49 PM »
A beautiful set up! I especially like the American miniatures.
"If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die."
-Eddard Stark

 

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