Heinrichs in the hedgerows.

Game of the second world war, Normandy 1944. 

Using Big Chain of Command in 28mm.

Organized, using terrain and models by Jeremy Dowd, Chris Caves and David Maltman.

AAR by David Maltman.

Players
British    : Jeremy Dowd, Andy Smyth, Leslie Tipping and Stephen Merchant.
German : Chris Caves, David Smylie and David Maltman.

This scenario is from the Big Chain of Command book, "Le Bon Repos" or "The Good Rest" for those who do not speak the froggy lingo. It's a company sized scenario with 2 phases. For those not familiar with big chain of command phase, the full game consists of a number of sub games, or phases. Each phase has a number of objectives and a phase finishes either when the attacker captures all the phase objectives or the defender declares a tactical withdrawal and scarpers back to the next phase. Moving to the second phase gives release of more support items and the possibility of getting some casualties back, plus a redeployment to the second phase area.

This map shows the battlefield with the 2 phase zones, A and B. The red flags are the British objectives.  The British are coming from the left and the Germans from the right. The black box shows the location of 3 minefields and the support option of "mines in verges" was chosen by the Germans, as it is as cheap as pomme frites.

The British have 2 platoons plus one in reserve, a squadron of 3 Churchill tanks and 43 points worth of support, mainly taken up by 2 additional Churchill tanks, an ARVE and a crocodile. LT and SM were platoon commanders and AS was in charge of the tanks. JD took the role of British HQ, up until the last hour when he took over LTs platoon as well. Each platoon consist of 3 sections of 2 teams, a Bren gun team and a rifle team and an NCO.

The Germans have 2 platoons of Panzer grenadiers and 43 points worth of support, mainly taken up by 2 Pak 40s, 3 Minefields, 6 Panzerschreck teams and 2 MG 42s mounted on tripods. CC and DS were the platoon commanders. DM took the role of German HQ, up until the last hour when he took over DSs platoon as well.

The Panzer grenadiers platoons consist of 3 sections each of 2 teams with MG 42s and an NCO with 2 Panzerfausts.

One noticeable difference with Big CoC as opposed to the standard version is that you can only allocate 50% of your support options in the first phase, the rest being released in the second phase.

As with any Chain of Command game it starts with a patrol phase to determine the jump of points. Patrol markers for the attacker start at their table edge. For the defenders the patrol markers are 6" on their side of the phase A line, so about half way up the table for the Germans. Other that the patrol phase is as normal. As the Germans we pushed our patrols as far forward as quickly as we could to lock the British down as near to their base line as possible.

The final jump of points are shown on this map. B1 to B4 are the British and J1 to J4 are the Germans. Also shown are the movement of the units in the first phase.

The battle starts.

Chris deploys a section from J1 to the hedge in overwatch.

Andy brings on a Churchill near the road from B2.

Chris's section takes fire from Churchill losing 2 men. CoC has an odd way of treating hedges, LOS extends 2" beyond the hedge and tanks with turrets can see over them, so they may as well not be there from a LOS POV. We Germans were not particularly happy about this, I suspect that Mr Clarke, living on lard island with its water perimeter, has never seen a hedge, more of this grumble anon. 

Leslie rolls 3 - 6's, end of turn.

Leslie bring on 2 sections and a HMG from B1.

Stephen brings on a section and a mortar team at B4.

Leslie was lead player so all British players get a second move.

Andy brings on another Churchill at B2.

Chris on use CoC dice and brings out a Panzerschreck ambush, but misses the Churchill.

Andy fires Churchill HE.

Andy fires newly deployed Churchill MG against Chris's Panzerschreck, one shock only and suppressing fire on the team.

DS bring on Pak 40 anti tank gun in overwatch from J3 in the village looking straight up the road.

Chris fires Panzerschreck at Churchill and bounces off, no hits.

DS brings on a section and a Panzerschreck team from J4 and moves up to the farm house.

DS bring on section at J3 moves into house in village.

Chris fires section at Stephens section and gets 1 kill.

2 HQ points transferred to Chris used in a Panzerschreck attack against the Churchill, causes Hull MG to be lost. Panzerschreck team melt away.

Andy firing at Chris's section - section leader hit, down a level.

Andy fires  HE from second Churchill at Chris's section, one dead 

DS fires 2 LMG from farm at Leslies sections at effective range, 2 dead.

Chris moves second section along hedge at minefields to the left towards gates.

DS interrupted with CoC dice firing a section at Leslies section, no hits.

CC 3rd squad out and firing at leslies section, 1 kill.

British request a mortar bombardment. On target and immediate start centered on the right hand house in the village.

DS Panzerschreck team Loses 2 - it's gone. 

Section in house - Junior Leader down one level.

DS Panzerschreck team ambush hits a Churchill, but no effect, legs it off table again.

Andy brings on 3rd Churchill. Fires at CC section at Mine Field, 2 shock.

Second Churchill fire HE at the same unit, 1 shock. 

Leslies section fire, suppressing an unmanned hedge. No one knew why, perhaps scared by a privet hedge as a small child. Scared for life with an irritational fear of hedges, or trying to deny it from pop up Panzerschreck ambushes.

At this point I, as German commander, deemed we had no hope of delaying the British capture of the 2 first objectives and I wanted to get the rest of the support items release. So the Germans call a tactical withdrawal.

After redeploy, German JOP moved back, all units off table

Germans got casualties back, only a Panzerschreck team and 1 man down.

British advance JOP to objectives and units move forward to shown points.

DS deploys Pak 40 and fires at Churchill, no effect.

CC deploys Pak 40.

Chris deploys section and runs down the road

Both CC and DS rolled double 6s so extra phase each.

DS fires Pak 40, no effect.

DS deploys a section, from G1

British advance to hedge line.

One Churchill gets stuck in the hedge.

Churchill fires on Pak 40 , 1 shock

SM section fire on CC section, 1 shock.

Both brits rolled double 6, so second phase.

AS moves Churchill into farm.

AS fires Churchill at DS Pak 40, 1 kill.

CC fires MGs at SM section

CC fires Panzerschreck at Churchill, no effect.

The remaining 2 Churchills are brought on, 5 of the monsters heading towards us. 

3 ordinary 6pdr Churchills, a fiery Crocodile and a dustbin firing AVRE.

At this point DS had to leave so I ( DM ) took over his command.

DM deploys 2 Panzerschrecks and one knocks out the Churchill in the farm.

DM fired 2 LMGs from house and killed 2 in section beside stalled Churchill.

The worm has well and truly turned.

Churchill fired on DM group at hedge and get 1 shock on Panzerschreck team.

JD deployed in the JOP they had placed in the farmhouse barn and fires on CC section in farmhouse and kills 3.

Chris, I think, had got bored during the British rearrangement at the start of the new phase, and I forgot about it. So was completely surprised about the JOP being in the building opposite.

DM Pak 40 fired at Churchill in center, hit but pinged off armour.

Churchill fired HE at DMs teams, 1 kill and suppress.

SM section fired at CC Pak 40, hits armour, no effect.

The Churchill hung up on the hedge manages to free itself and continues to advance.

Meanwhile it's compadre burns in the farmhouse.

DM Pak 40 takes 1 hit from SM.

SM puts smoke on DM Pak 40.

CC deploys fixed MMG and fires on SM section, killing 1.

CC section fire and kills 1 and 1 shock, and JO down 1 level.

I go to fire a Panzerschreck at the Churchill, but Andy interrupts and blows the Panzerschreck team up, which causes them to break and run away .

DM fires section in house at infantry ahead and gets 1 kill.

DM fires section at hedge line at Stephens section and get 1 shock.

JD moves a section just over the hedge, awful rolls.

SM fires section at CC 1 kill.

Game called - draw, with a minor British victory due to getting the first phase objectives.

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Editorial comment. The CoC rules for low hedges allow tank commanders to see 2" beyond the hedge. Really odd as if anything there should be dead ground behind the hedge which any half competent group of soldiers should be able to hide behind, as long as they are not firing. If that had been the case I think the game would have been very different with the German Panzerschrecks getting into the hedgerows and giving the Churchills a good pounding.  JD and myself have come up with a set of house rules which should make this more realistic.

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Photos curtesy of David Maltman. 

To celebrate the British endeavors we turned to the Vaudeville act of Flanagan & Allen, hot foot from doing an ENSA concert. They rejigged their Underneath the Arches song just for us.

Heinrichs underneath the hedge rows.

The Ritz they'll never sign for,
Savoy, those Nazis they can keep out.
There's only one place that they know
And that is where they rout.

Underneath the hedge rows,
The Panzer grenadiers did lay.
Underneath the hedge rows,
On grass and mud they did stay.
Back to back they're hiding, keeping their heads down.
Tired out and worn
Sorry when the Churchills came creeping into town.

Shooting when it's raining
And shooting when it's fine.
Tanks rattling by, all kneeling down
But according to Richard Clarke, the're visible to tanks.
So a lot of HE and machinegun fire was sent their way.
Those Hermans and the Heinrichs then screamed their lives away.

Churchill visits the front.

Game of WW2 . 

Using Battlegroup Overlord in 20mm.

Organized, using terrain and models by Adam.

AAR by David Pentland.

Players
Allied     : Adam Smith.
German : David Pentland and Mark.

A British HQ and 25pdr battery has been spotted by ariel reconnaissance and an ad-hoc Kampfgruppe directed to raid and destroy the allied units present, specifically the 25pdr battery. The attack would be led by a Fw190 ground attack sortie prior to the arrival of the ground units.

Adam was in charge of the British and his units comprised the forward HQ, an infantry company of 3 platoons plus support weapons, an Achilles, a 17pdr AT gun, the 25pdr battery of 2 guns, a 40mm Bofors and a platoon of Sherman’s as reinforcements. Oh and he also had an RAF typhoon on call. 

Fighting as the Germans, were David And Mark. The KG was divided into two groups, but in total consisted of a PzGren Company with support MMG and 81mm Mortar, a King Tiger with an Ace crew, a Panther, and possibly a Stug or AA Mobelwagen.

The game was played using Battlegroup Overlord with a few tweaks to speed up the artillery system, which seemed to work.

The initial pre game German sortie by a Schlactgeswader (ground attack) Fw190, was an anti climax, it was pinned and damaged as it came under AA fire from the Bofors and others. It abandoned its bombing run, but vowed to return.

Next the German first turn roll for orders proved equally underwhelming. With only 1D6 +1 until both groups had their HQ and officers on, they only managed a measly roll of 3+1. Mark brought on his forward HQ, Kingtiger, and 2 Halftracks with Pz Gren platoons. Allied fire in response was luckily ineffective and the turn ended with the Fw190 unpinned.

The British had their first turn, rolling 2d+3 and getting 11 orders. For the first 3 turns this was the way of things, the Germans second turn they had 2 orders against Adam’s 13, and 3 v 10. The allies continued to pin the aircraft and the only turn of luck was the king tiger managed to knock out the Achilles, while infantry fire suppressed and finally killed the 17pdr.

Also on the upside for the attackers the 25pdrs were not as deadly as they could have been, a hit on the forward HQ only killed a comms team and damaged a truck. The loss of the HQ would have been a different matter.

Eventually by turn 4 the Germans managed to start rolling more orders and some of the second group entered the board. Just in time too as Adam had managed to get his reinforcements, the Sherman platoon, moving to counterattack. Some good shooting from the Tiger II, and the just arrived Panther(firing the full length of the table) knocked out 2 of the 4 Sherman’s.

The British were not to be deterred and the 25pdrs, mortar and infantry opened up across the board, failing to damage the Kingtiger, but wiping out a pzGren platoon of Marks taking cover in the woods.

Around this time the Fw190, did manage to stay unpinned long enough for a bombing run, but all 8 bombs scattered and failed to do any damage. Adam actually managed to get his Typhoon into action, but it too failed in its attacks.

Out of ammo the 25pdr battery decided to withdraw from the fight, and with it the German objective. Along with an unknown (to the Germans) secret objective. Churchill himself had been visiting the front, and had been with the artillery battery when the attack kicked off. His car left the board, the Germans none the wiser.

Shots were traded for another turn, but apart from the loss of another Sherman and a British platoon by mortar fire and small arms, that was the end of the battle. 

With the British losing 17Br to the German 3Br points. It was a declared a win for the Jerries even though they failed to get the guns.

A big thanks to Adam for supplying the terrain and figures, and to Mark for his first game of Battlegroup. I think we all had a good time.

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Photos curtesy of Adam, David and Gary. 

Montmirial 1814.

Game of the  Napoleonic wars, 11 February 1814. 

Using Field of Battle 3 in 15mm.

Organized, using terrain and models and umpired by Gary.

AAR by Gary.

Players
French                         : Dave Taylor and Jeremy Nixon.
Russian and Prussian : Dave Brown and Tom Sherran.

Montmirial (scenario stolen from Gonsalvo).

Muddy conditions saw all artillery firing at Down 1

Allies had 52 units in 3 Russian Corps (2 Infantry and 1 Cavalry with 50 Morale) and a smaller Prussian Corps (1 Foot and 1 Cavalry) of mostly average status (couple of Prussian Grenadiers and heavy Dragoon types). 

French had a mere 38 units (46 Morale) in 3 Corps but with 6 Old Guard foot, 6 Middle Guard Foot, 2 Guard Lancers, 5 Young Guard Cavalry, 4 Old Guard Cavalry with Empress Dragoons in tow, 2 Old Guard artillery and 2 Old Guard Horse Artillery (!!) with support from some Line infantry and Cavalry, a formidable force indeed.

This could easily have been a quick pounding for the Allies up against such Elite French but the initial French assaults by their Guard were easily repulsed (the Guard Cavalry in particular failed to perform as expected) by staunch Russian shooting and bayonet charges.

However Sacken the Russian C in C suffered a bit of rush of blood advancing against the recoiling Guard infantry but failing make any further impression on the Guard.

Indeed having a Divisional Commander fall put his Division into Disorder and of course Napoleon then managed to easily Rally all his Disordered Guards and restore all hits then followed up by several vicious assaults (nice run of Move and Melee cards) against the staggered Russians crushing an entire Division of foot.

Russian reserves held the line but the damage to Army Morale was starting to hurt.

On Russian left their Cavalry Divisions engaged the opposing Guard Cavalry and results were mixed with both sides suffering or being successful in equal measure but with further decrease to Russian Morale.

Prussian on extreme left held their own by forming into squares which the Old Guard cavalry struggled to deal with, at least for a spell.

Russian fortunes took a nose dive (the swing from great to poor results ie dice was stark and swift) however as Guard quality shone through with a couple of Squares routed or destroyed (lowly Landwehr just not up to task) and Prussian cavalry was swept away.

The Guard Infantry proved unbeatable in center and French left as their assaulting columns took both villages (loss of 8 morale to Russians) and thumped opponents.

Again Russian reserves shored up front but Army Morale was now gone.

Russians survived first Army Morale card but things really went to pot for them as they handed their entire Morale pot to French and only lack of Army Morale tests allowed them to remain in action.

We called time as Allies simply no way to recover such grievous loss and victory went to the Emperor.

Another super game with FOB easily handling a fairly large game (90 units) and engaging all players.

It was notable that Russians were vocal early on but got rather quiet as game progressed ......

Rather a lot of pics (as testing new phone camera).

Old Guard Infantry Division initial advance.

Old Guard Cavalry advance against Prussians.

Russian Infantry Divisions await.

French Line Infantry move forward in center.

Old Guard Cavalry suffer initial reverses against Prussian squares as Prussian Cavalry arrive.

Allied lines hold fast all across the battlefield.

Russian Dragoon and Hussars Divisions face French Young Guard mounted force.

Prussian cross stream as Old Guard cavalry rout.

Things looking poor for French on both wings as central cavalry melee begins (much verbal abuse hurled from Allied lines).

Cavalry engage in center with mixed fortunes for both sides.

Emperor surveys from hill alongside his Guard Artillery batteries as Russians on his left advance.

Thundering of hooves and clashing of sabers.

Russians try to exert pressure on faltering Old Guard.

Forces engaged all across the field.

French disengage temporarily from Prussians.

Before rallying and getting back to it.

Central cavalry engagement getting confused and messy with neither side gaining advantage.

A major change of fortune for Prussian contingent as revitalised Guard Cavalry push forward.

Old Guard on French left have crushed the advancing Russians and central cavalry melee has started to go way of the French.

Russian lines starting to crumble with numerous Routing or destroyed units.

End is nigh for Allies as Army Morale has collapsed (and taunting has hit mute button).

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Photos curtesy of Gary.