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.