Bolt Action Campaign; Market Garden. The Beginning

Opening Moves: First In!

    So it begins; the start of our long awaited (by me!!) Market Garden campaign. I won't drivel on about the actual campaign as I am sure many if not all of you, have a good knowledge of the events surrounding Operation Market -Garden.

    Suffice to say, I will be playing the British, both airborne (Paras and Air Landing Infantry) and ground forces whist Richie will be playing the Boche in their various guises.

     We will follow the actual campaign booklet as closely as possible; working through the scenarios that involve the British apart from Scenario 8: The "Coup-De-Main" Gambit as I can't really afford to splash out on six recce jeeps (I know, where's my commitment?) but as for the rest, we're pretty much good to go.

      To start with we played "First In! 21st Independent Company Hits The Ground"  This was our first ever game of Bolt Action where there were no points values!! (as is the case with a few of the scenarios in the book) instead the scenario sets out what units each side has, where they deploy and when. This was a wee bit different though it still made for a very enjoyable game.

      Next we played Where The Hell Are We which sees an air landing infantry platoon attempting to make their way off the landing ground (table) from their glider before being cut off by German security patrols. This was our second ever game of Bolt Action with no points values!!

       Then, as we had some valuable game time left we tried out the Fighting Patrol scenario pitching a core platoon of  British Airborne against a core platoon of Waffen SS. To keep the theme going we dispensed with points as both sides are fairly balanced. I'll put down my reflections later but suffice to say they are pretty positive. Let's get to the games...

"First In; 21st Independent Company Hits The Ground 

Objective. The British must try to set up the Eureka and lay out air recognition panels. To represent the laying out of air recognition panels the unit must be given an order (the book suggest the Rally order which we did. However Down would be better as they will count as being Down for the run as they are crawling about on hands and knees  putting out the panels or erecting the Eureka Beacon. There's a British Army training film on Youtube showing how to set up a Eureka Beacon; check it out as it's very interesting and, as it's in colour, it might also be useful if you are still painting your British Airborne) The Germans must try to prevent them doing so. There are four turns in which both sides must attempt to achieve their objectives.

Forces: 21st Independent Company (Pathfinders) has a force consisting of platoon  HQ; 1st Lt and runner, 3x 10 man sections with 4 SMGs, 4 rifles and an LMG plus 3 Light Mortars (it should be 4 but I only have the 3) 

 The Germans start the game with 3x 5 man squads with 4 rifles and 1 SMG. In Turn 2 two more squads of 9 men equipped with 1x SMG, 1x LMG and 8 rifles will arrive. In Turns 3 and 4 another 9 man section will arrive. These can be of any calibre, Inexperienced, Regular or Veteran. Rich choose to go for Regulars. Unusually the Germans have no platoon HQ for this mission.

Deployment: We went for the dice lobbing method of deploying the Paras (stand about 10 feet away from the table and lob the order dice onto the table) to represent them scattering on their drop (British players should practice this as it's not as easy as you might think!) . Once all my Paras were eventually on the table, the order dice were returned to the bag and the mission began.

      "Ooof! Christ Almighty!" uttered Private Billy Staples as he landed. "What a bloody way to go to bloody war" Clawing at his parachute's quick release catch he released himself from the harness, rolled onto his feet and swiftly flattened and folded his parachute. All around him the other paras from his platoon were similarly engaged. Staples recovered his kit bag and drew his gear from it and slipped a magazine onto his Sten. "Oi! Staples! Come on you dozy git! We ain't got all bloody day!; 2 Section; on me!" shouted Sergeant Humphries to the surrounding men. Other NCOs were also calling in their men and heading towards their positions. "Coming, sarge!" Staples lumbered over the heath towards the sergeant, stopping en route to help one of the other paras collect the Eureka set from it's container. Sgt Humphries gathered his men together; they had made a good landing but needed to get the Eureka Beacon set up as soon as possible. He wondered where Lt McNulty was; probably in the centre of the field already. "Right lads, all 'ere? Okay, let's go" and so saying, Humphries strode off towards the middle of the large, open drop zone...

The Paras have landed and start making their way towards the
 centre of the drop zone

     Lt "Mac" McNulty looked around. On the far side of the drop zone he could see the four sections of his platoon gathering in distinct groups. Nearby a couple of his men were getting their equipment on; who were they?..Harris and Jones, one of the light mortar teams "Harris! Jones! With me, let's get a move on! Harris and Jones, clutching their personal weapons and with the light mortar and it's ammunition cases slung about them, began jogging towards the centre of the drop zone. As they did so, shots crackled around them. Lt McNulty turned to see where the firing was coming from and in the edge of the woods surrounding the heath spotted a small group of Germans. Our Stens will never hit the from here, he thought. "Jones! Harris, get that mortar set up; HE onto those bally Germans; quickly"..... 

Lt "Mac" McNulty starts to take control

The first German patrols arrive and begin firing on the Paras

     Gefrieter Sepp Wilsch gaped in awe at the sight of the parachutists dropping beyond the treeline. With his four men, he and other patrols like his, had been sent out to search for downed enemy aircraft and their baled out crews. They hadn't expected this, enemy paratroopers!

     Wilsch, a veteran of the Eastern Front where he had been wounded and now an assistant instructor in a training school near Arnhem, led his men forward to the treeline. On the open heath bounded by the trees the enemy paratroopers appeared to be gathering in it's centre. Certain that the news of the paradrop would have been circulated, Wilsch made his decision, pointing tiwards the nearest groupo of paratroopers he shouted "Squad, open fire!" His men looked at him, dumbfounded. "But Gefrieter, there are only four of us..."said one of them." Shut up, you idiot, and open fire!" shouted Wilsch "we have to keep them occupied and the sound of our shooting will bring the other patrols!" At this the squad levelled their rifles and began shooting at the enemy. God give me strength thought Wilsch, what idiots they are sending us. 

     Across the field he could hear the sounds of shots as other patrols came across the paratroopers and then he heard the sound of explosions...grenades?...mortars?.... 

3 Section move towards the centre of the drop zone

As does 2 section with the Eureka Beacon. Behind them are
1 and 3 section, carrying air recognition panels to mark the
 Drop Zone with

    All around the field firefights sprang up as the Pathfinders, making their way towards the centre of the field, were engaged by zealous German security patrols. Lt McNulty, pausing, took stock of the situation. Most of the shooting was quite desultory and seemed to be coming from the corners of the field. He now had to get this field marked and drive off the Boche before the main drop arrived. "Sgt Humphries!" he shouted towards the nearby 2 Section "Get some fire down on those Germans in the woods over there." he pointed to where a German LMG had just opened up "I'll get 1 Section to mark the drop zone with their panels". Sgt Humphries responded immediately "Right you are sir; 2 Section  shake yourselves out facing those woods.." As one 2 Section  spread themselves out facing the enemy and took up firing positions "2 Section, enemy front, rapid fire!!"  Rifles and machine guns burst into life as the Pathfinders fired their first shots in the battle.

     Lt McNulty dashed on, shots whistling around the field, behind him, his runner, Pte Miller tumbled to the ground as a bullet hit him; McNulty, focused on getting to the centre of field, didn't see Miller falling. Up ahead were 1 and 3 Sections. 1  Section were moving towards him whilst 3 section were firing at an unseen enemy in the treeline. As he watched McNulty saw two of the section keel over, hit by the German fire. 

     Shouting at the top of his voice, he caught the attention of 1 Section's commander "Cpl Berry; get your men to lay their panels out here" Cpl Berry acknowledged with a thumbs up and started organising his section. Soon they were busy crawling around on the ground, staking out the bright yellow panels.

     

2 Section lay down covering fire at the bothersome Boche.
 Behind them 1 Section manage to get their air recognition
panels laid out 

The Germans, undaunted, apply pressure

As the panels get laid out, the Germans advance onto the DZ in
 an attempt to destroy the Paras. 

     Lying on the small mound at the southern end of the drop zone, L/Cpl McTaggart muttered to the paratrooper lying beside him "Come on, Harry, get her lined up! They're getting ruddy close" The light mortar man shifted the mortar "They keep bloody moving, Titch" he replied. "Tich" McTaggart snorted, "Well aim in front of them then!" The mortar man swung himself to the right, bringing the mortar tube around to the left "On" he shouted. Titch dropped a yellow banded round into the tube "Fire!" he shouted. Pte Gilmour tilted his head dwon and shouted "Firing" yanking on the firing lanyard at the same time. The mortar round shot out and they watched for the fall of the shot. An small explosion erupted behind the advancing Germans. "More left....bollocks!" Titch cried out in anger as he watched the Germans assault a section of Paras, mowing them down as they closed in  

L/Cpl McTaggart and Pte Gilmour attempt to hit the advancing
 Germans before they reach 3 Section

More Germans arrive

4 Section and Privates Harris and Jones with the light
mortar attempt to stem the Germans

     Lt McNulty watched in horror as the Germans overran 3 Section. His horror turned to rage as he levelled his Sten Gun at them and, firing as he did so, he charged towards the six Germans. In his rage, he barely registered the growing sound of aircraft overhead as the first paras of the main body started to jump onto the DZ...

Post Script

     Well that was excellent. It certainly wasn't as easy as might be expected and the Paras took more casualties than I thought they would. The balancing factor in this game is the random nature of the Paras deployment (I didn't think to nominate each order dice I threw to a specific unit which might have made a wee bit more of a difference, Something to bear in mind if you play this yourself)

     Initially, all the German player can hope to do is pin a section or two. However, once the LMG armed German squads arrived, things took a different turn as there is little cover on the field, depending on where the German player deploys them. As the British will mostly be heading towards one point on the table it soon becomes a target rich environment.

     I will post the other two batreps shortly but for the moment, Market Garden has begun!