Bolt Action Campaign Market Garden; Reclaiming The Road At Dangelaanger

Scenario 22. Reclaiming The Road At Dangelaanger

     Intro. Our Market Garden campaign continues with the third of the Road scenarios along which XXX Corps are attempting to reach Arnhem. The Germans have succeeded in seizing the small hamlet of Dangelaanger, cutting the road and preventing the flow of supplies and troops to the spear head of the advance. The British must clear this blockage and quick. The canny Germans appreciate this and know that every minute they hold onto Dangelaanger the less effective becomes the British thrust and they prepare to make the British pay dearly for their recklessness in advancing along such a narrow corridor . However, they also know that they are fighting with limited resources themselves and can ill afford to throw away their forces so must attempt to withdraw as many of their men, guns and vehicles as possible.

     The Forces
     Uniquely for a Bolt Action game, this scenario allows you to take literally anything you want...well, okay not literally anything you want but it allows you to fashion your forces without having to stick with a core of a platoon commander and two infantry section; you could take, for example, two tanks with three rifle sections on foot, a couple of sniper teams, a forward air observer and three medium mortars! The only stipulation is that the ratio of attackers to defenders must be 3:2 So, with 1500 points of Allies to Richie's 1000 points of Krauts it was off to Easy Army to work out the forces.
     I'll spare you the trials and tribulations and the many differing concoctions I dreamt up and tell you what I took, what I really, really took.
     Rather conservatively I took two platoons; a tank platoon of two Shermans and one Sherman Firefly along with a platoon from the Glendarrochs led by the ever dependable Sgt Amos Grouse as acting platoon commander (taking the 2nd Lieutenants slot....okay, once you've all finished sniggering we'll get on with the blog post). For those of you who like lists, here's the list of my forces
                13 Platoon , the Glendarrochs
                2nd Lieutenant plus 1 (Sgt Amos Grouse 2xSMGs)
                1-3 Sections: NCO w SMG, 1 LMG all Regulars
                2x 6 pounder anti tank guns (Regular)
                2x Universal Carriers (Regular) to tow the anti tank guns
                1x M5 Halftrack
                Free FOO in a Daimler Dingo (I have just realised I didn't "pay" for the Dingo but it didn't have any real effect on the game apart from making the FOO a larger target and thereby drawing fire from Richie's Jagdpanzer which was very scary, let me tell you.

               4 Troop, E Squadron The Isle Of Sheppey Border Mounted Rifles
               2x Sherman Vs (one command tank commanded by 2Lt The Honourable Lord Sippingforth)
               1x Sherman Firefly

The whole force were Regulars and I took (then completely forgot to use) Rapid Fire as my forces National Characteristic...doh!!

     Rich brought along his veteran SS led by Obersturmfuhrer Helmut Schiner. Here's another list for you list lovers;
                    1st Lieutenant: Obersturmfuhrer Helmut Schiner plus one (2x Assault Rifles)
                    1-3 Squads of 8 men each, NCO with assault rifle, 1x LMG. 1x Panzerfaust
                     Jagdpanzer IV
                     Light Howitzer
                     Sniper Team
                     Medium Mortar plus spotter
                     251/1D Halftrack
All of the above were rated Veterans.

     Scenario Special Rules
     All German units start on the table. The Allies can commit up to two thirds of his force in Turn 1 (I went with half rounding up as I didn't pay attention to this bit) The Second Wave can come on from turn 2 with the usual modifier and can enter the table at either short end.
     The game is limited to 6 turns

     Victory Conditions
     I think it's worthwhile quoting the Victory Conditions in full. "The Germans player has to do more than simply block the road for a while, he also has to extract his men before they are destroyed which, given the general numerical superiority of the Allies is an inevitability if they don't get out in good time. In addition to the usual victory points for destroying enemy units, the Germans score 1 point for each vehicle and every infantry unit which still has 50% of its strength that move off the table in Turn 5 and 6. No units can leave the table in Turns 1-4. The Allies score a decisive win if there are no unpinned German units with line of sight to the road by the end of Turn 4, otherwise simply compare victory points at the end of Turn 6 to decide a winner" so if you are the Allied player and you are setting up the terrain, make sure you put big bushes either side of the road that block line of sight; that way you can't lose!! Seriously though, this makes it quite a challenging game for both sides as we found out. So how did it pan out? Did the British inflict a decisive defeat on the wily Krauts or did said wily Kraut manage to cut and run before the Tommies could destroy them?

    Smoke drifted across the fields from the ruined hamlet of Dangelaanger. Peering through his binoculars, Lieutenant the Lord Sippingforth scrutinised the small collection of buildings seeking out signs of the Hun. He knew they were there alright, that was why he and the rest of 4 Troop had been dispatched post haste along with a platoon of the Glendarroch Highlanders to Dangelaanger. They had been sent back down the route of advance to clear out this pocket of  Boche who were delaying XXX Corps advance towards Arnhem and the relief of 6th Airborne Division. 
     A movement caught his eye; German soldiers in their distinctive coal scuttle helmets were scurrying between the buildings. Some of them, he noticed, were loading equipment onto one of their halftracks; where they moving out? Not so fast, my beauties he thought to himself. "Driver advance. Towards that white house just right of the road, Timpkinson" he said into his mike. "Right you are, sir" replied the driver. The noise of the engine rose as the Sherman moved forward "Gunner, load HE" said Lord Sippingforth.

The southern end of the hamlet of Dangelaanger. SS troops,
though outnumbered and outgunned, attempt to stem the
foil the British advance.

SS support troops barricaded in the hamlet of Dangelaanger 

more SS defenders preparing to sell their lives dearly for the
Fatherland

The Germans main threat, the Jagdpanzer IV

     Leaning over the side of the Jagdpanzer IV, Scharfuhrer Otto Naubetter cupped his ear to listen to the Panzergrenadier commander. Obersturmfuhrer Schiner was outlining the plan of withdrawal form the position they were occupying and Naubetter struggled to hear him above the sound of the idling engine. "TOMMY IS ON HIS WAY! IT IS NOW 3.30PM! WE NEED TO HOLD FOR ANOTHER 30 MINUTES THEN WE START WITHDRAWING; THE SIGNAL TO WITHDRAW WILL BE TWO GREEN FLARES; UNDERSTAND?" Naubetter nodded and formed an OK sign with his finger and thumb then slid back into the warm fug of the tank destroyer. The acrid smell of sweat, petrol and burnt cordite was almost comforting to him so used had he become to it. "How are we for fuel, Berndt?" he asked the driver "Just above half a tank" replied Berndt. That should be enough to get us to the regimental RV he though, tapping his map with a stump of a pencil."Ammo?" he asked. "We have 5 rounds of armour piercing, Herr Scharfuhrer!" said the gunner. Just as well we're pulling out, Naubetter though. Five rounds isn't going to get us far. A cry from the gunner broke into his thoughts "Achtung! Tommies" he shouted, his eye glued to his gun sight! Naubetter stuck his head just above the cupola and looked directly along the long, deadly gun barrel. Away beyond it, through the trees lining the road, he could just make out the British advancing from the woods behind them. First an infantry squad then a small tracked vehicle which stopped and from which British soldiers jumped, running around to the rear of the vehicle where the busied themselves unlimbering an anti-tank gun. 

Naubetter briefed, Oberscharfuhrer Schiner awaits develpoments

As the British advance guns blazing...

..and with their anti tank guns acting in the anti personnel role,
whittling down the SS squad by the cottage

...they start applying as much pressure as they can on the
shrinking German perimeter 

hidden in the garden a light howitzer crew wait to spring a
surprise on any unwary Tommies who might stray into their
sights 

...whilst in the background, the German halftrack burns after
being on the receiving end of a shot from the Firefly

     Crouching in the roadside ditch, the two British sergeants looked through the low hanging branches of the trees that screened their vehicles from the hamlet of Dangelaanger. They could hear the sounds of battle from the far side of the hamlet but their focus was on the ruined building facing them through the trees. "I reckon there's only about eight, maybe ten of them in there" said the infantry sergeant, a Tam O'Shanter set at a jaunty angle on his head "and they ain't been there long; not very well dug in see". The other sergeant, a tank commander, smiled inwardly, still finding it comical that a British infantry sergeant in a Scottish infantry battalion should have such a strong Cornish accent. That was the Army for you; take a bloke from one end of the country and stick him in a county regiment from another. The Cornishman was speaking again "I reckons there's no point being subtle; lets drive straight at 'em. My boys'll keep them busy while you blast them from up close; what do you say?". The tank commander chewed his bottom lip then said "What if them buggers have panzerfausts? I'm not too keen on getting too close". "Garn, they'll be too busy hugging the bloody deck to bother you; besides that there Firefly of yours will distract them too"" replied Sgt Grouse, pointing out the Sherman Firefly approaching the treeline on the far side of the road  "come on, let's get cracking" With this he started back along the ditch towards the half track and Sherman. Taking a last quick look at the ruined building in which the German infantry were sheltering, the tank commander turned and crawled back along the trench towards his tank.

Sgt Grouse and his squad close with the enemy, attempting to
pin them down. 

...whilst the Germans reply in kind, though with little effect

     A figure clambering onto the tank destroyer startled Naubetter. It was the obersturmfurher. "Better get moving, Naubetter, there's two Tommy panzers on the other side of this building!" he said, jerking his thumb behind him "We'll cover you as best we can" Naubetter nodded his thanks to Schiner and shouted into his mike "Driver, forward right. Get us across that road as quick as she will go"  As the SS officer leapt from the Jagdpanzer, the tank destroyer lurched forward then, tracks squealing, turned sharp right and lurching once more, gathered speed and roared across the road. Naubetter, his head just clear of the cupola, winced as an anti tank shell struck the building to their left, sending a shower of dust and stone fragments onto the top of the Jagdpanzer. Behind them, beyond the ruin they had been sheltering behind the Sherman Firefly commander shouted at his gunner "Reload! Sort your bloody act out, Sugden!" Your wasting the King's bloody ammunition. 'E didn't issue it out so you could tease the bloody Jerries wif it!!"  

Trooper Sugden misses his chance

..whilst Naubetter preys for more speed

..but's it's a case of out of the frying pan, into the fire

..in this case, anti tank gun fire as the troop sergeant's gunner
draws a bead on the Jagdpanzer and fires a death dealing shot

     Hugging the rubble by the garden fence, the British infantry men exchanged desultory fire with the SS men in the ruin. Behind them came the comforting sound of the.50 cal machine mounted in their half track adding its weight of fire to the German soldiers misery. Still the desperate SS men hung on. Sgt Grouse toyed with the idea of rushing the German position but decided against it. With all this armour around, his men just had to keep the Jerries in place till the tankies could come over and blast them out. "Cpl Gillies, control your fire; just keep them Jerries' heads down!" he shouted to the 2 Section commander. "Right sarge" he replied then to his section "Bren team will carry on firing; rifle team, watch and shoot, watch and shoot!"

2 Section suppress the German defeders in the ruin...

..as the Isle Of Sheppey Border Mounted Rifles tanks push
forward into the centre of the tiny hamlet

      Oberschutze Hellman nudged the soldier beside him. Overhead two green signal flares rose into the sky, trailing smoke behind them. "Time to go, Becker" he said to the sniper. They both crawled back from their carefully camouflaged firing position then, crouching, they started to make their way past the scattered battlefield debris towards the nearby woods. Shots cracked fiercely overhead as they were spotted by the advancing Tommies, who seemed reluctant to push forward now that the noise of  battle was dying down. Becker raised his rifle to fire at them but Hellman pushed the barrel down. "No time for that, Becker, let's go" and he shoved the SS man in the direction of woods..

The SS sniped team withdraw

As the remnants of the German defenders start withdrawing,
the British consolidate their gains

Obersturmfuhrer Schiner points out to his men the direction
of their escape

As the Sherman Firefly, with no obvious enemy target worthy
of the attentions of their main gun, turns its co-axial machine
gun on the defenders of the ruined house

     And so at Turn 6, with the Germans withdrawing and no pinned units within sight of the road, the Germans had teased out yet another victory. As ever, the result turned on a series of missed chances. The inability of the Sherman Firefly to hit the Jagdpanzer with its one, fleeting shot; the stoicism of the German defenders (It's hard enough to hit those Veterans but its even harder to kill them!!) especially the ones in the ruin meant that the defenders had bought enough time and were then able to withdraw most of their force in good order albeit without their Jagdpanzer and 251.

     

     More crucially, it was yet another belter of a game and, cautious as I am about these things, even I would have wagered on the British coming out on top in this encounter. But I hadn't considered the wiliness of Rich, despite all our previous games. Another turn and who knows...

     Thanks again to Rich for hosting and setting up yet another cracking table full of terrain. We have one more Road game to play then we switch to Normandy and D Day.

Pip pip,

General J