First Steps On The Road To Antwerp
Intro
With our attention firmly fixed on playing a mini campaign in the Ardennes, Rich and I had reached the point where we could both field suitably winterized forces on a winter themed table so, without further fanfare we set to it......Only we didn't as we didn't have a properly thought out mini campaign ready so we made up a scenario set in the opening stages of the Operation Wacht Am Rhien in an attempt to satisfy our winter wargaming lustings.
Scenario
We cobbled one together inspired by a scenario from the Hell's Highway chapter of the Market Garden Campaign Book namely Holding The Road. A Waffen SS force would assault a smaller US force defending a hamlet which is built around a minor but important crossroad. The SS are aiming to destroy the US troops stationed there and to seize the crossroads. So that was the scenario and the layout sorted.
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The terrain from the Allied end. The Germans must capture
the crossroads |
Forces
Rich had 1350 points of Winter SS ready for the battle and, as per the Holding The Road scenario we decided on a 3:2 points ratio in favour of the attacker so that gave me 900 points to play with. I went with a force of Regulars as follows.
US reinforced platoon
Platoon Commander: 1st Lieutenant Harry Baum (SMG) plus two riflemen (rifles)
1st-3rd Squads NCO plus 8 men (1 BAR per squad)
1 Bazooka team
2 MMG
1 HMG
1 Medium Anti-tank gun
1 M10 Tank Destroyer
Waffen SS Reinforced Platoon
Platoon Commander Obersturmfuhrer Wilhelm "Willi"Strokur plus one rifleman (2 STG44)
4 Squads
1 MMG
1 Medium Mortar with spotter
1 Light Howitzer
1 Sniper team
1 Panzerschrek
1 SDKFZ 250/9 half track (Reg)
1 Stug (Reg)
Deployment, Scenario Special Rules and Victory Conditions
The game was played length ways along the table. Half the US Force would be deployed in the ruins of the hamlet in the middle third of the table with the rest available to come on from reserve at the start of turn two.
The Germans had to deploy at least half their force with the remainder in reserve and available to come on from the start of turn two. They deployed onto the table with either an Advance or Run order. They could deploy Spotters and Observers in advance.
To replicate the fact that the town was surrounded with wooded hillsides typical of the Ardennes, only German infantry units could Outflank. From Turn 3 they could come on 36" up the table. This was increased by 12" per turn after the fourth turn.
The game would last for six turns with a seventh being played on a roll of 4+ at the end of turn six.
Whoever held the crossroads at the end of the game would gain 5 victory points and each unit destroyed was worth 1 victory point.
And lastly, to reflect the conditions on the morning of the 16th December 1944 we decided to use the Fog Rule from the Battle Of The Bulge Campaign book. Basically, this meant no one could spot a target beyond 18" This didn't affect weapon ranges and the fact that a unit had fired didn't make spotting them any easier as is the case with the Night Fighting rule.
So with all that agreed and with a feeling of deep joy at having a very nice looking table set up, the majority of the pre-game banter out of the way and a mist settling over the hills of the Ardennes, the Germans unleashed a barrage on the little hamlet of Bleifrei and it's occupants...
Pfc Bert Waschinski's teeth chattered as he crouched, shivering, over the .30 calibre machine gun in the dugout. He had never felt so cold and miserable in all his 19 years. Since deploying with his unit in the Ardennes two weeks previously he and they had endured one long period of extremes.
He recalled their nervousness on that first night, taking over the position from the departing infantry platoon, relieving them in place on a similarly freezing cold night, his platoon taking turns each to man the forward positions two men at a time for an hour each, staggering the change over so that there was a change of personnel each half hour. This was supposed to prevent them from falling asleep and it had worked. They had huddled in the dark, peering over their weapon sights, tensed and alert, listening to the noises from the surrounding darkened buildings and ruins and, just beyond the edge of the town, the woods.
As daylight eventually dawned they had been able to take stock of their surroundings and the light, as far as Waschinski's was concerned, hadn't improved things. Bleifrei was a dismal looking little jumble of houses huddling around a crossroads, surrounded by dark, forbidding pine forests. Forests they were to get to know over the following fortnight as they alternately sweated and froze, moving as noiselessly as possible then sitting, watching ad listening, carrying out seemingly pointless patrols, looking for traces of the Germans but they had found nothing. Sure, they had knew where the Krauts were but they hadn't seen one, not even a dead one.
They could even hear the Krauts though as the sounds of motor engines could be heard most nights, rumbling away beyond the hills before the US positions. Battalion HQ had explained this away as the Krauts bringing up hot chow to their guys in the line.
And it was the same this night, only the snow that had fallen the previous day and the mist that had descended muffled the noise of the German vehicles. Or it should have, Waschinski thought, but they sounded a bit louder now, which was unusual, as they had been much more muffled before, "Do you hear that, Steve?" He said to the equally cold and miserable soldier beside him. "Wassat" muttered Private Calhoun only to be shushed by Waschinski. Hesitatingly Waschinski reached out his gloved hand to pick up he handset that connected him with the platoon CP beyond the crossroads. As he picked it up he noticed a dull red glow appear over behind the hill to his front, silhouetting the crest through mist. This was followed by a rumbling, rushing sound. He froze for a moment before pushing Colhoun to the floor dropping down next to him as the first of the German heavy artillery shells struck Bleifrei.
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The US defenders, moments before the barrage fell on their
heads. Fortunately there were no wounded, just a smattering
of pins |
Cupping his hands to hide the glowing tip of his cigarette, Obersturnfuhrer Willi Strokur inhaled deeply, enjoying the taste of the American tobacco. Looking back along the mist shrouded road he could make out the squat shape of the Stug sitting by the side of he road, it's engine idling and it's engine decks covered with men trying to warm their chilled bodies with the heat coming from the engine. They'll warm up soon enough thought Strokur. Once we capture Bleifrei there'll be plenty of good coffee and good food to fill their bellies and warm them up. The Amis always had an abundance of everything...well, nearly everything; they didn't have an abundance of experience of warfare, not like that which his men had; the Eastern Front, the Balkans, France. No, these Amis would either run or die once his men struck them.
Beyond the Stug and behind the crest of the hills a dull reddening of the sky followed by the freight train rumble of the artillery barrage passing overhead shook him from his thoughts. Nipping the end off his cigarette and putting the stub in his sheepskin coat pocket, Strokur moved quickly to the side of the Stug, he shouted up to the commander " Let's go!" The commander nodded, lent down and shook hands with Strokur before speaking into his microphone. The Stugs unseen driver pressed down on the accelerator, the engine roared and the tank destroyer lurched forward, the SS grenadiers on its engine decks holding on tightly as they huddled down behind the superstructure. Strokur motioned the rest of his men forward and they began moving at the trot. Slowly at first, limbs stiff from the cold, clutching their weapons and ammo containers they advanced. Up ahead the shells slammed into the town of Bleifrei
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Willi Strokur and his men move forward. The Germans main effort
was along the right hand side of the table. |
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The 250/9 moves toward the farm house. It was fairly effective,
threatening the lightly armed forces in this part of the town |
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One of the two US MMG teams, redeploying to get away from
the 250/9 and to lend their firepower to their hard pressed buddies
across the road. The squad who had held this part of the town with
them had fallen back into the farm house, the 250/9 killing one of
them as they did so |
At the platoon CP situated in a farmhouse north of the crossroads , Lieutenant Harry Baum sat by a table covered in letters that his platoon had written to their loved ones back home. He had been keeping himself busy during his turn on duty by censoring the men's mail but, despite the pot of coffee he had drunk over the last hour his head was beginning to nod as he read yet another letter "Dear Mom, I hope this letter finds you well...."The noise of the farmhouse door slamming woke him and he jerked upright. It slammed again and he turned around to see his radio operator diving to the floor. "Get down, sir, we're being shelled!" Baum slipped under the table then crawled back out, grabbed his helmet from the the table top, rammed it on his head and resumed his position under the table once more.
Dust fell from the ceiling as the shells impacted around the farm. Then, as suddenly as it had began it stopped. Baum checked his watch; 06.30. What the hell were the Krauts playing at? "Miller" this to the radio operator who had risen, dust covered from the floor, "get me the outposts, find out what's happening out there. I'm going to get Sgt Johansen". As he finished the farmhouse door was pushed open and Sgt Johansen appeared, looking flushed and carrying his weapon and web gear. "The Krauts are coming sir! They're attacking from down the main road" . Baum grabbed his Tommy Gun and web gear "Let's go, Sarge; Miller, inform Company HQ. Tell them to stand by the reserve" So saying he stepped out into the pre-dawn night, Sgt Johansen following.
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Lt Harry Baum leads the rest of the platoon and their
supporting M10 to hold the crossroads |
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The 250/9 and the sniper team advance. As the fog was limiting
their chance of getting a target, they were forced to move forward
to engage the enemy. |
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Hugging the Stug as much for cover as for the heat
from the engine deck, the SS Panzer Grenadiers advance |
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| The HMG and AT gun covering the road |
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Behind the wall just beyond the Stug a US MMG team
attempts to hold back the Germans advance. They didn't
cause many casualties and failed their order test when I
tried to withdraw them. They did slow down the German
advance somewhat as it took the Stug to get into point
blank range before they were taken out |
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The 250/9 recce-d back out of sight of the bazooka team,
leaving the sniper team exposed to the fire of the squad
in the farm. They caused one casualty and the sniper,
rather annoyingly, passed his Man Alone test |
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The M10 Tank Destroyer adds it's comforting fire power to the
US defenders |
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Two SS squads outflank the US defenders in turn 4;
arriving 48 inches along both table edges. Much to
the consternation of the defenders |
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Meanwhile, the Stug, having destroyed the MMG team,
moves onto the road where the Anti Tank gun fires....
and misses, rolling a 1 to hit....Bugger!! |
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This squad, 3rd Squad then added to the US platoons woes by FUBARing
on an orders test (I took the pin marker out of the way for the photo shoot)
and firing on the platoon commander, wounding both his riflemen (I was
really glad I put two men with him rather than my usual one). Fortunately
for the squad, they then went Down and were spared any casualties from the
SS squad who fired at them subsequently....a crumb of comfort, I suppose |
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| The SS push on relentlessly |
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| A man alone. Lt Harry Baum |
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The situation at the start of turn 5. The SS infantry squads and
the Stug are putting a lot of pressure on the thinly held line whilst
their supporting mortar, light howitzer and MMG are largely
redundant due to the fog. The panzershrek, in an effort to justify
their place in the battle, attempt to kill Harry Baum but miss.
Phew!! The US squad in the farm are pulling back, avoiding
taking casualties and pins. They will eventually exit the farm
and engage the SS squad on the top right of this photo, not
enough to destroy it but enough to add to it's pins. Almost
unbelievably, they will roll double 1 when they take their next
leadership test and shrug off the 3 pins they had accrued...Bugger! |
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Guess who forgot that vehicles move at double speed on roads?
Richie and his Stug remind me. Barreling up the road, it pivots
and deals a deadly blow to the M10 and wipes out the anti tank
gun team!! The Iron Cross is in the post and US defenders hopes
are in the dumps, or so it seems |
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In Turn 6, 3rd squad attempt to make up for their previous
misdemeanour by pulling back to the crossroads and then
inflicting some hoped for casualties and a pin on the SS s
quad that had been bedeviling them; some hope. In return,
the SS squad advanced, opened fire and missed!! Phew part 2!!
At this point, we rolled to see if the game would continue to
turn 7 but, luckily for me, it didn't and with the score at 5
victory points each it was an honourable draw.. Phew part 3!!! |
Picking himslef and his Tommy Gun up, Lt Harry Baum scuttled along the hedge towards the crossroads. He had thought his last moment had arrived when the German tank destroyer raced down the road and stopped beside him. Fortunately, for him at least, it had pivoted and fired on both the M10 and the anti tank gun team. Seeing he could do nothing for them, Baum had thrashed his way through the hedge, bullets striking the wall of the farm as he fell through to the other side.
Here he found Corporal Bell and his squad busily engaged in a firefight with some Germans behind another hedge. "Corporal Bell, we need to get back beyond the crossroads; we're all but surrounded. Pour some fire into them, then we go, hell for leather; understood?" Corporal Bell nodded and shouted at his men to increase theiur rate of fire. Satisfied that the Germans were taking cover, Baum shouted "Run" and ythe men set off, full tilt for the gap in the hedge...
Well that was excellent fun. It was great to finally get the winter terrain on the table top and we were both, quite rightly, chuffed with how it all looked.
I think the scenario worked out well enough and though the Yanks were outnumbered by the Germans, the fog made their presence largely redundant. I don't think I will get off so lightly next time once Rich get's some transports winterized.
We can now start looking towards building a couple of mini narrative campaigns around the Bulge as well as more units and terrain.
Pip pip for now, hope you enjoyed the batrep and thanks for dropping by,
Jimbob
