After a long, long hiatus (way too long!) we finally dusted off the old WW2 and played a game of Chain of Command. The action was held somewhere in the darkest depths of Suffolk with Andrew taking charge of the heroic British (of course) and Robafett and I the nasty, aggressive Germans (boo, hiss).
Somwhere in France 1944.
A small British platoon are playing a delaying action against a well equipped German force
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German Panzer Grenadiers
Regular +1
Command Dice: 5
Force Morale: 7
Hauptmann Hahn
Oberleutnant Beck
Junior Leaders (Obergefreiter Schmidt, Obergefreiter Bauer, Obergefreiter Werner)
3 sections (each 2 MG42 with 2 crew each, 5 Riflemen)
Pioneer Team (3 men)
Panzerschreck Team (2 men)
SdKfz 250 (with 4 man recon team, Obergefreiter Otto)
SdKfz 250 (with 4 man recon team, Obergefreiter Dietrich)
SdKfz 250/9
British Infantry Platoon
Regular +0
Command Dice: 5
Force Morale: 7
Captain Wintersley
Platoon Sgt. Thorrington
Junior Leaders (Cpl. Hall, Cpl. Grey, Cpl. Dougall, Cpl. Wren)
4 sections (each Bren Gun with 3 crew, 6 Riflemen)
PIAT Team x2 (2 men each)
2" Mortar Team (2 men)
Universal/Bren Carrier (Junior Leader, Cpl. Ardley)
Minefield
The Battleground. All is quiet...
The thick bushes part and and a unit of German troops under Obergefreiter Schmidt scamper across the rough road to the edge of a marshy-pool area. Almost immediately they come under fire from a British section, led by Corporal Hall, hiding in the treeline opposite...
Meanwhile, a second section under the command of Corporal Grey, and a third, led by Corporal Dougall, slowly advance. Corp. Grey takes position at the hedgerow, just behind a mined area across the road.
Directly across from them, another German unit, under the command of Obergefreiter Bauer have taken cover behind another hedgerow.
Billy Dow and Stan Bloom have found a nice little spot to guard the road with their PIAT.
Just in time too. A couple of Jerry armoured cars come racing up the road ahead!
A small firefight erupts on the other side of the battlefield...
In the centre of the field, Obergefreiter Schmidt is pleased as the no nonsense Hauptmann Hahn joins his section. His men are forced to re-position as they continue to receive heavy fire! Obersoldat Hans tries to find a way around...
Nearby, the SdKfz 250 moves forward...and comes under fire from Billy and Stan!
Out in the open, the lightly armed vehicle is hit and forced to retreat back down the road, reversing at full speed. Billy and Stan continue to pound it with shells!
Following behind the SdKfz 250 is another half-track. This SdKfz250/9 boasts a 2 cm KwK 38 autocannon and a coaxial MG42. An altogether more serious issue for the two lads with the PIAT.
It opens up with all weapons and shrapnel and shredded bark slam into the two cowering men!
The firefight continues on the other side of the battlefield. The British, now with Captain Wintersley at their side take solid defensive positions and begin to wear down the German section across the road from them...
...Captain Wintersley barks his orders!
Billy and Stan score a direct hit on the already stricken SdKfz250, forcing the recon team riding inside (under Obergefreiter Otto) to bail out the back! The heavily armed SdKfz 250/9 takes a defensive position as another SdKfz 250 shoots up behind it. Seriously wounded and under constant fire from the German armoured cars, Billy and Stan decide to beat a hasty retreat!
Corporal Ardley appears on the north road and speeds towards the action in his Universal/Bren Carrier to lend to support to the platoon as they organise their defence.
After dropping several shells of smoke, Captain Wintersley attempts to take the fight to the Jerry and orders Corporal Dougall and his section to rapidly advance on the weakened German left flank!
Obergefreiter Bauer spots the Tommy charge and leads his battered section back to the hard cover of a ruin behind them.
Seeing the thick smoke dropped along the road to their left and then hearing the rumble of a British vehicle, Hauptmann Hahn orders his men to move to the right where their armoured cars are coming up in support.
The better armed SdKfz 250/9 speeds forward into the next field, effectively securing it for the German advance.
On the German left flank, the brave Brits make a daring charge - Corporal Dougall towards the the beleaguered German unit and Corporal Grey towards the undefended jump of point...
A hardy veteran NCO, Obergefreiter Bauer opens up the full might of his section. A huge hail of fire engulfs the British as they run into the open ground!
Corporal Grey reaches his objective and secures the German jump off point...but at what cost?
Obergefreiter Bauer is joined by Oberleutnant Beck - at close range the withering fire of the German MG42 and two SMG's decimates the British, they are forced to flee, their victory at achieving their objective short-lived...
Oberleutnant Beck (a proper nasty piece of work) laughs as the broken Tommies flee before them.
The battle is effectively over...but have the German forces been delayed for long enough?
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Another good game of Chain of Command! The battle ebbed and flowed throughout and it looked like it could have gone either way at one point. Andrew saw a slim chance of victory as the German left flank weakened. Half a section was all that stood between him and taking a German jump off point. Another jump off point was tantalisingly close to this which would have essentially ended the German advance. A decisive action and brave (if foolhardy) charge by two sections of British almost pulled it off...unfortunately the immense firepower of the German sections remaining MG42, bolstered by two SMG's at close range proved too much. The slaughter that ensued was too much for the British and their attack was halted.
Figures are a mix of Black Tree, Bolt Action, Crusader, Artizan and Pulp. Terrain is mostly Andrews, including his lovely new battle-mat.
