Background

A little while ago Lucius and I played a delaying action to get better acquainted with Chain of Command. It was a close run thing and we decided to switch sides and try a re-run over the same terrain.

The Forces

I played my Fallschirmjager and had 14 support points, Lucius had 7 for his North Nova Scotia Regiment. Note that we were using the core-rules only (not the arsenal that can be found at Tiny Hordes and other places). Lucius was an armoured officer so I hemmed and hawed and out-thought myself, figuring that he’d bring some armour or AT to the field. With 14 points I could field my new Tiger II. His PIAT wouldn’t do anything against that. So, I reasoned that he would have to take a 17pdr, or a tank-hunter. In order to get around that, I went with a pre-game barrage, a 5cm mortar team, a Sdkfz 250 (hanomag) manned by half of my 3 section, and a Sig 33 infantry gun.

It turns out that Lucius bought a sniper and a Vickers MMG. Of course. Had I shown up with a Jagdtiger or any sort of heavy armour he’d have been overrun in minutes. But such is life and wargaming! It really shows that you need to make sure you plan for maximum flexibility. Last game we only had 2 sections, but this time we each fielded 3. Lucius brought 2 sections of North Novas with 1 section of Commandos as the North Novas were a little short. The added firepower from those many SMGs were made up for by my force rating.

The Battle

We played for about 3 hours and things moved quickly at first, but got bogged down in casualties after a bit. I started with a force morale of 10, Lucius had 8.

The patrol phase was uneventful, with reasonable JOPs for both of us. I needed to take a JOP in a specific swath of land at the far end of the table, and only one of the JOPs was there. So, the left flank was my priority. I was going to see if I could rush it, or if not, pin down resources there while my hanomag and remaining troop did an end run around the woods. In red below are the Canadian JOPs. #1 is my real goal.

The pre-game barrage did its trick and I brought in 1 section on the left flank and pushed up past the wood. The non-tasked squad from 3 section put covering fire into the woods on the right flank near the JOP there as 2 Section moved up.

There was no response from the Canucks. It took until the third Canadian phase for some movement to happen at the far end – 1 section deployed near the JOP on my right flank. My 5cm mortar started its impressive kill count and killed one of the 2″ mortar (which I hate; that thing and its smoke!). My 1 section rushed the house at the double and fell short. Twice. 7 measly inches forward on 3d6.

And then the turn ended and Lucius got a double-phase with three 6’s rolled. Great. Shortest turn I’ve seen in Chain of Command and now my boys were strung out a little too far forward from their supports and I still hadn’t managed to get my hanomag up to do an-end run around the woods on my right side or get my big infantry gun to put some hurt on the Canadians.

Lucius’ sniper showed up at the start of the turn, caused some shock and then in the next phase killed the JL in 1 section – the section that was SOOOO close to the house and the key JOP behind it. Force morale goes down. My dice failed me and I couldn’t move 1 section either back or forward with their JL dead, so I brought my Sig 33 on and my hanomag while pushing forward on the right flank.

The sniper fired again at 1 section, as did some of Lucius’ troops on my right flank. Another section appeared near the house on the left.

My boys were leaderless, gaining shock, unable to see the sniper, taking fire from their right flank and having a full section of enemy appearing to their front. This wasn’t good. Added to that, the silly little 2″ mortar dropped smoke in front of my Sig 33. Great.

I deployed my platoon 2IC (unteroffizier) on my left and pulled back 1 section as my 5cm mortar killed the 2″ mortar! As far as I was concerned, that was a win for the entire game. My right flank stuttered forward (2″ on 2d6) but I sensed that I was getting into the right place. Lucius was putting his section on my left flank in front of the house there, in line of fire of my field gun. On my right, I had 1 and a half sections moving up, one group always on overwatch. The hanomag was getting ready to support, and my 5cm mortar was dropping rounds to weaken the enemy on that side. So I ended the turn with my only Chain of Command die (at that time) to take away the smoke in front of my Sig 33.

A double phase for me. The Sig then fired and evaporated 2 of the bren team facing me on the left flank and wounded the JL. 1 section moved forward and laid more hurt on the Canadians to my left. On my right, wanting to try out this Handgranaten rule, I charged into the smaller Canadian section.

I only got 1 grenade in but we won. Or lost. I’m not sure. We both killed everyone. Except for the leaders. Morale goes down to 6 for both of us. I was within 4″ of a JOP there though, and my weapons team from 3 section was close by.

Lucius added some shock and a kill to my Sig 33 from the section and sniper on that side, but not enough. My field gun replied at the section it could see, and with 1 section under the command of my platoon 2IC killed the bren team and all but 1 rifleman and the wounded junior leader, leaving them running with 11 points of shock between them. 2 Section goes on overwatch. The sniper fires and I see him! And kill him. All that action brings force morale down to 4 for the Canadians. Left flank steady.

Nothing except 2 scared soldiers and a platoon lieutenant between 1 section and the JOP! Except for the Vickers and a squad of Royal Marine Commandoes who haven’t shown up yet and could ambush me. Huh. Okay. Focus on the steadying up my right flank and slowly push up on the left. No crazy stunts.

On the other side the 2 JLs engage in hand to hand combat and both fall. That wood is now called Bois-du-mort. 20 men lying there now, and more to follow shortly. Lucius plays a Chain of Command die to avoid a force morale check or he’d be on the wire. He also brings on the Commandoes and wants to get in close combat with my 3 section weapons team. I back them off, bring up my hanomag onto overwatch.

As I had backed off from the JOP, and hadn’t managed to capture it, it’s used to launch a PIAT ambush at my hanomag. Double 6s are rolled and the hanomag brews up but my men get out unhurt. 3 unanswered kills for that PIAT. My next great foe…

The commandoes then charge into fire at my weapons team at close range with their SMGs. I play an interrupt to fire at them, which whittles them down, but they still rip into my men. I get everyone on that flank firing and 1 of the teams break but I stabilize the situation overall. There are 5 commandoes left facing 6 of my guys plus a mortar. I outrange his SMGs so I should be able to break him. I still have a heavy field gun with 4 crew plus JL, but the challenge will be to get this beast into action (it takes the lower of 2d6 rolled to move).

On the left the heroic Canadian platoon lieutenant rallies enough shock off of the remains of the section I massacred that they join him behind the wall near the JOP. I have 8 men from 1 section plus my unteroffizier 2IC. Should be fine. Except that the Vickers hasn’t shown up…

We left off there. 20 Canadians lying dead or wounded. 17 Germans. I haven’t brought on my Panzerschrek, and Lucius has a Vickers team and his PIAT still off the table. This will be a near-run thing! My left flank is okay, but vulnerable to the Vickers. Support is a long way behind. On my right I’m pretty evenly matched. I’ll need to be clever or lucky (or both) to win this.