All,
Somewhere in Normandy, August 1944, the US Army is about to scrap it up with the Wehrmacht. The inspiration for this fought is brought to you by my buddy "Thuseld," who posted this little gem:
http://inexperiencedmodelmaker.blogspot.com/2020/05/first-battlegroup-game-verdict-why-did.html
He has owned the Battlegroup rules for awhile but not gotten them on the table until recently; seeing his batrep reminded me that I, too, have the Battlegroup rules, and that I've never gotten them onto the table. I will say that the main reason I haven't gotten them onto the table is because I only have the core rules, none of the supplements, I don't want to spend a bunch of money on one of the book supplements, and I can't seem to find any of them as PDFs, even though it appears such things exist. Nevertheless, with Thuseld providing the 'Battle Rating' for each force, I felt like I had enough to go on and play a game, so I did.
And I didn't just play a game, I got a chance to play with my two boys, which made it that much more fun and interesting!
Overview, north is up, with the Amis entering from the west (left) and the Germans from the east (right).
Scenario: Attack/Counterattack. The Americans have broken out of the bocage, finally. To try and stem the tide a Wehrmacht platoon is sent to fortify the village on the main road of advance. They might, however, be too late. The objectives are three: the hill at top center (Hill 50), the woods at center bottom (between the four sets of fields), and the house at dead center.
A look at the west side of the board; the Americans will enter via the road at bottom left. The Chateau is at top left, and there is a small hill (Hill 33) at center top, with the objective hill, Hill 50, at top right.
A look at the east side of the board, with Hill 33 just visible at far left top, the objective hill, Hill 50, at top left, and another hill, Hill 65, at top right. The village is at center/left, with the furthest left building an objective, and the last objective is the wood at left bottom. The Germans will enter at top right.
A look at the center of the board; hopefully you can make out the three hills. It looks a lot better to me when I'm able to put hills under my mat, but it can be hard to pick up in the photos.
I used hedgehogs to mark the three objectives; this is the one atop Hill 50.
Marking the objective building.
And the marking the wood (bottom left).
The opposing forces, with Germans on left and US on right. The two sides are exactly matched for a perfectly 'fair' wargame ;) Thuseld had the Americans with a BR of 18 and the Germans 16, but I gave both sides 18 so it would be fair.
The troops are all 15mm Battlefront figures*, while the mat is from The Wargaming Company, the roads are from Fat Frank, the flat fields are from Hotz Mats, the high fields are from Terran4Games, and the hedges, trees, and buildings are from Crescent Root Studios.
*Yes, I'm ridiculous. When I first began wargaming in 2009 I bought several hundred dollars worth of 15mm US and Germans from Old Glory, painted them up, played a few games, then gave them to a buddy. Then I bought a couple hundred dollars worth of 15mm US and Germans from Plastic Soldier Company, halfway painted them up, then gave them to a buddy. Then I bought a couple hundred dollars worth of 15mm British and Germans from Plastic Soldier Company, painted them, and sold them off online. But I keep buying 15mm terrain and I keep thinking I should be using 15mm troops with all this 15mm terrain, rather than my trusty 10mm troops. So I guess I'm back in 15mm WWII for the 4th (fourth!!!) dame time...
The US force, consisting of:
1 Platoon consisting of a command squad, 3 rifle squads, and 3 BAR squads.
1 Bazooka team.
1 MMG .30cal team.
M4 Sherman (76mm)
The figures are actually US paratroopers, as I don't have my 'regular' infantry painted up yet.
The German force, consisting of:
1 Platoon consisting of a command squad, 3 rifle squads and 3 LMG teams.
1 Panzerschrek team.
1 HMG team (MG42)
Panzer Mk V "Panther"*
*My Stugs aren't finished, so I had to throw in a Panther. Operating at such short ranges, I treated the Panther and Sherman the same.
The two little Generals, or, more appropriately, the two little Lieutenants. The little one, Lieutenant Danny, commands the GIs, while Leutnant Nikki commands the Germans.
And we're off!
The boys consistently rolled well for orders during the game, so got lots of stuff done each turn. The little one won initiative and immediately got moving. The Sherman and a rifle team boogied on up the road, then got spooked just short of the village (which is just off camera to far right), so they ducked off the road and took shelter between the two fields at right. The American MG team was pushed up into position atop Hill 33 (center top), while more infantry worked to keep up (left bottom).
Stick with me here for the German response, this picture is looking southwest (top center right, where the Americans are just off camera) from the German entry point in the northeast (bottom center). Lt Nikki pushes his MG team up on top of Hill 65 (center) while a rifle squad moves up the right flank (far right and right bottom) and the Panther leads some infantry left (far left), heading towards the village (top center).
The American bazooka team dashes up on the north side of the road (left top) as the Sherman pulls overwatch for a rifle team that pushes east and seizes the objective in the woods (far right). This forces a morale chit pull...
The German Panther has hit a mine, but other than the crew being a bit shook up, it's just fine.
*Yes, the Americans captured the objective, forcing the Germans to pull a chit, which was a mines strike, and I applied it to the Germans!
Both the Americans (atop Hill 33, at center, and at far left) and the Germans (top right) are working to seize the objective on Hill 50 (top center right).
While back in town, the US rifle team that secured the wood now moves up (far right) and secures the second objective, in the town, forcing the Germans to pull another chit!
Feeling bold, the Sherman joins them, as the bazooka team looks on (far left).
The tank lurches to a halt and begins peppering the German MG team on Hill 65 (top right) with coax fire.
And the US MG team atop Hill 33 (bottom center) gets in on the action, too, though the German MG team (top center left) is unfazed.
*I was probably screwing the shooting up, but the early part of the game was marked by lots of shooting followed by lots of saves, to no effect.
And with the Americans focused on the German MG team, one of their rifle teams is able to sneak up Hill 50 (right top) and secure that objective, forcing a US chit pull!
BAM! The US tank has hit a mine in the village...
But this time it's brewed up, so the US has to pull another chit! The grunts look on, none too happy about their only armor support going up in flames, particularly as they can hear the growl of the Panther's engine not too far off.
As the Sherman goes up in flames (top center), the Germans begin pushing infantry across the road, looking to get into the village (left, bottom center).
The German MG team on Hill 65 (bottom left) engages the US MG team on Hill 33 (top right).
The Germans are moving more troops up to reinforce their position on Hill 50 (top left), so the Americans push their lead team onto the 2nd floor of the objective building (bottom right), where they take the Landser under fire.
With the US MG team on Hill 33 engaged (top center left), the German infantry on Hill 50 (bottom left) move up and engage the US squad trying to move around the flank (right).
The US MG team (bottom left) returns fire (top right).
And the US left-flank squad pushes up to the base of Hill 50 (left), firing as they go.
And things are heating up in the village as German infantry move between the buildings (top right), drawing fire from the US rifle team in the objective building (bottom left).
But the Germans manage to make it into cover and return fire.
The German Panzerschreck team (far right) fires in support of them (left), popping a rocket into the objective building (top left).
It hits (top right) and the German MG team on Hill 65 (bottom left) fire on the objective building as well.
*But it's all for naught; like I said, lots of hits, but lots of saves. I decide to lower the save values, make it a little harder, and it immediately pays dividends.
The German infantry atop the objective Hill 50 (bottom center) continue pouring fire on the US left-flank squad (top center)...
Pinning a team and forcing it to fall back (yellow bead at far left, from top right)!
Lt Danny orders his bazooka team to cross the street, up to the objective building (top right), as he pushes more infantry forward (bottom left).
The bazooka team launches a rocket of its own, into the German-held building.
Pinning the rifle team there.
Prompting the US rifle team in the objective building to rush them!
There is a short, sharp melee on the second floor of the building, with the US victorious!
The US MG team (bottom left) on Hill 33 continues to pour fire into the objective Hill 50 (top right).
While the US team on the far left-flank moves into cover and fires uphill, too.
But back in the village, the German Panzerschreck team fires another rocket, pinning the American team in the building.
Who are trying to hold on (top right) as reinforcements move up (bottom left).
The German MG team on Hill 65 (bottom left) continues firing on the US MG team on Hill 33 (top right), pinning them.
And with the US MG team (bottom left) pinned, the German infantry on Hill 50 (top right) gets froggy, firing on the US left-flank team (top left)...
Before pushing their rifle team downhill, looking to move into close combat.
Further east, the Panther has recovered and is back in action, immediately pulling onto the road and advancing west.
Before raking the US team in the building with its coax MG.
With the Panther providing cover fire, German infantry move toward the building.
As US reinforcements arrive in the village: a team moves into the objective building (left) and another into the nearby field (center bottom), as the bazooka pushes right (far right), looking to get onto the Panther's (top right) flank. But can they rescue the pinned team in the eastern building (right)?
Back on the German right, the men on Hill 50 continue their textbook display of fire and maneuver, with the LMG team (top right) laying down fire on the Americans (top left) as the rifle team presses downslope (left)...
And into close combat!
*It occurs to me that you may be questioning why this US team has an M-1919 machine gun; again, please remember, I'm using US paras in place of 'regular leg infantry,' this is representing a BAR team.
But in a miraculous turn of events, the pinned US rifle team somehow manages to wipe out the German rifle team in close combat!!!
*Yeah, I know you want to say I'm cheating, but let me kindly remind you, gentle reader, I'm not playing this game solo. In fact, I'm not playing at all, I'm simply umpiring between the two boys, and the little one just ripped out the big one's still-beating heart.
Back in the village, the Panther continues laying down fire...
As the German infantry move up to the house.
Where they promptly defeat the pinned US team there (right). The Germans then take up positions to face the US teams in the objective building (left) and field (bottom left).
The Germans winning the close combat and destroying an American team forces the US to pull another chit...
And it appears the bazooka team has detonated a landmine, though no one is seriously injured!
The US MG team on Hill 33 (bottom left) has rallied and is back in action, firing on the German team on Hill 50 (top right), pinning them, so the US LMG team on the left-flank (top left)...
Pushes on up the hill alone (bottom center, from off camera to right). They don't reach the enemy team, but there is some serious pressure on the pinned German team on the objective!
Back in the village, the American bazooka team recovers and launches another rocket, pinning the German team in the building.
Causing the Americans to immediately pounce!
And when they defeat this German team in close combat, it forces the Germans to pull yet another morale chit...
Which causes the Germans to break and run, ending the fight! Lt Danny and his American infantrymen are victorious!
So, in the final tally, the Germans lost three infantry teams while the Americans lost two infantry teams and a tank, but the early seizure of two objectives by the Americans and the Germans having to pull a chit to rally the Panther early on really started racking up losses to their Battle Rating. The Germans ultimately pulled six chits, one of which was a mine strike, but the other five took them from 18 to 0, while the Americans pulled five chits, but two of them were mine strikes, and they were much luckier, only taking them from 18 down to 10, so it wasn't even really close in terms of force morale.
As I said, early on the fire was extremely ineffective, with save values making it so that hits were easily racked up, but were always taken off by making the saves. Even after I 'relaxed' things a bit, the fire still only resulted in pins, no units were destroyed by fire, they were all pinned units destroyed in close combat. The boys really enjoyed the game, though it did drag a bit due to the ineffectual fire. I think we ended up playing for about three hours, which could have been halved if we'd have played firing 'relaxed' the entire way.
I really enjoyed this, the first time I've really had both boys playing a game against each other. I liked the rules, particularly the 'Battle Rating' piece (though I laughed at how we somehow drew three mine strikes out of twelve total chit pulls!), but I feel like I still need something a bit more pared down to play with the boys and keep their interest.
I'd love to slim these rules down a bit and come back to them, but I can tell you we've already planned our next game together: Osprey's "Black Ops," coming soon.
V/R,
Jack
