British 6th Airborne Mini-Campaign Game #2

All,

So, following on from their victory in eliminating the Merville Battery, the paras of the British 6th Airborne Division go firm in preparation for the expected German counterattacks.  None immediately occurred in Hawkins' sector, so when day broke his company commander decided to begin sending out combat patrols to 1) tie in with other British Airborne elements, 2) identify German strongpoints and staging areas, and 3) see if they could locate the relief forces coming in over the beaches.

Here are the troops I rolled up for the campaign, intending to follow them from 6 June to their relief on 27 August 1944.

Platoon Leader - Lieutenant Tony Gilmore
Background: Upper Class                              Personality: Quiet
Secondary Skills: Bluffing                               Motivation: Survival
Length of Service: Inexperienced                   Skills:
Action: Training in North Africa                       Decorations:

Platoon Sergeant - Sergeant Randall Owens
Background: Long Term Soldier                     Personality: Stingy
Secondary Skills: Intimidation             Motivation: Brotherhood
Length of Service: Seen it All             Skills: Right Place, Accurate
Action: Norway, Tunisia                                  Decorations:

Section Leader - Corporal Bruce Patterson
Background: Farmer                                       Personality: Jovial
Secondary Skills: Well Educated                   Motivation: Brotherhood
Length of Service: Seen it All                         Skills: Sharpshooter, Covering Fire
Action: Fall of France, Sicily                           Decorations:

Section Leader - Corporal Rodney Holcomb
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Persistent
Secondary Skills: Weather Sense                  Motivation: Brotherhood
Length of Service: Seen it All                         Skills: Sharpshooter, Field Craft
Action: Western Desert, Tunisia                     Decorations:

Asst Section Leader - Lance Corporal Jeremiah Hawkins
Background: Drifter                                         Personality: Mature
Secondary Skills: Foreign Language              Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Quick
Action: Italy                                                     Decorations: Military Medal

Asst Section Leader - Lance Corporal Reginald Davenport
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Sarcastic
Secondary Skills: Cooking                              Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Seen it All                         Skills: Tough, Throwing
Action: Sicily, Italy                                           Decorations:

Asst Section Leader - Lance Corporal Lowell Manning
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Assertive
Secondary Skills: Writing                                Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Shoot and Scoot
Action: Sicily                                                   Decorations:

Machine Gunner - Lance Corporal Jon Floyd
Background: Farmer                                       Personality: Courteous
Secondary Skills: Radio Operation                Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Rapid Fire
Action: Tunisia                                                Decorations:

Machine Gunner - Lance Corporal Arthur Gill
Background: Academic                                   Personality: Mature
Secondary Skills: Well Educated                    Motivation: Political
Length of Service: Seen it All                         Skills: Tough, Guts
Action: Fall of France, Tunisia                        Decorations:

Machine Gunner - Lance Corporal Paul Gallagher
Background: Drifter                                         Personality: Truthful
Secondary Skills: Foraging                             Motivation: Revenge
Length of Service: Inexperienced                   Skills:
Action: Training in North Africa                     Decorations:

Asst Machine Gunner - Trooper Gilbert Lancaster
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Ambitious
Secondary Skills: Animal Handling                Motivation: Ambition
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Rallying Cry
Action: Tunisia                                                Decorations:

Asst Machine Gunner - Trooper Brendan Whitney
Background: Drifter                                         Personality: Devoted
Secondary Skills: Foreign Language              Motivation: Ambition
Length of Service: Fresh at the Front             Skills:
Action: Initial Training                                     Decorations:

Asst Machine Gunner - Trooper Bob Burns
Background: Upper Class                              Personality: Jovial
Secondary Skills: Construction                      Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Fresh at the Front             Skills:
Action: Initial Training                                    Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Aidan Snow
Background: Academic                                   Personality: Dishonest
Secondary Skills: Bluffing                               Motivation: Glory
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Infiltrator
Action: Italy                                                     Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Leslie Ellis
Background: Upper Class                              Personality: Assertive
Secondary Skills: Carousing                          Motivation: Revenge
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Brave
Action: Western Desert                                  Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Eddie Burks
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Genuine
Secondary Skills: Mechanic                           Motivation: Adventure
Length of Service: Inexperienced                   Skills:
Action: Training in Italy                                  Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Homer Hodges
Background: Straight Out of School               Personality: Optimistic
Secondary Skills: Foraging                             Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Fresh at the Front             Skills:
Action: Initial Training                                    Decorations:
WIA - Out of Action until 14 June 1944

Rifleman - Trooper Wyatt Humphrey
Background: Straight Out of School               Personality: Vulgar
Secondary Skills: Math                                   Motivation: Brotherhood
Length of Service: Fresh at the Front             Skills:                                                  
Action: Initial Training                                    Decorations:

Overview, a very pretty little 3' x 3' table using 28mm troops and terrain, north is up.  This is a clash of patrols, with Brits entering from the top left and Germans from the bottom right.

The opposing forces, with Brits on top and Germans on the bottom.  The Brits have two Stens, a Bren, five Lee-Enfields, and a two-man 2" mortar team.  The Germans have two MP-40s, an MG-42, an Stg-44, and five Mauser K98s.

The British fighting force:

Section Leader - Corporal Rodney Holcomb
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Persistent
Secondary Skills: Weather Sense                  Motivation: Brotherhood
Length of Service: Seen it All                         Skills: Sharpshooter, Field Craft
Action: Western Desert, Tunisia                     Decorations:

Asst Section Leader - Lance Corporal Jeremiah Hawkins
Background: Drifter                                         Personality: Mature
Secondary Skills: Foreign Language              Motivation: Patriotism
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Quick
Action: Italy                                                     Decorations: Military Medal

Machine Gunner - Lance Corporal Arthur Gill
Background: Academic                                   Personality: Mature
Secondary Skills: Well Educated                    Motivation: Political
Length of Service: Seen it All                         Skills: Tough, Guts
Action: Fall of France, Tunisia                        Decorations:

Asst Machine Gunner - Trooper Gilbert Lancaster
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Ambitious
Secondary Skills: Animal Handling                Motivation: Ambition
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Rallying Cry
Action: Tunisia                                                Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Aidan Snow
Background: Academic                                   Personality: Dishonest
Secondary Skills: Bluffing                               Motivation: Glory
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Infiltrator
Action: Italy                                                     Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Leslie Ellis
Background: Upper Class                              Personality: Assertive
Secondary Skills: Carousing                          Motivation: Revenge
Length of Service: Been in Battle                   Skills: Brave
Action: Western Desert                                  Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Eddie Burks
Background: Working Class                           Personality: Genuine
Secondary Skills: Mechanic                           Motivation: Adventure
Length of Service: Inexperienced                   Skills:
Action: Training in Italy                                  Decorations:

Rifleman - Trooper Wyatt Humphrey
Background: Straight Out of School               Personality: Vulgar
Secondary Skills: Math                                   Motivation: Brotherhood
Length of Service: Fresh at the Front             Skills:                                                  
Action: Initial Training                                    Decorations:

The 2" mortar team.

The Huns, with quite a bit of firepower, nearly half their men armed with automatic weapons.

Overview, now with troops.  Each side knows something is out there, though they've yet to spot each other.

The Brits have most of their troops up at the stone wall (right), backed by LCpl Gill's Bren team (top left) and the 2" mortar (far left).

While the Germans have pushed most of their men up to the stone-walled apple orchard (left), backed by their three-man MG-42 team (top right), concealed behind a hedgerow.

Functionally what this means in game terms is that the two gun teams will sit and shoot it out while the riflemen maneuver and get close and finish the fight.

Cpl Holcomb: "Alright lads, here's the plan.  First, we're gonna... Hey, what's he doing!!!???"  Trooper Snow hops the wall and moves up to a nearby truck (far right, bottom bottom center).  LCpl Hawkins: "Err, he always does that..."

Trooper Snow has the 'infiltrator' skill, so he gets to make a free move at the beginning of every game.

"Alright then, I suppose.  Well, let's get on with it then," said Cpl Holcomb.  He lead the rest of the squad over the wall and forward, as Snow dashed up to the edge of the farmhouse (right top), with Hawkins right behind him (far right, behind truck).  Hawkins had just begin to holler a warning to let everyone know he'd spotted the enemy (just off camera to top right)...

When Snow (bottom left) leaned out, blocking Hawkins' line of fire, and opened fire with his Lee-Enfield, knocking a German down.

Snow continues his dash forward, but spots a group of Germans and dives to his left, trying to take cover behind a small stone column.

Hawkins curses Snow under his breath for blocking his line of fire and begins moving up, unaware of the second group of German soldiers that Snow just saw...

Well, he knows now!  A cluster of Germans (bottom right, with the guy Snow knocked down at bottom left) spot Hawkins (top left, with Snow at center left) and open fire.

Hawkins dives back behind the truck, pinned!  "You did it now, didn'ya, Snow,..."

Cpl Holcomb (bottom left) and several other squaddies open fire through the farmhouse...

And it's devastating, dropping two German soldiers and suppressing another (red bead at right).  The German rifleman in the orchard (top right) returns fire but misses.

As Cpl Holcomb dashes up to the barnd doors (center, from left).

The German squad leader (bottom right, with MP-40 in soft cap) opens fire on Cpl Holcomb (top left)...

Then moves left to check on his 'man down' soldier.

But Snow spots him and opens fire!

But Snow (center right) misses!  The German squad leader gets his man back into the fight, and he promptly opens fire on Snow with his Stg-44...

Snow crumples to the ground, shot full of holes...

With Snow out of the fight (center), a German rifleman pushes hard up the left side (far left, from right).

But Trooper Ellis (bottom left) spots him (top right) and opens fire with his Lee-Enfield...

Dropping him in his tracks!

LCpl Gill's Bren (bottom center) continues dueling with the German MG-42 team (top left), to no great effect.

While Ellis and Humphrey engage the German rifleman in the orchard (top center right), knocking him down.

LCpl Hawkins peers around the edge of the truck (bottom right) and cuts loose with his Sten...

Dropping the Jerry that got Snow as the German squad leader looks on helplessly!

He dashes back across the alleyway to rally one of his suppressed men...

But Cpl Holcomb spots them and opens fire with his Sten!

Knocking the German squad leader down!  The German submachine gunner self rallies.

As the German MG-42 team (bottom left) lays into LCpl Gill's Bren team (top right)...

Knocking down Gill and suppressing Lancaster!

But then the 2" mortar team finally goes into action.

The small HE round lands nearly on top of the just-rallied submachine gunner, putting him out of the fight, leaving only two 'man down' troops still in the fight (and they can't self rally, they can only be rallied by a comrade moving into base contact with them).

With that, the German MG team books, leaving their 'man down' comrades to the Allies...

Hawkins moves up and surveys the damage: six German KIA and one prisoner.

As Ellis moves up to check on Snow.  It's bad; he'll live, but he's hit severely enough that he'll be discharged from the service and medically retired.

Again, another quick, simple fight that was a lot of fun.  Of course, the campaign burned out...  I'm writing this nearly two months after playing these games.  I'm not exactly sure why it burned out, they were certainly fun.  But there was a certain aggravation from the fact that it takes longer to set up the damn thing than actually play (which is starting to seem like a feature of playing in 28mm), and it suffered from a certain feeling of not knowing where to go next, what was I going to do for the next game, and the one after?  There also feels like something I still need to figure out about the roster of troops for the campaign; I did up a bunch of personalities, but I wasn't quite sure on how to field them in the campaign, something I can' quite put my finger on but need to figure out in order to keep it rolling.

In any case, I've since moved on to supposedly bigger and better things though, spoiler alert, they haven't really worked out for me either...  I endeavor to persevere ;)

V/R,
Jack