All,
As promised, my second game of IABSM in 15mm. I didn't really run this as a campaign, so no character development/losses/replacements, just another US Rifle Company (Reinforced) in the assault, and another great game, just long. I keep thinking about how much fun I have with IABSM; it drives me nuts sometimes. It will make you crazy (me complaining about it), and I love all the 15mm stuff I have now, but good grief do I miss 10mm when it comes to IABSM. I used to run a whole battalion on my 6' x 4' table, with decent looking ground scale! It's literally driving me insane; not just for the looks/feel of it, but also from the aspect that I feel like I could really run KG Klink like that.
KG Klink is really just a reinforced battalion, so in 10mm (or 6mm?) I could get the whole kampfgruppe on the table at once, which would really make things easier, rather than a million company-level fights. But I can't go back to 10mm (or 6mm), after all the time and money I've sunk into15mm...
And on a side note, I have already have a bad back, and I'm only 52 now but, like everyone else alive, I'm getting older, so I keep thinking about the ability to game while sitting down, and have several wargaming buddies that are already doing it (Steve J, Norm, Martin Rapier, Joe Legan). They all have me seriously pondering Kallistra Hexon and either 10mm or 6mm for once I'm having too tough a time standing for several hours playing.
Overview, US baseline at left, German at right. A US assault to take a German-held town, somewhere in Normandy, July 1944. Fields and hedgerows run through the center, with a good perch for US heavy weapons atop the hill at bottom left, with some swampy ground at bottom center, the town extending west (left) into the top center, where it's pretty bombed out (whereas the main portion of town, at right, has yet to be touched). Showing off all the Battlefield in a Box terrain I've acquired over the past year.
The US force, a reinforced rifle company comprised of:
-Commanding Officer (CO)
-Executive Officer (XO)
-3 x Rifle Platoon (Platoon Commander, Bazooka Team, 3 x Rifle Squad)
-1 x Weapons Platoon (Platoon Commander, 2 x MG team, 3 x 60mm mortar team)
-1 x attached Reconnaissnce Platoon (3 x M8 Armored Cars, one desiganated as PC)
-1 x attached Forward Observer with 1 x battery of 105mm arty on call
Another look.
The German blinds.
I got scared, chickened out, and added a platoon of Shermans (one vehicle designated as PC).
Unlike last time, I forgot to take a picture of the German forces after the game was over so I could show you...
The battlefield, with US forces set up on their baseline, blinds placed, rolled for, then removed and replaced with German forces as determined in Platoon Forward.
A looks from the US start line.
The US left, with 1st Platoon at top center, 2nd Platon at center right (minus one squad and their bazooka team at far left, the Company XO directly above them).
The US center, with 3rd Platoon spread out across the farmland (again, just like last game, where they started so well before breaking and running; sorry, I said this wasn't a campaign...).
Weapons Platoon, with both MGs in firing positions atop the hill, as well as the FO and their PC, and the mortar platoon down the hill, with the Company CO just above them.
The US vehicles will begin the fight off-table.
Ze Cherman deployment, from their baseline.
At far left they have a machine gun platoon of two MG-42s and a PC.
Further right, and pretty far forward, they have a single squad on picket duty in the farmland.
On the German right they have two full rifle platoons (1 x PC, 1 x Panzerschreck, 3 x Rifle Squad) and their Commander (far left). 1st Platoon is forward, in the bombed out Church (center right) and house (bottom center), while 2nd Platoon occupies the bombed out Factory (far left).
Further back in the center, the Germans have an Anti-Tank Gun Platoon (PC and 2 x PaK-40, right) and a Mortar Platoon (PC/FO and 2 x 8.0cm mortar teams, center left, with PC/FO in clock tower, bottom left).
In the rear right, they have another MG Platoon (far right, 1 x PC, 2 x MG-42), and an SPG Platoon (far left, 2 x Stug III, one vehicle designated as PC).
The fight begins with US arty pounding the outskirts of town...
Roughing up the German 1st Platoon a little bit. A very little bit, rather disappointing...
The US mortars (bottom left) also pound the outskirts of town (top right).
60mm HE incoming.
A couple suppressions in the Factory, CO is pinned and a rifle squad is 'men down.'
One of the US MG teams also begins rattling away at the outskirts.
The German mortars return the favor.
Knocking out one MG team, pinning the other and their PC!
Good progress is made on the left by the US infantry, 1st and 2nd Platoons covering a lot of ground under the covering fire of the arty and mortars.
But the movement does not go unnoticed, as German infantry in the Factory open fire.
In the center, 3rd Platoon moves up in the farmland, and are joined by the Armored Recon Platoon.
Firefights are breaking out on the edge of town.
On the German far left, the MG Platoon there fires on the US Weapons Platoon atop the hill.
And here come the tanks, hey diddle-diddle, straight up the middle, and the Armored Recon Plt pushes ahead as well (far right).
2nd Platoon maneuvering under fire to break into the town.
But getting beat up while doing it.
The Armored Recon Platoon's PC (barely visible at far left) somehow manages to spot the German MG Platoon on the far right (not visible at all behind the hedgerow at top right) and fires its puny 37mm gun...
US mortars pound the Church.
While US arty pounds the Factory.
The Armored Recon Platoon pushes forward (center right), unaware of the German pickets in the field (just above the cultivated field at center left).
3rd Platoon moves forward in drips and drabs in the center (bottom center), as 2nd Platoon tries to rally and reorganize (left center top) to assault the Church.
In the right rear, the German Stugs move up.
As the US tanks push ahead through the farmland in the center.
On the far German left, the German MG Platoon returns fire on the US Armored Recon Platoon.
One of the vehicles goes up in flames, while the other two crews are suppressed!
Atop the hill, the remaining US MG team (bottom left) fires on the German MG Platoon (top right) that just lit up the armored cars.
2nd Platoon rallying under fire with the help of the XO, gathering its forces for the assault.
And into the breach they go, led by their Platoon Commander!
A German rifle squad is knocked out with SMGs, hand grenades, and bayonets, so that another US rifle squad can leapfrog into the Church and take on the German command team!
But the German Platoon Commander (bottom left, with 2nd Plt PC and one squad at center), apparently a veteran of the Ostfront, is tenacious and sends the Yanks packing (top right), suppressed!
German mortars come in, suppressing a rifle squad of 2nd Platoon (center bottom) and pinning the PC (left top), as their bazooka team moves up to rally the squad that just got kicked out of the Church (top center).
The 2nd Platoon PC rallies and leads his squad into the Church...
Taking out the German platoon commander and setting up shop in the Church!
Meanwhile, just to their left, 1st Platoon has been a bit more 'sticky,' not really maneuvering, just kinda rallying and shooting.
The German MG Platoon on the right (bottom right) fires on the US 1st (top right) and 2nd (top center) Platoons.
Suppressing the 2nd Plt PC (red bead at bottom center) and putting a 1st Platoon squad 'men down' (white bead at bottom left).
1st Platoon's bazooka team hops out and fires a rocket at the nearby burned out house.
Their PC and a rifle squad immediately follow the rocket!
But the rocket failed to have any affect on the German troops, who promptly beat the Yanks in close combat, forcing the PC and rifle squad to fall back, suppressed (center, from just off camera to bottom left)!!!
In the center, 3rd Platoon cautiously moves forward, accompanied by the tanks. Still no one has spotted the lone German squad in the field (top right, 2nd Platoon and the Church just visible at top left).
The German MG Platoon on the right spots 3rd Platoon moving up in the center (top left) and opens fire.
The lead squad is pinned as the US CO finally gets off his ass and moves up to support his boys (bottom center, from off camera to bottom left).
One of the suppressed M8 armored cars tries to rally and fails, falling back (far left, from far right), while the other successfully rallies (center), not far from his platoon commander's burning vehicle...
In the center of town, a Stug creeps forward (bottom right) and takes a shot a the lead Sherman (top left)!
Then, further right, the other Stug creeps up and fires between some bombed out buildings.
The lead Sherman is wrecked.
The German MG Platoon on the far left continues lighting up the Armored Reconnaissance vehicles.
And a second M8 armored car goes up in flames!
Back on the US left, the XO and 1st Platoon PC get the boys rallied.
And, a little to their right, 2nd Platoon works to do the same.
The 1st Platoon PC orders his bazooka team to let them Germans have another rocket.
And this time it's a bit more effective, knocking out the enemy rifle squad and pinning their PC.
The German MG Platoon on the right continues laying into 1st (top right) ad 2nd (top center) Platoons.
The CO directs the FO to shift fire; he calls in a spotting round targeting the German MG Platoon in the town. It's a little short, but he'll fix that...
Fighting in the town is predictably ugly. 1st Platoon is largely in decent shape (bottom center/left) but not really moving, while 2nd Platoon(top center/far right/bottom right) has taken the Church but is pretty beaten up and having a hard time consolidating their gains, much less moving forward.
2nd Platoon's suppressed rifle squad in the house (bottom right) self rallies...
And fails, falling back (bottom right, from center), as the rest of 2nd Platoon moves up into or near the Church (top center).
In the center, the second Sherman in line pulls up (bottom center left) and fires on the Stug in the center of town (top right, the other at top left)...
While another Sherman (center right) fires on the other Stug (top right).
The Stug in town is okay, but the Stug on the outskirts is knocked out!
The German MG Platoon on the left flank continues lighting up the hill (top left).
But return fire is surprisingly effective, suppressing the PC and one gun team while pinning the other!
US tank fire in the center of town (right center bottom) convinces the Stug there to reposition, so he moves left (bottom left), looking to find a new firing spot, as the German FO looks on from the clock tower (bottom center).
Some rallying and reorganizing amongst 3rd Platoon, the Tank Platoon, and the sole remaining armored car. The CO really could help out here...
On the far left, 1st Platoon finally gets their ass in gear and begins moving up (2nd Platoon across the street in the Church).
While the US mortars (bottom left) pound the Factory (top right).
Knocking out two rifle squads and the panzerschreck team and forcing all the other occupants out of the Factory!!!
The traffic jam in the center continues, with that lone German squad still sitting there (top center), unspotted and doing nothing.
Ahh, but now they decide to do something: they bust out a panzerfaust and cut loose on the nearest Sherman.
Immobilizing it! Then they beat feet back behind the next hedgerow (top right).
US arty comes in, slamming the German MG Platoon in the town.
Though one of the gun teams (bottom center right) still manages to lay into 1st Platoon (top left).
Mowing down a rifle squad and the bazooka team, whome they caught in the open!
The remaining German Stug makes its way all the way round to the east end of town and takes up a firing position behind a nearby hedge before again engaging the US Shermans in the field (far left top).
The German MG team in the town (bottom center) continues laying down fire as the US arty continues pounding them and the German CO falls back (far right), effectively conceding the loss of the Factory to the Dogfaces.
The Stug fires again, but misses again.
US artillery is simply raining down hell on the town.
2nd Platoon consolidates its hold on the Church as 1st Platoon bum-rushes the Factory, taking it without suffering a single casualty!
On the German far let, the US mortars zero in, forcing an MG team to fall back (top right).
The other MG Platoon tries to rally...
But one of their gun teams fails and falls back (bottom right, from top center).
2nd Platoon moves up (bottom center) as the Shermans push ahead in the center (far right), where the spot the remaining Stug (top left) and open fire.
The Stug brews up and the crew bales out.
3rd Platoon and the Shermans mob ahead in the center. The lone German rifle squad there (far right) collectively poops their pants...
And surrender.
The gig is up...
German MG Platoon on the far left packs it in and retreats (center, from bottom left).
The German center withdraws.
And the German right, led by their CO.
The victorious GIs, collecting some prisoners near the Factory.
That was a lot of fun! Can't quite explain why I haven't settled into a campaign and played more, other than they do take a looooooong time, and I'm the very definition of a wargaming butterfly...
More on the way.
V/R,
Jack
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