My first completed work of 2023 - WW2 British Airborne in 15mm

I,ve spent all of January so far staring at these figures and finally painting them! There are a lot, so scrolling down is required.

First, some anti-tank support options for my existing Airborne platoon, a 6-pdr A/T gun with a jeep and an officer followed by four two-man PIAT teams;

Next a couple of Vickers MMGs;

Finally, a few extra officers, one pair can also be used as a FOO for off-table mortar support and a couple of Rifle sections;

All of these figures come from Peter Pig, as do the original platoon. They will be used for a game of Big Chain of Command (two players a side) I will be running at Winter Wonder Lard at BIG in Bristol in late February.

I am sure that they will also come in handy for possible Arnhem games in the future.

At last! The sun is shining, Pt. Two - Napoleonic Light Bobs

Actually, there are twenty-one Light Bobs in total, so scroll down to see them all.

These are all Victrix 28mm plastics from the British Peninsular War flank company box set.

First, three groups of six skirmishing light infantry with muskets.

In keeping with my preference for battleworn-looking troops, these are stained, dusty and a bit battered.

Note that I have varied the colours of their trousers. I wanted to give the impression that these chaps have been in the field for long enough for their uniforms to get tatty and their trousers to wear out.

Finally, three leaders for the troops; two NCOs and an officer.

These troops are intended to be Light Company skirmishers for my 61st Foot, hence their green shako plumes.

I decided a while ago that the Baker Rifle-equipped 95th and Portuguese Atiradores were not always ideal in all situations, being expensive in points and also slow to reload. Therefore, I wanted to bolster my British Sharp Practice force with some ordinary flank company Light Bobs with muskets. Yes, they lack the range of the Rifles, but they only require one reload action and are cheaper in points costs. My troops have already suffered a lot from attacks by French voltigeurs in numerous games, enough to make me realise that the British also needed some musket-equipped light troops of their own.

That isn't to say that I am retiring my 95th Rifles, far from it. I am just increasing my options, after reviewing the situation.

Anyway, I really have to give the leaders some names, so; from left to right we have;

Sergeant Harry Stottle, a grizzled veteran of the 1st Battalion who first served in the Caribbean campaign of the 1790s and also served in the Egyptian Campaign of 1801-2. He was promoted to sergeant after Talavera.

Lieutenant Archibald Leach, inexplicably known as "Cary" to his fellow subalterns. He joined the 1st Battalion in Malta as an ensign in 1803, serving in Italy where he fought at the Battle of Maida, before receiving a battlefield promotion to Lieutenant after the Battle of Talavera in 1809.

Corporal Ashley Down, Bristol born and bred and a former crew member on a Bristol Channel trow, Cpl. Down enlisted in in the 61st in 1804 to avoid being press-ganged into the Navy. He also fought at Maida and Talavera.

A solo CoC AAR

OK, it wasn't supposed to be a solo game of Chain of Command, but my opponent didn't turn up at the club last Sunday. Still, these things happen, so I decided to press ahead and play solo, and although the game lacked an element of surprise, it was still a relatively interesting exercise with some useful maxims reinforced (see my comments at the end of the report).

The scenario chosen was No. 3 Attack and Defend, with the British attacking. They rolled a 8 for support options, thus giving the German defenders 4pts of support.

The Germans would be defending this fuel dump behind these ruined buildings and along the road towards the German right flank. With the 4pts of support, I chose a tripod mounted MG42, an excellent defensive weapon which rolls 10D6 when firing.

The British would be attacking from the relatively open ground on the left, across the cornfields. Withe 8pts of support, I chose a carrier recce section, one with a 2" mortar and the other with a Bren team, plus an additional carrier with a Bren, both choices with junior leaders.

Looking from the British side towards the German position. The carriers would deploy from the road entering from the table edge.

With higher Force Morale (9 to 8), the Germans rolled first, but I chose not to deploy, waiting to see where the British would be coming from. The first British section deployed in the trees on the British right, opposite the bombed buildings. The British had the next phase, after rolling 2 sixes, and proceeded to then get two more phases in succession. I got things moving quickly, getting more troops on the table and advancing.

A second section deployed in the trees in the centre, going onto overwatch, with the recce carriers moving up along the road.

Finally, the Germans got to deploy, getting a section inside the factory ruins. A decent start, I think.

 These were joined by the tripod MG42 behind the hedges at the road junction.

The British began to lay down smoke so that their infantry could get up close to the hedge. The rest of the Germans advanced to form up a firing line behind the hedges, note the line of craters, which I decided were caused by RAF Tempests in an earlier phase of the battle firing on some now-departed Germans.

With the German Senior Leader on the table, he was able to keep on activating the tripod MG42 which managed to wound the right-hand section's junior leader, taking British morale down to 7.

In the centre, the Germans began to pour fire across the road into the British behind the hedges. Using the Maschinengewehr characteristic, the junior leader of the right-hand section directed the section MG42, causing casualties and shock, even though the smokescreen was blocking line of sight for the rifle section.

On the German left, the British Platoon Sergeant was using two of his three command initiatives to direct the Bren gunner to fire at the tripod MG42's position. The Bren scored two kills and a point of shock, but the British were wary of advancing into the face of more MG42 fire.

The Germans played one CoC dice to end the Turn, removing the smokescreen. The British were then able to see their wounded corporal to return to the fray. The German Panzerschreck team got off a shot towards the carriers but missed. The platoon lieutenant then ordered the 2" mortar team to start laying down more smoke.

The British were getting bogged down. Accurate MG42 fire was suppressing them pretty well and a series of poor command dice rolls was stopping the carriers from getting into the action. Perhaps the British would have been better off with a tank as support?

The British rifle section on the left was really taking a pasting and began to move across behind the smoke to avoid more losses from the MG42 across the road.

On the British right, things were going from bad to worse. Shock was mounting, casualties rising, include another wound to the section corporal (reducing his command initiative to one) and the section was soon Pinned.

With casualties mounting and little chance of a breakthrough, it seemed a good point to stop. British force morale was down to 6 and the Germans were content to sit back and use their MG42s to suppress the British. Time to call it a day.

Here is the final position. Both the right- and left-hand British sections are Pinned and much reduced in numbers and the central section is stuck behind a cornfield with its corporal reduced to one command initiative. The largely ineffective carriers are stuck doing nothing of use, having been scared by one single shot from the Panzerschreck.

So, what did I learn from this game?

Firstly, MG42s are key to success for the Germans. Site them well and use the section Obergefreiter to direct their fire whenever possible. This cannot be stated often enough; the MG42 is an excellent defensive weapon with excellent suppressive fire abilities.

Secondly, when attacking a German defensive position, don't try and win with your infantry alone. You'll need a lot of lucky dice to make it happen. The way to win is to use firepower, either with a tank or, even better with off-table mortars. If the British had had a FOO and off-table 3" mortars, the Germans would have had a lot of exploding stuff raining down on them, allowing the British to outflank them on the German right.

Thirdly, when defending Do Not Deploy Too Early. Wait and see what the enemy are doing first.

A bit of CoC action

A couple of Sundays ago, I ran a game of Chain of Command for two new club members who had never played the game before.

I put on a basic encounter game with a British Rifle platoon facing off against a Heer Zug. Rolling for supports, the British ended up with an additional Rifle section and the Germans gained an additional Senior Leader. The table was reasonably cluttered, as befits Somewhere In Normandy in 1944. The Germans would be approaching from the upper right of the picture above, with the British entering from the opposing side of the table. The British half of the table was slightly higher, representing a ridge.

The scenery belongs to the club and all the figures are from my Peter Pig 15mm Late War collection.

I gave the new guys the choice of sides and they chose the Germans. I was happy to take the British for a change.

After the Patrol Phase, which was naturally a bit confusing to the new guys, we began to deploy, with the British platoon sergeant and 2" mortar team getting some smoke laid down in front of the Germans. As in many things I did in the game, this was as much about showing Mike and John how the rules work as it was about my tactics.

I pushed the British forward aggressively from their JOPs, but the Germans were also taking up position behind the hedges lining the roads. I was giving Mike and John suggestions about what they might want to do, to keep things moving along.

The Germans were deploying on both sides of the road, with the extra SL helping them get into useful positions quickly.

I was more concerned about explaining and keeping the game alive than taking photos. However, this section below had taken a lot of casualties from the central German section across the road from the cornfield when the it charged into melée against the German rifle team within 4" at the crossroads.

The British did manage to win the fight, forcing the rifle team to break, leaving a weakened MG42 team behind.

The section on the German left moved along the lane towards a more central position. 

Meanwhile, the British were consolidating in a central position. I explained to Mike and John that my plan was to drive a wedge between the German flanks and push on to control the central crossroads.

We played out a few more phases of play, but it was becoming apparent that the extra section had given the British the advantage, despite having two sections take a severe mauling. As casualties and shock began to reduce the Germans ability to fight back, Mike and John pulled their remaining troops back to their starting point, leaving the British in control of the crossroads.

This was an interesting game. I like showing new players what Chain of Command is all about and how it forces players to think about the problems that are thrown up in terms of what their troops can do and how to use them to their strengths. I stressed to Mike and John that the MG42 team in each section was the most important component, especially when the Germans are defending, which was essentially what they were doing in this game.

I'd stressed that although this was nominally an encounter between two platoons probing forward, what the British needed to do was secure a road along which armour might advance, while the Germans were essentially seeking to delay the British and stop them getting across the table, rather than trying to grab an advanced position that would be difficult to defend in the future.

Happily, both John and Mike liked the game, so hopefully I've Spread A Bit More Lard.

Another CoC AAR

A few weeks ago, the club had an all day session. In the morning I played Saga: AoM, as reported here. In the afternoon, I played a game of CoC, using my Peter Pig troops and PSC vehicles against Nigel. I wrote a scenario in advance and here are the briefings for the two sides;

British briefing

The British are pushing forwards from the town of Lambeek along the road toward the important rail junction at the town of Grolschbeek, some 5km distant. The countryside is flat and wooded with no buildings, except for a bombed sugar beet factory complex. The factory is in the centre of the table. Until now, resistance has been slight but aerial photographs have revealed a build-up of German forces in this area. The make-up of the German troop concentration is not known, so patrols are being sent forwards to test the defences.

As the British wish to push an armoured force along this road to capture the Grolschbeek junction, it is essential that better intelligence about the enemy defences is gathered. To this end, a platoon of Rifles has been sent to probe the ruined factory. Supporting the infantry is a recce section of three carriers and one M5 light tank, accompanied by an Intelligence Corps officer in a carrier

The force is;

Rifle platoon (dismounted from trucks which are off table) as described in the rulebook, i.e. HQ plus 3 sections

Recce section: 3 Universal carriers, 2 Bren teams, 1 2” mortar team, 1 junior leader

1 M5 Stuart light tank, 1 junior leader

Intelligence Corps observer (in a carrier). This officer activates as a junior leader on a 3 on a command dice. He must enter the factory area and remain there.

The British will have four patrol markers and may place three JOPs.

Objective:

Advance as far as the factory and neutralise any opposition. You are escorting an Intelligence Corps officer in a fourth carrier. He should be protected and allowed investigate the region. To simulate this, his carrier must enter the factory complex and remain there until the end of the game.

German briefing

Since being pushed out of Lambeek by British forces, Intelligence reports suspect that the next move will be to assault and capture the Grolschbeek railway junction. As reinforcements have been delayed by Allied air attacks, it is essential that British patrols do not discover that the town is currently only lightly-defended. Therefore, a number of forward defensive locations have been identified. One of these is the ruined sugarbeet processing factory on the Grolschbeek to Lambeek road. An augmented Zug of Grenadiers, supported by a machine gun section has been sent to occupy and hold the factory. The troops are carried in trucks but have dismounted short of the objective.

The force is;

Grenadier Zug as listed in the rulebook, except that each section leader has two Panzerfausts

One extra Grenadier section, led by a junior leader without any Panzerfausts

MMG section: two tripod-mounted MG42 MMGs (each carried in one unarmed SDKfz 251 halftrack) with a junior leader. This must deploy from the German table edge.

The Germans will have three patrol markers and may place three JOPs.

Objective:

Occupy and hold the sugar beet factory and prevent British patrols from advancing towards Grolschbeek.  

We rolled dice to see who would play which side. Nigel chose the British and I played as the Germans. Here is the table before the Patrol Phase. The Germans would enter from the far edge and the British from the nearer one.

A good Patrol Phase saw the Germans establishing a JOP just behind the bombed factory, from where troops were soon advancing to seize control if the buildings. 

More Germans deployed in the fields behind the factory. For me, getting boots on the ground quickly was essential to achieving my objective. 

However, the British were soon advancing tactically behind a 2" mortar smoke screen. 

I was worried about the speedy Carrier Recce Section and soon got my Panzerschreck team peppering it to good effect. The last thing I wanted were trigger-happy Bren teams driving around.

I got more troops into the factory complex, including my most important assets, the two tripod-mounted MG42s. They were my one big hope for keeping the British at bay.

However, the Brittish squaddies were getting close. I  used a CoC dice to end the turn and lift the smoke. Would this be enough to stop them getting any closer?

My section across the road continued to fire at the British in the big field surrounded by hedges, causing both shock and casualties, including the section leader. 

The British infantry in the smaller building were getting too close. Time to unleash the firepower.

First, I brewed up another carrier with my Panzerschreck.

Then I got the MG section targeting the infantry. I was gaining the upper hand. The British advanced into hand-to-hand combat, with predictable results. 

The remnants of the British section fled, leaving a dead section leader behind. British Force Morale was falling dangerously low. The Stuart light tank wasn't contributing anything. I decided to ignore it until it came closer.

Further exchanges of fire saw more British casualties, as I tightened my grip on the factory buildings. When British FM fell to 1, we called it a day. It was a win for the Germans.

I think that this could have gone either way, but a good patrol phase, plus a few double phases gave the Germans an early advantage from which they never really faltered. 

I think that I'd like to do a follow-up scenario, with the factory at one end of the table, with a similar German forces dug-in (without the extra rifle section (to account for casualties in this game) and defending, possibly with an anti-tank gun of some kind, and with the British attacking with some useful supports, probably a couple of decent tanks and maybe a Vickers MMG attached to the platoon HQ. I will have to work on this a bit. Victory conditions might be driving German FM down to zero, getting them out of the buildings or getting a tank off the table at the defending end.