US PSC H weapons pics

Breakout AAR

Turns 1-5

The Germans got off to a solid start in the first turn with Kampfgruppe A moving along the main road. A second order was successfully rolled, however rather than continue along the road the Germans opted to move off the road and go cross country, taking care not to get too close to the Polish position. The Poles however suffered an appalling start when they attempted to fire on the Panther with their Achilles but suffered a blunder. This caused 4 hits to be suffered by the Achilles unit and up in flames it went. A temporary setback or a sign of things to come?

The 2nd and 3rd turns saw the remainder of the German breakout forces arrive and also move off road towards the exit roads. The Poles shuffled their defenses around and brought one Sherman and one Firefly, that where covering the road that the Germans where so wisely avoiding, up. They also redeployed their 6 pdr in turn. In the third turn a convenient double one saw the redeployed tanks destroy Kampfgruppe A's Panther. However that was the first casualty they had caused and the Germans seemed to be pushing forward almost with impunity.

The German response came from the Tiger of Kampfgruppe B and the straggling Panther (under the command of Kampfgruppe B) which destroyed the 75mm Sherman and suppressed the firefly. This left the Poles with almost no Anti-Tank capability facing in the direction of the main body of the Germans. The poles where reluctant to move their other firefly as it would be needed to see off the SS arriving in a couple of turns. The final piece of bad luck came when the Germans called in a Nebelwerfer attack on the hill. thankfully most of the Poles where dug in so suffered only a few wounds each with no supressions, however the Polish FAO, who had wandered out of his foxhole in the previous turn to get a better look at the enemy, was killed. The 5th turn saw a brief exchange of shots between the Panzer 4 of Kampgruppe A and the remaining Sherman 75mm which resulted in the Panzer being suppressed, but was otherwise uneventful due to naff command rolls all round.

Start of Turn 2 and the Germans are making steady progress.

The German situation at the end of turn 3

End of turn 5.

Half way through and the Poles hadn't managed to inflict any real damage on the fleeing Germans, but on the plus side the Germans had been delayed by a dreadful 5th turn where hardly a thing moved. They would have to move swiftly to read the exits by the end of turn 10.

Turn 6-10

Turn 6 saw the SS arrive, however due to poor rolling arriving on the board edge was about as much as they could manage. The escaping Germans managed to make up for the last turn by getting most of their stragglers and move of Kampfgruppe A up to the woods, however they now had to cross close enough to the Polish position to bring them in range of dug in Infantry for the first time which would be dangerous for the troops in softskins. They could dismount, but if they did would they be able to make it in time on foot? A further nebelwerfer attack was called in but deviated wildly and hit nothing.

The Polish responded to the SS by opening fire with the remaining Firefly on one of the Panzer 4s. A double one was rolled and the 2 rounds of fire saw the unit brew up nicely. The rest of the SS sat outside small rifle range.

The other Sherman tried to fire on the Panzer 4, causing a single hit on the still suppressed tank, diving it back a few cms. But other than that their turn was ineffective.

The Germans decided to gamble on driving hell for leather for the exit roads, hoping for some good command rolls. Polish opportunity fire from the Sherman tank and a Polish MMG unit knocked out one Truck and suppressed another. In the polish turn proper the same units managed a further 2 rounds of firing despite the command reduction and a by the time is was over 4 of the 6 Germans trucks, along with their passengers where destroyed. The SS troops had in the meantime dismounted and the remaining SS Panzer 4 and Firefly exchanged shots to no effect.

The Germans now drove like hell with the remained of their unsuppressed trucks and armored cars and 2 successful command rolls later the first 4 units had exited the table. The Main body of Kampfgruppes A and B followed. Encouraged by their sucess with the trucks the Polish rifles decided to get out of the foxholes and move in to engage the German infantry. They had excellent success managing to cause suppression on 3 of the Heer units. They had a 2nd round of firing that drove two of the Heer units back, one of them by 12cm, destroying it.

With time almost up the Germans concentrated into moving everything that wasn't suppressed towards the road. The Poles had little in range with any AT capability, with the exception of a single Sherman 75mm which was busy keeping the Panzer 4 of Kampfgruppe A suppressed.

On the last turn the Germans moved off the remainder of the vehicles from Kampfgruppe B, it's infantry was just hovering at the edge of the table. Kampfgruppe A had been either entirely supressed or wiped out.

The SS kept exchanging ineffectual shots with the firefly and the infantry made no attempt to engage the Polish troops that where still dug in. A blunder on behalf of the Poles though saw one of their infantry stands destroyed. Despite superior firepower a frontal attack on dug in infantry would have been suicidal. Not that it mattered to the result of the game anyway.

In the end the Germans managed to move 8 units off the board. There where 21 escaping units in total which mean they had moved 38% of their troops off. Not enough to qualify as a victory so the Polish take the day. There where however 4 units of infantry right next to the exit, which had they moved off (and they almost certainly would have had the game gone on another turn) it would have turned the game into a German victory. The 10 turn limit did seem rather arbitrary under the circumstances so I think I'll call this a draw.

Polish fire on the German trucks was devastating.

Polish troops get out of the trenches to fire on the Germans. The remainder of the German Panzers make a dash for the exit, oblivious to the peril of the foot bound comrades.

The end of the game. Escaping infantry right next to the exit. So near yet so far!

In conclusion the scenario was allot of fun. Placing allot of emphasis on movement for the Germans and less of getting stuck in and fighting meant that the infantry took very little part until the end. It was mainly a tank game as the Panzers tried to cover the escape of the troops on foot and mounted in trucks.

Getting the troops in trucks shot up was a dire mistake, however had they waited for their tanks to cover them they might never have made it to the road before the end of the game. It was a gamble and sadly one that didn't work out too well for them.

If I was to play the scenario again I'd probably tinker with it to encourage to more infantry fighting. The SS played very little part as their was nothing to be gained by getting in a fight with the Polish infantry to the their front.

On reflection ending the game at turn 10 was a mistake. I should probably have gone of till about turn 12, however by the time I got round to calculating who had won and realising just how close it was I'd already packed away.

Nevertheless it was a great game I thoroughly enjoyed.

Breakout Scenario.

Breakout scenario to be played on 13^th March.

This particular scenario is based Battle of Mont Ormel scenario in the Rapid Fire N/W Europe scenario book. For those unfamiliar with this battle it occurred during the closing of the Falaise Gap. A Brigade of Polish troops was dug in on high ground to block German troops attempting to escape the closing allied trap. In doing so they endured repeated SS attacks. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill_262

 

For purposes of ease of play and because of the limits imposed by playing space and my collection, the forces involved have been scaled down somewhat. But the composition remains roughly in line with the scenario and the victory conditions haven’t changed. Instead of a whole brigade in defense the Poles have one over strength Battalion with armored support.

The original Rapid Fire scenario is supposed to take place over 20 turns, I’ve halved this to 10 in line with a typical BKC game.

The Poles are going to be attacked from 2 directions, firstly from German troops trying to break out of Falaise and a smaller SS force trying to break in to relive them. The Poles start already deployed on the high ground at the tables center dug in, with the German ‘break out’ forces divided into 2 Kampfgruppes arriving on turns 1 & 2 with a 3^rd force of stragglers in trucks (with some armor) arriving on turn 4 from the road on the far right of the above picture. The SS ‘break in’ force will arrive on the road at the top left of the table on turn 6.

To win the Germans must evacuate at least 50% of their ‘break out’ units from either on the 2 escape roads on the top left of the map by the end of turn 10, but this does not include transports. The Poles must prevent 75% of the German ‘break out’ force escaping to win. Any result between these 2 is a draw. As the Poles have nowhere to retreat to and the Germans are under pressure to break out the normal break point rules do not apply.

The scenario places allot of pressure on the Germans to move quickly, getting into a protracted battle with the Poles is to be avoided, the Germans need a swift breakout.

I’ve broken the Poles up into 3 companies, and assigned some of the allied armor to each company. The German kampfgruppes historically where a mix of all sorts of units including fallschirmjäger, however for ease of play everything is just classified as Heer.

The stragglers group are an eclectic mix of infantry and armored vehicles from various units. Historically most where on foot, but the scenario in the Rapid Fire book calls for them to be mounted to aid a swift escape.

Polish forces.

1CO cv9

1FAO cv8

1 battery 25pdrs

A Company

1 HQ cv8

2 x infantry (regulars)

1 x infantry (regulars, piat upgrade)

1 x mmg

1 mortar

1 x Achilles 17pdr

1 x Sherman 75mm

B Company

1 HQ cv8

2 x infantry (regulars)

1 x infantry (regulars, piat upgrade)

1 x mmg

1 mortar

1 x Sherman 75mm

1 x Sherman Firefly

1 x 6pdr

C Company

1 HQ cv8

3 x infantry (regulars)

1 x infantry (regulars, piat upgrade)

1 x Sherman Firefly

German Forces

HQ CV9

FAO CV8

1 x Nebelwerfers

Kampfgruppe A (arriving turn 1)

1 x HQ CV9

4 x infantry (Heer)

1 x Panther

1 x Pz4

Kampfgruppe B (arriving turn 2)

1 x HQ CV9

4 x infantry (Heer)

1 x Tiger E

1 x Sd Kfz 251/9

Stragglers (arriving turn 4)

1 x HQ 8

1 x Panther

1 x Sd.Kfz 222

1 x Sd Kfz 250/9

6 x Infantry (Heer)

6 x Trucks

SS Kampfgruppe (arriving turn 6)

1 x HQ 9

4 x Infantry (SS)

4 x Sdkfz 250/1

2 x Pz4

Poles deployed on the hill, awaiting the Germans.

New Stugs:

The Battle of Elst.

This scenario is taken from the site of Bob Mackenzie, who publishes allot of WW2 scenarios designed for play with Command Decision. The OOB's however translate to Blitzkrieg Commander with comparative ease as the 2 systems are designed for a similar level of play.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/bob_mackenzie/ 

The background to this particular scenario, as taken from Bob's site, is as follows:

The Market Garden operation is reaching its climax. The British paratroops still have a toe-hold over the upper Rhine at Oosterbeek. XXX Corps is still pushing north and the Germans of Kampfgruppe Knaust at Elst are in the way. The 7th Somerset Light Infantry Battalion and the 1st Worcestershire Infantry Battalion of the 43rd Wessex Division have been tasked to remove the Germans from the town. The Germans have been reinforced by elements of the 10SS Panzer Division including a handful of new Panthers.

At the start of the day both British battalions were still some way from the intended battlefield. Deployment was delayed by the sodden ground, pockets of resistance and German shell fire. It’s raining. At 1600 hrs the attack commences.

An overview of the Battlefield from the British end, the Town of Elst seen towards the end of the table.

The British ready to attack. The Worcestershire Infantry Battalion in the Background and the Somerset Infantry Battalion in the foreground. Each Battalion is supported by a Squadron of the Dragoon Guards.

The German Defenders in Elst. The defenders have 3 Infantry companies with some support units. A SS Panther unit is also present alongside a company of SS infantry.  In reserve is an Panzer company consisting of a single Panzer III unit and a company of STUGs. The arrival of both are triggered  by the British reaching certain points along the road to Elst.

Turns 1-2

The first turn for the British brought mixed success. The Somersets and their Tank support made 2 successful moves towards their objective, whilst the Worcesters could only manage one, the CO attempted to get them moving but failed.

The Germans had an equally uneventful start. A German FAO located in the Church tower in Elst attempted to call in a Nebelwerfer barrage on the left flank of the Worcesters however the rocket fire proved inaccurate and landed off the table. The Panther moved out from behind the woods and opened fire on the Dragoon guards moving towards the town. 2 successful hits where scored but the leading Sherman unit remained unphased. An attempt to order a 2nd round of shooting failed, as did an attempt by the German CO to reissue the order.

The British situation at the end of Turn 1. SS troops await to engage the Worcesters on the left flank.

The 2nd British Turn saw more success. The Dragoon Guards squadron moved up towards the Panther and returned fire. 2 successful rounds of shooting from the squadron saw the Panther destroyed. This left the Germans in a very perilous position, with no anti tank capability left to defend that road until their reinforcements arrived.

The Somersets moved up towards the woods preparing to follow up on the success of the tanks. The Worcesters Managed to get another round of movement underway but their progress was still painfully slow compared to the Somersets.

The 2nd German turn saw them take some revenge. Another Nebelwerfer barrage failed, however the company of SS opened fire with devastating effect on the Worcesters. A 2nd order to open fire resulted in a double one, which meant a further 2 rounds of firing. Thankfully for the British the next order failed, however the battalion had lost 4 units.

German Heer troops in the woods near the town also managed to destroy a unit of the Somersets and suppress another.

The Aftermath of the SS cutting down the Worcesters. That was 6 stands of infantry beforehand!

Turns 3-4

The British 3rd turn saw them regaining control of the situation. First an FAO accompanying the Worcesters managed to call in a barrage from a 25pdr battery on top the SS with devastating accuracy. 2 units ended up suppressed with multiple hits scored on all. Then the Dragoon Guards moved up and opened fire on the SS with their machine guns. One of the suppressed units fell back into the other knocking it out. The other suppressed unit them fled 11cm and was removed. A second successful round of firing caused the 2 renaming units to be destroyed. 

Despite getting their revenge the British had suffered major casualties. Half the Worcesters where effectively destroyed in a single turn and the remaining stands of those two companies took no further significant part in the day’s events. The Somersets now moved further into the woods and where now almost at the outskirts of Elst

Thankfully German 3rd turn brought the arrival of one of their reinforcements, however it was only the Panzer III unit which came in at the top of the map. Nevertheless it was better than nothing and it eagerly took up position by the woods and opened fire on the lead Sherman unit of the Dragoons supporting the Worcesters. Sadly it only scored a single hit, but it was enough to suppress it, which may well buy the Germans precious time.

German infantry opened fire on the Somersets but thanks to being concealed by the woods only a coupe of hits where caused with a single suppression. The Germans had held a company of infantry back by the Church ready to commit wherever things looked bleak and now they moved these into the woods by the Church alongside the troops already there. This offered them a decent field of vision on the advancing British. Some more fire from Heer troops already in the woods scored a couple of meager hits on the Worcesters.

The German defenders at the end of their 3rd turn, hoping they can hold off until the Assault guns arrive.

The British 4th turn saw the remaining 2 tank units of the Dragoons open fire on the Panzer III unit which was destroyed utterly. Thankfully they failed to do anything else. The Worcesters moved up to the edge of the woods and a firefight erupted between them and Germans in the woods opposite. A single German stand was suppressed and few hits scored, the Germans returned opportunity fire but themselves only scored a few hits.

The Somersets again opened fire on the infantry in the town only scoring a couple of hits, the German response was equally dismal. The Shermans failed to do anything and not even the CO could force them to do otherwise.

The German turn 4 was got off to a dismal start when the FAO finally managing to call in another Nebelwerfer onto the Worcesters, however the this deviated right on top of the woods containing their own troops! Thankfully only one stand was covered but it suffered 4 hits. A bit of luck came when an order to open fire on the Somersets resulted in a double one. The 2 rounds of fire suppressed 2 units and scored hits on several others. The remaining German infantry opened fire on the Somersets and caused a few more hits.

Turn 5.

The British now managed to call in their 2nd 25pdr barrage of the game which came in bang on target on the Germans in the woods, hitting 6 stands. Every single one of the stands took at least 2 hits and one even took 5. The Worcesters now managed to get get off 2 successful rounds of firing which they carefully targeted onto the units with the most hits. The managed to remove 4 units of infantry, an absolutely devastating result for the Germans

The Somersets opened fire on the Germans in the town finally removing another stand whilst the Dragoon squadron accompanying the Somersets got its act together and raced towards the town. 2 rounds of shooting removed a further 2 stands of German infantry. The turn finished with the roll of a double 1 for the dragoons resulting a half move back towards their own lines. Not actually a bad result!

Thanks to this devastating turn the Germans where now 2 over their break-point. The Germans started their turn with a roll of a 10, meaning they pulled out and the fight was over.

The situation at the end of the game. Only a few stand of defenders left around the down. A rather overwhelming victory for the British in a battle they historically lost.

Aftermath

The main mistake for the Germans was to throw away the SS troops too quickly. I should probably have recognized the danger from the British Armour and pulled them back rather than sticking around for a 3^rd round of firing. Even though they cause some major damage to the Worcesters they could have been a real game changer later on and sacrificing them was a mistake.

Getting the Panther knocked out early was also disastrous and left one flank with no anti Tank capability, sadly the failure of the Stug Brigade to arrive before the break point was reached put the Germans firmly on the defensive and allowed the Dragoon guards to shoot up the German infantry at the end of the game with impunity.

For the British, even though only 2 artillery strikes were called in, both where extremely important in terms of driving away the troublesome SS and tipping the balance in the firefight with the 1^st and 2^nd infantry companies in the woods near Elst. Whereas the German nerblewerfers suffered some extremely bad luck indeed. Rolling doule dice for deviation means hitting the exact point you want is unlikley.

Anyway this was a very fun, if rather short, game. My thanks to Bob MacKenzie for coming up with the scenario. I assume I don't have to tell you to visit his excellent site.