CoC Anti-Tank Trainer - Game 1

My last post described the terrain for what we described as an anti-tank training game as John wanted more practise in Chain of Command when faced with an enemy with more armour support.  To this end, John's Panzergrenadier platoon was upgraded to elite but had only 5 points of support[1] against the Brits 17 points[2], all of the latter being spent on armour.  The Germans, being elite, started with a force morale of 11, and the British who also rolled well started with a force morale of 10.

The scenario was the 'Flank Attack' and the patrol phase saw the British with all their jump off points (JOPs) up one end of the table where they could exploit the available cover - JOPs are denoted by the white star markers in the photo below.

The Germans, who, as the defenders in this scenario, were heavily constrained by having far fewer patrols than the British ended up with all their patrol markers in their defended corner - see below (one, not marked, is inside the church, at the back up against the middle window).

The Germans then deployed a minefield blocking the exit from the Derelict Farm (see previous post for building names) which I had been planning to use to give my tanks some cover.

In this scenario the attackers, the Brits, go first and I started by bringing on some armoured recce, a Stuart, on the road half-way down the long side of the table facing Station Row Cottages (the meaning of the yellow arrow will be explained later).

  And, in close-up.

The Germans as typically for defenders did not deploy any of their forces saving them for when there were some juicy targets to engage.  My intent was to threaten their JOPs with the Stuart and force them to deploy some anti-tank weapons which I could then target to make it safer for my Shermans to come on.

I then promptly forgot the plan and brought on both Shermans in my next phase; one following up behind the Stuart (the hedge by the tanks marks the edge of the battlefield but I haven't cropped it as I think it looks better left in) ...

... and the other on the road running alongside the Derelict Farm; both were placed on overwatch.

Surprisingly, this rash move didn't trigger an immediate German response, so in my next phase I deployed two infantry sections; one in the Derelict Barn and the other in the Derelict Farmhouse (a 2" mortar team was at the same time deployed in the farmyard).

As you can see from the photo above, I don't actually put figures in buildings, but on a full-size floorplan (one for each floor) which is left off-table[3].  These troops were placed on overwatch but the markers are placed on the table next to buildings.

With all but my last section, and redundant PIAT team, committed, and with John rolling two 6's for a double phase, he decided it was time to act.  First, he brought on a section round the far side of the church safely out of the line of fire of my tanks.   

On a more threatening note, the first of John's two Panzerschreck teams deployed by Station Row Cottages (at the location marked by the yellow arrow in the earlier photo of the Stuart being deployed).

The Panzerschreck team were just out of the overwatch arc of the Sherman accompanying the Stuart.  So, safe from any retaliation, as unlike the Shermans the Stuart wasn't on overwatch, they fired at, and hit, the Stuart.  The Stuart survived, just, but suffered two shock[4] and the driver was killed (two activations being required for another crewman to take over his position).

John then rolled the command dice for his next consecutive phase and got three 6's, which meant another consecutive phase the end of the turn after this currnet phase which would mean my Shermans would come off overwatch!  In this phase John, safe in the knowledge the next phase would also be his, advanced the section behind the church to threaten my exposed JOPs in the orchard.  The Panzerschreck team was also able to fire again and hit the Stuart with another rocket which this time proved fatal.

In the same phase the Panzergrenadier section continued its advance against my leftmost JOP in the orchard, crossing the hedge and entering the field containing the orchard.  This did expose them to my fire from my Bren team on overwatch on the first floor of the Derelict Farmhouse, which needing 6's to hit elite troops at effective range, did nothing.

In his next phase, his third consecutive phase, the Panzerschreck team fired their last rocket at the Sherman by the burning Stuart but missed!  They were now out of ammunition and unless they managed to resupply from a JOP no longer posed a clear and present danger.

Also, at this time the Panzergrenadier section continued its advance towards my leftmost JOP in the orchard - sorry no photo.

At last it was my phase.  I had lots to deal with but my command dice limited my options.  I opted to deploy my last section, led by my platoon sergeant (senior leader), in the edge of the orchard to catch the advancing Panzergrenadiers in the open at close range.  And punish them they did inflicting two kills and one shock[5].

In the next, German, phase the Panzergrenadiers opted to rally off their shock and return fire.  But, thanks to some fickle dice and the light cover provided by the orchard the impressive firepower of their two MG42 teams only managed to inflict four points of shock.

The next British phase saw more punishment meted out to the Panzergrenadiers caught in the open.  The senior and junior leaders, with the British section in the orchard, rallied off all the shock before they fired again, this time killing two more men and wounding the junior leader. 

Also, in this phase the Sherman fired at the Panzerschreck team that had just fired their last rocket at it, but only managed to inflict two shock.

In their next phase the Germans deployed their second Panzerschreck team in an entrenchment by the churchyard.

They promptly engaged the Sherman by the Derelict Farm and hit it, but failed to knock it out.  However, the hit did render the Sherman's main armament inoperative for the rest of the game; a real blow as I was relying on my tanks' H.E. capability to offset the difficulty of hitting elite troops with small-arms fire (owing to their superior ability to exploit the ground).

The Panzergrenadiers caught in the field by the orchard again elected to stick it out and persist with the firefight.  And again, their hits mainly inflicted shock, albeit only three this time and with one kill.

 

The British content with the way the firefights were going pressed on, the infantry continuing to punish the Panzergrenadiers in the open while the tanks and other infantry sections tried to eliminate the latest Panzerschreck team that had appeared.  The former was successful pinning the shrinking Panzergrenadier section, but the latter failed badly. Luckily, in the next German phase the Panzerschreck missed and the junior leader with the Panzergrenadiers was reduced to rallying off just one shock from his pinned section.

In the photo above, the smoke behind them was part of an effort by the British prevent any help for the pinned section coming from inside the church as another German section that had deployed earlier into the churchyard was not able to do so and was already taking fire.

In the next phase the second Panzerschreck team fired and missed and was, like the first team now out of ammunition.  The first team had by this time reached a JOP point, but on attempting to resupply rolled a '2'; no ammunition available.  However, they were close enough to have a point of shock removed by the late arriving senior leader, his other command initiative being to remove shock off the section around the front of the church.  

The following British phase saw a hatful of 6's thrown to wipe out the what was left of the Panzergrenadier section in the field.

Other firing pinned the first Panzerschreck team by the JOP, and inflicted more kills and shock on the section in front of the church.  In return the Germans could achieve little other removing shock.

The next British phase was the clincher, three 6's on the command dice to end the turn after the phase.  This was exploited by piling some more shock on the first Panzerfaust team which was enough to break them (two or more shock per figure) and see them rout off the table at the end of turn.

The British command dice for their second consecutive phase rolled another two 6's, meaning yet a further consecutive phase after this one.  At this point John acknowledged the hopelessness of his position and conceded with a view to having time to play another game again before going to the pub.

A quick post-mortem noted John's bad luck with his Panzerschrecks, but the targeting of the Stuart rather than the Sherman early in the game was a mistake.  Also, the probe to threaten my JOPs with his Panzergrenadier section, while effective in forcing me to commit what troops I had left in reserve, should have been abandoned as soon as that objective was achieved.  It was possible for his section to win the resulting firefight but with my men in light cover offsetting his elite advantage plus a senior leader to help rally off shock and occasional supporting fire from other British units able to engage him in the field, the odds were against him.    

For the second game, we decided to swap sides and to save time play a repeat of the battle with the same JOPs.

To be continued...

Notes:

[1.]  With their 5 support points the Germans opted for, an adjutant, a minefield, an entrenchment for one team, and a Panzerschreck team. 

[2.]  The British with their 17 support points opted for two M4 Shermans and an M5 Stuart.

[3.]  My buildings don't have detachable roofs and anyway, troops in them can't really be seen. 

[4.]  The brown dust (shock) markers, that actually look like small brown bushes.

[5.]  In this photo, there is a full section of Panzergrenadiers but one crouching figure is obscured by the hedge.  As I only have a limited number of dead figures it should be noted that sometimes dead from previous phases are pinched to be used elsewhere.  Hence, sometimes the number of dead and alive doesn't always add up to the starting strength of a unit.

CoC Anti-Tank Trainer Scenario

John is coming round for another Chain of Command (CoC) game, probably our swan song with version 1 as version 2 is due for release at Partizan later this month.  Because we don't want to start another campaign until we have the new rules this one's going to be an anti-tank refresher.  We're using the Flank March scenario as we haven't played that one.  John will have a Panzer Grenadier platoon and 7 points of support to try and hold off my British infantry platoon with 19 points!  As the object of the game is to get more practise in how to cope when only one side has tank support, the brits may only spend their support points on AFVs and the Germans may not spend them on any AFVs with an anti-tank capability.

I have just set up the terrain in the cabin as shown below: 

The Germans will be defending the corner containing the church and the British will be entering from either, or both,of the opposite table sides (the top and righthand sides in the above).

In the next view, from the attacker's (British) perspective it can be seen they have good cover approaching from the left, but limited access for their armour.  The direct approach has room to manoeuvre but little or no cover.

The next two photos show the terrain from the narrow table sides, the first showing the second approach route for the Brits.

And, finally from the German perspective.

Conington Contraband

[Pre-Cabinette Archives c.2014!]

The shocking age of this article explains the appalling photographs and the rather basic terrain on show with chalk roads and outlines to the woods.

This Table-top Teaser was designed give my new scratch-built houses a baptism of fire under Brig. Young’s CHARGE! rules.  It was also an experiment on adding in the roll-of-shot stick and templates for canister and howitzer shells from C S Grant’s ‘The Wargame’. 

The Scenario: involves a government force dispatched by the Elector to locate and seize contraband defended by a rebel militia supported by a small expeditionary force from a foreign, ‘francophone’, power.  Spies in the service of the Elector have reported that the rebel war-chest and records have been moved to Conington; their capture would deny the rebellion badly needed funds and provide the Electoral forces with an intelligence wind-fall.  Scouting patrols indicate the location is not well guarded and a rapid strike by a small force could get in and out before the main rebel army could respond.   To this end the Elector commanded Oberst Franz Schmidt to take a brigade of infantry, with attached cavalry and artillery, and seize any, and all, contraband in Conington, but with strict orders to return to camp before nightfall (i.e. a time limit of 15 moves within which to find the contraband – the return march is not played).  The contraband is in Conington but its precise location is unknown, therefore each house must be entered and searched.   To search a house, after any enemy have been ejected, requires 4 figures and takes a full turn.  A D6 is thrown to determine if the contraband is found; a ’6’ is required for success in the first house searched and the score reduces by one for each subsequent house searched (a house can only be searched once).  Because there are only five houses in Conington (see map below) there is a small chance that it will never be found; in which case, it was either never there or was conveyed to safety by the rebels.   

Oberst Schmidt’s brigade (organised for CHARGE!) can deploy anywhere within the area marked ‘A’ on the map (8x5 ft) and takes the first move and consists of:

• 4 Coy.s Arberg Inf. Regt. (80 fig.s)
• 4 Coy.s Diesbach Inf. Regt. (80 fig.s)
• 2 Sqn.s Hohenzollern Dragoons (20 fig.s)
• 1 Artillery btty, (2 x 6 pdrs; 1 x 5” howitzer)

The rebel force, under Chevalier Pierre Réverie, may deploy anywhere in or north of the southernmost woods and consists of:

• 2 Coy.s of Rebel Militia (33 fig.s)
• 2 Coy.s of French Militia (33 fig.s)
• 2 Coy.s Grassins Light Inf. (33 fig.s)
• ½ Sqn. Fischer Chasseurs Cav. (5 fig.s)
• 1 Foreign Cannon (6 pdr)

The rebel force is actually weaker than the Electoral forces believe as one of the foot companies only exists in their imagination.  The rebel player secretly determines which company is only a decoy by rolling a D6: 1= Rebel Militia; 2-3 = French Militia; 4-6 = Grassins.   The decoy unit is deployed like any other but is removed once it would be visible to Electoral troops. 

Special rules: the rebel militia are allowed to skirmish like light troops but at half effect, i.e. only every second figure can fire.  Also, on each turn the rebels throw a D6 and if a ‘6’ is rolled any dead rebel militia figures may enter as a new unit through one of the zones labelled ‘X’ on the map.  To re-enter the militia casualties must include an officer or NCO to lead them.

The Game: started with rebel militia occupying the farmhouse at Dawes Lot and the wood immediately south of it (1 on map) while the wood to the north held a Grassins company (2).  The Fischer chasseurs waited further north (3) with the Grassins in the wood behind them (4).  The Chevalier posted the French militia companies in the town of Conington (no doubt to show off my new houses)...

...and set up his artillery piece to fire down the road approaching Conington (5).

The Chevalier's deployment was bold, but risky, as the Grassins in the wood by Prescott House (2) were only a decoy leaving the approach through woods to west of the Conington road unguarded.  However, the gamble paid off as the Electoral forces massed their forces along the road and against the militia in and around Dawes Lot (see photo, NB: house shell has been placed alongside the internal ruins to show the garrison within).  

To cut, what could be, a very long story short, the Electoral forces after taking Dawes Lot realised advancing on such a narrow front would take too long. Instead, orders were issued to advance on a wide front through woods on both sides of the road to exploit their superior numbers and swamp the defenders.  

In the preceding photo, the furthest wood on the left can now be seen to be occupied by local militia.  The approach on a wide front by Herr Oberst's men meant that they had clocked that the rumour of Grassins in the that wood was just that, a rumour, as the figures were removed.  The rebels were then lucky enough to roll a '6' and 'resurrect' the militia lost at Dawes Lot to oppose this line of approach.  

The change in approach by the Electoral troops proved the turning point as each line of defence was overwhelmed in turn.  Despite this, time was running short when the Electoral troops reached Conington and started storming the houses in search of contraband.  As the fifteenth move arrived a fourth house had just been seized but the church remained untaken (again house 'shells' have been placed next to their internal 'ruin' in the photo).  

Then, as the recall was sounded, Schmidt heaved a sigh of relief as the last house search ‘located’ the contraband.  Success had been snatched from the jaws of failure and the lack of progress in the early turns would go unnoticed in the warm glow of victory.

The game turned out to be a nail-biter and the houses proved functional and looked the part.  The artillery experiment was not a success, as we both found the devices too unwieldy despite the entertainment afforded by a randomised howitzer shell landing on friendly troops.  

PS: I never took any photos of the round shot bounce stick during the game, but it can be seen in the final photo of an earlier post entitled 'Tool Time'.  It is the stick at the top of the photo and alongside it can be seen the die with faces coloured to match the white, yellow and green bounce zones that determines where casualties will be inflicted.