In game two fortunes were reversed when one of Peter’s platoons Truscott Trotted into the face of an ambushing Rifle/MG platoon. They were decimated by the incoming fire. From there he had little chance to recover and the game went my way. We gain a skill having achieved 5 Infantry Aces points each. I think I’ll go the leadership route.

I’ve started constructing my fortifications. Here the list I’m planning to use next (built using the excellent Easy Army) -

Owen

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Owen

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GAME 2: AFTER ACTION REPORT
Dog and Fox companies had successfully stalled the German advance as they strategically withdrew earlier. This gave Easy time to detach some Bazooka teams for form an ambuscade and prepare a PIR platoon in an ambushing position.
SETUP
For game two the 4′ x 6′ board represented further along Route d’Auvers, closer to Carentan. The road ran lengthwise and was surrounded by hedgerows and fields. Much of the American force was either held in reserve, or was preparing an ambush. The forces that were deployed were dug in in prepared positions and were keeping their heads down. The Germans would enter from the south and attempt to seize key objectives before the American reserves could react. This game was set at about 1500pts with Paul playing an armour supported German Fallschirmjager force and me playing American paratroopers, with some Shermans in reserve.

The German force consisted of -

• Fallschirmjager Company HQ (2 SMG Teams) supported by 2 Panzerfausts and a Mortar Detachment
• Fallschirmjager Platoon with three Rifle/MG squads and a HQ with Panzerfaust
• Fallschirmjager Platoon with three Rifle/MG squads and a HQ with Panzerfaust
• Fallschirmjager Mortar Platoon with four 10.5cm NbW35 and HQ
• Panzergrenadier Platoon with three squads and a HQ with Panzerfaust
• Panzer Platoon with five Panzer IVh tanks (including HQ)
• Assault Gun Platoon with three StuG III G tanks (including HQ)

A combination of elite troops supported by hard hitting and heavily armoured tanks. Given that all of the German force could deploy and did not rely on fickle reserves they presented quite a formidable challenge to the few American paratroopers that would actually start the game deployed on the battlefield.

My paratrooper force consisted of -

• PIR Company Command Carbine Team and 2iC Command Carbine Team with three HQ Bazooka Teams (detached as Ambuscade) and Sniper (held in Ambush)
• PIR Platoon with three Squads (Cmd R/MG, 6x R/MG, 1x 60mm Mort, 1x Bazooka)
• PIR Platoon with three Squads (Cmd R/MG, 6x R/MG, 1x 60mm Mort, 1x Bazooka) (in Reserve)
• PIR Platoon with three Squads (Cmd R/MG, 6x R/MG, 1x 60mm Mort, 1x Bazooka) (held in Ambush)
• PIR Mortar Platoon with two Sections (Cmd/Crb, 4x 81mm Mort, 1x Bazooka) (in Reserve)
• PIR Field Artillery Battery with two Sections (Cmd/Crb, Staff, Obs/Crb, 4x 75mm PH)
• Medium Tank Platoon with four Sherman Tanks (2nd Armoured Division) (in Reserve)

The Germans deployed towards the southern end of the road with the Panzers on the (American) right flank and the StuGs on the left. Each was supported by a platoon of Fallschirmjager. Paul detached several Panzerfausts into an infantry-based tank hunting platoon and deployed them in the middle beside the mortar platoon.

The Americans were mostly in reserve or held in ambush. Only a single PIR platoon and the Howitzers were visible on the battlefield. The PIR platoon was on the left flank with the artillery behind them. The infantry held one of the two objectives, with the other further back in their deployment area (I had plans that my ambushing PIR platoon and reserves that came on would protect it). With most of my army off the battlefield I felt seriously undermanned. All I could hope for was that my reserves would arrive early and the Bazooka ambuscade could stall some of the German armour.

THE BATTLE
I videoed the game took loads of photos. Here’s a turn-by-turn video combining the footage and photos -

AFTERMATH
The American paratroopers looked to be in real trouble for most of the battle. Their artillery and tanks were mostly ineffective against the German armour. The ambuscade bailed out two Panzers, but that platoon soon got moving. Paul’s decision to mount the Fallschirmjager on the tanks proved costly. He lost a platoon before they could even get into the battle on the left flank. The StuGs more than made up for this loss as they nearly rolled the whole flank.

The timely arrival of all of my reserves helped me to plan the battle. The Shermans were intended to repel the Panzers and looked like they ere doing a terrible job of it until the last turn. With three active tanks (one was bailed-out) I scored three hits, bailing one Panzer and destroying two. This was the turning point as the other platoons went on the offensive. The PIR that had appeared in ambush assaulted the second Fallschirmjager platoon and another assaulted the ad-hoc Panzerfaust platoon. This was enough for the German morale to be tested and again Paul’s dice failed him.

It was a fun game, but I think had Paul been more aggressive with his armour he could have overwhelmed my forces as the reserves were still arriving.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS

Standard disclaimer – I am not a historian and I do not claim that everything written in this article is factually accurate, although I strove to ensure that it is. The battle report is fictitious and does not represent the events of the 13th June 1944.

Owen

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2. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 2 This is a 1250pt battle report for the second game...
3. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 1 This is a 1000pt battle report for the first game...

With the addition of these platoons my German army is starting to get quite large. I can now field a full company of Gepanzerte Panzergrenadiers (armoured, mounted grenadiers)! These Panzergrenadiers are transported to battle by their (lightly) armoured and MG armed 250s. I’ve written a painting guide for these before, so I won’t bore you by repeating it here.

Owen

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3. Flames of War – Battle of Bloody Gulch (Game 2) On the 12th June 1944 (D-Day +6) the 101st Airborne...

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Anyway, they’re very easy to paint – I sprayed them with Army Painter Green, base coated them in Vallejo Russian Uniform, highlighted with a small amount of Bleached Bone added, painted the tracks with Boltgun Metal, and then picked out the other details with browns and beiges. I used Army Painters Dark Shade as a paint on dip, applied the decals and then sprayed them with the Army Painter Matt Varnish spray. That sounds like a lot of work, but when you’re painting 6 tanks at once you fly through the steps. Here’s a close up –

I’ve also been adding to my Late War German army. More on that later.

Owen

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Here’s my Warhammer tournament check list -

1. Army (Miniatures, Movement Trays)
2. Dice (D6s, Scatter, Artillery, Turn Counter)
3. Templates (Flame and two Artillery)
4. Measuring Tape (or two)
5. Army list (At least two copies, but I prefer four; one per game and one for organisers)
6. Rulebooks and Paperwork (Army Book, Rulebook, Rulepack and Ticket)
7. Army Case (Case, foam trays and covers)
8. Tray (for moving the army between games)
9. Pen/Pencil and Spare Paper
10. Super Glue
11. Special Army Counters (e.g. Wood Elves Forest, Spell Markers, Tunnelling Team Markers, etc.)
12. Calculator

For Warmachine and Hordes I add the following -

13. Unit cards and card sleeves
14. Drywipe pen
15. Focus and Fury counters

I also bring paracetamol and loads of water as they are long intense days, so some emergency supplies may be needed!

Owen

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The image right represents a very simplified view of a heavily forested battlefield. It has a track running through the centre of the forest and a fire break running through one part of the forest. Forest Verge and Deep Forest are represented by the lighter and darker green respectively.

The following rules assume that the majority (75%+) of the battlefield is covered in forest of varying density. The remainder of the battlefield is made up of fire breaks (man made clearings to prevent the spread of fire), tracks (mud tracks used for moving through the forest), streams and small clearings.

The forest is the most important feature and is made up of two different types of wooded area – deep forest and forest verge. The verge is very dense as natural sunlight can penetrate to the forest floor allowing many species of plants to grow. The deep forest has less ground cover than the verge, but the almost impenetrable canopy allows very little light to reach the forest floor causing highly variable visibility.

The tracks and fire breaks through the forest are highly dangerous areas to be in. The will usually be heavily rutted, either muddy or covered in felled trees/fresh growth, and quite difficult to navigate. The coordinates of critical points may also be known to artillery covering the area. Streams will attract a lot of vegetation and will be also very difficult to cross.

TERRAIN RULES

Deep Forest The deep forest presents a challenge to all troop types. It’s variable light and varying density means that even within a small area the fighting conditions vary wildly. It is treated as Difficult Going (i.e. Bog Down on a roll of a 1) for fully tracked vehicles, who must re-roll successful Bogged Down tests to free the vehicle (to represent that getting stuck in a forest is difficult to get out of). Deep Forest is Impassable to other vehicles. Additionally, Deep forest has rules that are very similar to the Night Fighting rules (P.154). All Night Fighting rules are observed in deep forest with the Night Visibility table changed to -

DEEP FOREST VISIBILITY
1	4″/10cm
2	6″/10cm
3	8″/10cm
4	10″/10cm
5	12″/10cm
6	16″/10cm

Forest Verge The verge is treated like Forest terrain as described in the Flames of War Rulebook with the following modifications. Visibility is limited to 4″ in and out of the Forest Verge. It is also treated as Very Difficult Going (i.e. Skill Test to avoid Bogging Down) for fully tracked vehicles. As with the Deep Forest, once Bogged Down it is hard to get going again, so successful Bogged Down tests to free the vehicle must be re-rolled. Forest Verge is Impassable to other vehicles. Additionally, Infantry and Man-packed Guns treat the Forest Verge as Difficult Going. If they fail the test (on the roll of a 1), they do not become Bogged Down, but stop immediately or just before they enter the verge. This represents them being unable to find a way through the dense foliage.

Forest Tracks Tracks through a forest tend to be heavily rutted from overuse. They count as Difficult Going for fully tracked and half-tracked vehicles. It counts as Very Difficult Going for all other vehicles, but they are able to enter it if desired.

Fire Breaks Fire breaks follow the same movement rules as Forest Tracks, but also provide Concealment to Infantry and Man-packed Guns (even if they moved).

Forest Streams Forest Streams count as Very Difficult Going for full tracked vehicles and Impassable for all other vehicles. As with the Forest Verge, once Bogged Down it is hard to get going again, so successful Bogged Down tests to free the vehicle must be re-rolled. Additionally, Infantry and Man-packed Guns treat the crossing of a Forest Stream as Difficult Going. If they fail the test (on the roll of a 1), they do not become Bogged Down, but stop immediately and do not cross the river. This represents them being unable to find a safe way across.

FOREST ARTILLERY RULES

Tree bursts, were the artillery round is timed to detonate above the ground thus causing thousands of tree splinters to shower their target, are a significant danger when fighting in forested areas. In order to represent this all unarmoured targets (including Infantry, Guns, Unarmoured Vehicles, etc.) subtract 1 from their save roll when hit by a Bombardment in either Deep Forest or Forest Verge terrain. This only applies if the target is not Dug In (P.81).

Additionally, any Observer Team spotting for an artillery platoon may do so to any enemy team within 16″, even within the forest. However, if they do not have line of sight to that enemy (either because of the variable visibility of the Deep Forest or the limited visibility of the Forest Verge) there is an additional +1 modifier to range in. This represents them speculatively calling in artillery bombardments based on the slightest movement or sound.

There are more scenario specific rules for artillery fire coming from troops defending a forest below.

DEFENDING IN A FOREST

It is assumed that defenders in a forest have had sufficient time to calculate the coordinates of crucial areas in the forest and clear a field of fire for their weapons. In order to represent Clear Field of Fire this Mortar and Gun teams may fire bombardments even if within Deep Forest or Forest Verge. However, any enemy within 8″ of them may see them clearly regardless of the Deep Forest Visibility or limited visibility in Forest Verge. However, any artillery platoon may also be deployed ‘Across the Volga’ (P.225 of the Flames Of War rulebook).

Additionally, the defending force may add up to four Pre-ranged Markers to their army list. These cost 15, 25 or 40 points for (predominantly) Conscript, Trained and Veteran forces respectively. Each pre-ranged marker must be placed on the battlefield during the defenders deployment. These markers may not be placed within Deep Forest or Forest Verge terrain. During the game a defending artillery platoon may bombard any one marker providing any platoon commander unit (from any platoon) can draw line of sight to it. No artillery platoon may use the All Guns Repeat! rule to repeat the bombardment on a marker and must Range In again in subsequent turns if they wish to hit the same marker again (provided there is still a friendly platoon commander unit with line of sight).

ATTACKING AN ENEMY IN A FOREST

Attacking a defended forest is a challenging prospect. There are no additional rules that benefit attackers explicitly, but adjusting the relative ratings of the different forces and altering the army sizes (in the attackers favour) may help offset the defender’s bonuses. Also, any attacker artillery platoon may be deployed ‘Across the Volga’ (P.225), but again to reflect the difficulty of targeting an enemy in forests they suffer an additional +1 modifier to the Ranging In roll when try to hit a target in either Deep Forest or Forest Verge terrain.

Owen

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Hürtgen Forest (517th PRCT)

The Americans had greater numbers, more armour, better mobility and almost total air superiority [2] than the German defenders, but all of these advantages were negated by the impenetrable forest. The infantry were channelled into MG covered and mortar zeroed fire breaks as moving through the steep gradient forest was impossible at times; the tanks and half-tracks were restricted to the few tracks that existed and quickly became bogged down or fell victim to the Panzerfausts; and the P47s could not spot the enemy through the fog and canopy of trees. All of these elements coupled with the well trained and organised defenders gave the forest a formidable reputation amongst the Allied troops. The early battles did not go well for the Americans [5].

The strategic importance of the area only became apparent to the Allies after they were already embroiled in this most difficult of fights. Several dams, the largest of which is the Schwammenauel Dam, lay within the forest. The German forces sought to retain control these dams as, if necessary, they could take the extreme measure of opening them. This would flood the area downstream swamping any advancing Allied forces and severely hampering their movement towards the Rhine. The Ardennes Offensive (The Battle of the Bulge) in December 1944 severely delayed the taking of the Hürtgen Forest and it wasn’t until late February of 1945, just prior to the Rhine Crossings that it was under Allied control.

CAMPAIGN BACKGROUND
This Flames of War campaign is set on the 5-7 February 1945 just southeast of the village of Bergstein. Operation GRENADE, Montegomery’s 21st Army’s push across the Rhine, was about to kick off and it was imperative that the Schwammenauel Dam was secured in order to prevent the area downstream being flooded.

After dark on the 5th February the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team were tasked with advancing towards the dam from the direction of Bergstein [4]. Almost immediately they found them selves in a bad situation. They were in the middle of an artillery zeroed minefield trying to advance towards an enemy they couldn’t see. The attack was abandoned and the following the morning the Engineers from the 596th began clearing the minefields. They were under almost continuous fire for 36 hours, but somehow managed to clear a path through the minefields. On the 7th February, with diversionary attacks mounted by other American forces in the area the 517th resumed their attack.

The Flames of War campaign I am writing (and will hopefully post soon) represents the difficult conditions (dense forest, no air cover, heavily fortified enemy, minefield, concertina wire, etc.) these men fought under in trying to secure dams in the Hürtgen Forest.

REFERENCES

1. MacDonald, C., B., The Siegfried Line Campaign, Center of Military History, United States Army, p323, 1990. (Available Online)
2. The Battle of Hürtgen Forest, Wikipedia. (Available Online)
3. Gavin, J., M., Bloody Huertgen: The Battle The Should Never Have Been Fought, American Heritage, December 1979,
   Volume 31/Number 1, pp32-44, 1979. (Available Online)
4. Archer, C., L., Paratroopers’ Odyssey – A History of the 517th Parachute Combat Team, Chapter VII: Nightmare and Dawn, 1985. (Available Online)
5. Wargaming Hürtgen Forest (Available Online)

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3. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Photographs [Overview | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3...

The first one represents a Command Post that I modelled myself and the next two are Battlefront ones that came in different army boxed sets (representing destroyed Tiger and Cromwell tanks). Really simple stuff, but they look very effective on the tabletop.

Owen

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BACKGROUND
The loss of Carentan on the 12th June was a heavy blow to the German chances of repelling the the Allied forces as it provided a vital link between two of the main invasion beaches. On the 13th June the resupplied 6th Fallschirmjager Regiment linked up with elements of the 17th SS Panzerdivision, including some Panzer IV H tanks in order to retake the town. At the same time the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne were in entrenched positions to the southwest of Carentan, having extended their defensive perimeter around the town while they awaited support from the 2nd Armoured Division. At dawn on the 13th the German forces were ready to counterattack and moved from the southwest.

Figure 1 [1] – Battle for Carentan

CAMPAIGN
This two game campaign represents the events of the 13th June, with the first battle representing the overwhelming German forces clashing with Dog and Fox companies from the 501st PIR and the second game representing their advance towards Carentan being resisted by Easy company. The Germans are attempting to breakthrough the dug in paratroopers to retake Carentan and the Allies are attempting to repel this assault and hold the town. Game 1 is a Fighting Withdrawal (P.205) with some modifications. The outcome of this battle determines how prepared the Americans are to fight the German advance in Game 2.

Game 1 is a Fighting Withdrawal (P.205), but uses the map from Hold The Line (P.204). This represents the German advances being hemmed in by bocage hedges (players may use the Boacage Special Rules in both games) and the fact that they were using Route d’Auvers (shown in this Satellite Image) for their advance. There are a couple of minor changes to the scenario. The Defensive Battle special rule is not used as the Germans are always the attackers; The Ambush and Prepared Position special rules is not used as the German forces caught the defenders off balance, having just left their overnight entrenched positions in order to push out the defensive perimeter. Otherwise the battle is fought as described in the Flames of War rulebook. In brief, this means the defending American force must place three objectives and incrementally withdraw their forces and remove objectives. While doing so they must not allow the objectives to fall to the attacking German forces. Effectively an American win would hinder and slow the German advance, giving time for Easy Company to bolster their defensive positions. A German win would leave Easy unprepared and in real danger of being overrun.

Two key aspects of Game 2 are determined by the outcome of game 1: the timing of the Reserves and the American’s capability to mount an anti-armour Ambuscade. Game 2 is a Hold the Line battle as described on P.204 of the rulebook. Again the Defensive Battle special rule is not used, with the German forces being the attacking force. If the Americans lost the first game the Reserves special rule become the Delayed Reserves special rule. If the Germans lost the first game the American player may detach up to three bazooka teams from any platoons and form them into a new platoon (that does not count in any way towards the total number of platoons or the number of platoons destroyed). This new platoon may be deployed using the Ambuscade special rule. Regardless of the winner of game 1, the American player must hold all tank platoons in reserve.

The overall outcome of the campaign is determined by the outcome of game 2, i.e. an American win in this game results in them winning the campaign whether they won game 1 or not.

GAME 1: AFTER ACTION REPORT
SETUP
For game one we set out a 4′ x 6′ board with Route d’Auvers running lengthwise surrounded by hedgerows and fields (see Photo 1, right). The American forces had hastily chosen positions and whilst ready for the German attack had not the time to properly prepare their positions or organise ambushes. The Germans would enter from one end and attempt to seize key objectives and disrupt the American withdrawal. Recognising that they had little chance of defeating the German armour unsupported the Screaming Eagles would have to try to delay them so that their own tanks would have a chance to engage (in Game 2). This game was set at about 1250pts with Paul playing an armour supported German Fallschirmjager force and me playing American paratroopers.

The German force consisted of -

• Fallschirmjager Company HQ (2 SMG Teams) supported by 2 Panzerfausts and a Mortar Detachment
• Fallschirmjager Platoon with three Rifle/MG squads and a HQ with Panzerfaust
• Fallschirmjager MG Platoon with four MG42 teams and a HQ with Panzerknacker
• Fallschirmjager Mortar Platoon with two 10.cm NbW35 and HQ
• Panzergrenadier Platoon with three squads and a HQ with Panzerfaust
• Panzer Platoon with three Panzer IVh tanks (including HQ)

At first glance it is not a very mobile force, but considering the bocage terrain, where tanks can easily bog down, the infantry have an advantage. The MG and Mortar platoons can concentrate on keeping the American’s pinned down while the Fallschirmjager and Panzergrenadier platoons advance under their fire. If the tanks can advance freely they have the potential to rout the American force all by themselves!

My paratrooper force consisted of -

• PIR Company Command Carbine Team and 2iC Command Carbine Team with three HQ Bazooka Teams
• PIR Platoon with three Squads (Cmd R/MG, 9x R/MG, 1x 60mm Mort, 1x Bazooka)
• PIR Platoon with three Squads (Cmd R/MG, 9x R/MG, 1x 60mm Mort, 1x Bazooka)
• PIR MG Platoon with two Sections (Cmd/Crb, 8x LMG)
• PIR Mortar Platoon with two Sections (Cmd/Crb, 4x 81mm Mort)
• PIR Field Artillery Battery with two Sections (Cmd/Crb, Staff, Obs/Crb, 4x 75mm PH)

The Germans deployed towards the southern end of the road with this view (Photo 2, left). The MG Platoon was positioned between the two hills (see Photo 1, above), but otherwise Paul concentrated the bulk of his force behind the tanks on the road. It looked like Paul’s plan would be to storm up the road with the tanks shielding the troops behind.

The Americans were more spread out, with the PIR platoons positioned ahead of the rest of their force. One was in a wheat field and the other was close to the road hidden in hedgerows. Just behind and between them in a well protected field was the MG platoon. These were in turn backed up by the mortars who were in a strong defensive position behind a stone wall. The man packed 75mm howitzer artillery was at the back of the field with their observer holed up with the PIR platoon in the wheat field. The Company HQ and their bazooka teams joined the platoon near the road (See Photo 3, right; Note: the Germans in the top left of the shot had not deployed yet). The three objectives they were defending may be seen near the rightmost field in this photo. All the Americans could do now was hunker down and wait for the distinctive sound of the enemy Panzers.

THE BATTLE

The Panzers initially moved up the middle of the road with the remainder of the force following behind. The tanks advanced tentatively while the Fallschirmjager MG platoon moved up towards the long hedgerow in front of the hills (see Photo 4, left). The Paratroopers holed up in the nearby field immediately stormed forwards to defend the hedgerow in an attempt to slow the advancing MG platoon and act as a diversion to the tanks. Their gambit was successful as the German MG platoon halted and opened fire which proved mostly ineffective due to the cover offered by the hedge. The Panzers indeed swung off the road towards these paratroopers and opened fire with their MGs wiping out three teams. The bazooka team returned fire ineffectively and then Americans managed to withdraw in good order, their feint having been successful.

On the German right flank the Panzergrenadiers moved up towards the large concentration of paratroopers concealed behind the hedges near the road. They advanced under American fire that caused few losses and they sized the opportunity to assault the hedgerow. The American defensive fire was poor and the Panzergrenadiers pushed the defenders back from their position (see Photo 5, right). The Americans counter assaulted and almost eliminated the German platoon, but the bloody exchange caused both to fall back. With the Fallschirmjager infantry and mortar platoons marching up the road the Americans moved into a position closer to the objective. This American flank was looking decidedly weak.

Meanwhile the Panzers continued to advance slowly between the orchard and the wheat field. The artillery observer (who had remained in the wheat field when the platoon moved out) called in a strike from the 75mm howitzers onto the tanks. This rattled the crew of one tank who bailed out. They regained their nerve quickly and remounted their vehicle. The PIR MG Platoon in the next field soon saw the three Panzer IVs appear in front of them. They had been preparing to withdraw, but with two objectives threatened they decided to stay and the mortar platoon behind them withdrew instead. One of these objectives was also removed (the damaged Tiger in Photo 6, left) leaving one guarded by the MG platoon (behind this field) and one by the weakened PIR platoon and HQ.

Realising that the Americans were withdrawing rapidly the Fallschirmjager infantry and MG platoon advanced at the double up the road and came under intense fire from the 75mm howitzers. This barrage mauled and stunned the Germans, causing their advance to stall. The severely weakened American paratrooper platoon in front of them was ordered to withdraw leaving only the Company HQ to hold the objective. The Germans did not regain their strength on this flank and the HQ and artillery were able to successfully withdraw and as the objective was removed.

On the German left flank two of the tanks faltered as they attempted to move into the field, but the MG platoon fell back rapidly none-the-less. They had nothing that could dent such formidable armour. As the German MG Platoon, who had now joined the Panzers, caught the Americans they managed to destroy two teams. The remaining teams, however, put up a valiant resistance. Their fight was hopeless, but it bought the time necessary to withdraw the nearby objective, thus denying the Germans vital intelligence.

AFTERMATH
The American paratroopers had barely succeeded in holding the Germans at bay. Their withdrawal was carried out under heavy pressure and only the Mortar platoon and artillery escaped unscathed. They managed to slow the German advance, but the cost was very high. Had the Panzers advanced more quickly they would have seized at least one of the objectives. It was the initial diversion to deal with the first PIR platoon and the fearless resistance of the MG platoon that gave the Americans time to withdraw. This delay in the German advance may prove costly if the American armour has been given the time to arrive. Game 2 should be interesting.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS

REFERENCES

1. Wikipedia: Battle for Carentan Map
2. Wikipedia: Battle of Carentan
3. Wikipedia: Battle of Bloody Gulch
4. Ramsbury at War
5. Trigger Time – 101st Airborne WWII
6. Ambrose, S., E., Band of Brothers, E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne: From Normandy to Hitler”s Eagle”s Nest (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992)

Standard disclaimer – I am not a historian and I do not claim that everything written in this article is factually accurate, although I strove to ensure that it is. The battle report is fictitious and does not represent the events of the 13th June 1944.

Owen

Related posts:

1. Flames of War – Battle of Bloody Gulch (Game 2) On the 12th June 1944 (D-Day +6) the 101st Airborne...
2. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Photographs [Overview | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3...
3. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 2 This is a 1250pt battle report for the second game...

Game 3
The next image gives an overview of the battlefield before deployment. The German objectives would lie in the top left corner, with them deploying in the closest quadrant. The next image shows the 1st platoon having lunged towards the objective, followed by the Jagdpanzers and AA guns. The tenacious 3rd rifle platoon can be seen on the left-hand hill. The second last and last images give a good view over the battle at about the half way point. The bulk of the American force is out of shot on the right-hand side, but the Nebelwerfers, American snipers, 3rd rifle platoon and the bulk of the German force can be seen. Objectives are to the top right.

As you can see we had to improvise with scenery as the range of 15mm terrain in the club is relatively poor. I think we need more terrain to really represent the area we were fighting in, specifically in the second game when we were fighting near the centre of the town.

Owen

Related posts:

1. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 1 This is a 1000pt battle report for the first game...
2. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 3 This is a battle report for the third, and final,...
3. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 2 This is a 1250pt battle report for the second game...

Following on from victories in the first two battles (Game 1, Game 2) on the 23rd November the Germans were threatening to separate off the whole left flank of the American XV Corps. They had pushed into the centre of Schalbach and were now endangering the American supply line. If the Panzer Lehr Division could separate off the XV Corp left flank their advance would stall, giving the Germans valuable time to prepare for the Ardennes counter-offensive (Battle of the Bulge) and prepare the Fatherland’s border defenses.

The final battle in the campaign is a Breaktrough with the Germans attempting to further disrupt the American forces. Figure 1, below, shows the terrain setup, deployment areas and objectives. The American forces would deploy in a defensive position in order to prevent the Panzer Lehr from breaking through to their objectives (in the south-west of the map). They had the night of the 23rd and early morning of the 24th to prepare their defense.

In order to represent how severely battered the German forces had been in the first two battles and the fact that the Americans had reserves in depth the battle would be fought with 1250pts of Germans versus 1500pts of Americans.

Figure 1 – Setup: Terrain, Deployment Areas and Objectives

• Company HQ (plus 3 snipers)
• 1st Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• 2nd Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• Tank Platoon (5 M4A1 Shermans)
• Tank Destroyer Platoon (2 M10 GMCs)
• Weapons Platoon (Light mortars and LMGs)
• Artillery Platoon (2 sections of M2A1 105mm guns)
• Priority Air Support (P47 Thunderbolts)

My German force consisted of fewer troops, but they were very well equipped veterans. I decided that creating another platoon (using the Kampfgruppe German special rule) was necessary to give my force a reserve to come on from turn three (using the Delayed Reserves rule). The way the scenario was designed this force would come on right beside their objective, giving them a good chance of grabbing it. The cost of this new platoon was to reduce the size of all of my grenadier platoons. I also added a small AA platoon to act as a mobile deterrent and planned to keep them close to my Jagdpanzers early in the battle. Here’s a list of my units -

• Company HQ (Company Command mounted in a 250 half-track)
• 1st Panzergrenadier Platoon (4 MG Teams and 2 Tank-hunter Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 2nd Panzergrenadier Platoon (4 MG Teams and 2 Tank-hunter Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 3rd Panzergrenadier Platoon lead by the 2iC (4 MG Teams and 2 Tank-hunter Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• Tank-Hunter Platoon (3 Jagdpanzer IVs)
• Artillery Platoon (1 section of Nebelwerfer 41 Rocket Launchers)
• Anti Aircraft Platoon (2 Sd Kfz 25/10 AA vehicles)

Figure 2, below, shows the deployment of the forces. The Panzer Lehr have taken up an aggressive position with two Panzergrenadier platoons poised to strike towards their objectives. The Jagdpanzers deployed to their east setting their sights firmly on the Sherman tanks. Their AA chaperones stayed nearby in order to deter American aircraft. The Nebelwerfers set up in the north, hidden and spread out as best they could to avoid barrages and aircraft fire. The 3rd Panzergrenadier platoon (lead by the 2iC) were held in reserve and would come in from the south-west having flanked the American forces.

The Americans set up with their infantry in prepared positions and set to spring on the advancing German forces. Their tank destroyers were held in reserve in order to deal with the Jagdpanzers should they present a difficulty later in the battle. The awesome 105mm artillery had a commanding view of much of the battlefield. The weapons platoon consisting of devastating LMGs and Mortars deployed as a deterrent just to the north of the German objectives.

Figure 2 – Deployment

Overnight the American top brass, led by Major General Wade H. Haislip, hastily prepared defensive positions and arranged their troops to repulse the inevitable resumption of the Panzer Lehr offensive. They knew they had reserves in depth, but maneuvering in the mountainous Vosges was difficult and ensuring the reserves would be at the appropriate point on the line would be difficult.

Early on the morning of the 24th, the engine roar of 250s and their support vehicles could be heard by the entrenched men of the 44th Infantry Division. Bursting from a small group of farm building the mechanized German infantry launched themselves at the American line (Figure 3). In the centre bazookas screamed and a 250 transport exploded in flames, but the German troops pressed their attack. The close quarters fighting shook the American troops and they fell back from their foxholes, firing on the German troops as they moved off.

The Jagdpanzers had their sights firmly on the Shermans. In a devastating hail of fire three tanks were destoyed convincing the remainder of the platoon to flee. A lone Thunderbolt responded against the Jagdpanzers, but failed to hit. The American right flank looked in real danger of collapsing under such a heavy assault.

Elsewhere, the Panzergrenadier 1st platoon, lead by the company commander, lunged towards their objectives and the American weapons platoon moved up to a position where they could engage them. In the north the American 2nd platoon came under heavy fire from the Nebelwerfer rockets, but retaliated by taking out their observer.

Figure 3

The 2nd Rifle platoon moved down towards the weapons platoon to provide support. The Thunderbolts returned in greater numbers and blasted a Nebelwerfer to oblivion leaving a large plume of dark smoke rising from its wreck. They aircraft will have no problems finding the others in their follow up sweeps.

Figure 4

The P47s returned and destroyed another rocket launcher causing the remaining crews to flee. The Germans could not count on long ranged artillery support any longer. The American 2nd platoon pushed forward in support to assist in defending the objectives.

Figure 5

Figure 6

AFTERMATH
The Americans won the day on the 24th turning around their fortunes of the 23rd. The Germans had stretched themselves too far, but their losses and sacrifices will be seen as justified. Despite a loss at the end of this campaign the Panzer Lehr Division had succeeded in severely disrupting the advance of the XV Corps. The Americans would have to rethink their advance into Germany and with the Battle of the Bulge just around the corner the Germans are ready to show there is still some fight left in them.

I stretched myself too thinly in this final game. In retrospect setting up the 3rd platoon by weakening the other two meant the panzergrenadiers were not as durable as they have been in previous games. This was compounded by the fact that I forgot about the tank hunter teams, thus reducing the effective size of each (already small) platoon by two teams. That said, Peter played a solid game. He didn’t rush to engage the Germans and let me come into his kill zone. His 3rd Rifle platoon were amazing and sustained a huge amount of fire, but refused to flee. His artillery was also very impressive and he managed to get Time on Target (forcing me to re-roll successful saves) two or three times during the game. The Americans deserved to win this battle, but this small piece of the war was won by the Panzer Lehr.

Owen

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1. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 1 This is a 1000pt battle report for the first game...
2. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 2 This is a 1250pt battle report for the second game...
3. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Photographs [Overview | Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3...

The terrain was setup as shown with the road junction representing the intersection of present day Route de Hirschland and Rue Principale (Present day satellite image).

Figure 1 – Setup: Terrain, Deployment Areas and Objectives

• Company HQ (plus 3 snipers)
• 1st Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• 2nd Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• Tank Platoon (5 M4A1 Shermans)
• Tank Destroyer Platoon (2 M10 GMCs)
• Weapons Platoon (Light mortars and LMGs)
• Artillery Platoon (2 sections of M2A1 105mm guns)

The U.S. forces were deployed just south of Rue Principale with the two rifle platoons at opposite ends of the line, ready to move towards both objectives. The Company HQ setup a command post in the building at the T-junction, providing them with an excellent spotting position. The tank platoons took up a more central position ready to make use move north along the road. Both the artillery and weapons platoon setup near the German objectives to protect them and provide ranged support.

Figure 2 – Deployment

• Company HQ (Company Command, 2iC and Panzerschrecks mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 1st Panzergrenadier Platoon (6 MG Teams and 3 Tank-hunter Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 2nd Panzergrenadier Platoon (6 MG Teams and 3 Tank-hunter Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• Tank-Hunter Platoon (3 Jagdpanzer IVs)
• Artillery Platoon (1 section of Nebelwerfer 41 Rocket Launchers)

The German 1st platoon dismounted from their transports and setup with the Command HQ and Panzerschrecks on the north-western U.S. Objective. The artillery set up in a central position with the Jagdpanzers and 2nd platoon, still in their transports, to their east.

The map symbols used in this battle report are -

THE BATTLE
(This battle report is fictitious and does not reflect the events of the 23rd November 1944)

Through the morning of the 23rd November 1944 the Panzer Lehr Division had clashed with the dug in troops of the 44th Infantry Regiment 2km north of Schalbach. By the afternoon the Germans had pushed the U.S. forces south into the town, but the fighting had been bloody. Without the depth of reserves possessed by the American army the Panzer Lehr Division was being stretched. As soon as they approached the town centre the Jadgpanzers and 2nd Panzergrenadier platoon, joined by the Nebelwerfer Observer team, pressed down their left flank, avoiding the exposed road (Figure 3). The M10 GMCs and 2nd Rifle Platoon moved to block their advance, but immediately came under intense fire from the Jagdpanzers and distant Nebelwerfers. Under this barrage the riflemen fled and the two Tank Destroyers were left in flames.

Spotting for their artillery platoon, and identifying the danger the German rocket launchers, the U.S. command called in a strike on them. All three Nebelwerfers were destroyed. The Shermans pushed up the centre and opened up their MGs on the German 1st platoon. The grenadiers had dug in, but the MG fire managed to kill a couple of teams. The grenadiers opened up on the advancing 1st rifle platoon wiping out several teams.

Figure 3

The observer from the U.S. artillery platoon took up a position and set their sights on the German 1st platoon. The Jagdpanzers continued south past the field, but would soon be radioed to to fall back to prevent the Shermans breaking through.

Figure 4

The German 1st platoon continued their unrelenting fire on the American riflemen causing them to quit the battle. American snipers appeared in the hedges of the field and in the northernmost building. The bravery of the Tank-hunters quickly turned to tragedy under the precise sniper fire. The remainder of the 1st platoon kept their heads low as they saw the Tank-hunter teams fall.

Figure 5

Figure 6

Artillery fire again rained down on the 2nd platoon shaking them, but they managed to retain their composure to fire on the remaining Tank Destroyer vehicles and wiping them out. The U.S. forces held on tenaciously, but the increasingly accurate Jagdpanzer fire was beginning to take its toll on the 105mm guns. The U.S. Command, realising the day was lost, ordered a retreat and vowed that the 24th November would see a change in their fortune.

Figure 7

AFTERMATH
The Germans attempts to disrupt the U.S. XV Corps were proving effective, but at a cost. If they encounter much more U.S. artillery tomorrow their attempt to separate the left flank of the Corps from the main body will fail. Their mission is now partially complete. The U.S. forces have been rocked by the speed and aggression of the German advance. Given a night to fortify their positions, the Americans will put up a stiffer resistance tomorrow.

Owen

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2. Flames of War – Mini Campaign – Game 3 This is a battle report for the third, and final,...
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The terrain was setup as shown with the road representing the present day Route de Hirschland (Present day satellite image).

Figure 1 – Setup: Terrain, Deployment Areas and Objectives

• Company HQ (plus 1 sniper)
• 1st Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• 2nd Rifle Platoon (9 teams)
• Tank Platoon (5 M4A1 Shermans)
• Weapons Platoon (Light mortars and LMGs)
• Artillery Platoon (2 sections of M2A1 105mm guns)

As the defenders the Americans must keep at least half of their platoons in reserve. Peter opted to field the Company HQ with the 1st Rifle Platoon and the Artillery Platoon. The remaining platoons were in reserve (meaning that on the first turn Peter would roll one die – on a 5+ he could choose a Platoon to come on from his table edge. On his second turn he would roll two dice, again looking for 5+. On the third turn he rolls three dice and so on). His forces are deployed on the southern edge of the map below.

Figure 2 – Deployment

• Company HQ (Company Command and 2iC mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 1st Panzergrenadier Platoon (6 MG Teams and 3 Panzerschreck Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• 2nd Panzergrenadier Platoon (6 MG Teams and 3 Panzerschreck Teams mounted in 250 half-tracks)
• Tank-Hunter Platoon (3 Jagdpanzer IVs)

All of my force was deployed at the north of the map. As attackers my force would have the first turn and I decided to keep them mounted in their transports in order to have maximum mobility. Their mission was to seize one of the objectives and hold it unopposed.

The maps below do not relate directly to individual turns, but rather attempt to capture the flow of the battle. The legend shows which units are represented by the stylised APP-6A symbols.

THE BATTLE
On the morning of the 23rd November 1944 the Panzer Lehr screamed towards Schalbach with all of their troops mounted in transports. The Company HQ and 1st Panzergrenadier Platoon gambled on catching the defending U.S. forces off balance and sped down their left flank to assume a position on the outskirts of the town (Figure 3). They were in relative danger having failed to unmount their 250s (I forgot their Stormtrooper move!). Luckily none of the the U.S. reserves arrived and their artillery was ineffective despite ranging in on the lead vehicle. Meanwhile, the Jagdpanzers pushed forward to hold a commanding position in front of their objective. The 2nd Platoon moved up behind the cover of a hill, remaining in their vehicles in order to act as a mobile reserve.

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

The U.S. Company HQ radioed the light mortar teams who had just joined the battle with the coordinates of the 2nd Panzergrenadier platoon. Their shells fell on target killing two teams, but the troops stood firm. An on target shot from the sniper however had everyone ducking for cover and pinned atop the hill. The last of the American reserves, their 2nd Rifle Platoon, arrived and moved through the forest.

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

The Panzer Lehr had won the day, but at a terrible cost. Their 2nd platoon was almost wiped out and the 1st platoon was almost and reduced to half strength. If the Germans are going to progress into Schalbach they will need to bring many more troops forward. The American resistance will be fierce.

Figure 10

Owen

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On the 23rd of November 1944 the 130th Panzer Lehr Division encountered the first elements of the Allied 44th Infantry Division. The Panzer Lehr had been sent south from the Ardennes staging area to disrupt the advance of the XV Corps through the Vosges Mountains. This mini campaign for Flames of War recreates this decisive battle.

OVERVIEW
This article presents a Flames of War mini campaign comprising three games that aims to simulate what happens when a mobile attacking force clashes with a hastily organised defensive force. Although the campaign is designed around specific events before the Battle of the Bulge it may be suitable for many of the events of that battle too.

BACKGROUND [1] [2]
Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt’s Army Group G, of which the Panzer Lehr Division was now a part, was being readied for Operation Wacht am Rhein, commonly known as the Battle of the Bulge. It was early November 1944 and the Germans were preparing for a massive counter offensive to stem the Allied advance. As part of these preparations the fully rested and refitted Panzer Lehr were gathered in the Ardennes assembly area.

Gerd von Rundstedt was concerned about the unchecked advance of the Allied XV Corp to the south. They were now within 100km of the Rhein. On the 21st of November, against Hitler’s wishes, von Rundstedt dispatched the Panzer Lehr, who were due to perform a central role in Operation Wacht am Rhein, south towards the Saverne Gap to disrupt the advance of the XV Corps.

At 8.00am on the 23rd of November, Thanksgiving, the Panzer Lehr comprising twenty Panzer V tanks and over 800 infantry encountered the flank of the 44th Infantry Division, a part of the XV Corp. The Panzer Lehr were ordered to separate and cut-off the entire left-flank of the XV Corp.

The Alsace town of Schalbach was to be the scene of a day of fighting that had a major impact on both the Battle of the Bulge and the Allied advance into Germany. The Allied 776th Tank Destroyer Battalion and two squads from the 44th Anti-Tank Company, followed by the 2nd Battalion of the 114th, which marched through the night, were brought forward to Schalbach to meet the Panzer Lehr offensive. They had a 3.5km frontline to defend and hurriedly dug in.

On the 24th the Panzers, followed by Grenadier infantry, penetrated the frontline. The American infantry men were in their hastily prepared defensive positions, but these were little match for the firepower of Panzer-mounted machine guns and cannon. The Panzer Lehr anticipated their superior firepower would rout the defenders, but they had underestimated the U.S. Infantrymen of the 2nd Battalion and Anti-Tank Company. The German tanks and trailing Grenadiers stalled as the Allies doggedly held onto their defensive positions. As the day wore on the Panzer Lehr casualties mounted, whilst the 44th defences gained strength. By the end of the day the Germans has lost half of their tanks and hundreds of men and were forced to withdraw.

At the start of the following day it was clear that the Panzer Lehr had sustained too many losses to continue the attack and they limped back to the Ardennes. The refitting of the Panzer Lehr (amongst other units) delayed the start of Operation Wacht am Rhein and their original central role was reduced to one of reserve. The Divisions morale was severely dented and its units were never returned to full strength.

Late in the war and deep inside German territory General Alexander Patch, commander of the Seventh Army, commented on the events of the 24th November 1944 by saying the “Seventh Army wouldn’t be where it is today if it hadn’t been for the heroism of the fighting men of the 2nd Battalion” at Schalbach, France.

CAMPAIGN
This Flames of War mini campaign attempts to recreate the events of the 24th November 1944 as the 130th Panzer Lehr and 44th Infantry Division clashed, but it could be applied to any attack on a (hastily) defended position such as those seen during the battle of the Bulge. It is a tree-type campaign comprising three scenarios. The outcome of the preceding scenario determines the next scenario. For example, if the Germans lose the initial scenario, in which the Americans are Holding the Line, they find themselves needing to perform a Fighting Withdrawal. The scenarios are taken from the Flames of War rulebook (p202-208), with any scenario modifications being noted below. There is no point limit for these games and they could conceivably be played with as little as 600pts per side.

A PDF of the campaign tree is available for download. Alternatively the image to the right links to a larger version. The first scenario is ‘Hold the Line’ (1) with the Allies acting as defenders. They lose the benefit of the Ambush rule as the defences were hastily constructed and the 114th infantry marched overnight to reach the battle. This scenario is pivotal as success for either side guarantees at least a Draw for that side. This represents how crucial it is for the attacker to break the defence or for the defender to hold their ground.

If the Allies win they will force the Axis troops into withdrawing (2b) and may ultimately rout them (3d). On the other hand Axis wins may lead to a breakthrough (3a), thus severely disrupting the Allied forces.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DISCLAIMER
The background in this article was sourced from -

1. http://44thdivision.efour4ever.com/schalbach.htm
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerlehrdivision#The_Ardennes

The map is also sourced from [1]. As a brief disclaimer – I am not a historian and I do not claim that everything written in this article is factually accurate, although I strove to ensure that it is.

Owen

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