British Welsh Guards vs 12th SS Panzer Pioneers in a Bocage "Breakthrough"; July 1944
(You can also read the AAR and view combat photos on the FoW AAR page)
After a few months off JD and got to meet once again for our 1to1 game. Having just finished my 12th SS Panzer-Pioneer Co I challenged JD's Guard Inf in a Bocage battle.
I arrived early and set up a Bocage battlefield and once JD arrived he rolled for the scenario…rolling ofr a breakthrough game. Being a mech force and he an INF company the Hitlerjugen was the attacker and the Guards the defenders in what was to become an epic 1750pt battle in Bocage Hell; July 1944
British Guards 1750pt OB :
HQ, 2iC, 3 INF Plt (9 tm's); ENG PLT (3 pio tm's, 1 Ft tm); HMG PLT (4 HMG Vickers); AT Plt (4 6pdr); WASP Plt (4 Bren Carriers); Tank Plt (3 Crocodiles); Tank Destroyer Plt (3 M-10)
12th SS PzPioneers 1745pts OB :
HQ w1 HMG, 2iC kaumfguppe, w/ HMG and 2ea Pio MG Tms, 1PIO Plt (5tm's, goliath); 2PIO Plt (3 MG Plt, 1 flame Thrower, 4ea Stuka von Fuss; Recon Plt (2 SdKfz 231 8-rad) ; Tank Hunter (3ea JgPzIVs), Tank Hunter (1ea Stug III), Hvy AT (1ea 88 w/RoF3) Luftwaffe (RT)
JD selected his deployment quads and I placed the two OBJ. JD selected to hold off all is AFV's but dies use his engineers to place tow barbed wire sections. I selected to hold as reserves the kaumfguppe, 88 and StugIII. As the Brits did not have any recon. I then pushed my recon Plt's' 231's into range. Hoping they would soon "lift" the gone to ground Brits in front of them?
Turn 1:
SS) This was my first game with the 12th SS Pz Pioneers and I was feeling a little cocky with that "one way trip to heaven" rule. I pushed my JgPzIVs into the Bocage bogging two of them. I also pushed my first Pio Plt into assault range. In the shooting phase the let lose the Goliath down the road in front of the Bocage. The guardsmen fired and hit it once with no effect. I thought a slam dunk! The goliath exploded with 5 British teams under the template…I only killed one. Didn't even blow a hole in the bocage! Next I fired my first Stuka von Fuss barrage at the gone to ground/concealed Inf. Six dice and only hit twice, he saved both times…a BIG WOOF! The sole PzJg IV fired along with nearby CO HMG and poi tms pinning the Guard INF Plt. Surely this will succeed? I assaulted with confidence! The Brits defensive fire kill two teams and I took out one. The Brits using their guardsmen reroll counterattacked and took out two more SS teams; I counterattack and roll another woof. Brits hit hard again and finished off my 1st Pioneer Plt. So much for Hitlerjugen SS confidence!
Guards) No reserves rolled for. JD consolidates the victorious platoon back behind the bocage. He fired his HMG Plt and takes out my HMG and 2nd PLT leader and pinning the SS Pioneers …can it get worst? Plt LDR comes back after lifting one of few remaining MG Tms. (Should have chosen the F/T?) JD moves his Royal Eng out of the woods towards the OBJ quadrant. The 25Pdrs drop smoke on my Recon Plt thus also blocking by Stuka von Fuss from firing a barrage.
Turn 2:
SS) Pioneers do not un-pin! The PLT LDR's track then bogs trying to move out of the wood line. The recon tries to get out of the smoke and one cross the bocage successfully. The JgPzIVs both un-bog and they are able to cross the bocage. I assault the INF in front of me and kill all but the Plt Ldr and LT Mtr tm. They choose to fall back to safety of the woods and Co Cmdr.
Guards) Once again no reserves. The Eng Plt continues towards the OBJ quad. The Vickers fires and hits the Pioneers with 6 hits, but between saving rolls and bocage I save them all. The 25Pdrs launch a barrage on two Stuka von Fuss, destroying one. The 2nd and 3rd PLT's try to assault the 231's. The 2nd Plt successfully destroys the Plt AFV with a piat. It consolidates in the shell holes on the road and behind the bocage. The 3rd Plt fails its tank terror test and doesn't assault the reaming AFV but misses. Finally my SS (FV) quality pays of as Recon AFV counter attacks and kills a team.
Turn 3;
SS) No reserves! My pioneer's un-pin the recon falls back to reorganize. The Stuka von Fuss fires at the Vickers HMG and once again only rolling two hits for 6 dice and only kill one HMG tm. Starting to re-think this Stuka von Fuss thing? The JgPzIVs move up and hit the 2nd Plt with MG and assaulting them killing two tms. The Guardsmen choose not to counterattack and fall back behind the hill leaving one INF tm and the Piat in the road. (more the 4" away from JgPzIVs) Finally my SS (FV) quality pays of as Recon AFV assaults the INF in the open and kills a team. The Guardsmen then fail two motivation checks to counterattack and falls back behind the bocage but was forced to leave one Tm behind to surrender to the SS.
Guards) Two reserve…finally! The Churchill's only to find LT woods in front and then bogs the PLT Ldr tank. The M-10s follow but due to the bocage and congestion bogs one AFV and halts the other two. The Vickers fails to un-pin. The engineers cross the Bocage and are in the road just one more bocage hedge and only 8 inches from the OBJ's. The 25pdrs hit the hill a 2nd time but misses the remaining Stuka von Fuss
Turn 4:
SS) Two reserves arrive. The 2iC and his Kaumfguppe (all out of tracks) and the 88 come on the OBJ quad. The two Pioneer tms set up behind the Bocage while the 2iC and HMG set stop near the OBJ just behind the hill to support the 88 on top of the hill and in the wheat field. One of the JgPzIVs bogs in the woods leaving his tail in the open to the incoming Churchill's. The Co Cmdr track fires MG and kills one INF tm cowering behind the burning SdKfz 231. The last Stuka von Fuss fires and again only hit twice, but even with the re-roll of hits kills the reaming three Vickers. (In his turn The HMG Plt Ldr passes his last man standing roll and leaves the battle) the 88 unlimbers in the stormtrooper phase.
Guards) WASPs arrive at the far quad and ALL three AFV's immediately Bog! Gott mit Uns for the SS!
The Plt LDR Churchill un- bogs and is able to move ahead by his 3rd tank soon bogs in the light woods. The Bogged M-10 remains bog in the bocage and a 2nd M-10 bogs in the Lt Woods. The Churchill's PLT fires and destroys one JgPzIV. The other moves up near the bocage. The 25pdrs drop a barrage on top of the 88, 88 PLD Ldr and 2iC track, killing the track. The Eng decide to hold and the 3rd INF platoon leaves the cover of the bocage and moves out to support the engineer's upcoming attack.
Turn 5:
SS) The JgPzIVs move up to get a shot at the INF Plt behind the hill and at the Churchill. They miss both and fail to stormtrooper back. The remaining Pio Plt moves out towards the road while the Co Cmdr lays cover fire down the road pinning the 2nd Guard Plt. The 88 fires with 3 shots at the engineers behind the Bocage, hitting twice but both save. The 2iC tries to dig in his kaumfguppe but fails.
Guards: Time is running out the Guardsmen must get closer to the OBJ! The British tankers are having a terrible time in the Lt Woods. Two of the M-10s remain bog so the 3rd decides to stays put. The bogged Churchill un-bogs and immediately rolls a one again! One of two WASPs un-bog, but when they try to move again bogs one of them again. The engineers cross the bocage and use the valley beneath the 88 as cover. The valley is a blind spot for the 88 and they are now contesting the OBJ. The 25pdrs drop a 2nd Barrage on the 88 and pins it. A Churchill Fires and kills a JgPzIV. Feeling that the Germans were close to a Company morale check the Guards Co Cmd orders two of his shot up INF Plt to assault the last tank the first Plt attacks but causes no damage, my SS tank fails counter attack and is able to fall back safely out of range from any more assaults.
Turn 6:
SS ) since the OBJ is contested the battle continues. The 88 remains pinned! It fires one shot at the far off INF PLT killing one team. I move my pioneers towards the road and using their "one way trip to heaven" rule successfully assault the two teams behind the burning SdKfz 231.
Guards) The Bogged Churchill un-bogs and moves into the clear. The two others fire at the JgPzIV but miss. The M-10s remained bogged and one of the WASP un-bogs and advances with his PLT Ldr. Two of Churchill fires at the JgPzIV, one misses and the other bonuses off the front armor. The 25pdrs hit the 88 for a 3rd time but completely misses! The Engineers not waiting for his INF support and fearing a SS Pioneer assault from two sides launches an attack. They take one hit from the pinned 88 which left only one Eng tm, HQ and Flame Thrower. In the first round the ENG kills the big gun but the (RT) Luftwaffe HQ rallies and counter attack killing the ENG Tm. The ENG Plt counter attacks and fails to hit the Luftwaffe who in turn kills the ENG HQ and forces the Flame Thrower to fall back; leaving the OBJ being held by the Luftwaffe HQ, SS 2iC and HMG! Gott mit Uns the Luftwaffe!
Turn 7:
SS) while just a few teams close to a Company Morale check the 12th Hitlerjugen SS held on for a VICTORY!
In our after game AAR, we both realized we forgot major points in the battle. JD could had deployed on AFV platoon at the start of the game and I forgot to roll for my last reserve Plt, the one Stug III. We both agreed this equaled out?
It was a "Bocage Hell" and very bloody for both sides. I am not happy with how my Stuka von Fuss performed? I do admit I rolled bad dice and the Bocage with limited observation may not be the best terrain for the rockets? I am thinking of dropping two of them and adding other support for the next battle.
JD and I do like the bocage battle and after each one of ours wonder how the lads in 44 did it an succeeded? It was and is hell!
Until the next game
Ron
