Sunjester and I have made a habit over the last 10 years or so of linked-game campaigns (except for the ACW one, which was one battle, divided into Divisional Black Powder battles generated by movement on a master map).
The latest one is being run by me, starting in Sicily during Operation Husky, and following Baker Company, Duke of Buckingham's Own (nicknames the Dobbo's) up Italy.
I will be generating scenarios, and acting more as an Umpire running the Axis, rather than a 'try to win head to head' player. Sj will be trying to keep the company together, so always with an eye on casualties. We are using my own 'Blood Sweat and Tears' rules (Overview here: TMP link )
We've played a number of games, so there will be a rash of early BatReps, slowing as I catch up to where we are.
Game One.
D-Day (09-07-1943)
H+3
For the D-Day games I designed Platoon sized games, Sj receiving no input into what forces he got, but playing the Platoon commander only.
"OK, Lieutenant, Division want to ensure there is a link from our beach-head, up to Syracuse, where the Paras have landed. This river here is a choke point, and we need your chaps to capture this crossing. Shouldn't be a bridge too far for you."
The terrain was loosely based on this bridge
link
except the river is shallower (hot summer? dammed further up?)
There was a sandbag emplacement at each corner, two with MGs, 2 with a rifle base (3-4 men per base), and another Rifle base on the bridge. This is an Italian Section – 10 rifles and 2 MGs. The British advancing (quickly) from the Husky beach heads were a full platoon. Table was approx. 3ft x 3ft (about 200m square)
There's not really a lot to this first one. The Italians had been posted there to make sure the bridge was available for military traffic, and locals didn't block it trying to move about. Because of the nature of the campaign and how the games will fit into that, the British would always win tonight.
As proof of concept I feel it again went well. British manoeuvring by the book until people started shooting back, when it all got fragmented. It is activation by card, 1 card per section with Leaders having their own cards. As the only way to close assault is to have a leader order it on their activation, you need the Lt and/or Sgt in the right places. At that point you need to decide is the amount of fire on the enemy going to be enough, as they don't test for hits until they are activated.
However we did see the start of what would go on to become a running joke – the accuracy of the smoke from the 2", which was consistently long by 10-15m.
"Drop smoke in front of the bridge to cover the men"
"Yes sir, drop smoke on the bridge" (drops smoke)
"No, in front of the bridge."
"So to the left of the bridge then…"
The Italians were disadvantaged by, in scenario terms, being jumped by a bunch of hairy arsed Tommies acting as a platoon, where as they were just controlling the road bridge, so were more fragmented. This disadvantaged them twice – firing they could not concentrate/coordinate fire, and as a target all shots hit single bases, rather than be spread to near by bases. This is important, because firing doesn't go all against one base, it spreads to those near by, so taking hits off the target. (The more bases in the area of fire, the less effective the fire is as it gets spread around).
For once Sunjester threw average dice. I continued my 30 year streak of rolling high when I want low, and vice versa.
Next game…
The Platoon leader has just enough time to organise the defence of the bridge as the Italians counter attack.
's favorite historical WWII theaters to game and model.