Attack on a strong point

Attack on a Strong Point:

WW1 German training Scenario 

Today Kati and I played some WW1 Chain of Command.  Two fat Lardies have an excellent scenario Book called Stout Hearts and Iron Trooper which we took the scenario from.  The book is technically for the older Through the Mud and Blood but easily converted over using their own suggestions.  (as Chain of Command is just an "updated" version of the former.  

The book's first five scenarios come directly from training manuals of WW1 armies.  We chose to do the German manuals "attack on a strong point"  the map above is the original one in the book which do to terrain I had to tweak just a bit.  I let Kati play the Germans, She read only her briefing and the brief grenade training section, I played Italians and basically umpired the "training" course. the objective was the timely elimination to the two MMG strong points before reinforcements could arrive to counter attack.

The big difference comes in front of the concrete bunker.  The rules basically explain that an route directly to the bunker is blocked so instead of putting a bunch of filled in trenches in front I just used barbed wire. 

The German player aka Kati received a relatively small platoon  with 

1 Lt.

2- 8 man bomber sections

1- 6 man LMG section

2 snipers 

I find the use of the snipers to be interesting. The book explains they are key to keeping MMGs down.

The Italians (really this could be any army, although technically it was the french in the book) have 

2 five man MMG sections with a junior leader.  Both armies had a force moral of 9 and rated as regulars.

Deployment was very simple one MMG section was in the Bunker and the other was in a larger crater to the left of it, and there was a blocked trench in front of it. The German jump off points were located where the trench lines enter on the southern edge of the map.

Turn 1

Phase 1 of turn one saw the Germans role 1,1,1,3,5 on the command dice.

Kati deployed both of her snipers in craters on her side of the table to prep for covering fire.

Her LMG section then entered and started throwing lead at the bunker. The Italians inside mostly had been staring blankly out the window as this opening volley killed one of their men and wounded the Junior Leader inside.  This would limit the bunker for the whole game. On the plus side for the Italians, the stolen Lewis gun Jerry was using jammed up. This wrapped up her phase.

My command rule was a 5,4,2,1 Being so limited in units not a lot I could do.

My MMG in the Crater opened up on the LMG killing one and putting 2 shock on them.

End of the first phase leaves the Italians already worried.

Phase 2

The Germans roll 6,5,3,2,1

First order of business was to bring on a bomber section behind the LMG.  Which was followed by the LMG unjamming and unloading on the bunker with no effect.

This was followed by a sniper freaking out the Crater MMG and putting 2 shock on the section (ignore the third shock in pic).

I followed this up with a command roll of 1,1,3,4

I combined the two 1s into a 2 

The Bunker opened up the the newly arrived bomber section with no affect  while the Crater MMG removes a shock and goes into overwatch to try to spot a sniper.

 Phase three sees the German LMG remove some shock and move up, while at the other entry point a second bomber squad enters.

And another sniper shot on the MMG.

I then rolled a 5,4,4,1 on my command roll and proceeded to do nothing.  Let's assume that ammo was being brought forward.

Kati quickly makes up for my command roll with a 6,6,4,3,2

Giving her the next two phases.

Her LT. enters behind the LMG section while the Bombers move up.  The LMG opens up on the crater putting another shock on the section.

With her second phase, she moves the bombers up and into the crater near the bunker.

On the other side ot the table her second bomber squad makes its intentions known by moving up into the gun pit. The LMG flounders an attack roll and jams up.

My MMGs finally start dishing out some fire.  The Crater scores a kill and a shock on the LMG section and the Bunker hits the approaching bomber section and puts 3 shock on it.

Kati's phase 5 she rolls three 6s thus ending the turn.

The Dice gods were not with me today.  After ending the turn, Kati rolled 6s TWICE more giving her 3 phases in a row.  She used this to move her bombers, flanking my right up and the other bomber squad began to chuck grenades into the bunker while a sniper hits the leader of the crater MMG.....doom was approaching.

Turn 2

Pinned down and leaderless, the Crater attempts to fire one last burst at the bombers. It kills two but the hail of grenades that followed (18 dice treated as in the open) broke the section.

In the bunker things were falling apart as well: leader down, gun jammed and pinned down

A final grenade put the section out of action so Kati used her command point she had built up to end the turn which made both MMGs leave the table, thus ending the game.

The final Shot.

Overall Kati did pretty much what she needed to do to ensure a swift victory.  

After the game I showed her the official tactical solution.

Overall I think it went well and was fun for both of us.  If I played it again I would give the side defending a Senior officer just to help with dice useage.