SSG Rock Starr' investigates a mystery while on night patrol

 

Rules: Nuts! by TwoHourWargames (28mm WWII Skirmish)

Campaign Review:

A fictionalized account of the actual fighting between the 17^th Airborne and the Panzer Grenadiers of the Fuhrer Begleit Brigade (FBB) during the early part of January 1945. Rather than have a specific platoon, I thought it would be fun to have a heterogenous platoon made up of different elements of the 17^th Airborne. So I have a squad form the 507^th Parachute Infantry (PIR), a squad from the 513^th PIR and a squad of glidermen representing the 193^rd and 194^th Glider infantry.

The squad from the 507th are Normandy veterans, the other squads are highly trained, but not combat experienced. In game terms, this means that when allocating Reps to the figs, I will round fractions up for the 507^th and down for the others. For example, if half the squad is supposed to have half ther men be Rep5 and there are 9 men in the squad, in the 507^th five will be Rep5, in the 513^th four will be.

The first scenario was a “Patrol mission.”. As luck would have it, SSG Rockstar and the 507^th squad immediately ran into a far superior force and had to withdraw. One soldier was wounded, but returned later.

 The second scenario was a “Raid” from “Chocolate and Cigarettes.” In this scenario SSG Rockstar leads a rescue mission with the glider squad to find a lost captain. One soldier was wounded, but returned later.

 The third scenario was a defense, featuring a complete three squad platoon: two of airborne and one glider. The 17^th Airborne successfully defeated the FBB offensive in a tough fight. Rockstar’s squad suffered two killed and three wounded. Two of the wounded were treated successfully on the field and returned to duty.

Scenario Details:

Date: January 7^th, 1945, near Flamierge, Belgium

Campaign Morale:  Germans (3), Americans (4)

Investment Level: Germans (3), Americans (3).

Weather: Night, clear skies, snow (-1/4 movement)

Briefing: Night patrol

  S2 has requested a patrol behind enemy lines to investigate numerous reports of mysterious flashing lights near a wooded hill just behind enemy lines (see historical note at end of write up). General Patton is getting impatient and is demanding that the 17^th make more progress (he doesn’t know they are facing the elite Fuhrer Begleit Brigade), so the only troops that can be spared for your patrol are a corporal and six privates with M1s from the 507^th.

Rules Note: If a side rolls a six for their initiative, they will win it, but will unlikely be able to move. This happened several times in this game.

At Start:

The white arrow is SSG Rock Starr's entry point. The red numbers are the starting locations of the PEF (Possible Enemy Force). The blue star is the objective (to scout the building).

SSG Rock Starr moves out

Turn 1: American initiative

SSG Starr (decided to change his name, so that Rock is now a nickname and his last name is now Starr. I will use either, depending on my mood) and his squad move forward. During the German phase all three PEF (Possible enemy forces) move forward, but there are no sightings yet because of the darkness and bad weather.

Turn 2: American initiative

Although they have the initiative, SSG Starr does not advance. They can make out a rough outline of a building or two some distance in front of them, but it is too dark to make positive identification. The German PEF continue to advance slowly. Rock Star is about to be flanked on both sides.

Turn 3: German initiative

All three PEF advance, two are spotted. Cpl Lyon is able to identify that PEF #2 is only shadows in the night. Pvt Shivers makes a similar decision with respect to PEF #3.

Turn 4: American initiative & American reinforcements arrive

TSG Young reinforces Rock Starr

Lt Joyal must have gotten nervous, as TSG Young shows up with a full squad (12) from the 513^th. They appear right behind Starr’s squad. TSG Young & SSG Starr take the opportunity to draw up a plan. Young will advance and form a fire base in the center while Starr maneuvers to the right.

As for the German phase, PEF #1 advances and is spotted by Cpl Lyon and a firefight ensues. The airborne troopers fire first.  Lt Pechvogel was wounded, the MG42 gunner was killed by Starr and the gunner’s assistant was wounded. The rest of the squad dropped back into the darkness.

First Contact

SSG takes the first  prisoners

Turn 5: American initiative

As before, the Americans have the initiative, but SSG Starr does not advance.

As for the German phase, Feldwebel Hühnerherz rallies his men.

Turn 6: American initiative

For the second turn in a row, the Americans do not activate.

During the German phase, Hühnerherz decides it is time to make a “Fighting withdrawal(1)

.” Gefreiter Bleistifthals begs the feldwebel go back and rescue the injured officer, but he ignores the pleas and orders his remaining men back to the orchard.

Turn 7: American initiative

Both American groups advance as quick as they can, but have lost contact in the darkness. The Germans continue to fall back towards the orchard

TSY Young moves out

Turn 8: German initiative

Having reached the orchard, Hühnerherz has his men go prone and dig in.

The Americans continue to slowly advance. SSG Star and his men take the two wounded Germans prisoner.

Turn 9: American initiative

Yet again the Americans cannot move in spite of having the initiative. As neither man can move very well by himself, SSG Starr assigns Privates May and Kelly to escort the prisoners to the rear.

Turn 10: American initiative

The Americans move up TSG Young is now just out of sight of the two buildings. SSG Starr is also just out of sight of the orchard.

Turn 11: German initiative

The only German force on the board at the moment is what’s left of Feldwebel Hühnerherz squad and they are staying put.

TSG Young moves up and his squad move up close enough to get a good look at the building. However, before they can do anything, they are detected by the Germans (Four soldiers, two of whom have dogs). Seeing they are outnumbered 3:1, the guards duck back under cover and out of sight of TSG Young. Young and his men cautiously advance closer to the buildings.

SSG Starr locates the Germans in the orchard. The 2^nd MG gunner is killed and the others are forced to drop back from the fire of the troopers. After the short firefight, SSG Starr and his men continue their pursuit.

Rock Starr clears the orchard

Turn 12: German initiative

With no where to go, the guards break cover and open fire on TSG Young’s group. Although there are no casualties their fire does cause the MG crew and three others (including TSG Young to fall back).

While TSG Young and the others recover their nerve, the remaining six riflemen ignore their retreating comrades and open up on the guards. The two K9 guards are killed, causing the rest to leave the battlefield.

SSG Rock again contacts the German remnants in the orchard. Two German riflemen are killed, The German Feldwebel and Gefreiter both flee, no doubt headed for the safety of the Russian front.

At present there are no more German troops on the board, although the buildings and two more sectors need to be investigated.

Interlude:

“Hey Sarge! Did you see that?” Cried Cpl Lyon, pointing to the northern horizon.

“See what?” Said Rock

“Those lights. They were just kind of hovering over there, then they disappeared over the horizon faster than anything I have ever seen,” said the puzzled Lyon.

“I didn’t see nothing,” said Rock firmly. “And neither did you. As far as the Army is concerned, these lights are only the reflection off those aluminum strips the air corps dops sometimes. Got it?!”

“Now can we go on at start winning this war?

“Yes sergeant.” (2)

Turn 13: German initiative

No German troops on board.

TSG Young rallies his troops; SSG Starr reorganizes his men to face the center. Pvt Seid readies a grenade and Pvt Shivers readies his grenade launcher.

Turn 14: German Initiative

Still no German troops on board

The Troopers close in

TSG Young moves his squad up close enough to see that building #2 in unoccupied.

SSG Starr moves his group up and discovers a small German squad inside (Officer and NCO w/ SMG, 2 LMG crews and an rifleman with a grenade launcher). The Germans weren’t paying enough attention and Rock gets the drop on them.

The fire from the troopers is only partially effective, wounding only one enemy (a MG42 gunner). However, all but the officer are forced to drop back. The German LT returns fire and knocks Pvt Dymowske out of the fight.

The troopers advance and their active fire causes the German lieutenant to take cover.

Turn 15: American initiative, but they cannot move.

The Germans recover. The MG42 assistant takes over, whereas the RGL grenadier acts as his assistant.

Turn 16: American initiative

With the Germans “Ducked Back” in the building, Rock Starr and his men are able to advance quite close to the building without being observed.

The German Lieutenant rallies his men.

Turn 17: German Initiative, but they cannot move

TSG Young moves his group forward to the base of building #2.

Rock Starr does likewise to building #1, with the Germans back from the windows, they are still unobserved. Pvt Seid throw a grenade threw a broken window, causing catastrophic damage to the Germans: The lieutenant and one MG assistant is killed, all others are wounded. Rock Starr calls for their surrender, which is quickly accepted.

Turn 18-20: A mostly successful patrol.

Between them, TSG Young and Rock Starr complete their patrol by securing sections 1 & 2. However, they come to the conclusion that whatever, or whoever, was in that building to make it so important has escaped.

Rock Starr and his men have captured and officer, a NCO and five privates. Pvt Dymowske is later successfully treated by medics and will return to action.

  

1)    1) Non-player movement, in this case the German squad is determined by a die roll and a chart. In this case, the result called for the Germans to go to a “Fighting withdrawal” mode. I took this to mean they would fall back to the nearest cover, however far that might be, and dig in. An argument could be made that the rule required the Germans to fall back until they left the board, but the Germans were having some bad luck and I wanted to have some action.

2)    2)This is based upon a real event I read about in the book “The Golden Talons” a history of the 17^th Airborne division. Here is the quote: “ .. one night, mysterious flashing lights were observed in the wooded hills in the area of the 193rd GIR... Several patrols were immediately sent out to find them, but nothing! Not the slightest sign of an enemy presence! In the end, it turned out the observed "flashes" were due to the moonlight reflections on the aluminum strips which had been dropped earlier by Allied bombers, in order to confuse the German radars, and thus to outwit the anti-aircraft batteries."