Scenario #3 – Eviction Notice
Afternoon, June 6th, 1944 - Neuville-au-Plain, France
With so many avenues of approach to cover, 1LT Law and Sgt Rockstar decide to split their troops in to several small groups. Groups 5 – 8 are SSG Rockstar’s permanent group. See map for their location. (
TG = Thomspon SMG)
Group #1 1Lt Law (M1)
Group #2: .30
MG team: T5 May (
TG) and Pvts Mansfield & Meredith
Group #3: PFC Jones (
TG) & 101 Pvt Gibby & Nelson (bazooka)
Group #4: Sgt Baker (
TG), Cpl Daly (M1) & Pvts Nocera (M1) & Bisetti (carbine)
Group #5: Sgt Lyons (MP40), Pvt Blanchard (BAR), PFC Crapgame (2 x Panzerfaust)
Group #6: .30
MG team: T3 Seid (
TG) & Pvts Mumey & Simpson
Group #7: SSG Rockstar (spec carbine*) & Pvts Guidas (M1) & Miller (M1)
Group #8: Sgt Kelley (MP40), Cpl Bechtold (M1) & T4 Shivers (carb)
Some of Law’s command (groups #1-4) were armed with captured weapons from scenarios 1&2
*= Rockstar is modeled after my dad (1/507). He had a specially modified carbine to fire fully automatic. For game purposes, it shoots like a normal carbine, but has the “outgunned” equivalent of a Thompson.
Germans:
HQ: Cpt Stranski, Lt Meyer, medic & radioman
Group A: Cpl Rohleder (StG44), Obergefreiter Dorfmann & 4 privates Forst*, Kropp, Ler & Muller (all K98)
Group B: Cpl Otto (MP40), Gefreiter Katczinski & Privates Kranz*, Baumer, Bauer & Kemmerich (all K98)
Group C: Sgt Steiner (PPSh), Cpl Kruger (MP40), Obergefreiter Reiser (StG44), Gefreiter Wolk (StG44), Obergefreiter Kroner (Gw43), Gefreiter Gerhardt (Gw43) and Gefreiter Kern, Privates Kern, Anselm & Westhouse* (all with K98)
Note: Privates marked with a * also have a panzerfaust
The following came as reinforcements:
1Lt Witzlaben and two LMG teams (Horber & Hager), (Sholten & Mutz)
1Lt Gruber and three StuGs
Set-Up.
SSG Rockstar has been fortunate so far. His “Little group of paratroopers” has scored a couple of easy victories and he hasn’t lost a man yet. However, midnight raids against an ill prepared defender is one thing, but the enemy is awakening and the sun is rising…
SSG Rockstar and his group have now linked up with the main outfit. He is approached by his favorite officer – 1Lt Law.
“LtC Wayne (AKA “The Duke”) has ordered us to set up a roadblock north of town. Unfortunately, we only have your squad and mine, a total of about 22 men. This time the enemy will likely have us outnumbered and perhaps outgunned, possibly even with tanks…” said Law.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way” replied Rockstar confidently.
After the Lt left, Rockstar turned to Sgt Baker, “Take good care of the Lt. They might replace him with one of those salutin’ demons.”
The German side:
Captain Stranski has been ordered to take his company and attack
St Mere Eglise from the northwest. Lt Meyer’s Platoon will be on point (although Stanski will keep an eye on things and perhaps take some credit from Meyer).
Meyer has two small rifle squads, but without their customary LMG. Fortunately, he also has Sgt Steiner’s heavily armed assault squad. And the promise of armor support.
“I hope we get something useful and not those ancient French relics.” Thought Meyer.
Game Note:
There were a couple of times I forgot about certain units or fell back into old solo habits of running the enemy as if I was their player, rather than using the game mechanics. But I just kept with the spirit of “don’t sweat the small stuff” and carried on. Fog of war and all.
Turn 1: Initiative: 5/2 Germans.
Only Steiner activates - he moves his squad down the right flank using the hedgerow for cover.
The Americans don’t have any enemy in sight just yet, so hold their positions. They do send Privates Bissetti and Miller to search for equipment bundles but they don’t find any.
Turn 2: Initiative 6/3 Germans.
No one activates. Cpt Stranski is getting impatient with the delays.
The Americans still don’t have anyone in sight, so continue to hold their positions. Bissetti and Miller rejoin their squads.
Turn 3: Initiative 6/4 Americans.
This time the troopers fail to activate.
Sgt Steiner on the right and Cpl Rohleder on the left continue their cautious advances using the hedgerows as cover.
Now that Lt Gruber has arrived with his Stug, Cpt Stranski orders Lt Meyer to assault the nearby farmhouse. The Germans open fire before the paratroopers can react, forcing a
MG team lead by T4 Seid to duck back from the window.
Turn 4: Initiative: Initially a 1/1 tie, then 4/3 Americans.
Oops: At this point I realized that I failed to roll for reinforcements on turn one (because action die roll =7). My choices were limited due to available figures, so rather than rolling on the chart, I picked one I could field – 2 LMG teams and placed them behind the StuG.
The PEF turned up right in front of a farmhouse with a US
MG team inside. It turned out to be a German squad, however, as I didn’t have any more German figs, I made a Gamemaster call and said they were wiped out. That’s what they get for bumbling into enemy lines in front of a
MG. (I love the emphasis on “Don’t sweat the details”)
In the face of such overwhelming firepower, T5 Seid leads his
MG team out of the building, joining SSG Rockstar in the hedgerow directly behind the house. The remainder of the paratroopers continue to hold their positions.
German phase:
Frustrated with the delays. Stranski orders his men to “Get moving.”
On the left, Cpl Rohleder attempts to lead his men through the hedgerow into possible enemy view. Rather suspiciously, Rohleder is the only one who doesn’t make it through the hedgerow. Unfortunately for them. PFC Jones and his two-man squad were ready for them: Private Leer is wounded and the rest are driven back into the hedgerow, except for Private Kropp, who leaves the battlefield
In the center, Lt Gruber and his Stug move past the building into Crapgame’s field of fire. He fires his captured panzerfaust and… misses. Gruber’s loader pops up, mans the
MG and forces the troopers around Crapgame to go prone.
On the right, Sgt Steiner and his men break cover. Sgt Kelley was ready and fires first. Kelley was able to kill Sgt Steiner and wound Volk. Miller killed Westhouse. That was too much for Kern, Anshelm and Kroner who retreat back to the cover of the hedgerow. Cpl Kruger, Reiser and Gerhardt stand their ground and return fire. T4 Shivers is hit and knocked down, but in an amazing stroke of “luck” is unhurt. The accurate fire from Kruger and his men cause the troopers to go prone in the cover of the hedgerow.
Turn 5. Initiative 4/1 Americans
Seeing no action in front of him, Sgt Baker abandons his position on the far right and moves to support PFC Jones and the two 101 privates.
In the center, Sgt Lyons rallies his men. SSG Rockstar moves from the center to the left to cover Sgt Kelley while he rallies his men. Rockstar spies Cpl Kruger and two others in the open and unloads on them, killing Kruger and Reiser, causing the few survivors of Steiner’s squad to flee the battlefield.
German phase:
Stug #2 enters the game.
On the left, Cpl Rohleder and PFC Jones exchange shots without causing casualties.
In the center, Lt Meyer leads Private Forst (panzerfaust) into the back of the building. Cpl Otto provides some rather ineffective covering fire as Pvt Mumey opens up with his captured
MG 42 driving them prone in the hedgerow. Lt Gruber advances his Stug against the group in the center (as he is blocking the road for Stug#2 behind him). Crapgame fires his last captured panzerfaust and… misses again. The Stug returns fire, Sgt Lyons gives the command to fall back to the next hedgerow, but only Blanchard (BAR) hears him, the rest are pinned.
Turn 6: Initiative Americans 6/2
Americans take no actions.
On the German left, Cpl Rohleder rallies his team.
In the center, all Hell breaks loose. Lt Meyer and Forst (panzerfaust) stick their head out the window, but before they can fire, T4 Seid and Pvt Guidas fire a burst, Seid killing Forst and Guidas killing Meyer. Shortly thereafter Gruber cuts loose with his StuG
MG into the hedgerow, killing crapgame and forcing Guidas to “hunker down.”
Immediately after von Witzlaben and his two LMG crews advance into the hedgerow and open fire on the .30
MG team, wounding the gunner (Mumey) and killing his loader (Simpson). T4 Seid is forced to leave them and he falls back to the next hedgerow, joining Sgt Lyons. Guidas surrenders to the German
MG teams.
Turn 7: Initiative Germans 2/1
On the left, Rohleder stays put while he tries to decide what he should do.
In the center, von Witzlaben’s
MG team moves to the edge of the hedgerow and sees the backs of Rockstar’s group in the hedgerow. They advance to the edge, and open fire. Cpl Bechtold is killed and SSG Rockstar leads the survivors to the safety of a different hedgerow. Meanwhile, T5 May spots the firefight to his left and orders his .30
MG crew to open fire on von Witzlaben’s men, forcing them to go to ground.
Turn 8: Initiative 3/2 Americans
Lyons and Rockstar both rallied their groups. On the right, when LT Law saw the left and center under great pressure, he withdrew his force towards the rear building, He was able to set up Private Gibby and his bazooka for an ambush of the Stugs.
The Germans get a third StuG
Cpt Stranski having pushed most of the troopers on his right back, orders an advance down the road. Sure enough, Stug #2 drives into Lt Law’s ambush. Gibby fires his bazooka…. and misses. The Stug is unable to discover the source of the fire.
Turn 9: Initiative Americans 3/2
Pvt Gibby fires his bazooka a second time… and misses again. Disgusted, and with only one rocket left, 1LT law takes the bazooka from him. The rest of Law’s group enter the building and take up firing positions.
T5 May and his .30 team in the building continue to fire on the last known position of von Witzlaben and his LMGs, killing one gunner and a loader. Sgt Lyons and his group add their firepower to the battle, with T4 Seid killing von Witzlaben. Finally, SSG Rockstar joins in. At this point the German survivors have had enough and leave the field. In their haste, they left the unwounded Private Guidas behind, who was now able to escape and join Sgt Lyons.
Because of the bazooka fire ahead of him. Lt Gruber halts his Stug and Stug #3 behind him. Cpl Otto in the center and Rohleder on the left advance cautiously.
Turn 10: Initiative Germans 3/2 (after rolling 6/6 – no reinforcements).
In the center, Stug #2 finally starts moving, but Lt Law was able to get his shot off before he got out of sight, scoring a direct hit and destroying it. Gruber (Stug#1) and Stug#2 advance, halting just short of the burning Stug #2.
However, with no more bazooka rounds left, and only Gammon grenades left to deal with the two remaining Stugs, 1Lt Law orders a withdrawl. Unable to get to him, the badly wounded Pvt Mumey is taken prisoner.
Final Results:
Lt Law’s groups (1-4) – no Casualties
SSG Rockstar’s group:
KIA: Cpl Bechtold, Pvt Simpson, PFC Crapgame
POW: Pvt Mumey
Survivors: SSG Rockstar, Sgts Lyons & Kelley, T3 Seid, T4 Shivers, Pvts Blanchard & Miller
Germans:
KIA: Lt Meyer, Sgt Steiner, Cpl Kruger, OG Reiser, Pvt Kranz, Pvt Westhouse
WIA: Gf Wolk, OG Dorfmann, Pvt Leer
Left battle: OG Kroner, Gf Gerhardt, Gf Kern, Pvt Anshelm, Pvt Kropp
The view at start from behind German right
The view at start from German left
Position of forces at start
Sgt Steiner moves his group on a flanking attack
And is greeted by Sgt Lyons
The sort of thing that happens when you don't have enough 25mm StuG - he gets a little brother
