Capt Newsome went over the plan with what was present of H company of the 101st. They had landed in Normandy 2 days earlier. "We will demonstrate down the main road while Joe you will come up this side road into town and take em. There is a white building that is the key to the town. We will have one Sherman go with you Joe.. Any questions?" Currahee!
Forces
Lt Joe Ramesy Scholarly/Technology Gr III
SSgt Bill Taylor Optomistic/wealth 1st SQ Gr II
Sgt Paul Saunders Cheery/food 2nd Sq Gr III Brill Leader
Sgt Goldberg Shy/Wealth Weapons SQ Gr II
1 Sherman Tank
2nd SQ has +1 morale and the paratroopers have the initiative
Road looking into town
Small hill off to the left
What is your plan LT?
Lt Ramsey decided to put the mortar on the hill with a 30 cal at the foot. He would accompany 1st platoon up the hedgegrow toward the white building while 2nd squad went into the wood on the left to flank the white building. The Sherman tank would stay back in a supporting role.
2nd Sq made good progress on the left. 1st Sq ran into MG fire from the white building while going through the field. Worse, the germans shelled the hill knocking out the 30 cal. Ramsey got everyone moving again when up the road comes...
Under new management!
The sherman trades a couple shots while...
These fellas come up and miss!!
SSgt Taylor has run into a ATG in a swamp just past the forrest. He leaves part of the squad to keep it busy and moved his BAR team to fire on the white house. Sgt Saunders is ready to assault into the house but a new german squad is detected off to his right. The eagles are now outnumbered.
With a shout Saunder's men move across the street
but are pinned down.
SSgt Taylor, seeing this rushes forward with his BAR team and enters the house. His three men dispatch 3 germans and watch the other 2 leave by the back door!
SSgt Taylor faces the second floor occupants!
Sgt Saunders on right with smoke screen
A pitched battle ensues and the 2 MG teams from upstairs with a german NCO come down. This pits 8 germans against the 4 eagles. The eagles hold their own hiding behind furniture as the german MGs try to find them against the thud of hand gernades; 1 US falls against 2 germans. Both sides morale holds.
The next card is...
Lt Ramsey runs across the road amid flying lead yelling at
first squad to get in that building and they follow the young
officer.
Bolstered by 11 fresh eagles the americans quickly throw the germans out of the white house.
With their main posiiton gone the germans withdraw out of town in good order.
Post game SSgt Taylor is upgraded to a Gr III leader. He is also put in for a Silver Star but that is denigned. Capt Newsome is delighted and promises the platoon an extra squad/armored car or ATG next game. In addition, Lt Ramsey was allowed to brief this action to Gen Taylor in person who was impressed. Now he knows Gen Taylor as an NPC.
For those of you that want to try it the German forces were
3 squads poor troops (-1 morale) with Lt Gr I and 1 sq leaders Gr II and 2 Gr Is
1 HMG / 1 LMG
1 FO with a half battery of 81mm Mtrs
1 75 ATG
Reinforcement of 1 French tank enters turn 4.
Great game particularly because I haven't played in a while
Enjoy
Joe
Post game SSgt Taylor is upgraded to a Gr III leader. He is also put in for a Silver Star but that is denigned. Capt Newsome is delighted and promises the platoon an extra squad/armored car or ATG next game. In addition, Lt Ramsey was allowed to brief this action to Gen Taylor in person who was impressed. Now he knows Gen Taylor as an NPC.
For those of you that want to try it the German forces were
3 squads poor troops (-1 morale) with Lt Gr I and 1 sq leaders Gr II and 2 Gr Is
1 HMG / 1 LMG
1 FO with a half battery of 81mm Mtrs
1 75 ATG
Reinforcement of 1 French tank enters turn 4.
Great game particularly because I haven't played in a while
Enjoy
Joe
Hey! Where's the rest???
ReplyDeleteFor some reason innitially I only could see the first thee paragraphs but now I have the full AAR. very good report
ReplyDeleteThank you. While typing I tried to save and accidently posted it early.
ReplyDeleteJoe
Hi, Joe. Our group is looking at your Platoon Forward system for a campaign in Burma. You mentioned using a variant of TWT. Can you share with me what you have modified? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteDean,
ReplyDeleteI have a British platoon in Burma myself!
I wrote "Lazy Tw&T" because I hated keeping track of shock. I reworked the combat routine so instead you take morale checks. The system is cleaner as I did away with the firer chart. Now every 2 riflemen earn a die/ a LMG earns 3 die ect. Rich liked it so much (except for the morale check part-- he still likes the shock poor lad) that he used it to make Mud and Blood. I also simplified the armor routine. Part III adds initative and airpower. It is available in the specials and they can be used as "stand alone" pieces. Be happy to answer more questions.
Cheers
Joe
Joe,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the quick response. I have at least one of the supplements that include your variants and will pick up the rest shortly. Interesting note about the evolution of mechanics for Mud and Blood. Several of our group really like those rules and have been wondering about the feasibility of adapting them to WW2 and Burma.
I'll send any questions as they arise. Thanks again.
Dean
Dean,
ReplyDeleteAfter I wrote the above I re-read my stuff. The original article (part 1) also included how to do away with the firering chart but keep wounds (shock) thus not using morale checks. I forgot I had put that in there. I obviously don't use it but should work fine for WW2.
Also note that most people don't use the squad cards anymore and just rely on big man cards.
Cheers
Joe
Interesting. So the Tacticial Initiative whatever cards arent being used much? That was one of the things we struggled with- there were so many tactical initiative chits available on the table, that players always seemed to have more than they needed to activate units.
ReplyDeleteDean,
ReplyDeleteActually no. The squad cards go away so squads only "do things when leaders do things." It does speed play. I also personally have decreased the number of TI cards by a third for the reasons you state.
Cheers
Joe