Outskirts of Sainte Marie - A Chain of Command AAR

We played a small action scenario with Chain of Command this morning. Located in Normandy 6th June in the morning, two US paratrooper and one Infantry sections supported by a couple of Shermans are tasked with taking control of the main road crossing Saint Marie.

The German command had reinforced the village early in the morning with a couple of ad-hoc gruppes of Fallschirmjaeger,  heavily armed with LMGs and panzerfausts, while reinforced with a tank hunter (Panzerschreck) team to deal with any enemy armour threats. However, no mortar support was available due to a most disconcerted and broken German chain of command in the early hours of D-Day.

Both sides wer rated as elite (6 command dice) and the moral level (determined by a dice throw) was 9 for the Germans and 8 for the US forces.

The photo shows the gaming table, with the first houses of Sainte Marie and the network of local roads leading into the village's main street, the key US player target. The outskirts of the village mark the end of the bocage country, although the houses are sorrounded by small hedges and stone walls, providing some good cover and defensive lines in the ensuing battle.

US Patrol Markers after first activations

The initial patrol-phase concluded with the Germans jump-off points creating a defensive line supported by the house on the left, the ruined church and a farm to the right of the photo (out of frame). The US jump-off points were placed at different places behind the tall bocage of the larger field in the centre of the table and the road-bend on the right of the photo above.

The first activations saw the Germnas occupying the central position of its defensive line (a ruined church) and the Americans bringing to the table the two Shermans followed closely by one of the parachute sections.
      

The approach of the US paratroopers was facilitated with the AFV's dense covering fire, achieving a critical hit on the church, that made the whole structure unstable and forced the Germans to leave the building and pull back its defensive line to a house just behind.

Sherman viewed from the top of the church

The rest of the game saw the paratroopers attacking from the ruined church yard and the US infantry taking control of the house to the left of the German defensive line, launching a final attack on the enemy last held building. In between, the German played a very skilfull defense against superior odds, including using a Chain of Command dice to trigger an ambush on one of the Shermans with the tank-hunter team.

The Americans used covering fire and advance tactics. Also thanks to a Chain of Command dice that ended a longer turn, they were able to catch a full German squad in the open with no cover, wiping it out with the fire of one Sherman's MGs.

Overall, a very dynamic game this morning, with a clear victory of the US players. Today was also the first time we used the latest version of the Armour and anti-tank rules, siginficantly simplified versus the previous rules drafts but very efficiently designed.

Orders of Battle

US Forces
1	Senior Leader (IV)	Thompson
Parachute Squad 1
1	Junior leader (III)	Thompson
1	Gunner MG 0.30	Pistol
2	Assistant Gunner	M1
7	Riflemen	M1
Parachute Squad 2
1	Junior leader (III)	Thompson
2	BAR
2	Assistant Bar	M1
8	Rifle
Infantry Squad
1	Junior leader (II)	Thompson
1	BAR
1	Assistant Bar	M1
8	Rifle	M1
MG Team
1	Gunner MG 0.30	Pistol
3	Assistant Gunner	M1
		Armour	AP	HE
Sherman 1	Junior leader (II)	5	4	6
Sherman 2	Junior leader (II)	5	4	6

  

German Forces
HQ Platoon Fallschirmjaeger
1	Senior Leader (III)	MP40
2	Rifle	Kar 98k
1	Panzerfaust	Kar98k
Fallschirmjaeger Squad 1
1	Junior Leader	MP40
2	LMG Gunner	Pistol
2	Assistant gunner	Kar 98
5	Rifle (2 Panzerfaust)	Kar 98
Fallschirmjaeger Squad 2
1	Junior Leader	MP40
1	LMG Gunner	Pistol
1	Assistant gunner	Kar 98
6	Rifle (2 Panzerfaust)	Kar 98
Panzerschreck Team
1	Gunner	pistol
2	Assistant Gunner	Kar 98
		AP	HE	PointB	Close	Effective
	Panzerschreck	8	3	0-12"	13-24"	24-48"
	Panzerfaust	7	2	0-9"	9-24"	----