My friend Steffen and I started the Chain of Command pint-size campaign 'Taking the Gembloux Gap' the other day. We had a full day to play so managed to get through 4 turns of play.
I was the Germans attacking Steffen's French forces in this early war campaign. It is a straight forward 10 turn campaign with 6 tables to get through if the Germans are to win. The Germans have 3 platoons to complete the campaign with. However, once I change platoon the previous platoon is out of the campaign. The French have 3 platoons as well, but they are fixed to certain scenarios. So one platoon to fight the first scenario. A second platoon to fight the 2-4 scenarios, and a third platoon to fight scenarios 5 and 6.
Turn 1.
First scenario, Palm-off at Perbais, is a straight attacker-defender scenario, where the objective for both sides is to break the enemy's force morale or make them retreat.
I had chosen a Stuka Bombardment as one of my support choices, which happens before the patrol phase. The attack destroyed one building and set two other buildings on fire and made them unstable. Hopefully the smoke from the fire would aide me in my advance.
The patrol went okay for the Germans. As the center line of advance would be through very open space, the Germans tried to ensure jump-off points on both flanks. This went rather well, as they got two points on each flank about a quarter up the field. The French ended up with 2 points on their left flank and one in the center, and since they had a lot of defensive terrain on their side of the field, that suited them perfectly.
As it happened I rolled three 6's in my first phase, so the first turn ended very quickly. One of the unstable buildings collapsed but the fire continued in both buildings, so that was lucky for me. We ruled that the effect of the Stuka Bombardment that affects the French units who wants to deploy (4+ to deploy, will deploy with d6 shock on each teams) would still be in play, as it doesn't specify that it ends with the end of a turn. So the first French forces did enter the table, but with shock already in play.
The Germans started with a squad on their right flank, but it quickly came under heavy fire from a French squad and a MMG team. Despite their initial shock the French managed to pin the Germans quite effectively.
So the Germans tried to advance on their left flank instead. 2 squads was sent forward to take the French positions. But the French were quick to reinforce this position, and the first German squad took heavy casualties.
The Germans responded with a Pak 36 team and a 5cmm mortar team to try and put more fire into French forces.
A small French counter attack ended brutally as a rifle team was completely cut down as they tried to cross the open ground.
It was, however, too late as the German casualties mounted and one squad broke and retreated backwards. The last German squad tried to force their way through but as the German commander saw that the French prepared an even bigger counterattack he gave the order for a full retreat.
So the first battle ended with a defeat for the Germans, and they lost almost a third of their platoon. The French platoon took very few casualties and was quite ready to take on the next German attack.
Turn 2.
The Germans decided to attack again with the same platoon, despite the heavy casualties it had suffered in the first battle. Because it was the second battle in the same scenario the Germans would receive 2 more points of support and the French would lose one. On the other hand any Entrenchments from the first game would remain on the field.
Initially the Germans wanted their jump-off points to be roughly in the same positions as in the first game, as that would give the most flexibility in their attack. Unfortunately this didn't go quite as planned, as the Germans only managed to advance up their right flank, and was left completely on the base edge in the center and on the left flank. The French on the other hand managed to get their jump.off points placed evenly across the field.
This time the Germans had made 2 import changes in their support choices. They had picked a pre-game barrage, which happened to be a lot more effective in preventing the French from getting into their positions in good time. And they had brought along a 7.5cm infantry gun, which proved rather effective. Because of the position of their jump-off points the Germans saw no other way than just to go all in on their right flank.
The French called for armoured support but it was almost immediately forced off the field due to the fire from the Pak 36.
The French then tried to flank the Germans by advancing a squad down the German left flank. But by concentrating their forces and fire the Germans managed to break the French morale and they had to abandon the field.
So despite their initial losses in the first game the German first managed to win the first scenario. And since their losses in the second game were very light, the platoon was still operational and would continue the attack in turn 3.
It was 2 very different battles, despite the apparent similarity. In the first game it seemed like I couldn't stop rolling 6's when being hit, and thus took a lot of casualties. And Steffen was lucky to get his troops on the field and in good positions, despite the Stuka Bombardment. Conversely in the second game the pre-game barrage worked better, and the Germans were able to overwhelm the French before they got into their positions.
But it was 2 fun, bloody and exciting games, which kicked off the campaign in excellent style.
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