Caesar's Camp: Attack on the Hedgehog Wood

 

Myself and Graham started a new campaign this past Saturday. I am playing the Scott's and Graham the Germans. It is an interesting campaign as it tracks the exploits of the 51st Highland Division, the only British/Canadian unit seconded to the French 10th Army. As the situation worsened in early June 1940, this unit was sent in to support their French allies in an attempt to drive the 57th German Division out of their bridgehead south of the Somme River near Abbeville. This is a little unusual, as historically we usually think of British actions during this period of the war in the context of the retreat of the BEF to Dunkirk after the fall of Belgium to the Germans. With the success of Fall Gelb, the Germans were now focused on Fall Rot, the capture of Paris.

In our campaign, we see the Scots trying to stop the Germans from securing a bridgehead south of the Somme in order to begin their rush to Paris. It will be an interesting campaign as the Scots will have some French armour in support as the campaign proceeds. The 57th was a 2nd wave German division and we will see some WWI weapons with one squad in each platoon fielding MG08/15 LMG's rather than MG34's. They will have the support of some early armoured cars.

German Defenders-217th Infanterie Regiment (FM8)

2nd Wave Infantry Platoon #1

2 SL's

3 squads of 10 men, lead by a JL's, one squad with a MG08/15

Supports 8

2 barbed wire

1 minefield

Pregame Barrage

Flamethrower Team

Scottish Attackers-The Cameron Highlanders, B Company (FM9)

British EW Infantry Platoon

2 Senior Leaders

2" Mortar Team

3 sections of 11 men, lead by Junior Leaders

Supports 12

Pregame Barrage

Vickers MMG

Daimler Scout Car

Sniper

2" Mortar Team

Scenario

This is Scenario 4 from the main rulebook: A Delaying Action. It is a One off scenario and is not played twice. 

A burned out Daimler scout car, an objective in the game. If the Scots get there first, they get a free CoC dice in scenario 3, the same if the Germans capture it.

I thought we both did OK with the Patrol Phase, but I would have liked to have got a marker more to my left flank. 

The JOP's

The fixed German Defences

The Scots lay down smoke and rush a Dingo Scout Car up the road and capture the Important papers.

I used smoke to cover my approach on my left flank in an attempt to get in the woods and flank the Germans before they could get there.

Unfortunately the Germans were able to get a Flamethrower in position and destroyed the Dingo with a JL causing a drop in the Scottish FM.

I almost had my first section in the woods when Graham, of course, threw a double phase and was able to unload twice on the section before they got into cover. Causing loss of life and significant shock. Due to me not reading the campaign rules carefully ( I had not realised that this was a one off platoon for this scenario only), I withdrew in order to preserve the platoon for the next game.

So a well deserved victory for Graham in his first campaign outing using the Chain of Command ruleset. As usual, I did not read the full pamphlet carefully enough and missed that the Scots actually had 7 riflemen in their sections and as noted above, this was done off platoon. I do have a bit of time though before our next game, so hopefully will not make any further errors.

The Butcher's Bill

Germans 

CO+1

MO 0

Outlook Cheerful

The Germans get an Off table MMG if desired in scenario 3

Scots (-2 on FM rolls)

CO -2

MO-4

Outlook Retiring 

The Scots get a CoC dice to start scenario 3

As an aside; I played the same scenario with Iannick, his first CoC game, the next game and he slaughtered me. I am just not sure if I am a very good teacher or a very poor player!