Chain of Command 2 – Home Front

 

This was the first Scenario from the excellent (free!!) Pint Sized Campaign, from Bad Squiddo Games, “Home Front”. The fast moving German landing forces, are pushing down toward Romford, after landing near Clacton. Scenario 1 sees the German platoon attempting to push past a weak Home Guard screening force.

The Home Guard were controlled by Simon and Phil. The German platoon was controlled by Rob & Dave. Support rolls were average, with the Germans electing to take a Red Dice, an armoured car and a shabby Nazi trick, of 2 nuns concealing an LMG team! The Home Guard had rather more support points to play with (the platoon rating being -4), so they took a pillbox, a roadblock, some milk churn mines, some Land Army reinforcements and a Beaverette car. This all proved to be a mistake, with only 4 Command Dice to play with!!

The Germans opened with the Nuns walking down the road, shadowed to the South of the road, by a section of infantry and to the North of the road, by the Riflemen of the section who’s LMG team were disguised as Nuns. The German armoured car, skirted around the North of the woods flanking the road, in order to engage and neutralise the pillbox.

The Home Guard, only having 2 pre-located Jump Off Points, were forced to deploy a section to contest the Jump-Off point just West of the orchard. While Sgt Wilson waited, the Germans slipped through the hedge at the far side of the orchard and crawled forward. As soon as the Germans crawled into view, the 8 Home Guard rifles opened fire, inflicting the only casualty suffered by the Germans in the entire game (the Germans being in light cover & Tactical). The return fire from the MG34 and 5 rifles, was rather more effective and shock & casualties soon started to mount, but Sgt Wilson’s section was made of stern stuff and they grimly held on, delaying the German advance.

The German disguised Nuns, after a short detour into the woods (for no clear reason!?), infiltrated down behind Sgt Wilson’s section and pulling the MG34 from beneath their robes, opened fire on Sgt Wilson’s section, from the flank! Dirty tricks indeed!!

However, the Nuns had been spotted and the Platoon Sergeant had sent out a section, to escort the Nuns to safety. However, as these brave lads moved out to help the ladies, the German armoured car hosed them down, as they ran for the woods, fortunately only inflicting some shock!

These brave Home Guard lads burst out of the trees, behind the Nuns, only to discover that they were really Nazi machine gunners! The horrified Home Guard lads surged forward, to capture the traitorous Nazis!

Back on the North flank, the Platoon sergeant called forward the Boys Anti-Tank rifle, to deploy into the Estate buildings. This managed to get a couple of hits on the German armoured car, but to no serious effect and the deadly cannon fire soon silenced the Boys.

The German commander was by now getting frustrated, so he personally led the third German section, at the run, down the entire length of the road, not even bothering to hide! Hearing the jackboots closing on their rear, the Home Guard troops on the road, ran back to man the road block, but the Germans were too close on their heels. The Germans caught-up with the Home Guard lads at the roadblock, and the brave Home Guard lads were forced to surrender!

An interesting game and I would recommend the Bad Squiddo PSC. Production quality is excellent and there are some nice ideas in there. Having only 4 Command dice was a killer for the Home Guard, especially as the Germans had 6 (with their Red dice). Next time, the Home Guard need to take more incorporated support options, or more support options not needing Commands!!

As a fill-in, we then decided to use the same table layout, for a spot of early war What a Tanker. The Germans had a Panzer III, a Panzer II and the Panzer 38T. The French had a Char B, a H35 and an R35. The Germans quickly lost the Panzer III, to a flank shot from the H35. The Char B played a game of ‘squash the Panzer II’, in the central wood. That left the Panzer 38T playing dodge with all 3 French tanks! Eventually they managed to box it in, at point blank range and finish it off!