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IABSM Battle Report;
23/05/05 Kev's Kiwi's Vs Nige's Fallschirmjager,
Crete 1941
might be nice for Nige to try them out straight away.
I set up a nice little game based on Operation Mercury and the Invasion of Crete in 1941.
Nige's FJ had to capture a small port facility garrisoned by an unknown force of Kiwis.
The southern table edge was designated as the sea with a quayside laden with empty barrels
awaiting a fuel shipment.
To the north west of the town lay an area of fields - both corn and vineyards providing much
cover. Immediately to the north lay a ridge of high ground, lightly scrubbed and rocky in places.
Another features of the table was the predominance of substantial stone walls lining the dirt
tracks exiting the town. Opposing forces orbat is listed below
HQ Platoon One rifle section (8 men)
2” mortar (2 men)
AT Rifle (2 men)
Major. D.Saster BIG MAN 1 (D4)
Inf Platoon 1 Three rifle sections (8 men)
Lieut. Hugh Jego BIG MAN 2 (D6)
Inf Platoon 2 Two rifle sections (8 men)
Sgt. 'Ripper' Hymen BIG MAN 3 (D6+1)
Supp Wpn 1 Two 3” mortar (3 men)
Cpl. Les Bow BIG MAN 4 (D6)
Supp Wpn 2 Two MMG’s (3 crew)
Sgt Hal I. Tosis BIG MAN 5 (D6+1)
Gun 1 Bofors 37mm AA [Gun 4]
Gun 2 Bofors 37mm AA [Gun 4]
NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Heroic Leader Gun Bonus Mortar Bonus
Rally MG Bonus
Nige's Fallschirmjagers
HQ Platoon 1 Rifle squad (8 men) Automatic Weapons
Three 50mm mortars (2 men)
Two MMG’s (3 men)
Hauptmann Bereich BIG MAN 1 (D6)
Inf Platoon 1 Three Rifle squads (8 men) Automatic Weapons
MMG (3 crew)
Leutnant Wutrzgarten BIG MAN 2 (D6)
Feldwebel Pfalz BIG MAN 3 (D6)
Inf Platoon 2 Three Rifle squads (8 men) Automatic Weapons
MMG (3 crew)
Unterfeldwebel Ursiger BIG MAN 4 (D6+2)
Inf Platoon 3 Two Rifle squads (8 men) Automatic Weapons
MMG (3 crew)
Obegefreiter Bassermann BIG MAN 5 (D6+1)
Support 1 Two 81mm Mortars
Gefreiter Ockfener BIG MAN 6 (D6)
Gun 1 75mm Geb36 Mountain Gun (5 crew) [Gun 4]
Gun 2 75mm Geb 36 Mountain Gun (5 crew) [Gun 4]
Air Support x 3 Stuka attack with Bomb
· 2D6+6 fire effect
· 0-9” column
· Blast radius 4”
Close support from a Stuka Schwarm flying overhead.
When card is pulled Roll D6; 1 = Friendly fire on a visible unit.
2 - 4 = Flies over table but attacks a target off-table
5 or 6 = Attacks a visible enemy target on-table.
NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
Rally Gun Bonus Fire MMG Bonus
Air Support 1-3 Dynamic CO Mortar Bonus
Heroic Leader Rapid Deployment Ammo Shortage
simulate the fact that the Fallschirmjager had limited
resources. I explained to Nige that there were several drop
cannisters containing ammo scattered across the table. To
negate a 'Short on Ammo' chip a Platoon needed to spend a
full move, in contact with the cannister, and perform no other
actions with their initiative die.
Nige's blinds were permitted to be deployed within 6" of the
northern and western table edges.
My deployment consisted of a Bofors on the quayside, with
another dug in on a small hillock north of the town.
In the eastern half of the town I had deployed my weak
second Platoon, of only two squads.
The western extreme of the town was the location for the
other stronger Platoon of three squads. I chose to deploy my
HQ Platoon also and added a Vickers MMG to it also.
My remaining Vickers crew with Sgt M Hal I. Tosis were
deployed in a pillbox located on the western road where they
could command approaches to the town.
Finally I had dug in two 3" mortars due south of the vineyard.
Nige started with blinds making an appearance on the low
hills to the north.
My Bofors was spotted and engaged by the FJ's 81mm
mortars, which caused only a wound.
My Bofors proved its worth though by spotting a Platoon of
FJ working their way towards the towns northern approach
and then firing as an HMG, pinning, and causing heavy
casualties on the advancing parachutists, who dived for
cover behind a low stone wall.
A Stuka spiralled down in an attack upon the 3" mortars only
to be engaged and shot down by my Bofors.
Small arms fire continued to pour forth at the Bofors causing
it to be pinned in successive turns and suffer several wounds
and kills before eventually its only crew member slumped to
the ground exhausted.
However, I decided to activate my 3" mortar squads and with
a stunning display of fireworks quickly destoyed one 81mm
mortar.
Nigel had been spotting frantically to find my depositions but I
had ensured that my forces were not deployed at the towns
edge and so had largely remained hidden.
He advanced a section into the north western building of the
town, supported by two others.
I opened up with my HQ Platoon and light mortar, my attached
Vickers causing real problems as point blank range.
I had now discovered that blinds appearing on the west of the
table edge were infact fakes and realised that Sgt Hal I.
Tosis's pillbox outflanked the main German position. Nige
realised too and when a Stuka appeared overhead he had
hoped that it may target the dug in Vickers. However, the
Stuka bombed his infantry Platoon sheltering unconvincingly
near a wall hitting two of its sections and causing fearful
casualties.
Nigel's HQ Platoon with its two MG34's, three 50mm mortars
plus rifle squad and yet another infantry Platoon appeared on
the edge of the cropped fields and began to engage my forces
in and around the town's northern edge.
I now reavealed my Platoon in the buildings at the western
edge of the town, near the sea. These fired into the emerging
FJ as did the pillbox Vickers causing them to be pinned and
suppressed.
Nige now started to pin down my troops as two Geb.36, 75mm
mountain guns, were revealed. One was sited in rocky
ground just north of my Bofors and the other in the NW
corner of the table. These proved to be very useful in causing
a critical hit on a building containing my HQ Platoon and also
dropping a couple of shells into my first Platoon.
More seriously perhaps, the FJ now penetrated into the
northern half of the town but then found themselves pinned
down in the buildings with little hope of advancing as wounds
mounted up.
On a 'Heroic Leader' chip, Sgt 'Ripper' Hymen led his section,
and a Boys AT rifle crew, into an assault into a building
defended by FJ a Big Man AND a MG34. Defeated he was
forced to retreat to the church but only just lost as Nige threw
lots of bum rolls.
My pillbox Vickers MG had by now forced a FJ Platoon into
cover, and had turned the FJ HQ into a ruin of screaming,
bleeding remnants. My remaining 3" mortar continued its
good service killing the German C-in-C and also knocked out
a mountain gun.
I was forced to manouevre my first Platoon along the road
and into the eastern half of the town to shore up my defences.
I was in the process of doing so when they were hit, first by a
Geb. 36 and then by the suriviving 81mm mortar.
A last act saw my pillbox finally succumb to a Stuka attack but
by then it was too late.
My Kiwi's had held the town but had lost almost a full third of
their number. The FJ had manouvred well and even with their
superior firepower had just managed to occupy the northern
edge of the town. The cost had been very high though. Over
50% of the FJ would never jump again!
An interesting game involving the very effective FJ. Fielding
four intitiaitve dice, and throwing an extra dice at short range,
plus one if accompanied by a Big Man, meant that in some
cases they could advance three dice and still fire with three.
I managed to hold them up though largely due to my pillbox
Vickers MG and Sgt Hal I. Tosis who controlled the entire
western flank and centre and my 3" mortars which hit
everything they fired at.
Not defending the towns edge meant that the FJ would get
bogged down due to their spotting attempts going astray
whilst I could defend the perimeter using the advantages of
interior lines. This was extremely important when I rushed
reserves over to the eastern side of the town after realising
that my Pillbox MG could more than keep the FJ occuppied.
The Geb. 36 proved to be very useful at engaging my forces
and caused far more casualties than their infantry
counterparts.
