FOW: Operation Cromwell Scenario Test

Mark & Jim's US v. Steve & James' Germans

This was a test of one of our ideas for scenarios for Operation Cromwell in October.  Each army has 2 coys, one is deployed at the start, the other will come on later.  The place where the second coy comes on is told to the umpire secret from the enemy before any deployment.  The two sides place their 1st coy by alternate platoons in their 1/3 of the table as in a FFA.  The second coy comes on in the nominated area in two waves, up to half on turn 3 & the rest on  turn 4. There are 6 objective markers, the 2 in no mans land (on the bridge & at the crossroad) are worth 3 each, the other 4, 2 in each side's zone (on hill tops) are worth 1 each.  Steve & Mark are CIC's.  James in his first visit to Camp Cromwell & Jim also acting as umpire moved the 2nd coys under direction from the CIC's.

Pic taken after the German's 3rd turn - they are on the left.  Their MkIV's in the foreground are their first wave of the 2nd coy.  Stugs of the German 1st coy have already taken the objective on the crossroad.

The US 2nd coy has come on at the opposite end of the table to the Panzers.  The 76mm Shermasn are taking on the Stugs in the village while the other Shermans advance on the Panzergrenadiers on the hill behind.

The Mk IV's are working their way into the US left flank.  The Stugs of the 2nd wave have double across the rear and are fording the creek next to the farm in the German rear.

The Stugs in the village have destroyed the 76mm Shermans for just one loss.  The other Shermans have turned to help, but too late.  The Honey's are moving to attack the Panzergrenadiers.

The 2nd Sherman platoon has followed their cousins to Stug doom.  The 2nd Stug platoon arrived in time to save the Panzergrenadiers from the Honeys.  On the far flank the Mk IV's have chewed their way through the US units with acceptable loses.

At this point we called time after about 2 1/2 hours as a 10:1 German victory.  The US still hold 1 VP, but their 2nd coy has been destroyed & the 1st is doomed, so with technically half an hour left to the 3 hour limit US morale failure is certain.  It was a decisive win for the Germans.  The US were too defensive - they should have sent infantry to attack the Stugs in village to support the US armour.  As it was, the Stugs in cover were able to more than hold their own until reinforcements arrived.

The players all enjoyed the scenario.  It presented the players with challenging decisions to make, it's a bit different to the usual, it's fair to both sides & it provides scope for making transport useful.  The secret location of the 2nd coy entry zone was done by the player showing the umpire a dice in his palm (the dice is not thrown the player selects which side is up).  1=60cm zone from the LH corner down the LH side.  2-4=60cm zones along the rear table edge from left to right.  6=60cm down the RH side.