Summer 1942 Desert Battle: A Spearhead AAR

 Recently we made a diversion from Ancients and played a 1942 Desert game using the Spearhead (SH) rules. For this game, we played a meeting engagement of about 450 pts using the points from the Spearhead Scenario Generation System. Our scenario was basically of both sides having 2 armored and one motorized infantry battalion, entering the board from opposite ends with the option of keeping one battalion in reserve. Victory would be based on defeating 2 of 3 enemy battalions. Regarding modifications to the standard SH rules, we used the following:

• Increased all the game measurements by 33%. In SH, standard measurements are multiples of 3." Thus, 3" = 300 yrds became 4" = 300 yrds.
• Allowed select recon platoons to "disperse" prior to the game, where they can only suppress enemy or be suppressed on a roll of "11 or 12" using 2 x 6D (a rule borrowed from Great War Spearhead). They automatically evade a full move if the target of an overrun or close assault. They behave in all other ways like a recon platoon.
  
• Allowed FO's from artillery battalions to call in an area barrage using a template similar to a pre-planned bombardment.

Below is the order of battle for both sides:

 GERMAN FORCES

Panzer Battalion A, 15th Pz Div (Veterans)
1-HQ Tank (PzIIIG short,), 1-PzIIF Recon, 1-PzIIIG short, 3-PzIIIJ long, 2-PzIVF1 short
8 platoons, BP: 6

Panzer Battalion B, 15th Pz Div (Veterans)
1-HQ Tank (PzIIIG short,), 1-PzIIIG short, 3-PzIIIJ long, 1-PzIVF1 short, 1-PzIVF2 long
7 platoons, BP: 5

Schutzen Battalion C, 15th Panzer Div (Regulars)
1-HQ Rifle/SMG, 9-Rifles, 1-HMG, 1-81mm mortar, 1-Engineer, 13 trucks, 

Attachments: 2-105mm Howitzer batteries & trucks, 1-Sdkfz 6/3 (Diana) Tank Hunter, 1-Flak 88 & tractor, 1-PAK38 ATG & truck, 1-GW38t (Bison), 1 FO & truck.

19 platoons, BP 10/13

 BRITISH FORCES (All Regulars)

Armored Regiment 6, 8th Armored Brigade
1-HQ Armored Car, 6-Crusader II, 2-Crusader CS, Attached: Armored Car Squadron 3-A/Cs (Diamler 2#), 3 platoons
12 platoons, BP: 6/8

Armored Regiment 7, 8th Armored Brigade
1-HQ Armored Car, 6-Lee/Grant, 5-M3 Honey
12 platoons, BP: 6/8

Motor Battalion, 8th Armored Brigade 

1-HQ Rifle/SMG, 6 Rifles, 3-HMG, 1-Eng SMG, 1-3" mortar, 3-Carrier Platoons, 2-2pdr Portees, 2-6pdr Portees, 12 trucks, Attachmens: 2-25pdr howitzers & tractors (on table), 2-25pdr howitzers & tractors (off table), 1-4.2" mortar & truck, 2-40mm Bofors AA guns & trucks, 1-FO & truck. 

25 platoons, BP 13/17

Both players made their plans & gave orders. An account of the game is below:

The battlefield. The buildings were treated as light cover. Lighter areas are sand (1/2 speed). 

The British Motor Battalion enters and goes directly towards the oasis & buildings. 7th Armored Regt is to their right (Grants/Honeys). 6th Armored Regt is off board in reserve.

A close up of 7th Armored.

 

Both German Panzer Battalions enter the board. The Schutzen Battalion is in reserve.

On turn 2, the 6th Armored Regt has appeared from reserve and shifting towards the left flank, while the Motor Infantry is approaching the oasis, leaving support platoons behind on the ridge.

 

 

6th Armored Regt (Crusader 11's & Diamler A/C's). AEC A/C is the HQ platoon.

 

The Panzers spread out.

 

 

 

Motor Infantry approaching the oasis.

The British have occupied the oasis. German Panzers moving above battle speed creating dust (upper left).

 

7th Armored has reached it's objective and is trying to change orders so it can advance further.

Panzer Battalion B advancing on the oasis.

 

 

Panzer Battalion A advancing between some ruins (rough) and sand. Armored Regt 6 starting to deploy on the ridge, while a Bofors, 2pdr portees, and a 25pdr are deployed for action.

 

 

Panzer Battalion B starting it's attack on the oasis.

The Schutzen Battalion is activated from reserve and enters the board.

 

7th Armored is finally able to change orders and moves forward through the sand.

Overview of the battlefield.

 

 

7th Armored clears the sand. Are they heading towards the German infantry or the flank of the Panzers?

 

 

The Germans lose a tank platoon (the red puff marks a burning wreck). British in the building are firing AT weapons at the Panzers.

 

 

6th Armored is still deploying to engage the Germans below.

 

 

The British lose 2 A/C's, and a portee, but the Germans lose 3 Panzers due to a combination of indirect artillery, 2 pdr A/C, tank,& portees, plus Bofors fire. Another portee is suppressed (white & black puff).

 

Another portee (6pdr) on the ridge is suppressed.

Due to orders they can't change, 7th Armored veers left towards the Panzers instead of the Schutzen, presenting their flank to the German gun line on the ridge. Moving at top speed to make dust, 7th Armored tries to obscure their tanks.

 

The Germans are pressing their attack to overrun the Motor infantry, who are only in light cover in the buildings.

The Germans have lost another Panzer, while the Brits lose their remaining A/C and a Crusader.

The fortunes of war definitely favored the Motor infantry, whose AT weapons destroyed 3 Panzers (three sixes in a row were rolled!). Panzer Battalion B is decimated and broken. Meanwhile, 7th Armored has lost 3 tank platoons and 1 suppressed due to 88mm, Diana, & PAK 38 fire from the opposite ridge.

 

 

The German gun line on the opposite ridge.

 

 

Panzer Battalion A has broken off, one platoon away from a morale check. The Germans have lost the engagement.

 

 

The battle proved costly for the British, as the German gun line destroys 4 more tanks of 7th Armored, who was unable to change orders and they fail their moral check.

Overall, it was good to play WW2 again after a long hiatus. Once the forces came into effective range, the action was fast & furious. The British infantry were lucky with their AT fire, it could have been much worse for them. The Spearhead rules are fun and orders are very important, as 7th Armored found out.

Battlefront Miniatures painted by and from the collection of Bob Pavlik.

 

 

World War 2 Gaming

After a couple years of nearly non-stop ancients gaming, Bob & I are starting to play WW2 in 15mm. This is something we haven't done for maybe 10 years. We've played Flames of War and Blitzkrieg Commander in the past. This time, we are playing an older set of rules that seem to still work well: Spearhead by Arte Conliffe. 

The scale of Spearhead is my favorite scale: 1 stand or vehicle = 1 platoon. This was the scale of Panzerblitz & Panzerleader, famous Avalon Hill boardgames. It is also the scale of Arnold Hendrick's miniatures game "1944," Frank Chadwick's "Command Decision," and the 1978 "Standard Unit" for wargaming by Gene McCoy of Wargamer's Digest magazine. Anyway, we are trying Spearhead to see whether it will fulfill our WW2 gaming needs. I played Spearhead extensively over 15 years ago. The only thing the game system may need is a little updating, but I believe the game mechanics are very good.

Above is the terrain Bob & I used for our first game, Russians vs Germans, June 1941. The scenario came from an old "Battle Stations" scenario in Wargamer's Digest magazine. The Russians hold the town with a Rifle battalion on the far side of the stream. The Germans had a reinforced Infantry Battalion that attacked from the bottom of the photo, their objective to take the town. We didn't take photo's of our game, but basically the Germans held the Russians attention in the center with an infantry and heavy company. The other two German companies and a couple Sturmgeschutze's attacked the Russian left flank by the ford. The Germans in the center took some casualties, but the pressure by the Germans caused the Russian battalion to break. This was an enjoyable small game.

Bob, Ron J., & I tried another game, this time North Africa. Bob has an extensive collection of Desert Campaign miniatures in 15mm. For this game, we used the point system in the Spearhead Scenario Generation System to create our two battlegroups, around 400 pts each. The Germans had a Panzer and Schutzen Battalion, and a 105mm howitzer battalion. The British had a Motor Battalion, two Tank Regiments, and a 25pdr Battalion. 

 The photo above shows the Schutzen battalion closing in on the central built-up area and the Panzer battalion on the left flank. The British had their motor battalion on the right, and a Tank Regiment of Crusaders, reinforced by an armored car squadron, on their left.

 Panzers approaching a wadhi.

 Indian Motor Battalion deployed.

 The Crusader Tank Regiment deployed, armored cars in front. One tank is suppressed from anti-tank fire.

The Schutzen battalion in the foreground, the Panzer's in the background. An 88mm FLAK battery is deployed mid-upper left.

Where is the second British Tank Regiment you may ask? It came onto the board via flank march at the center of the British right, just when the Panzer's had taken a chance and changed orders to attack to their right, causing the British Grant & Honey tanks to face the Panzer's rear when they came on. Game over as the Panzer's broke from casualties. It was still an enjoyable game.

Spearhead works well, as the die rolling is one per combat. No saving throws or multiple throws per combat, etc. We doubled the movement/range scale to 2" = 100 yds. Our forces engaged quickly and the game looked right with 15mm figures & vehicles.