Patrol West of Ecouviez - Chain of Command, France 1940 Campaign Battle Report

We are embarking on an ambitious project: fight WW2 in the 'west' all the way through (well, mostly all the way) from May 1940 to May 1945 at the small-unit level using Chain of Command. The grand campaign will be broken down into smaller, normal-sized campaigns of about six battles.

I'm starting out running A Company, 12th Battalion, the Derwent Light Infantry (referencing the Durham Light Infantry, which had battalions active throughout the war), part of 23rd (Northumbrian) Division. The '12th Derwents' are a British Territorial infantry unit that arrived in France a few months ago has been getting in whatever training it could between digging entrenchments for 'frontline' units further north and trying to sort out its supply situation. The brigade of which the Derwents are a part has been separated from the division, being deployed to the French Secteur Fortifie de Montmedy. The division's artillery was left behind in Britain, in any case, and there are no Carriers, radios and mortars. The unit has about a third the establishment number of Bren guns, and few lorries. The only tanks they'll likely get will be the Renault FTs of the local French forces, if they're lucky.

My opponent is leading the Auflkarungskompanie of 10. Panzer Division, a well-trained, well-motivated and fast-moving unit. They're likely to be fewer in number, but they'll have armoured cars, machine guns, plentiful motor transport, artillery support and maybe even armour.

In preparation for this campaign, we had a lot of fun with random name generators and rolling on tables using the campaign supplements Platoon Forward (Joseph Legan) and At the Sharp End (Too Fat Lardies), developing a company-sized unit of named men and leaders with personalities. I cannot recommend these supplements enough, having also used Squadron Forward (also by Joseph Legan) years ago for my Staffelvorwarts campaign.

Campaign Chapter 1, Battle 1

Setup

We've now departed from our timeline with our first battle of the first campaign chapter: a Patrol mission with a platoon of the Derwents seeking to locate the German forward positions and running into the advancing spearhead of 10. Panzer just west of Ecouviez in a broad valley.

Company commander Major Sloan tapped 8 Platoon's newly-promoted leader 2nd Lieutenant George Preston Stephens to lead the reconnaissance toward the town of Ecouviez after reports the Germans had crossed into France in the area. 7 and 9 Platoons were kept back digging trenches for future possible use between Ecouviez and the battalion HQ at Montmedy.

In game terms, 8 Platoon is a 1939 Regulation platoon of Average skill level, but which has not yet received Bren guns, having to make do with old Lewis guns (I didn't have enough Bren-toting miniatures with the right helmets). This conferred the disadvantage of being unable to use the British National Characteristic associated with the particular accuracy of that weapon. Support for 8 Platoon's patrol included a 'Drinks Cabinet', an antique Vickers machine gun left over from the last time the regiment was in France during the first big show, a Thompson gun for one of the section commanders and two extra men brought to crew a Boys AT rifle.

"All care should be taken to avoid frightening or otherwise causing disrupting the local civilians. If food or wine is offered, the men are to refuse politely: drinks will be available upon return to the lines." - Excerpt from A Company, 12th Derwents OPORD. The 'Drinks Cabinet'

Opening moves

German motorcycle recon rider.

The Germans made the first moves, paralleling the stream on their motorcycles and establishing jump off points at the edge of the town and behind a barn to the north, deploying a squad in one of the closer buildings and a 60mm mortar in the backyard of another.

8 Platoon's lead section (3 Section, under LCPL Hedley) deployed into and around a log cabin at the edge of the woods on the British southern flank while 2 Section under CPL Dustin Jack took up a position on the crest of a hill on the northern flank along with Sergeant Haight. Both sections immediately opened an enfilade on the German section killing several including the German Gefreiter - First blood in the campaign to the British.

3 Section take up position at the cabin. They didn't have time to change out of the garrison uniform before the patrol. The Derwents were going to be renamed the 1st Derwent Scottish but this did not eventuate in the campaign timeline (Peter Pig miniatures WW1 Scottish).

Cpl Jack deploys 2 Section on the ridgeline to the north and enfilades the Germans (Peter Pig miniatures WW1 Early War). Note: The Tyne and Tees JOP marker was made when the Derwents were going to be in 50th Division, but they ended up in the 23rd.

The Germans charge

The Germans brought up a second squad and they charged across the stream in the open. The surprised 3 Section poured shots at the Germans as they ran on, and more shots arced over from 2 Section on the hill. The German squad halted in the open and went prone, firing back at 3 Section and starting to gain the advantage in the firefight, causing several casualties, including wounding LCPL Hedley. The German Feldwebel crossed the stream too and started motivating the shock away and the 60mm mortar rounds started to land on the British troops.

Lieutenant Stephens, seeing 3 Section in trouble, rushed into the firing line, shouting to the men to keep firing. He shot his first German at that moment with his service revolver. CPL Pritchard's 1 Section arrived behind the Lieutenant, rapidly filing out to the right and joining in the battle with the Germans in the open.

LT Stephens rushes into the firing line to rally 3 Section and downs a German with his revolver. 3 Section's LCPL Hedley lies wounded, but still firing, at the log cabin.

More Germans arrive, and the British are in trouble

An additional German squad appeared behind the barn on their right flank and started shooting at 2 Section on the ridgeline, who began to take losses. 2 Section stayed focused and maintained the crossfire on the German section in the open, but their rifle team had to switch targets as the Germans moved to where a hedgerow partially shielded them. Nevertheless, the Germans in the open were gradually being whittled down.

The German section charges into the open and fires at the Brits in the treeline.

An Sdkfz.221, 'Das Fox' then arrived and drove down the road and began adding it's MG into the mix. With the appearance of the German armoured car, Sergeant Haight saw the moment and brought forward 8 Platoon orderly Private Russell Waller and his friend Johnny Coburn from 7 Platoon and with them the Boys AT rifle. Waller aimed and fired at Das Fox but due to the range and intervening bushes, he missed.

'Das Fox' arrives at the scene.

Heavy fire from the remaining Germans in the open (which still included an MG34) cut down the last of 3 Section right in front of their leader LCP Hedley, who lay wounded. The heavy fire hit 1 Section too, and they broke and fled (almost to the board edge). LT Stephens ran with them, attempting to bring them back.

8 Platoon strikes back - the British can still win this if they just hold fast...

Just as it looked like two British Jump-Off Points lay open to the Germans, the Company HQ men arrived at the log cabin with the old Vickers! Rapidly bringing the MMG into action, they hammered the Germans in the open, driving them off and leaving the German Feldwebel standing alone on the western side of the stream. At this moment, LT Stephens was able to bring 1 Section under control and, while CPL Pritchard got them organised, he ran back to the log cabin to help the wounded 3 Section men and LCL Hedley.

The HQ section men bring up the old Vickers MMG and drive off the German squad. (Old Glory miniatures).

The German platoon commander stands alone by the stream as his men rout around him. Just for a moment, he is the German who is the furthest into France. No doubt sensing the awkwardness as he stood there, he decided to head back across the river and into the town to command the rest of his platoon.

[This was a good phase for me: my first 1s on the Command Dice meant the Vickers MMG could show up and break the Germans in the open field. The Boys AT rifle also arrived and took it's shot, I used Drinks Cabinet to rally enough shock to revert 1 Section to 'Pinned', had Stephens rally enough extra shock to ensure they unpinned, then used my Chain of Command dice to end the turn, doing just that and also routing the remains of the battered German section off the table. I still had most of two sections and an MMG, and a 2" mortar still to deploy. The Germans were down one section and one Junior Leader: perhaps I could still win?...].

... but they cannot ...

The Germans had plenty of shots left though, and they used them to lay down a heavy fire on 2 Section on the ridgeline. With two German MG squads and an armoured car firing at them, the Derwents on the ridgeline were broken. Private Johnny Coburn was killed and Waller fled, carrying the Boys AT rifle with him. Despite the efforts of SGT Haight, the men could not be turned around. [British Force Morale totally collapsed with the breaking of 2 Section and routing of the AT rifle team].

The fight was over.

LT Stephens ordered the Vickers crew back to the lines and had the mortarmen carry the wounded 3 Section men who could be saved, himself assisting the wounded LCP Hedley.

8 Platoon's left flank just before it was driven back (Peter Pig miniatures).

The battlefield at the end, with explanatory overlay of the action.

The aftermath

8 Platoon was hit extremely hard, and arguably stayed in the fight longer than it should have once it was clear the Germans gained fire superiority. However, LT Stephens was not going to give in easily. Company HQ was not impressed, and neither were the men [their opinions of Stephens are both at -2, so one more setback and he might be in trouble].

Only 11 of the over 30 men engaged escaped unwounded. Seven were killed, including Coburn from 7 Platoon, Greenwood and Frazier from 2 Section, and Fields, McNabb, 'Spike' Jeffries and Seward from 3 Section. Private Foster from 2 Section was badly wounded and will not return. Four more men were wounded and sent to the RAP and a few have minor wounds and are staying in the line. 3 Section is down to two wounded men (Winthrop and Bell) and LCP Hedley, who is wounded and now understandably despondent.

The next battle will be a few hundred metres back, as the Germans attack the British forward defences. 8 Platoon is too battered to hold so the defence will fall to the other platoons.