After some badgering by Mr Pollock I decided to do a WW2 game and went with a 6mm game using Field Of Battle WW2.
I played an amended version of a scenario from Canadians In Europe rules entitle Totalize II simulating the second phase attacks by II Canadian Corps on the road to Falaise around 9th-10th August 1944.
This generated the assault portions of two Armoured Divisions for the Allies, the 4th Canadian and 1st Polish up against a reduced 12th SS Hitler Jugend Panzer Division in hasty defence.
Scenario was fairly easy to convert with only a few tweaks to Airpower and Artillery support for both sides.
Main change I made (to make game more playable) was only fielding Brigade/Regiment and higher HQs ie leaving out the respective Battalion HQs as this would have added some 20 HQ elements which I felt would be too ponderous for scenario overall.
I let these HQs use HW modifiers as if Bttn level and the rolled for Commander Risk on a 1 on D20 rather than normal D12 (no Commanders were lost as it turned out).
Messrs Pollock and Brittain controlled the SS (sort of apt as both forenamed Stephen) and Richard and Darren the Allies.
I umpired although I confess to having thoroughly enjoyed selecting the scenario and reading up about the action.
Germans deployed in a sort of semi-circle of defence around the Allied objective of the Falaise Road table exit point.
They spent 5 of their precious 6 Assets to stick 5 units into 'Bunkers' (Fortifications/Dug In) which proved fortuitous choice in the end.
Allies deployed essentially on both side of the Caen-Falaise road with Canadians (Richard) on right and Polish (Darren) on left.
Allies were basically Average in troop quality and stats whereas the HJ were Veterans with high troop stats.
The HJ had a Superior Deck to Allied Average.
Allies placed 4 Airpower cards into deck (using a mere 4 Assets from their huge 20 stockpile).
They also had an extra Barrage card with the HJ having a Superior Firepower card (which allowed their Infantry an extra re-load).
HJ deck also had two special event cards which I used to signify the start/stop of light rain showers (Down 1 dice type to all direct fire)
The Allies had Air Support of 4 Spitfire and 2 Typhoon Squadrons each day and also on initial Airpower card had an option to use a Medium Bomber attack.
For Morale the Allies had a massive 60 chits to HJ 30.
I had morning finish on 2nd tied roll, afternoon and night finished on 1st tied roll of course a turn finished as usual if a deck was used up.
Initially the Allies struggled to get Move cards or more than a single segment move on the cards they did get however this kept them out of range of bulk of German guns.
They did however get Airpower with their Bombers attack a Panther Bttn in a large wooded area but doing no significant damage (they did crater the area making it slower to move through).
Their Typhoons and Spits also failed to make any impact especially when effected by HJ Flak.
On first day only real action occurred in central wood area and with HJ Artillery causing some losses to Canadian Infantry.
Upon nightfall the Allies were lucky enough to get a couple of move cards allowing them to shift the bulk of their units to almost engagement range.
Dawn on second day then saw a titanic Polish struggle for the wood and a firm Canadian attack on the large hill.
Lots of action with multiple salvos of firing and close assaults (any combat with Close Assault range not just contact) but the HJ were lucky to get successive firepower cards allowing them to decimate the Allies and supercede their superior numbers.
The superior stats of the HJ told once push came to shove and the Allied morale dwindled quickly.
Allies also suffered by not getting any Command cards to attempt Rallies on so had numerous units Suppressed and Damaged.
Losses were such that the Allies decided to yield despite having made a in road on the hill where they had obliterated to HJ flank units, but they felt they were too weak to exploit this ie they had sunk to zero Morale and were in fact giving chits to HJ)
A good game with a great set of rules that really work for such a large scale game not often one gets to field 3 Divisions and fight a 2 day action on the one table in a WW2 game !
Hopefully the chaps had a good time and enjoyed the table top conflict despite the 'compliant' from SS about not having enough measuring sticks (I had used half ranges etc from standard rules measurements and had made up some templates to assist).
HJ set up on hill top with PAK dug-in
HJ awaits
Wood left cratered after bombers struck
Poles redeploy during night
Canadian high water mark as they (just out of pic on lower right) they push onto hill
