Our Wednesday Game - ASL Scenario J177 - Coup de Main at Hamminkeln

Well...here's another Wednesday game...courtesy of the basic global meltdown. I was forced to take vacation this week to help my company through this period of time...but unfortunately in addition to this week...I was notified today that I will have to burn another 6 days of vacation by May. So of my 15 available vacation days...I will use 10 by the end of May. Of course there is no where to go as we are under shelter-in-place here in Illinois. So, 2020 is shot through and through. I won't have the normal vacation time to visit family during the Holiday Season...but who knows, we may all still be in quarantine then. Can't really complain too much at these hardships, when so many people are losing their loved ones and/or their jobs. I always worried about having to live through a Spanish Flu or a Great Depression Event...and jackpot...we have Yatzheed the disasters and get to live through both at the same time. WOOHOOO!!! 

J.R.R. Tolkien survived the horrors of the Somme, and lost many of his dearest friends. I expect the current crisis will affect us all in unhappy ways. God willing, we will get through to the other side of these dark days.

So what to do with the time...well ASL of course! Sheltering in place is the perfect time to get in a few extra games of ASL. I hope all of you are finding similar opportunities to play some ASL. 

It was my turn to pick scenarios and I went for one from the ASL Journal 11. My selection would be J177 - Coup de Main at Hamminkeln. Designed by Michael Koch, this scenario covers the British effort during Operation Varsity.

The British 6th Airborne Division would have the task of securing Hamminkeln, Germany which was in close proximity to two intact bridges over the Issel stream. The Issel had very steep banks, which made it a ready made tank barrier. Therefore the seizure of every available bridge was deemed essential to the success of Operation Varsity.

In this scenario, the Royal  Ulster Rifles land by glider and win the game by controlling Hex 19T5 and ensuring there are no good order German units within 5 hexes of the victory location.

Historically, the British seized the train station and successfully repulsed the counterattack of Kampfgruppe Karst. 

ROAR has this scenario with 12 German and 6 British wins. The ASL Archive shows it with 2 German and 1 British win. The scenario appears to be pro-German at first glance.

A great map showing the precise location of the Royal Ulster Rifles during the operation.

A look at the battlefield. 

As the  British attacker, Dan would command the Royal Ulster Rifles of the 6th Airborne Division. This storied regiment dates back to 1793 and would see action in the Boer War, World Wars I and II, Cyprus and the Korean War. I enjoyed learning a bit about this unit as my own ancestors came to the United States in 1600 and 1700's from Ulster. My Scots-Irish (Mullins) relatives are still to this day one of the largest families in Southwest Virginia and particularly in Dickenson County, Virginia, where they have lived since the county's founding. 

Dan's force would consist of 5 x Horsa Gliders with 9 x 4-5-8's led by 9-2, 8-1, and 8-0 with 3 x LMG's, a 51 MTR and a PIAT. Reinforcements would consist of 2 x 4-5-8's and a 2-2-8 led by an 8-1 with an LMG, Jeep and a 57L AT Gun.

As the defending Germans, I would command a motley collection of invalided  soldiers, most suffering from ear infections or other associated ailments. This group of Landsers would form the Ohren-Bataillon 280. Can you hear me now? This force would consist of 4 x 4-4-7's, 2 x 4-3-6's, and a 1-2-7 led by an 8-1, and 7-0 with an MMG, a LMG and 20L AA gun. My reinforcements would consist of a 251 and 250 Half-track with a 4-6-8 and 2-4-8 led by a 9-1 with an LMG. This force would arrive no later than Turn 4.

As Dan and I work out our strategies...the British are boarding their gliders...

And just like that the gliders are airborne and winging their way towards Germany.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

“The British must clear the area within 5 hexes of German units.  This means the train station must be captured.  The plan is for the British to land in the fields on board t near the stone building overlay, form up and assault the train station hopefully with some smoke from the MTR.  The target is to eliminate the German units and be ready to take on the reinforcements in the late game.  Hopefully the German reinforcements are late and the Brits are early.  The British glider with only one squad inside will be the designated bullet magnet and land closest to the AA gun.  Hopefully the Germans will use all rate of fire on the bullet magnet and the other more heavily laden gliders will land without incident.”

The Grumble Jones staff photographer will be embedded with the British today.

A glance skyward, but my weary Landsers reveals the last great airborne assault of World War II.

 I would position my boys within the required 5 hexes of Hex 19X6. I placed the 20L AA in the open to cover the bridge, the glider approach routes as well as any reinforcements that would arrive later in the game. My 20L AA would break twice, but would ultimately contribute to German successes.

My primary defensive point would the Train Station. It dominated the center of the map and had open ground all around it. It would be tough to approach.

Fortunately for me....my train station wouldn't be surrounded by gliders!!!

 Dan's places his gliders in their selected target hexes.

Here they come!!!

The first glider - Dan's AA magnet glider approaches. Naturally, I took the bait and fire away...pom...pom...pom..pom...I would force to evade on the first shot...but kept rate!

A look at my new Schwerpunkt Dice. I had just received them in a care package from Mr. Best. I would soon turn his generosity against him!!! Woohahahahahhhhaaa…..

 As Dan's stricken glider evaded, I got a wounding hit on it and forced it to land in Hex Z10/H10.

The  glider would crash into the woods where I had a concealed 2-3-6 and splinter apart. A 4-5-8 would be KIA'd.

 With my AA fire completed...Dan's remaining gliders came in successfully.

 Dan's boys would emerge and prepare to move towards the Train Station.

 Dan establishes his initial perimeter. I hold my fire.

 Turn 2- Dan's boys begin moving forward and my Grenadiers unload from all sides.

 Despite my best efforts Dan is able to wrap around my right flank.

 Dan would also take the first of his prisoners as a disrupted 4-3-6 gives up.

By the end of the turn, Dan had eliminated a 2-3-6 and captured a 4-3-6, a 4-4-7 and my 7-0. My right flank was toast.

 Turn 3 - Dan's reinforcements would arrive. 

Dan would position his 57L AT Gun to cover his rear, while everyone else continued the assault on the Train Station. A single British 2-4-8 with the PIAT managed to get near the bridge, but would be pinned.

 In my Prep Fire phase of Turn 3 - I would get a K/3 on Dan's 9-2 stack. the 9-2 would die and the squad would be halved and DM'd. A very luck break for the Germans.

My MG-42 team would be the standout performers on the German side. They would ultimately be killed in close combat...but definitely changed the course of the battle.

Turn 4 opens with smoke. Dan had finally gotten back to his mortar and recovered it. It would fire it's one and only smoke shell. This would effectively blanket my MMG and allow Dan's boys to approach the Train Station.

Here they come!!! I would fire wildly at everything as Dan hit me hard all over the field. My luck would hold out and I would get some key breaks on Dan's boys.

While I had staggered Dan's attack. I would MALF the 20L AA Gun and Dan would occupy a hex of the Train Station and the building behind it. I was in real trouble.

Turn 4 - German. This would be a turning point turn. My 20L AA Crew would take down the British 8-1 in CC after rejecting the surrender of the DM's 4-5-8. With no quarter invoked, Dan would  not take any more of my boys prisoners either. Dan's PIAT Team would be eliminated as well. My reinforcements rolled on and Dan would spin his 57L AT Gun and take some shots, but miss. My 251 Halftrack with squad and 9-1 went right to the bridge while my 250 Half-Track took up position to take down the British Mortar.

My 2-4-8 with the 250 Half-Track would be pinned, but nevertheless the cavalry had arrived.

Dan's AT Gun would do its best, but was now effectively out of position.

 Turn 4 ended well for the Germans.

 Turn 5 - Dan's aggressive attacks are intensified. But again, my boys manage to get in some licks. 

 Close combats had been going badly for me through much of the game. Dan was getting ambush a lot and just taking me down. But in the level 1 of the Train Station, my 4-4-7 would be halved...but then rolled snakes and took down the British 4-5-8 and created a 7-0 Leader.  This also allowed my DM'd  8-1 to retreat into their hex...escaping certain death. My MMG squad was KIA'd and Dan now had my MMG.

The Royal Ulsters were in a fight to the finish.

Turn 5 would end, with Dan in the Train Station, but my boys were still there and still in control of the bridge.

Turn 6, Dan gamely tries to retrieve the situation, but the rolls aren't there and my boys remain in control of the bridge and with several units within 5 hexes of that same bridge. So the game ends with a German victory. My thanks to Dan for a great Wednesday evening of ASL. This particular scenario was a blast to play. It played fast, would be a great primer for learning gliders and just had a lot of tactical nuances built into it. I really enjoyed this one. Well done Michael Koch!

I would celebrate a fun win and a great way to spend shelter in place!!!

Of course, Dan's boys would ultimately take over Hamminkeln.

And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

“The plan did not work.  While the landings went as planned with only the glider with one squad lost to AA fire.  The ground assault was costly in time and troops.  The 9-2 leader was killed by a K/3 shot from the German MMG stack.  In the final assault the Germans rolled snakes on the CC and created a leader.  The surviving unit made too many units available for the Germans and too few Brits to break them.  Well played by Grumble Jones in holding out and getting the reinforcements into position. This game is good fun and has much replay value.  Always fun to play gliders and stick the landing.”

Dan and I will back in a few short hours for a Thursday playing of March Madness Scenario MM60 Liberating Loznica. 

So we will see you shortly!!!