I looked out the window and suddenly it was May...April flew by. I'm certainly happy to have Spring and the opportunity to spend more time walking about. My search for employment has met with zero success. I've had some great interviews, but despite those positives, no one has yet bothered to extend me an offer or in some cases even a rejection. I'm over 8 weeks in with some of these, with no decision one way or the other yet. It is deeply depressing.
On the positive side, I have had plenty of time to work on scenarios. June and July are also completed at this time. And I expect, I'll find time to work on August and September. After that...it's Halloween scenario time. Currently, thinking about this one and may have a creepy idea in the early stages. We shall see.
As it my habit these days, this month's scenario is pulled from one of my absolute favorite Osprey titles. In fact, this will be the third scenario taken from its pages and rereading it today...there are many more possible.
My first plan for this month was a scenario around the White House. There's great information and small unit actions associated with it at Arnhem. But I struggled (mightily I might add) to find an adequate rendering on the geo boards. I spent hours looking at them, combining them, throwing down overlays, etc. But to no avail. I couldn't put my vision onto the boards. So I scrapped it. Critical Hit has the White House on one of their CG maps, if memory serves. I used it as a guide, but I honestly felt that their map didn't do the White House justice. Certainly, not enough to build an entire scenario around.
So I delved into the pages and found the description of a small engagement involving the 1 Border guys. Much of this book deals with the KOSB, so it was good to find something involving the Border boys. Apparently, the SS had taken position in a cluster of house near their perimeter and harassing sniper fire started to really aggravate the British. They set out to clear Jerry from the houses. Their mortar fire caught the thatched roofs on fire. The Germans were forced to flee and got a nice send off from a Vickers Machine Gun. As the British pushed forward, they would also encounter a German tank that was being repaired/recovered. A PIAT round sent the crew to flight. So, there it was...May's scenario.
I worked back and forth with Dan Best regarding how best to include the German tank. I didn't want the tank to dramatically unbalance the scenario, particularly given that by SSR (and historical), the PIAT only has three rounds. And the tank was a side show of the actual event. I followed Dan's advice and I hope readers will find its inclusion interesting and perhaps helpful to the German cause in the game should it be put back into action.
One note, there was no description of what kind of tank. I went with a STUG, as that was a predominant armor type in the photographic records involving the SS troops. It could also have been a French Beutepanzer, which was also employed during the battle.
Now, I know many readers will be unhappy (sorry Eric Garrard) to see that this month's scenario is a DASL scenario.
For whatever reason, I have had some good success with DASL Arnhem scenarios. Day at the Museum is an example as well as Van Lennepweg's Garden.
And as I have mentioned previously, DASL scenarios can be a bit easier to create with limited forces and shorter length scenarios. The larger hexes compress the battlefield and bring contact quicker and within most normal ranges of the troops involved. A unit with 3 or 4 hex range will be very much at home in a DASL scenario.
Now just to put this out there. I would love to see MMP or Bounding Fire Productions or LFT or Lone Canuck create a DASL version of the Commissar's House. The opportunity to fight it out inside the Commissar's House complete with breaches in the floors and walls and throwing gas bombs, etc. would offer something new and exciting for the game. Just a thought.
Arnhem scenarios also have the advantage of good troop types with high morale, good AT capability and set in an interesting historical environment. 1944 is my personal ASL sweet spot. I tend to enjoy games set in that timeframe more than any other of the Second World War.
Here now is GJ107 Thatched Cottages. And as always....thanks for spending your valuable time at Grumble Jones. Your readership keeps this blog relevant.
As always these monthly "Basement Quality" Scenarios are offered for fun only and as a thank you to the readers of this blog.
Remember to open pictures in a new window in order to maximize the size.
All Grumble Jones scenarios are available from the ASL Archive website.
(just search on Grumble Jones)
The PDF versions (courtesy of Frank Leitz) can be downloaded from the User Files Tab.
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