Chain of Command "30 days to Dunkirk" Game 3 "Going with a bang"

Another test game for Jerry's PSC based on the Dunkirk campaign. This was the third in the series in which the Germans attempt to capture the bridge at Bethume over the La Bassee  Canal before the British could blow it up.

I took the Germans, consisting of a Motorcycle Reconnaissance Platoon while Dave played the British. Things started badly for the Germans with only 12 support points being available while the British had 10. I selected a Panzer II, Pre-game barrage, 5th Columnist, Nazi trick sniper and an extra 5cm mortar team.

The table looked a tough one for the Germans with a railway embankment on the far side of the canal giving the British hard cover positions right across the table and little cover for the Germans to launch an attack from. Apart from the bridge there was also a crossing for infantry available over some sunken barges but, given the complete lack of cover on that flank, it seemed unlikely the Germans could get to it:

Given the situation the German plan was simply to rush the bridge as quickly as possible. All three German squads deploy near the bridge (one is in the barn in the centre), the Panzer II appears on the road and the mortars are in position to support the attack:

The tank and an infantry team approach the bridge hoping they can get across before the British can react:

Initially the German plan works, the barrage stops most of the British deploying and the 5th Columnist (looking remarkably like Captain Mainwaring) distracting the enemy successfully:

Before the Germans can cross the bridge the British manage to deploy a section and a senior leader who open up on the Germans trying to rush the bridge. It is close range and the Germans are in the open but remarkably they only take a couple of shock:

The 5th Columnist sniper takes the opportunity to take a shot at the isolated British senior officer from the upper floor of the blue cafe but misses his target:

A French Somua S35 appears on the road and shoots at the Panzer II but misses:

Feeling that the attempt to rush the bridge with infantry will fail in the face of the British deployment the men retreat into the barn:

Unfortunately for the Panzer II the British also have an anti-tank gun which deploys and hits the Panzer II wounding the commander and putting a couple of shock on the tank:

Meanwhile the German squad on the right has been exchanging fire with the British killing the British junior leader. Finally the sniper manages to hit the British senior officer and knocks him down. British force morale is falling but their position is solid:

In a triple phase the Panzer II rallies off its shock but the Germans don't achieve much more:

The French tank advances and the British deploy a Vickers MMG to put more fire into the Germans on the left behind the hedge. In an attempt to stop the sniper killing the fallen British senior officer the British mortar team fires smoke behind their own lines to cover the officer!:

Another shot from the anti-tank gun takes out the Panzer II. German morale is holding up well so far. Remarkably the British have made little progress towards getting a CoC dice to blow the bridge:

The German squad on the right breaks and falls back:

The British begin to move along the railway embankment having seen off the threat on their left:

The British defensive line still looks strong though their force morale is falling after yet another leader, the one in charge of the anti-tank gun, is killed:

The Germans are now reduced to hoping that their two mortar teams and the sniper can reduce the British force morale enough to break them before they can blow the bridge up. Unless they cross the bridge themselves the British can't do much more damage to the Germans:

The shadowy 5th columnist sniper takes his revenge on the mortar crew, killing them both and reducing British force morale further:

The British finally have a CoC dice and try to blow the bridge. The charges fail to go off properly and the bridge is only damaged not destroyed:

The game has now reached a stalemate, the British would need two CoC dice to attempt demolition again while the Germans might be able to reduce the British force morale to zero eventually but it will be a slow process:

Another interesting game in Jerry's campaign, a tough task for the Germans given the lack of suitable cover to launch an assault from. If I'd had more support (I had 12 out of a possible 19) and Dave less (11 out of 12, I think the French tank was free or half price) that might have made a difference as might using a Stuka attack, though Dave did take anti-aircraft guns.

Probably the most effective thing for me was the dirty Nazi trick 5th columnist sniper, he only cost 1 point, can be deployed anywhere and has no effect on force morale if he is killed. 

Hopefully it was a useful test for Jerry as it brought up the issue of what happens if the British only partially destroy the bridge? It also showed how scenarios can evolve, in the last playtest the Germans had a hedgerow very near the sunken barges crossing and promptly rushed across the canal taking position behind the railway embankment and mowing the British down!