VERTEFEUILLE FARM - an 'O Group' encounter

 For this year's WorLard event, I decided to put on a game of 'O Group'.

The rules, by Dave Brown and published by Reisswitz Press (a TooFatLardies offshoot), are aimed at Battalion sized actions, in WW2.

The action I had in mind was one that I have wanted to game for about 20 years now, but just couldn't find the right set of rules. 'O Group' are perfect for what I had in mind.

 My chosen battle was based on an account by Kenneth Macksey and was first published, as 'Anatomy of a Battle', in 1974. My copy is the 2001 reprint; 'Battle. Normandy 1944: Life and Death in the Heat of Combat'.

The book describes a British attack as part of Operation Bluecoat and, although fictitious, has its foundation in real events and experiences. The author was an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment (commanding Churchill Crocodiles, I believe), in the Normandy campaign, and based his book on his own experiences.

During our game it was apparent that not all players were conversant with the concept of a battalion level infantry attack. Perhaps not surprising given the popularity of platoon level skirmish games. One player failed to  grasp the requirement to allocate his supports to the attacking infantry companies, insisted on deploying all his armour from the outset and only utilised a mere 2 platoons of infantry (out of a potential nine), at the very end of the game. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd examine the mechanics of an infantry battalion attack and compare how well the rules reflect reality; of course bearing in mind that this is, first and foremost, a game.

One of the most enlightening sections of the book describes the orders for the coming attack – a real life ‘O’ Group in fact. 

The attack was assigned to the 1st East Hampshire Regiment, part of the 11th Armoured Division, supported by the tanks of the Pentland Yeomanry, and Lt. Colonel Simcox, of 1st E. Hants gave the briefing.

Simcox begins by outlining the general situation: '...11th Armoured Div.......is going to attack to the south of Caumont. Fifteenth Scottish are going in on our left and the American 5th Division is taking part on our right.'

'Now, on our own front we've adopted the new system of grouping, mixing the armour in heavier proportion to ourselves, and that's why 'A' Squadron of the Pentlands is with us along with the rest of the regiment's tanks coming on behind...........We've been given a lot of extra artillery, some Flails and some Crocs too.'

Intention: '1st East Hampshires will seize and hold the Vertfeuille crest.'

Method: 'We will advance two up, 'A' Company on the right, 'C' left with 'B' in reserve. (i.e. Company boundaries are established)

Objectives, Phase I:

Right, line of the lane from junction with the orchard to crest of the ridge.

Left, Vertfeuville Farm with exploitation into the copse.

Phase II. 'B' Company to pass through 'C' Company on the left to secure the crest copse, moving on my order. (Objectives are defined)

Start line: line of the hedge which is the existing FDL.

'A' Squadron of the Pentland Yeomanry will be under command and will allocate a troop each in support of 'A' and 'C' Company - the remainder of the squadron will give general support and, of great importance, will position itself to deal with any German armour coming into action across the ridge. (Supports are allocated)

The commander of the Pentland Yeomanry adds some details: 'I'll probably keep what's left to me fairly central - the Firefly troop in particular - and be ready to go with 'B' Company when you commit them.'

There then follows a complicated summary of the fire plan, for both artillery and mortars. (Most of this is abstracted in the rules via the mechanisms for pregame bombardment effects and interdiction.)

The Flails are placed in reserve and the commander instructed to - '......position yourself close to the start line at H plus 10 and wait for things to happen.'

There are a couple of things of note here.

Firstly, the plan is very light on detail. Companies are allocated to the left, right or reserve but the fine detail of how they are to achieve their objectives are left to the company commanders (presumably working within the doctrine to which they have been trained).

Secondly, the description of the phase lines, objectives etc., are not totally clear. However, we as readers, only see the transcription of the verbal briefing but in reality the officers present at the O group would be following along on their maps.

My interpretation of the initial part of the plan is shown below. The second part of the plan involves 'B' Company moving through 'C' to clear the ridge as far as the copse.

1st East Hants. battle plan, as described in the battalion 'O' group.

The themes encountered, in the above ' Orders Group', are dealt with in the rules under section 4.4 PLANS & OBJECTIVES.

Players are instructed that the Battalion Commander must allocate each company its own objectives and area of table in which to operate and may also designate one or more companies as their battalion reserve.

Each Company deployed on the table must have its own deployment area. This can be as

simple as saying "A Company on the left flank holding the village of Tilly, B Company on the right flank holding the farm of La Haye and its environs and C Company in reserve." 

Companies should not overlap or intermix, and there should be a clear boundary between each.

This is exactly the method employed in the 1st East Hants. 'O Group' described above, i.e. 'A' on the left, 'C' on the right, with 'B' in reserve.

The way in which supports and reserves are used is also largely reflected in the rules. The rules define two differing doctrines for dealing with supports. American and German battalions have 'Flexible Reserves'. This means that off-table supports can be assigned to companies, as required, at the point of deployment. In contrast, British battalions have 'Fixed Reserves' and must assign their supports to individual companies before the start of the game.

On the whole, this is the method employed by the 1st East Hants. with a platoon of tanks being attached to each infantry company, during the planning phase. However, note that the flails are not attached and are held in a general reserve - so we also have an element of  'Flexible Reserves' here. That said, for rule purposes, it is reasonable that battalions are defined as either Fixed or Flexible.

In this specific case, there is a work around. The Flails could be held off table and assigned to the reserve infantry company. They can then be released using a 'RESERVES!' order, which allows AFVs to be redeployed to a different company.

So we have seen that the orders and planning process, within the rules, is an accurate reflection of WW2 practice, but do the game mechanics also mirror reality as well? The following is a summary of the battle for Vertfeuille, as described by Macksey, with my rules interpretations added in red.

On the left, a platoon of  'C' Company is given permission to sprint across a field to seize the opposite hedge line. This it achieves (Rapid Move) but the remainder of the company, following along at a slower pace (Fire & Move) are hit by German defensive mortar fire (MORTARS!).  The exposed platoons are badly hit (Suppressed) and the survivors retreat back to the start line (failed 3D6 RALLY! attempt). One of the company's supporting tanks hits a mine and the attack stalls at the outskirts of the farm.

On the right, 'A' Company and its supporting tanks cross the adjoining field unscathed. However, on entering the next field some tanks are knocked out (KIA) and the accompanying infantry suffer casualties from mines. The infantry go to ground (Suppressed) and the attack stalls.

This necessitates a change of plan and ‘B’ Company is ordered to attack on the right (instead of the left) supported by flail tanks to clear the minefield. (CONSOLIDATION!  – 2 orders for unplanned objective). 

The Tanks come under fire from a Jagdpanther on the ridge (FIRE) but the Jagdpanther is destroyed by fire from the supporting Fireflies (REACT FIRE).

‘B’ Company is then an hit by an American bombardment. (ARTILLERY! Danger Close!)

The Germans take advantage of the confusion and counterattack with their reserve company. (CONSOLIDATION! or RESERVES!) The German attack is spotted by the British FOO and an Uncle (all guns of division) target called for (ARTILLERY!  Divisional Support) which destroys the German reserve company. (Germans damaged and forced to Retreat from artillery fire).

So, once again, we see that all the important aspects of the battle are covered satisfactorily by the rules.

Although I had to wait 20 years, I'm really glad that 'O Group' has finally provided the tools to refight this interesting action on the table top. I was also lucky in that an 'O Group' scenario, for this very action has been published in Miniature Wargames (Issue 466); and can be downloaded from https://www.tabletopgaming.co.uk/information/downloads

 

WORLARD 6 and STAR WARS DAY

May the 4th, Star Wars Day (or bad pun day!), was the date for the return of the club's annual WorLard event; a day dedicated to games from the TooFatLardies (or associated Reisswitz  Press).

Our last WorLard day was in 2019 and this was our first return since the pandemic. Although, slightly scaled down from previous years, the event was very well supported by club members. Six games were on offer, all put on by club members or, in one case, an ex-member. All the games were played twice, with morning and afternoon sessions.

I fully intended to take some photos but, as usual, became so involved umpiring my own game that I failed in this. I did, however, take snaps of all the games during the morning  set up. 

Somewhere on a table far far away. 15mm Star Wars (Chain of Command).

10mm Normandy (O Group)

Allied armour in difficulty (O Group)

1/144 scale, B17 bomber box under attack (Bag the Hun)

54mm Carlist Wars (Sharp Practice)

54mm Crimean War (Sharp Practice)

28mm American Civil War (Pickett's Charge)

The day was a very relaxed affair, with post game beers in a local pub and a splendid curry evening in Durham centre.

What more could one want? Let's hope for another event in 2025. I'm already planning my next game just in case.

A Boer War Interlude

For the past few weeks we have taken a break from our Stalingrad campaign, in order to prepare for the club's annual celebration of all things TFL, WorLard. Having put on a game for the first four Lard Days, I chose to take a back seat this year and instead help out with Neil McG's Boer War game.
Hence, we put on a game of 'A Mere Question of Pluck' (available in the Christmas 2016 edition of the TFL 'Special') using some very nicely turned out 10mm figures (Pendraken, I believe).

After 2 practice games and a further 2 games on the day, I can definitely say that I'm hooked. The games were all very enjoyable even allowing for the steep learning curve.

We put on the Talana Hill scenario which, as well as being one of the first actions of the Second Boer War, serves as a good introductory scenario. We chose to let the umpire run the Boers and all the players were on the British side. The photos below are snaps from all four games.

The Empty Battlefield. Boer deployment points on Talana (centre) and Lennox (far distant) Hills.

British will enter from the right.

Boer Vedettes at the foot of Lennox Hill.
(My favourites, although the poor photo doesn't do them justice) 

British Battalion column crosses the stream and begins to extend out.
The leading two companies are in open order

The British two battalion  attack grinds to a halt at Talana Hill

A secondary attack also runs into trouble at Lennox Hill

A good variety of other TFL games were on offer on the day; 'Big' Chain of Command, I Ain't Been Shot Mum!, Sharp Practice, Dux Britanniarum, Kiss Me Hardy and Coastal Patrol were all on offer. However, the star of the show was undoubtedly Rich's own Chain of Command game set in Malay. The terrain for this game was simply a joy to behold.

Big Rich in Malay - 28mm Chain of Command

A lone Japanese tank - lost in the jungle?

The Battle of Durham 1938

Although, in some senses, this was the grand finale of the first season of our VBCW campaign, it does in fact stand apart as separate game in itself. The game was actually designed as a participation game in the club's annual celebration of all things TFL related - 'WorLard'.
As a consequence, the forces used were slightly modified from those used in the campaign so far. In essence all troops were rated Green and we removed as many automatic weapons and other items of a more 'military' nature as we could. Rifles, pistols and shotguns are the order of the day here.

The Market Place

Paradise Gardens

Paradise Lane

The table layout represents our best guess at how the city centre looked in 1938. The marketplace itself is little changed but the adjacent area of Paradise Lane and Paradise Gardens no longer exists, having been replaced by the Bishopgate shopping centre plus the A690 road junction and slip road.





In our fictitious alternative history, the local area is dominated by Communist inspired mining communities but the city itself is the scene of a power struggle between rival Albertine and Fascist factions. The University has raised a force in support of Prince Albert (the future King George VI) and is supported by local landowner Lord Farthingdale.








The Mosely government backed forces are represented by a force based upon HM Prison Durham supported by local BUF supporters. The Mayor, Teflon Blair, has so far succeeded in playing these factions off against each other.
The overall aim of the Fascist force is to carry out a rally in Durham marketplace; local shop owner Eddie Tattsyrup believes that he can persuade some of his fellow shopkeepers to join the Fascist cause. Eddie espouses traditional values of IGUGO and 6 inch moves for all, believing that this will sway the locals.
However, it is rumoured that the renowned anarchist ‘Big Rich the Rabble Rouser’ is hiding in the area of the Paradise gardens. Big Rich could be used by the Albertines to disrupt the rally with his talk of Free kriegsspiel and friction.
The fascists have also received intelligence that Mayor Teflon Blair is behind a secret leafleting campaign to undermine the Mosely government. They have been informed that the latest batch of leaflets is held in a strong box on the top floor of Proctors the Printers. They intend to seize these as proof of the Mayor’s duplicity. They also plan to use the rally as cover for a plot to snatch the Mayor himself.

The Rally Begins

 For their part, the Albertines also plan to seize the mayor and use Big Rich to disrupt the rally. Furthermore, in their efforts to eradicate the blight of fascism from the city they plan to firebomb the BUF office currently situated above Hepworth’s Menswear in the marketplace.
Although the University troops currently control access to Elvet Bridge and the route to the prison, the HMP Auxiliaries are still able to infiltrate the city via Baths Bridge. The Albertines also plan to close down access to this route by seizing the HMP Deployment Point in Paradise Gardens.

Major May in Tilly

The BUF opened the proceedings with Eddie Tattsyrup attracting half a dozen shopkeepers to the rally. Using this as diversion, Major May and a section of BUF made a dash for the Town Hall in a ‘Tilly’, narrowly missing Ma Whitmore as they sped by. Once there, they stormed into the Town Hall where they were lucky enough to find the Mayor in his chambers.

The Dons Disrupt the Rally

Whilst the fascist efforts were focussed on the Town Hall, a part of Dons in full academic dress had muscled in on the rally and were threatening Eddie and the Shopkeepers.

The Sacriston Hunt Joins in

In this the Dons were supported by the Estate Militia, led by Lady Penelope in her Pink Rolls Royce armoured car. At the wheel, Parker the chauffeur sped towards the Town Hall closely followed by the Sacriston Hunt, fully mounted and brandishing shotguns. Much to the surprise and consternation of ‘Unlucky Alf’ the toilet attendant.

Big Rich Apprehended

Whilst tension mounted in the market place, the Cathedral Bedesmen had been meticulously searching the town backsides. Here their patience paid off as they discovered Big Rich in his lair, despite the HMP Auxiliaries also combing the area with dog teams.

Lady Penelope Opens up

Meanwhile, the BUF had been quietly infiltrating the market place. One section had slipped into the Angel Inn where they spent the rest of the day drinking whilst another became inexplicably lost in the lingerie department of Doggarts. When a third section entered the marketplace, this was too much for Lady Penelope who opened up with the armoured car’s machine gun. Although no one was killed, this precipitated a general outbreak of hostilities. The huntsman tied their horses to the railings of the Gent’s lavatories and charged towards the Town Hall, where they discovered that the BUF had barricaded themselves in. However, the driver was dragged from the Tilly and taken prisoner. During the ensuing chaos, Eddie Tattsyrup inexplicably ‘fell’ down the stairs to the Gents, before the Dons ran for cover.

Moments Before the Explosion

Earlier in the day, Dr Pea’s Stinks and Bangs team, supported by the University Police, had slipped unnoticed into Hepworth’s menswear. Here they deftly avoided the attentions of Mr Humphreys who apparently was actually free. Making for the stairs they headed towards the BUF office. Outside a firefight had developed with a BUF section, ensconced in St Nicholas’ Church taking pot shots at the Chester Moor football team who had taken cover behind the brewery wagon. The Huntsmen, caught in the cross fire made a dash down the side of the church into Walkergate. Here they ran into a previously unseen section of BUF and a general melee ensued. With all seven Huntsmen armed with shotguns, the outcome was never in doubt. The BUF were wiped out to a man but predictably the Huntmaster Fitch-ffoukes bit the dust.
At this point, when the BUF morale was teetering, there was the sound of a huge explosion from the direction of Hepworths and smoke billowed from the windows of the BUF office. As the day came to a close, the BUF had retired leaving only a small section besieged in the Town Hall where they held the Mayor hostage.

                                                               

The Rabble Rouser himself. Rich Clarke of TooFatLardies at WorLard 2018.