Back in Durham I am limited to a tiny 3 ft circular white table, and it was probably the colour that gave me the idea. That or the fact that I had read McDonald's account of the fighting for the twin towns and the Elsenborn ridge. The main requirement was that any game should be cheap. The rules I wanted to use were Five men in Normandy, which have a strong solo element as well as a small footprint. Small enough for that table? Well maybe.
A couple of boxes of 1:72 figures came next. Caesar Miniatures Germans in Winter kit, and Italeri US in Greatcoat. Nice figures, and in harder plastic than the 20mm figures of old.
I made the mistake of buying some Italeri Fallshirmjager to add to these, but discovered that they were all standing upright in frankly camp poses. They are now designated for casualty figures.
I made the mistake of buying some Italeri Fallshirmjager to add to these, but discovered that they were all standing upright in frankly camp poses. They are now designated for casualty figures.
I scratch built a ruined house, giving it a snowed in texture, and realised that I would need another three at least. I also aquired some felt sheets, in white for my snow drifts and dark brown for roads and the bases of my foxholes.
To be honest I need to put some green fence lines and trees into this terrain, as well as some telegraph poles, but I'm quite happy with the result. It has some promise.
The road junction at Krinkat has been the scene of fighting between the US 2nd Division and attacking 990th Pz Grenadiers. Sergeant Hudson and the remains of his squad, diced up as four riflemen and a Bar, were in foxholes at the western side of the table. Gefrieter Weissmueller (aka Tarzan or big boy) and his men had been ordered to aggressively patrol the road junction.
The US won initiative and moved a scout team forward on their right among the snow drifts.
Tarzan diced a scurry move, pushing his Mg34 team into the ruined building, and the remaining troops into the snow drifts to the right and left of the road.
Tarzan diced a scurry move, pushing his Mg34 team into the ruined building, and the remaining troops into the snow drifts to the right and left of the road.
The Germans regained initiative. Tarzan himself lobbed a grenade over the snow drift, catching both US Scouts. One was knocked out, the other flinched back 6".
The US responded by firing on the ruined building, causing the German loader to drop his ammo box and flinch back.
Weissmueller pressed forward shooting the fleeing US scout, knocking him down, and a round later he ran back to steady his fleeing man.
The Germans were closing in, and my Sergeant Rock Hudson decided to sit tight in his foxhole, keeping his men in cover. Weissmueller however diced a firefight as his initiative and shot the BAR man, with his Mg34 knocking out another rifleman.
The Americans were struggling. Hudson could not reach the Germans with his SMG, and had only one rifleman left. His fire was ineffective. The Germans targeted Hudson himself, and rolled a 1, causing him to flinch, leap from his foxhole and flee. Typically however he was then shot in the back by Weissmueller's efficient squad.
This left one American, huddled in his foxhole. Weissmueller moved his squad to target him, and soon had liquidated the Americans.
A good game, with some excellent solo mechanisms, that worked really well. Dicing after the game I discovered that Weissmueller had captured one American, and a dozen cartons of US rations and cigarettes. He also holds road junction, for the time being.
