Hell's Highway, Holland 1944....Game Number 19

Lt.General Horrocks to Lt.Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur (aka Michael Caine) of the Irish Guards - "I've selected you to lead us, not only because of your extraordinary fighting ability, but also because, in the unlikely event the Germans ever get you, they will assume from your attire that they've captured a wretched peasant and immediately send you on your way."

I spent some time yesterday evening giving Bob Cordery's Portable Wargame: Modern a run out with a small scenario loosely based on some of the fighting that took place along 'Hell's Highway' - the road from the Belgian frontier ending at Arnhem - as the American Airborne forces desperately hung on to positions ensuring that 30 Corps could reach the beleaguered British. The Germans launched numerous 'hasty attacks' (in modern parlance) against the narrow corridor with pretty much whatever troops happened to be at hand - from elite Fallschirmjager through various Panzer troops down to 'old men on bicycles'. As ever, the blocks were used with the olive set representing the Americans (of the 82nd Airborne) and the grey the Germans.

Additional Rules

Basically I treated each block as a separate entity within the unit and so for combat purposes rolled a d6 per block. Retreat results affected the entire unit. I also allowed troops in cover to exchange the first retreat result of a combat to a loss of a block instead. I treated all troops as average as I felt this better represented the disorganised state of the assorted American paratroops after landing - units being mixed up, command casualties, dispersion etc - and the overall varied quality of the German opposition (see above for details). I also made use of an exhaustion level for each side - this was set at 50% (11 blocks) for the Americans (simply because they had to hold at all costs and the overall troop quality was high) and at 33% (8 blocks) for the Germans due to the bewildering quality and variety of troops in use!

The opposing forces - note how the German armoured and motorised infantry is represented by a pair of standard infantry blocks combined with an armour and wheeled unit block.

The initial positions - note the densely forested edge of the playing area.

The German plan was very simple. An armoured assault on the right flank with a pinning attack in the centre utilising both tanks and motorised infantry, flanked with conventional infantry supported by field artillery. The US plan was to hang on and a unit of infantry was held in reserve to be used as and when needed (the top left hand square, next to the commander and the artillery).

Turn 1 Artillery Fire. The German armour on the road was targeted by the American artillery and lost a base as a result whilst the paratroopers in the centre are similarly affected (note the white markers indicating artillery strikes and the upturned blocks for casualties).

Turn 1. The paratroopers stay firmly put whilst the German advance in the centre along the road and on the right flank get underway.

Turn 2 Artillery Fire. Disaster for the Germans on the road as the US artillery batters the attacking armour in the centre. Meanwhile the German artillery switches fire to the paratrooper position on the other side of the road causing some casualties.

Turn 2. With the destruction of the German armour in the centre the supporting motorised infantry disembark  prior to moving into the woods. Meanwhile both German flanking attacks continue to advance.

Turn 3 Artillery Fire. Both sides artillery switch targets with the flanking German armour taking casualties but the US paratroopers in the centre suffer severely.

Turn 3. The German flanking attack gets underway with telling effect from the combination of tanks and mechanised infantry. Meanwhile the sole surviving element of the central US paratroopers retires from the edge of the village whilst reinforcements are summoned from the rear.

Turn 4 Artillery Fire. The American artillery switches fire to spoil the German armour attack on the right hand end of the village whilst their foremost positions come under more enemy artillery fire.

Turn 4 and Turn 5 Artillery Fire. The US machine gun opens fire to telling effect on the advancing German infantry (destroying two blocks). When the artillery fire resumes a telling barrage lands on the German motorised infantry inflicting casualties and driving them back into the woods. The German reply inflicted casualties but by then the damage had been done. US 10 blocks, Germans 8 so the Germans lose by virtue of having reached their exhaustion level and are thus incapable of further offensive action. It was very close though!

The final result - note the distribution of casualties - most of the German armour and over half the US paratroopers

Despite being only 4 1/2 turns long this was an interesting action to fight. I made an initial mistake in rating the  US artillery too highly (I classed it as being field artillery but for a 75mm pack howitzer perhaps this was a little generous!) and boy was it effective! The big guns were the main casualty inflicting source for both sides although the machine guns certainly did their part and the German armour/mechanised infantry combination was also rather useful. I have to say that the whole idea augurs well for the future and I reckon that in 20 mm  it will be something to see (as indeed it already has!). 

It felt strange fighting on squares rather than hexes and to be honest, I did have to remember how to measure ranges in a different way or more than one occasion as I kept trying to use diagonals. I would also prefer to use a larger area so the next game will be fought on a 12 x 8 grid. I will also need to lock down unit compositions - especially for motorised and mechanised types and the whole embarking/disembarking thing.

Adjusting the exhaustion level to take into consideration overall troop quality is a quick and easy device to employ rather than using multiple troop qualities for varying unit types although this will not always be the best solution. At this stage I really wanted to concentrate on the overall feel rather than low level detail.

Great fun and a very pleasant way to spend an evening.