D-Day Commemorative Game: Skirmish Campaigns: Bluff at Easy Green

To commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, I wanted to play a war game set on that Day of Days  - which I guess is odd to some (probably not anyone reading this) but to each their own.

I chose to play "Bluff at Easy Green" from Skirmish Campaigns : Heroes of Omaha and Panzer Lehr. It's a small scenario, even with the adjustments I made to it (which I'll save for another post).

Here is the background:

On June 6, 1944, in the chaos of the landings, entire companies ended up far from their planned landing points. Major Sidney Bingham, Jr., 2nd Battalion Commanding Officer of the 116th Infantry Regiment came in on Dog Beach and was among the first to reach the shingle. He gathered up remnants of Company F, approximately 50 men, and led them "across the shingle near the prominent three-story house at the mouth of the draw" advancing towards Ste. Laurent.

[the above comes from a combination of Heroes of Omaha and Panzer Leher and Omaha Beachhead from the US Government Printing Office (it's free!). ]

My modified OOBs:
Germans (on table):
2 LMG teams (1 of which has a dug-out through bocage)
1 Rifle Squad
1 mine field

Germans (arriving on turn 1-4 determined by 1d4):

Platoon leader

1 Rifle squad

The US has 5 squads, 1 infantry battalion leader, 1 MMG team and a sniper.

Turns: 7-9 turns.

Victory Conditions: US has to get two squads off the map from any two roads. Bonus if they can take the farm house. The Germans have to do their best to prevent this, but this is the first game in a three game campaign so it's better to get out without losing too much.

One of the German MGs started in the farm house in the South East of the map. The other MG with the dug-out would be determined by die roll and the rifle squad position by blinds. 

Map (should have rotated it around given the angle I took the pictures at)

Major Bingham ordered a three squads and the sniper to move around to the North and West of the fields, to work their way back to the farm house from the rear, while he lead the MG and two squads from the East. Immediately the US left (as pictured below) encountered fire from the German MG with the dug-out.

I decided things looked too crowded so I went to two figures per squad after this was taken.

This was followed by fire from the stone walls East of the farm house. They were pinned down while they exchanged fire with the German MG until finally destroying it and then made fast work of the rifle squad.

One of the US squads took suppression and needed some extra effort from the Major to get them moving after being caught in the open so long. Meanwhile, the MG team moved to the North end of the field (South of the farm house), while a squad moved up, hugging the bocage and staying out of the LOS of the farm house.

On their right, the German reinforcement arrived at the road in the center and made its way into the fields, taking cover in the bocage and firing on the US squads advancing from West.

The sniper, combined with the two squads took out the newly arrived Germans before their platoon leader could reach them. Moments later, the PL was overrun by the advancing Joes.

Meanwhile, Major Bingham brought the MG team up through the bocage into the field to exchange fire with the MG in the house, while the two squads moved up intending to close assault.

Unfortunately, this was a terrible plan and the squads failed to dislodge the MG despite the fact that it was pinned and they were destroyed in the process.

However, seeing no chance given the approaching US forces and the ongoing firefight with the .30 caliber in the field, the MG team hightailed it South up the road.

The US won a decisive victory in 6 turns - moving units of of the road and taking the house and so will get 4 points with which to modify their attachments roll (the additional forces they get using Skirmish Campaigns' system) in addition to the 4 points for the eliminated German units. The Germans will receive 2 points for those two squads that lost the close combat.

Speaking of, while I was happy with how my rules worked (especially for such a small scenario intended for individually based figures), that close combat showed me there was a problem with those rules (it wouldn't have changed anything in this case),  so I've tweaked them and I think they make more sense now. I'm feeling almost ready to share a working draft of the rules.

I plan to play the next scenario, "Ranger Relief" (which takes place June 7) soon as I've already created the map. Most likely, Sunday or Monday night,