Running Up That Hill - 'O' Group AAR

A couple weekends ago, I attended another game run by Rocky of the Army of Central Maryland group.

The game was 'O' Group and the theater was Italy, 1943, with an attack on Caiazzo by an American battalion.

Alex and I were commanding the German defenders. We had two infantry companies with limited assets; a trio of machine guns in pillboxes, a pair of 88mm flak guns, and a 20mm anti-aircraft gun. The Germans also had a number of defenses they could deploy to the table; three foxholes, four lengths of barbed wire, and two minefields. 

The Americans, controlled by Kelly, Scott, Jim, and Kevin, had three infantry companies (two rifle, one engineer) and a tank company. Assets included MMGs, an HMG, some light mortars, and an airstrike.

One of the two 88s was deployed on top of a rise that gave it good coverage of the American approach. It was defended by two platoons of infantry in foxholes. Two lengths of barbed wire and a minefield created a funnel for the advancing Americans, and two MMGs in pillboxes added their weight of fire.

On the other side of the small town the Germans placed another minefield and two lengths of barbed wire, defended by the last MMG in a pillbox.

The American infantry companies pushed hard up the flanks (with the company on the far side of the table being targeted by artillery and machine-gun fire), while the tanks were being hammered by the 88 up on the hill.

The Germans lost their first defense when the Americans deployed their engineer company (whose platoons where equipped with flamethrowers and SMGs) and assaulted the machine-gun pillbox. The flamethrowers made quick work of the German defenders. 

While the German defenses on the hill were formidable, they were also static; the perfect target for American artillery. 

A daring American raid punched through the German lines and assaulted the 88. The gun was destroyed and the crew routed.

The Americans only had two tank sections left (the Company HQ and a remaining section of Shermans), but they now had more freedom in movement and fire. 

After the MMG team in the pillbox was removed, the secondary German defense - more dug-in infantry - revealed themselves to the Americans. 

The remains of the German company defending the hill were in full retreat as the Americans continued their push up and over the hill.

Their attack was stymied by the remaining 88 and the last German MMG team. 

The two sides were in something of a stalemate. Both were close to their last FUBAR, and the Germans were incredibly lucky , having survived a couple of American assaults out from the town in the center of the table. 

However, the Germans turned their eyes upward as the roar of engines became louder and louder...

And watched as an American airstrike knocked out the last 88. 

At that point, the Germans decided to call it quits and retreat. If I remember correctly, we were only three bases away from our third FUBAR. While the Americans were only two bases away from their fourth FUBAR, they now had the long-range firepower from the remaining tanks to chip away at the remaining Germans. 

Still, it was a fun scenario. I think the Germans could have deployed their defenses a little better (mea culpa, Alex) but we still put up a decent fight against an opposing force twice our size. And 'O' Group continues to be an excellent set of rules.

The Second Battle of Kernstown - Pickett's Charge AAR

The second game I played at Cold Barrage was a refight of the Second Battle of Kernstown, using Pickett's Charge and run by Ted and Chip, more member of my old New Jersey group.

Three Union Divisions faced three Confederate Divisions. If I remember correctly, both sides' goal was to cause 40% casualties to the enemy while maintaining their own coherence.

I was a Union commander, once again saddled with Rutherford B. Hayes and the 23rd Ohio, and set up against Will (my fellow Yorkist commander from the morning's game).

Will's Confederates came on in a grey-and-butternut tide. My own troops quickly retreated to the relative safety of the fenced-off road, while my lone artillery battery scrambled to wheel into position.

The other two Confederate divisions began the long march toward the Union lines. 

While the main Confederate attack ground forward, Will's separate attack was coming under fire from Union artillery safely positioned up on high ground.

The outnumbered Union infantry had to be worried, watching more Confederates stream out from behind the wooded area and push forward into an uncontested flank.

The weakest Union position was in Kernstown itself, defended by an understrength infantry brigade. With the other Confederate divisions moving away, I decided to bring the other two Union regiments in to reinforce. However, I wasn't able to do so before Will's rebels charged into the town.

Will's attack on Hayes' brigade hadn't fared well, with the average-to-large sized Union regiments outnumbering the attacking Confederates. The Confederates were forced back in disarray. 

Despite some encouragement from Ted (who pointed out that Hayes' political career would benefit from a decisive win against the Confederates), I decided to keep my troops in cover and holding the flank.

Will's attack on Kernstown was going much better. The defending Union regiment was chased out of the town and the artillery was routed. 

On the other side of the battlefield the Confederates were still coming on strong, but had finally entered the Union artillery's range. Cannon fire was beginning to take its toll, and a small unit of Union cavalry was skirmishing against a pair of Confederate brigades. 

The fight for Kernstown ended up with multiple small regiments firing (somewhat) ineffective volleys at each other.

The rest of the battle was shaping up in the Union's favor, with their weight of artillery punishing the advancing Confederates. 

We decided to call it there for time with a Union victory. 

I have to say, with Ted and Chip running the game, and with Will playing, this almost felt like one of the old Saturday night games that I haven't been in for almost a year now; fun and nostalgic with just a hint of melancholy, to be honest. 

Overall the day was a complete success. I played in two fun games and walked out with about half as much flea market items than I walked in with! 

Tewkesbury Drift - Pike & Shotte AAR

When HMGS canceled Cold Wars 2024, HAWKS stepped up to the plate and offered Cold Barrage as a replacement event; a single day convention held at the Havre de Grace Community Center much like Barrage usually is. 

I attended the event and it was fantastic. Attendance was high (reportedly at 90% of Barrage's average amount, and again that's a two-day event), the food truck in attendance was great, and I really enjoyed myself. Not only did I manage to play in two games, but I also had a flea market booth that did really well.

The morning game I played in was a refight of Tewkesbury, 1471, using Pike & Shotte and run by Roxanne. 

Will (from my old New Jersey group) and I played as the Yorkists, while James and Judson (if I remember correctly) played the Lancastrians. 

Both sides were largely the same when it came to army composition: a front line of bombards and longbowmen, backed up by billmen. The Yorkists did have an ace up their sleeves with a "plump" of spear-armed cavalry waiting somewhere over off on their left flank. The "plump's" entry into the battle would be randomized, so we didn't know when they would be joining the fight. 

Historically, the Yorkists made use of their higher number of bombards to hammer the Lancastrians and force them into melee. For our game, Will decided to take the initiative and began moving forward on the Yorkist left flank. My own poor rolling kept the Yorkist right sat exactly where it was for several turns.

Roxanne's twist on the battle was the inclusion of a small ditch between the two armies (included after conducting historical research), which forced both sides to drift at an angle while moving through it. The Yorkist line quickly became spread out as the longbowmen and billmen moved forward. 

Volleys of bombard stones and arrows flew back and forth between the two sides, and units began to rack up disordered and casualty markers. 

The Lancastrian army drifted to its right to keep the Yorkist line from encircling their flank.

Thanks to some lucky rolling, the "plump of spears entered the battle!

And then thanks to some unlucky rolling, the cavalry pretty much refused to do much else than vaguely wave their spears in the direction of the fighting.

The first unit to rout was a group of Lancastrian bowmen. 

The Yorkists were having trouble bringing up additional bowmen thanks to the drifting effects of the ditch.

My own unit of bowmen posted to the top of the hill also routed.

Both sides were taking hits, but neither side was willing to get stuck in. Will's battle on the left flank was the first to become "broken", with one unit routed and another shaken.

James decided to force the issue, sending his billmen and supporting archers in against Will's own battered unit of billmen. 

The cavalry sent their encouragement from on top the nearby rise.

Judson meant to move the Yorkist left flank forward into combat, but rolled boxcars and ended up with a "blunder". In a moment of peak wargaming, he then rolled a six for a massive charge; exactly what he wanted!

After a couple round of combat, my bowmen and billmen were forced back. Will did better and fought off the Lancastrian attack.

However, thanks to the casualties accumulated during combat, the Lancastrians lost both of their billmen units!

With the accrued casualties, that left two of the three Lancastrian commands broken. Which gave the Yorkists the victory, coming back to the historical result in a roundabout fashion.

Roxanne ran a very fun game, and it was a good demonstration that Pike & Shotte (and its sibling rules Hail Caesar and Black Powder) can be fun with smaller battles. The inclusion of the drift was a great complication that easily added an extra layer to the fight.