Well our group has been extremely busy of late putting the finishing touches on our Project Foy board. Early in February we made the decision to skip Little Wars this year. The early dates just really did not line up for us. We attended the show as spectators and played in one of Loren Haberkamps games, but did not run any ourselves. This gave me a welcome respite from the Project Foy board. Even with the extra time, I had to get started on the vehicles and figures to be done by our absolutely for sure debut of Project Foy at Legends In The Spring in early April.
Over this past weekend, we got together as a group for the first full-scale playtest. With a successful playtest, our development project has transitioned into an official convention game:
Kampfgruppe Bohm: Race for the Muese
The Meuse seemed to be within reach. Christmas Eve, 1944 finds a vanguard of the 2nd Panzer Corp within five miles of their ultimate objective for the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes: a crossing of the River Meuse. The American 82d Armored Reconnaissance Battalion and the British 29th Armoured Brigade have been given orders to block any further German advance. Can the cut-off German advance forces hold out long enough for the bulk of 2nd Panzer to arrive and continue their push? Or will the American and British forces be able to push the Germans back and secure the vital routes to the Meuse?
Our game began with the German forces deployed in prepared positions in and around Foy. 82nd Armored had been given instructions to drive all German forces out of Foy and to hold secure the main routes to Dinant from the north and north-east. British 29th Armoured had orders to secure Foy and the Dinant approaches from the north-west and south-west along with the vital crossroads at Boisseilles.
Two recce troops from 82nd Armored led the way for the Americans. A-Troop approached from the north under the command of Major Dave Himm. B-Troop, under Captain Gary Paul made a dash towards Foy from the north-east. Major Himm quickly occupied the crossroads at Sorinnes, finding no opposition. As Captain Paul approached a roadblock just north of Foy, a concealed Panther scored a direct hit on his lead M8 AC, which burst into flames. His green troop was thrown into disarray. The trailing elements of his column backed up to their orginal jump-off point while a bazooka team and a mortar team dismounted and started making their way up a steep incline towards the Panther.
Meanwhile, the British had begun their assualt from the north-west and south-west. C-Company advanced cautiously toward Boisseilles with Major Sir John Cusack in command while B-Company (detached to Captain Paul) rolled through the Sorinnes crossroads heading toward Le Fort Beau. In the distance they could both hear the action to the east, but all was quiet in front of them. This quiet was shattered as the lead C-Company Sherman advanced into town. A concealed German 234/2 AC opened fired and scored a devastating hit. This was followed in rapid succession by AT fire from a Pak40 position east of town that knocked out a second Sherman. The British gunners tried desperately to return fire but could not find the mark. A short gun duel ensued with a German SP75 HT joining the fray. This was enough to knock out the remaining Firefly. Major Cusack had in the meantime raced forward with his HQ Company. He was just entering Boisseilles as C-Company ceased to be an effective fighting force.
Back in the north, Major Himm pushed south from Sorinnes with his Light Tank Company. A short distance into the countryside he encountered what he believed to be a reinforced German infantry company in prepared positions lining the main road to Foy. Pulling back slightly, Major Himm brought his M5 Stuarts on line and proceeded to pour HE fire at the trenches. At just about this same moment the detached tanks of B-Company rounded the corner at Le Fort Beau and headed down the main road towards Foy. Inexplicably, this caused the German infantry to panic. They made the fatal mistake of attempting to retreat along the road towards Foy. They were mercilessly mowed down by the machine guns of B-Company. Only 30 of the 120 men were able to reach Foy. Major Himm sensed that the western approach to Foy was now wide open.
In the east, the bazooka and mortar teams from B-Troop continued to climb their way towards a concealed Panther near Mahene Farm. As they appraoched the crest of the hill, they heard the Panther engine start up. They were just in time to see the huge machine backing out of it's hiding spot and start down the road towards Foy. The teams continued on down the hill and took up positions in the Mahene farmhouse.
Other elements of the attacking force now began to stream towards Foy from the north. A-Troop of 82nd Armored passed through the Light Tank Company and drove south bypassing the now empty German trenches. The Light Tank Company in turn pulled back and headed through the heavy forest between Le Fort Beau and Mahene Farm towards Foy. They were followed by the Motor Company of 29th Armoured. B-Company continued down the main road while the HQ Company of 82nd Armored followed closely behind. Major Himm called in air support for their final push on Foy. He was told a squadron of P-38 Lightnings were enroute but would be slightly delayed by weather. The attack seemed to be moving forward right on plan.
B-Company and the Light Tank Company were poised to enter Foy from the north. As the lead M5 from the Light Tank Company crested a small hill just outside of town, accurate autocannon fire from a German 234/1 AC put it out of action. B-Company was able to return fire from the main road and knock out the 234/1 before it could inflict any further damage. In the confusion, B-Company failed to notice a Panther poised at the Foy crossroads. Luckily, it's first shot caused only minor damage to a B-Company Firefly and the second shot screamed overhead. A Sherman from B-Company was able to get off a snap-shot at the Panther and, incredibly, scored a devasting hit. The Allied forces had no way to know it, but the remaining Panther moving down from Mahene Farm had run out of gas before reaching the crossroads. Foy was about to be overrun.
On the far western flank, A-Troop of 82nd Armored was making good progress in a flanking manuever. Suddenly, their lead M8 exploded in a tremendous fireball. They had advanced straight into a minefield! Major Himm called a halt to the advance and ordered his troop to stay on course but proceed cautiously. He needed his troop to cut the road out of Foy to the south as soon as possible. A-Troop was able to pick it's way through the minefield with only slight damage to their other M8. Their bazooka and mortar team reversed course though and would enter Foy from the main road.
The scene greeting Major Cusack in Boisseilles was utter chaos. As he and his lead Sherman manuvered around flaming hulks of C-Company tanks, they found themselves in a point-blank duel with the German SP75 and 234/2 AC. The lead Sherman lost this duel and was quickly added to the list of casualities. With nowhere to go, Major Cusack reluctantly gave the order to withdraw out of Boisseilles to the west and regroup.
As darkness approached, the battle for Foy moved towards a draw.
The Germans still had an intact infantry company in prepared positions southwest of Foy. 29th Armoured had failed to secure the vital crossroads at Boisseilles. The 2nd Panzer Heavy Company had only lost their SP75. The detached 234/2 with light damage had joined them in their defense of the crossroads. Foy was about to be overrun by 82nd Armored. However, the HQ Company of 2nd Panzer had been holed up in the church at Foy. Since A-Troop had failed to cut the road out of Foy, the Germans had their avenue of escape open. Even though out of gas, the Panther in Foy was in a commanding position to cover this retreat. Also, a German Flak Company was positioned southeast of Foy along the escape path.
Official Victory Conditions
Germans
W - Hold Foy
D - Escape to southeast with 12 figures + 4 vehicles
Allied
W - Destroy German force
D - Capture Foy
Given these conditions, the game was clearly a draw at the point we ended.
