Campaign for Big CoC

A couple of weeks ago, we kicked off a Chain of Command campaign using the Big rules for Chain of Command. It was Canadians vs the 12th SS in a slightly shorter -2 to 4 campaign ladder.

Game 1

The first game was a shortish affair in which the Germans thoroughly out-scouted the Canadians. In this pic, the Germans started from the right.

While the Canadians tried to push hard on the flank, the Germans went straight up the middle and managed to get a jump off point close to the Canadian side and forcing the corresponding Canadian jump off points back to the table edge.

 The Canadians sent a section on the left flank and also sent a section against the German JOP in the center. A bold gambit to seize the JOP went badly as Richard rolled miserably for movement.




The Germans countered with an MMG. David didn't roll particularly well, so he added a squad (for 24 D6 of firepower).


After taking casualties in one section and accomplishing very little on the flank, the Canadians smartly withdrew.

Chalk one up to the campaign effect, in which the Canadian's chances of winning were small and the price would have been heavy regardless of outcome, so the effort was cancelled.

Game 2

With the campaign initiative, the Germans elected to strengthen their defenses. The initiative passed back to the Canadians. We rearranged the terrain a bit to reflect a slight change in the axis of the Canadian attack.

In this picture, the game is already several phases old. Ray deployed one section in the lighter green woods.

Stephen and David countered by deploying four sections against him. The weight of all that fire (half at close range) broke Rays section after a couple of phases. Ray deployed a second section that eventually suffered the same fate.

But the Germans had fallen into a trap. I was running the attached troops and I had selected a section and a FO. I deployed both of them and in a couple of phases had two German squads under a mortar barrage. The next phase, I moved it over 6" and added a third squad and one soldier from the fourth. The effect was devastating to the German squads as they all took some casualties.


 

Meanwhile, on the left, Richard had deployed a section, which prompted Stephen to deploy a squad in the center. I added a Sherman to turn the long range fight into a more equal affair. 

The Sherman's HE proved to be the difference maker so Stephen deployed a 'Shrek team. It's one shot immobilized the Sherman. It didn't get a second shot. The Sherman was immobilized in a good position where it could intervene in the center or on the right.

With the German center and right losing their firefight and still being a bit shaken with how devastating the mortar barrage had been on the left, the Germans elected to preserve their manpower and withdrew.

Game 3

The Canadians decided to advance on the main line of resistance. Having two sets of replacements available, the Canadians used one to top off their sections to bring them close to full strength. The Germans declined to use their one replacement draft. Once again, we rearranged the terrain a bit and added some hills and buildings.

I started off by deploying the tank and putting it on overwatch. Ray deployed a section on the right and started advancing through the woods. Richard deployed a section on the left, but due to poor scouting, he was once again forced to start from the edge. However, this wasn't as bad a disadvantage as previously because the German JOPs were a distance away and not in direct sight.

Stephen brought on the 'Shrek team again but this time they were far more successful. 9 hits out of 13 meant I didn't even need to make any defense rolls. Bye bye Sherman.

However on the right, Stephen deployed a German squad to stop the Canadian advance. Ray countered with a second section to make the dice thrown by both sides fairly even.









But the weight of numbers (and some better die rolling too) soon began to tell as the shock piled up on the ever shrinking German squad. Ray ordered up some close combat and that was the end of the German squad.

Meanwhile, on the left, David's Germans began a leisurely advance against Richard's Canadians hunkered down in the woods. Being in cover and tactical helped slow down the casualty rate and bringing on other units help whittle down the German attackers.






But there was an ominous clanking sound in the distance as a PzIV made its way onto the battlefield.

It was targeting Richard's Canadians when the tank commander got word to withdraw. Alarmed with Ray's progress towards the German JOP on their left, the Germans elected to fall back.