XXX Corps breakout with NQM

 I've played a few short games of NQM with Chris, and many years ago I even set up a test game using a much earlier revision of the rules. Chris has now formally published the rules, and the latest version explains how a lot of things work, so I thought I'd give them a go.

I've played this scenario many, many times with a range of rules - the XXX Corps breakout against Kampfgruppe Walther during Markety Garden. A battle immortalised in the film 'A Bridge Too Far' - all those real Shermans!

Terrain from the south, Club  Route runs up the middle towards Valkenswaard, Kolonie in the foreground, Petter to the left and Borkel to the right. The woods here are very swampy and the original scenario deems these to be impassable to vehicles, so I rated them as 'difficult terrain', which may have been an error.

The leading units only comprised a brigade sized force, so I used the Regimental Scale Orbat. It stipulates a ground scale of 300m hexes which seems way too small to accommodate two entire squadrons/companies, so I went with 500m hexes instead.

The Allies have to take hold of the five objectives, which are all three villages and the north and south road exits.

The Irish Guards Battlegroup. One Armoured Regiment (three x Shermans squadrons, one of which was command, plus a recce troop of Stuarts) and one motorised infantry battalion with two companies riding tanks, one in carriers, a command/support HQ in halftracks and a pioneer platoon. Irl this was split into two combat teams, the first with two squadrons of Shermans and two of infantry, the second with everything else.

And all the other stuff. A battalion of the Devonshires supported by a squadron of Cromwells, the entire divisional artillery (2 x Sextons and 2 x 25pdr), Brigade Staff and HQ (a Dingo scout car, naturally), supply truck and ambulance. The Devonshires job is to secure the corridor and stop and sneaky German counterattacks retaking the southern road or Kolonie! The artillery is firing a pre-planned barrage for the first few turns of the game.

I pondered how best to model all these units at RSO, but in the end I pretty much went with company level representation, so the Recce Troop only had 2SP. Inital orders are for 1st IG to bash on up the road, 2nd IG to take Petter and the Devonshires to secure the corridor. 

The RAF is also around, they flew cab ranks to give continuous air support once the artillery had quietened down a bit, so one flight of Typhoons arrives every turn starting turn 3. There is an FAC to direct it.

The core force of Kampfgruppe Walther is 6th FJR, reinforced with KG Hofmann. Hofmann was lavishly equipped with AT weapons and deployed along the main road. Attached are a company of SS pioneers from 9th SS Panzer Division. All the German units are understrength with just a couple of combat companies in each battalion. Orders are to hold the main road.

The real nightmare is the impassable forest. I ended up putting all the German HQ and LOG stuff on the road, which proved to be a grievous error once the crossroads was lost. There is a 105mm artillery battalion (also from 9th SS) parked at the far end of the road.

Over at Borkel and the ridge south of there is KG Richer, comprising a battalion of SS Panzergrenadiers from 19th SS PGR, and supported by the 10th SS Panzerjaeger Abt with 12 operational Jagdpanzer IVs in Borkel. The Germans are allocated some wire and mines in the scenario so one of these units is in 'heavy' fortifications. Orders are to hold the corridor to Borkel, with the panzerjaegers as a mobile reserve.

And over at Petter we have 1st and 2nd battalions of 6th FJR. One battalion has fortified Petter while the other is dug in, but in reserve, to the rear. I have played many, many Arnhem games, and the route via Petter is the way to go for the initial breakout. Orders are for 1st Bn to hold Petter, while the 2nd Bn is in reserve ready to move south or east, depending.

I had a bit of a think about the OBs, re-read the rules and divvied up the various HQs. The hardest thing was HQ ratings, as 'morale' in NQM is really willingness to keep attacking, not combat skill. The FJ and SS were easy, the SS were veterans and the FJ trained. The Devonshires were also trained, as British infantry were a bit sticky at this point of the war. In the end I made the Irish Guards trained too - they are rated as 'experienced morale 9' in Command Decision which isn't quite 'veteran' but is better than 'trained'.

The game opens with the rolling barrage across three of the hexes astride the road and the Irish Guards columns fanned out to attack. 1/IG went up the road, 2/IG  went for Petter. I'll do the next couple of turns in some detail to follow the play sequence. The barrage hadn't been recce'd so it was largely ineffective, although it did put the Germans under bombardment.

1/IG attacked KG Hoffman on the road and I opted to protect the infantry with the tanks and in the firefight, some Shermans were hit (just like the film), as did some German AT guns. One of the British rifle companies ran out of ammo.

Petter was at the limit of 2/IG movement so the initial attack was just the leading Sherman and carrier companies, although I could support them with the battalion S company. This didn't go so well as the entrenched FJ were a 'heavy' target, while my tank/infantry team was 'medium'. We inflicted one hit on the Germans, but they got two hits on us - which both had to be taken on the tanks as I was leading with them. One of the FJ ran out of ammo though.

After the firefight I resolved the combat outcomes. 1/IG drove back KG Hoffman from the edge of the woods. One rifle company advanced into the barrage to take the position and everyone became disoraganised (all those red markers). There wasn't room for the Germans to retreat down the road as I hadn't left enough space, so they retreated to the sideroad to Borkel.

At Petter 2/IG failed to advance, but didn't have enough movement left to retreat either (I got a bit confused about movement allowances in movement and outcome moves, but I think that was right). Again, both sides became disorganised. I presumed the combat support units didn't as they weren't in direct contact.

Finally it was time to reorg. Both Allied command stands were adjacent, so I could just park the ambulance and supply truck next to them both and sort everybody out via the chain of units in contact. The Germans were more restricted as their units were so dispersed. 

1/IG recovered all its casualties and resupplied its ammo, whereas KG Hoffman just recovered its losses. All the disorganised units could reorg as well as they were in contact with their HQs, apart from the one British rifle company under the barrage.

At Petter the German supplied the FJ with ammo, while 2/IG did a full resupply and reorg. The Sherman squadron acquired two permanent hits. Ouch! All the disorganisations came off as no-one was under a barrage. I should have shifted the German HQ stuff out of the woods at this point, but I hoped to hang on to the crossroads another turn.

Next turn the recce troop motored up to recce the X roads, of course I didn't need to bother as I had a rifle company adjacent already. Doh. I just wanted to try the recce rules out. The Stuarts failed to find anything!

The barrage rolled forwards one hex, and landed all over the units which had retreated last turn. The targets were also spotted this time so the barrage was much more effective and inflicted two hits.

Time for the Devonshires to roll on. They marched up either side of the main road, leaving a company behind to dig in at the road exit. Brigade HQ parked next to them, ready to issue new orders as required.

1/IG now passed through its reserve rifle company and pulled the disorganised one back and the combined tank/infantry team successfully assaulted the crossroads. I needed to keep the tanks and infantry paired, otherwise the armour was vulnerable in the close terrain. KG Hoffman was forced back further down the road, all the German transport getting in the way once more.  The troops who had been forced back last turn were frantically digging in. Perhaps they should have been counterattacking? But I'd ordered them to defend.

The next assault on Petter was a catastrophe. I reinforced the attack with the Stuarts and pioneers (you have to reinforce a failed attack to resume attacking), but now the German artillery was active. Although the British inflicted two hits on the Germans, they got two more on us, so now the outcome roll was a net +2 to the Germans and we were duly thrown back. Some of the subtleties of the combat system were now becoming apparent. I should have left the damaged Shermans out, even if it reduced our firepower as their morale effect was very poor. At least some of the FJ ran out of ammo again, but so did the 2/IG motor company (the green counters are out of ammo markers).

On the main road the German transport shuffled back in the reorg phase to make room for KG Hoffman to deploy, but having lost the crossroads, they now couldn't help any of the units on either flank. If the terrain hadn't been 'difficult' I think I could have moved the German infantry two hexes as part of the outcome move, so blocking the road more effectively, but as it is, only the SS engineers are on the road. 

The Allies can still move their LOG freely and 2/IG are resupplied and reorg once more. This reduces their morale to just 1 point. At this point I decided to uprate both IG units to veterans, so they both had an extra attack in them. The motor company now have a permanent hit on them, and the Shermans have two, but at least they are fully bombed up.

The poor old FJ in Petter are in a right state though. Three hits between them and one company out of ammo. They can't reorg or resupply as all the German LOG is trapped on the road.

The Devonshires are still keeping their options open, and SS Richter is still busy defending its sector of front in the east. No need to move them yet.

Turn 3 (or 1800 hours) and the RAF finally roll up. I need to get used to the idea that a lot happens in each of these turns, and think about game lengths and reinforcement schedules etc. The rolling barrage rolls forwards again, the Germans are very cleverly retreating just as fast as the barrage is advancing, and 1/IG assaults the SS engineers. It has just occurred to me that all the other units of KG Hoffmann who are in contact should perhaps be fighting as well? I'm not sure about this ganging up on individual hexes. 

Over at Petter, 2/IG goes in one more time, but this time with RAF Typhoons in support, which slaps a big barrage marker on the unhappy village.

1/IG succeeds in bashing up the highway another hex, and in the outcome/reorg phase the German have to evacuate a lot of their LOG and HQ units to make space for the retreating defenders. I've just left the supply column and C1 HQ parked up by the guns. What an idiot, I should have put the HQ in an out of the way corner somewhere.

The assault on Petter is now predictably repulsed, but not before another hit is inflicted on the defenders and the other FJ company runs out of ammo! The only combat effective FJ unit left is the command/support company, which I'm allowing to provide 1 dice of combat support fire from the rear. They can't reorg or resupply as there are no German LOG units left.  2/IG is in a sorry state now though. It reorgs what it can, but I don't dare make a 4+ dice roll attempt to remove the single hits off the FAC and Pioneer Platoon. Losing either would strip 2/IG of 2 dice of Heavy fire.

The last order issued by the German C2 HQ staff before they retreated was for 2/6 FJR to move and block the main road. I allowed one turn for it to pass down the command level before execution. I considered ordering the SS to redeploy too, but actually they are in a good spot, and now the HQ has gone, that moment has passed.

Once again the long suffering KG Hoffman manages to park itself right under the barrage. This is the last turn of rolling barrage. They aren't dug in and suffer a number of hits. 1/IG once again does its 1/2 punch, moving up the reserve rifle company to support the lead tank squadron, while moving the disorganised company into reserve to reorg. The German artillery fires at at the attackers at almost point blank range. However, 2/6 FJR is marching to the rescue. The first companies are just entering the woods.

2/IG conducts one final assault on Petter with Typhoon support. They have so many accumulated hits that the attack is hopeless (something like +8 to the defenders outcome roll), but now the bulk of the Devonshires are on the scene, ready to take over. I just  wanted to put some more hits on the enemy. 2/IG is fought out and will retire into reserve to cover Kolonie and the southern road exit. The battered FJ continue to resist, even though both companies are out of ammo. The only thing saving them is mortar fire from the support company, 

1/IG once more is victorious and pushes up right next the German artillery positions. The remains of KG Hoffman fall back in disarray and get all tangled up in the lead elements of 2/6 FJR.

Next turn, 1/IG lines up for the final assault. The 25pdrs are free to fire in general support now, and the entire Guards Armoured Divisional Artillery lands on the exit hex. The German artillery both fires an barrage AND engages over open sights, automatically running out of ammo, and 2/6 FJR opts to attack the leading Combat Team, the last German LOG unit retreated offtable to make room for the assault. After my experience with the battle on Petter, I left the damaged KG Hoffman units out as much as possible, and just threw in the fresh FJ battalion.

Over at Petter, the Devonshires and their tanks went in supported by Typhoons.

And finally overran the fortified village! 1/6FJR retreated northwest. There wasn't any hope of them retaking it.

But on the main road, the inability of the 25pdrs to hit anything meant the 6th FJ counterattack succeeded and drove the Irish Guards back down the road. The accumulated hits on 1/IG meant they were ill placed to withstand an attack by fresh troops. That is a subtlety of the combat system I'd missed, and one of the things you figure out by actually playing. I've no idea if the Germans lurking in the woods should be included in the combat rolls, and if they are, would they retreat if they lost? I need to figure some things out.

On the final turn (it was about 2200 by now!) the Devonshires consolidated their hold on Petter, 2/IG pushed back 2/6 FJR again behind a massive artillery barrage, but had no hope of taking the final road hex. The German artillery was out of ammo with no hope of resupply, so withdrew.  

At the close of play the Devonshires held Petter and were still very fresh, while 1/6FJR was quite smashed up. 

2/6 FJR and 1/IG were both a bit battered, but KG Hoffman had been split in two, with half of it still dug in on the road to Borkel, actually performing quite a useful job.

2/IG and a company of the Devonshires had a firm hold on Kolonie and the southern road exit.

And SS Richter hadn't moved all day or fired a shot, but still firmly held Borkel. So the Allies only held three of the five objectives, a German win.

That was a very useful game, I learned a lot and came away with a few questions to look at, but I felt towards the end I had a much better understanding of how all the various mechanisms meshed together as an overall game experience. If I was doing this particular scenario again I'd have a look at the unit representation - I was perhaps a bit over generous with the Germans and under generous with Guards Armoured. If the SS and 2/6 FJR had gone into action too, it would have been curtains for the British, and the German infantry might have been better represented with two elements, not three. I botched the attack on Petter badly, it would have been better to wait a turn, and I need to have a think about the conversions of scenario timings and schedules - the original Command Decision scenario for this is based on 30 minute turns, not two hour ones.

Anyway, it wasn't a disaster, it was fun to play and I need to try a couple more games, possibly at a higher level. I suspect there is a bit too much going on to run as a Zoom game, although I shall reserve judgement. I think for the next outing I'll got with a Division/Corps level game as I'm not convinced the Command Decision scenario is actually that realistic - looking at some maps there seems to have been some major ground compression going on in the scenario map, it is a lot further from Kolonie to Valkenswaard than 3 km!, so I wonder if it was bathtubbed a bit. I'll use the Hells Highway map as a basis for the scenario next time, as it was based on contemporary 1:25000 military maps.