Introduction

This is a series of games played using the Forward the Guards campaign from Kampfgruppe Normandy book (published by Warhammer Historical) but using the Battlegroup series of rules, and its something I have wanted to play since I got the KGN book about 10 years ago. The campaign is a series of 7 games with some simple victory points and the opportunity for surviving units from earlier games to be used in later games. I used the Battle rating value straight out of the KGN book although there may have been slight differences.

I played these games on a 3×2 board with 6mm figures and converted inches to cms for everything, fudging the table size a bit. I played these solo and I roughly knew how the morale was tracking for both sides. Something I wasn’t clear on for these scenarios is whether or not the hedges are bocage or not. The book mentions bocage and how to fight in it but its doesn’t specify in the scenarios. I kept them as normal hedges which provided cover and were and obstacle to cross. Otherwise it would be a tedious game trying to get through all the bocage.

Game one – Screening Cagny

The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry are screening northern Cagny for the Guard Grenadiers and engage with some encounter 88s, until ordered to pull back. The scenario lasts for 6 turns until the screening units are withdrawn, and any 88s that survive the game are available later in the campaign so the Shermans must engage them.

The vehicles are GHQ except 2 88s and limber which are 3D printed. The infantry and crew are a mix of H&R, Baccus and Mainforce. The nice little farm is from Battlescale.

German forces

British forces

Turn 1

The Germans setup a daunting screen of 88s among the fields and scattered buildings while the Guards advance from the opposite table edge.

In the first couple of turns not a lot happened as the long range makes spotting hard and 6s or needed to hit on a D6. But the British get lucky with a HE round and hit an 88, killing a crew member and the rest fail their morale and rout!

The Brits fail to call in their artillery support but another HE lucky shot hits an 88 and destroys the gun.

Finally the German 88s find their range and a Sherman is brewed up.

Another 88 is hit by HE fire but is only pinned this time and they pass their morale.

Meanwhile the Guards have advanced quite far down the table trying to close the gap, but a Firefly is hit by a Panzerfaust in the side and destroyed.

With that final (and probably unnecessary action by the Brits) the game ends. Both sides only took 2 chits each so no ones morale was effected, but the Germans will only have 2 extra 88s for later on in the campaign.

Afterthoughts

Its been at least 2 years since I played BG last and I had forgotten most of it, and those previous games were more infantry games. On paper the scenario looked hard with 6 Shermans up against 4 88s. But the Shermans HE was very effective (while the 2 Fireflys had no HE rounds!). The 88s didn’t roll well and most of the shooting was at long range with the Shermans moving so a 6 on a D6 was needed. I realised I didn’t use Suppressive fire at all and I didn’t use the move and fire orders very well, but overall it this was a good introductory scenario.