Monday, January 31, 2022

Scenario 2: The Battle for St-Mere Eglise

After the smashing success of the first game of our Bolt Action we are keen to move onto Scenario 2: The Battle for St-Mere Eglise.

Background:  6 June 1944 4:03 am. The 505th US Paratrooper Infantry regiment has landed scattered around the Normandy country side as the prelude to Operation Overlord. Scattered remnants of the 101st and 82nd Airborne have landed in the small French town of Sainte-Mere-Eglis and a bloody battle for the town ensues. Meanwhile, members of the 505th led by Lieutenant Colonel Edward Krause are on their way to bolster the paratroopers hold on the town and liberate St Mere-Eglis from Nazi occupation.

 

Scenario: Surrounded Scenario in the bolt action rule book. US player is the defender, German player is the attacker. The first turn of the game is played with the night fighting rules.

 

Set up: Set up the town of St Mere Eglis with the church in the centre of the table. The US player must deploy their units with 12 of the church objective.

 

Objective:  The US forces must hold the town from the german counter attack. Germans must drive the US off and spoil the liberation. 

 

Aerial photo of Sainte-Mère-Église after its capture. Note American military vehicles lining the main street.
The town of St Mere-Eglise with US vehicles moving up the main road (https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2018/12/19/sainte-mere-eglise-the-82nd-airborne-drops-into-france/)


 

Forces:

 

US: 505th PIR

 

HQ:

2nd Lieutenant and Man (Reserve)

 

Infantry:

 

Regular Paratrooper Squad

1 NCO with Submachine gun

1 B.A.R

7 Riflemen

 

Regular Paratrooper Squad

1 NCO with Submachine gun

1 B.A.R

7 Riflemen

 

Regular Paratrooper Squad (Reserve)

1 NCO with Submachine gun

1 B.A.R

7 Riflemen

 

Veteran Paratrooper Squad (Reserve)

1 NCO with Submachine gun

2 Submachine Guns

1 BAR

1 Rifleman

 

Regular MMG

 

Regular Bazooka Team

French Town Is a Living D-Day Memorial - The New York Times


German: Grenadier-Regiment 1058, 91. Infanterie Division

 

HQ:

2nd Lieutenant and Man

 

Infantry:


Regular Heer Grendadier Squad

1 NCO with Submachine gun

4 Riflemen

1 Machine gun with 1 loader

 

Regular Heer Grendadier Squad

1 NCO with Submachine gun

4 Riflemen

1 Machine gun with 1 loader.

 

Veteran Waffen SS Squad

1 NCO with Stg44

4 Stg44

 

Regular Medium Mortar Team

Spotter

 

Regular Medium Machine Gun

 

Regular Sdkfz 251/1 Half-Track

 



Troopers of the 505th PIR run for the door of the church in Sainte-Mère-Église as German artillery lands in the town on June 6, 1944.
A US paratrooper runs for cover in the church during the fighting.

 

Can't wait to play again and see how the next scenario plays out.  I have also begun making a church to be the centerpiece terrain objective of the table. Excited to get it all going and get our second game underway!


Signing off,

Chewie



Scenario 3: The Battle for Nijmegen

  The Waal Bridge and Nijmegen following the battle. Background: Tuesday 19th September 1944 - the British Guards Armored Division and US 82...