OPERATION COBRA - A CROSSFIRE CAMPAIGN
This is a "3-Round Campaign as first devised by Steven Thomas http://balagan.info/ for Cross Fire. the campaign system uses a "ladder" to determine the flow of the campaign between table-top battles.
In the multi-player games that I have run using Cross Fire, I have had the problem of the Side Commander trying, to one degree or another, to run the troops of each player under his command. This is no fun for the subordinate and tends to alienate him from the game. It is also an advantage to a commander whose opponent espouses a fairer approach to his subordinates. To eliminate this tendency among some of my players, I provided a detailed introduction to how I wanted to see the interaction between the commanders and the subordinates to progress and required the CICs to generate a detailed Operations Order for each of his subordinates. See Below:
3 ROUND CAMPAIGN-INTRODUCTION
A 3-round
campaign or a linked scenario campaign can use any historical (or
non-historical, for that matter) action as its basis. The original developer of
the system (Steven Thomas -http://balagan.info/) has used the idea for Kursk, Tarnopol,
The Spanish Civil War (SCW) and other periods. The present version is modeled
for modern conflicts that use Crossfire as the tactical rules but there is no
inherent reason why the concept can’t be used, with proper modification, for anything
from Ancients through WWI.
I am
sticking with the author’s original concept, however, and have chosen the U. S.
breakout from the Normandy lodgement in July 1944. There are plenty of choices
from the breakout that had some 120,000 U.S. troops in 3 Corps to break through
the German lines in what would eventually result in the Falaise pocket and the
drive to the Rhine.
The
operation was called COBRA and began with an enormous carpet bombing in front
of the breakthrough jump off point. Unfortunately some half of the bombs fell
on the U.S. positions killing and wounding many hundreds including General
McNair who had been the main architect of the mobilization and training of the
U.S. Army up to that time.
Though the
30th Infantry Division was one of the main victims of the
Blue-on-Blue and it’s their action that we are going to game, I will ignore the
effects of this tragedy for the sake of simplification.
Page 4 shows
the sequence of scenario-events that make up the campaign. It should be self
explanatory. ED NOTE: This refers to the "ladder" Shown above.
The Germans
have TWO forces, a force to use when on the Defensive (217 points) and one when
on the Offensive (259 points). The American has one force (265 points) which is
used in all scenarios as they are on the Offensive.
The U.S. has
some air assets, while the Germans have some AA gun assets.
The First
game is an American attack vs. a German PREPARED
DEFENSE. The Germans receive 21
points of Defense construction in addition to their regular force. This is the breakout of COBRA toward St.
Gilles the next day after the fatal bombing preparation.
Subsequent
games may require the Defender to mount a HASTY
DEFENSE. Such a scenario requires
that the Defender keep 1/3 (1 complete Company +) off table as a reserve. They
come in on the Defender’s Table edge on any Defender’s initiative on a D6
Roll of 5+. This will be a scenario representing the historical battle at Troisgots.
Finally
there may be the need of a MEETING ENGAGEMENT. In this both sides advance onto the table and
essentially blunder into each other. The battle of Mortain – Hill 314.
Depending on who wins each scenario, there may be additional scenarios that lend themselves to the situation generated by the game "ladder".
Each
scenario will detail the victory conditions for that particular scenario.
ALL the
games will have the same players on a side and the same CIC for the duration of
the campaign. This is to insure a healthy competition to win the campaign.
In playing the games, you
must think of what you are going to do at all times so that you can act
immediately once your side gets the initiative. Make all your moves in a direct
and straight forward manner
ALL MOVES
WILL FIRST BE MADE USING YOUR FINGER TO INDICATE THE PATH AND YOU CAN NEVER
TAKE IT BACK BECAUSE THERE AN ENEMY STAND THAT CAUGHT YOU IN THE OPEN! NO ASKING IF SOMEONE CAN SEE YOU – You have to
decide that yourself based on your understanding of the situation and on what
has transpired before*.
THE MOVE/OR
FIRE MUST BE DECLARED AS GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL BEFORE THE MOVE OR IT WILL NOT BE
ALLOWED AND YOUR SIDE LOSES INITIATIVE!*
NO ONE CAN
TELL ANYONE ON HIS SIDE HOW TO MOVE OR HOW TO SHOOT – WE HAVE PLAYED THIS
ENOUGH SO EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW THE BASICS. BREACH OF THIS WILL COST THE SIDE
ITS INITIATIVE. The talk needed to move
the initiative among the players of a side will not be penalized as long as it is in the gist of " I could use smoke in front of that bunker" "Please support my advance from this wood to that wood" etc., No "Use your HMG in that wood to fire on that enemy stand there!"*.
The side
commander will pass along the side’s initiative to each of his subordinates as
he sees fit. DO NOT TELL YOUR
SUBORDINATES WHAT TO DO WITH THAT INITIATIVE. The operations order (see below)
will tell your subordinates what their mission is. How they accomplish it is
ENTIRELY up to them. So in writing the OPOR be sure to take into account your
knowledge of your subordinates’ strengths and weaknesses in the game and in
tactics. *
The game REQUIRES, If that is not too strong a word,
that the CIC of each side will come up with a written plan and marked maps ( I
will provide enlarged maps for those with weakened eye-sight and a list of the
acceptable Map Symbols to be used. DO NOT show them where they should place their troops or their defensive items.* It also REQUIRES that each CIC provide a
written OPERATIONS ORDER for each of his subordinates with a copy to me. Without these the game cannot progress.
INITIATIVE
Initiative starts with the attacker, whomever that may be. All players on a particular side can move within his Company Sector or they can move one-by-one. When one player on a side loses his iinitiative it goes to another player of the CIC of that side as directed by the side's CIC. When that player loses his initiative, then all 3 players on the side has lost theirs and the initiative switches sides. No player may have more than one initiative in a row unless gained by his own actions. The CIC may loose his initiative if he doesn't use it before the 3 players on his side loose theirs.
*These address the problems that I have encountered in running games with a side commander and several subordinates.
AIRCRAFT AND AIR SUPERIORITY IN CROSSFIRE
We are using the rules devised by Steven Thomas at http://balagan.info/aircraft-and-air-superiority-in-crossfire modified by me. My modifications are that the Typhoon has only 4 Pairs of rockets and 2 hmg.
The US had a pre-planned bombardment of 18 rounds ( see Optional Rules in Cross Fire) and it was somewhat effective costing the Germans on the US right several squads and the Germans on the US left the FO for their 81mm mortar. This was followed by an air strike that was ineffective except for pinning a couple of squads.
Another sweep of US air power netted no results except for a couple of pinned stands. Dick White was expending a lot of smoke trying to get his platoons unpinned and unsuppressed. He sent in an engineer squad to deal with the mines, but it was killed outright giving the initiative to Dick Bryant.
Dick Provided more smoke cover to his left and charged the German unit with the suppressed sqd in the center. In spite of the suppressed stand, Jack Breen's unit won the melee and and the initiative passed to Rick on the left. Rick pushed A company's 2nd Platoon into the center wood driving out the Germans. He then brought one of the tanks assigned to him by the Btn Commander, Dick White. It promptly found a mine field and brewed up, Initiative to the Germans!
The Germans essentially held their positions, trying to cause as many casualties as possible among the Americans. In this they were successful but some attempts at moving and and unpinning eventually lost them the initiative and it was back to the US. The Btn CO, in charge of the Company on the US Right attempted to force an opening in the enemy to his front with one of his tank reserves and promptly lost it to Panzershreck fire. In the center Dick Bryant moved his reserve Platoon up to the wall and decimated the German platoon to his front with rifle fire until he lost his initiative.
The US Btn Commander decided that the best chance for a win was on the left and sent the remaining Tanks over to Ricky on the left. He advanced a tank up to the left of the orchard where it was destroyed by a Panzerschreck! Initiative to the Germans.
The Germans used their initiative in trying to get some help to their right but lost the initiative in doing so. The US opened up with a third pass of air power, but had the Aircraft shot down!
The Germans, on the left had lost two platoons but were still holding out with a platoon and a HMG. The US Force there was essentially out of smoke and was hesitant to move across the no-man's land between their position and the objectives.
A few more turns were played but the US conceded as they felt that they didn't have the strength to take enough of the objectives to make up for their lost victory points. They had lost 3 tanks, 1 Aircraft and 7 stands for a total of 24 points. The Germans lost 11 stands for a total of 11 points.
As this was a German win, the next battle will also be an American attack into a prepared German Defense. Reinforcements for both sides have arrived, but are mostly Green, Will the US find the right formula to win the next battle, Stay tuned......
INITIATIVE
Initiative starts with the attacker, whomever that may be. All players on a particular side can move within his Company Sector or they can move one-by-one. When one player on a side loses his iinitiative it goes to another player of the CIC of that side as directed by the side's CIC. When that player loses his initiative, then all 3 players on the side has lost theirs and the initiative switches sides. No player may have more than one initiative in a row unless gained by his own actions. The CIC may loose his initiative if he doesn't use it before the 3 players on his side loose theirs.
*These address the problems that I have encountered in running games with a side commander and several subordinates.
OPERATION ORDERS simplified for war gaming contain:
1. SITUATION
a. Enemy forces.
Possible strengths
Probable course of action
Most dangerous course of action
b. Friendly forces. (Your subordinates force available to complete his mission)
c. Attachments and detachments. (Attached armor, artillery, etc.)
d. Position and identity of friendly forces to either flank or rear.
2. MISSION
a. Who (which, if not all, of his force must be applied to the mission), what (defend, attack, support),
b. Where (the actual objective(s), When (if there is any delay, etc.).
b. Where (the actual objective(s), When (if there is any delay, etc.).
3. EXECUTION
Intent
a. Concept of operations.
(1) Maneuver
(2) Fires
(3) Reconnaissance and Surveillance
(4) Intelligence
(5) Engineer
(6) Air Defense
AIRCRAFT AND AIR SUPERIORITY IN CROSSFIRE
We are using the rules devised by Steven Thomas at http://balagan.info/aircraft-and-air-superiority-in-crossfire modified by me. My modifications are that the Typhoon has only 4 Pairs of rockets and 2 hmg.
USING COMPANY SECTORS IN CROSSFIRE
These are dervived from concepts sent me by Arty Conliffe, the author of Cross Fire and from a later posting, Blagan's "Planned Zones" http://balagan.info/how-to-play-multi-player-crossfire-games#Planned_Zones.
Company Sectors
Historically, all units in WWII used delineated sectors to set up an organizational boundary between companies and we can use them to allow multi-player games of Cross Fire. Since we have 3 companies per side in this campaign, there will be 3 sectors allowing the entire game to be played as if there were 3 separate games, but tied together.
Company Sector Assignments
Company Sector assignment is part of each side's battle plan. The Side Commander, Battalion Commander in this campaign, assigns each of his Company commanders a sector for his operations, his forces, supports and mission by the use of the Operations Order, described above. The sectors are drawn on the map and should use features that are readily identifiable on the table to delineate them. Sectors may not overlap other friendly sectors.
Sector Fire
Troops in one sector may fire into another sector to support, but since their main objective is in there own sector, most of their fire will be in their sector.
Movement Between Sectors
There are only 2 times that a Squad may move out of its own sector. One is to perform a Close Combat after which it must either remain stationary, only pivoting in place, or to return to its own sector. The other is if a "defending Line" was a part of the sector. In this case the unit may "counter attack across the defending line for a Close Combat as above.
Forward Observers
They must stay in the sector to which they have been assigned but may observe targets outside their sector.
Reserve Units
Reserves may be kept by the Btn. Commander(Side Commander) or a local reserve may be kept off board as a Local Reserve by each Company Commander. The Local Reserve is part of the company and can move in its Sector when ever desired. The Btn. Reserve can be assigned to any sector by the Btn CO when ever and wherever he desires. It comes under the purview of the Company Commander and can thus move within his assigned sector.
Company Sectors
Historically, all units in WWII used delineated sectors to set up an organizational boundary between companies and we can use them to allow multi-player games of Cross Fire. Since we have 3 companies per side in this campaign, there will be 3 sectors allowing the entire game to be played as if there were 3 separate games, but tied together.
Company Sector Assignments
Company Sector assignment is part of each side's battle plan. The Side Commander, Battalion Commander in this campaign, assigns each of his Company commanders a sector for his operations, his forces, supports and mission by the use of the Operations Order, described above. The sectors are drawn on the map and should use features that are readily identifiable on the table to delineate them. Sectors may not overlap other friendly sectors.
Sector Fire
Troops in one sector may fire into another sector to support, but since their main objective is in there own sector, most of their fire will be in their sector.
Movement Between Sectors
There are only 2 times that a Squad may move out of its own sector. One is to perform a Close Combat after which it must either remain stationary, only pivoting in place, or to return to its own sector. The other is if a "defending Line" was a part of the sector. In this case the unit may "counter attack across the defending line for a Close Combat as above.
Forward Observers
They must stay in the sector to which they have been assigned but may observe targets outside their sector.
Reserve Units
Reserves may be kept by the Btn. Commander(Side Commander) or a local reserve may be kept off board as a Local Reserve by each Company Commander. The Local Reserve is part of the company and can move in its Sector when ever desired. The Btn. Reserve can be assigned to any sector by the Btn CO when ever and wherever he desires. It comes under the purview of the Company Commander and can thus move within his assigned sector.
BOTH SIDES RECEIVED THIS BRIEFING:
3-GAME CAMPAIGN
OPERATION COBRA – THE NORMANDY BREAKOUT
FIRST
GAME – THE BATTLE FOR SAINT GILLES
The first game is an American attack
against a German PREPARED DEFENSE.
The US has a PRE-PLANNED BOMBARDMENT as per
the advanced rules of CROSS FIRE. They
have a number of Fire Missions (FM) BEFORE the game they have selected terrain
features (hills, woods, fields, buildings, Bunkers, hedges, etc. that they
suspect may hide German units.
1 D6 is rolled for each FM:
A “5” Suppresses a Squad, A “6” Kills a Squad; If in a
building or a Bunker, a “6” is required to Suppress.
Two successive Suppresses Kills a Squad. The Owning player determines which squads are
hit but cannot spread hits around multiple stands in one area. Any successive attacks are against the same
squad until killed.
The Germans use the “Defensive Army” for this
scenario.
The Germans have 21 additional points for mine
fields, bunkers, wire entanglements, and emplacements. See your Army sheet for
point cost of various emplacements.
The Germans place first, NOT HIDDEN,
AFTER the PRE-PLANNED BOMBARDMENT. The US places SECOND, also NOT HIDDEN.
OBJECTIVE: There are 6 objectives, 1
Minor (a) and 5 Major (A,B,C,D and E). (See Map). The attacker, before the game,
may secretly elevate ONE of the major
objectives to VITAL.
Objective values:
Minor: 2
VP
Major: 4
VP
Vital: 8
VP
1 VP for ea. German sqd, Hvy Wpn, CC or
BC killed at game end
2 VP for ea. German AFV destroyed at
game end
-1 VP for ea. US sqd, Hvy Wpn, CC or
BC killed at game end
-2 VP for ea. US AFV/Aircraft destroyed
at game end
We will not carry casualties from one
game to another. Rather some of your forces( the number determined by casualty
percentage) will downgrade to GREEN as the casualties are being replaced by
less well-trained personnel.
.
THE FORCES AVAILABLE
| US ATTACK FORCE - 265 POINTS | |||||||
| Leg Btn. (Regular) | |||||||
| Btn HQ | |||||||
| 1 BC (+1) | 6.00 | ||||||
| 1 SMG | 2.50 | ||||||
| Btn Hvy Wps | |||||||
| 2 HMG | 12.00 | ||||||
| 1 81mm W/12FM | 6.00 | ||||||
| 1 57mm AT Gun w/truck | 3.00 | ||||||
| 3 Infantry Companies EA. W/ | 141.00 | ||||||
| 1 CC(+0)* | 4.00 | ||||||
| Coy Hvy Wps | |||||||
| 1 60mm W/12 FM | |||||||
| 1 HMG | |||||||
| 3 Rifle Platoons ea. w/ | |||||||
| 1 PC(+1) | |||||||
| 3 rifle Sqds | |||||||
| Equip 1 Sqd in ea Company with Bazooka | 6.00 | ||||||
| * CC of A company +2, others +0 | |||||||
| Engineer Assault Platoon (-) | |||||||
| 1 PC(+2) | 2.00 | ||||||
| 3 Eng. Sqds | 10.50 | ||||||
| Assault Bonus pts. | 4.00 | ||||||
| 2 75mm Howitzers W/12FM | 12.00 | ||||||
| 5 Sherman/76mm | 45.00 | ||||||
| 1 Aircraft Support | 20.00 | ||||||
| total | 265.50 | ||||||
| ELEMENTS OF THE PANZER LEHR DIV. DEFENSE FORCE - 217 POINTS | ||||||||
| Leg Btn. (Regular) | ||||||||
| Btn HQ 1st Btn, 902nd Rgt, 130th Pz Lehr Division* | ||||||||
| BC (+2) | 6.00 | |||||||
| 3 SMG + PC(+0) | 7.50 | |||||||
| 1 Sniper | 1.00 | |||||||
| 3 Infantry Companies EA. W/ | ||||||||
| 1 CC(+2) | 180.00 | |||||||
| Coy Hvy Wps | ||||||||
| 1 HMG | ||||||||
| 1 120mm W/10FM | ||||||||
| 1 81mm W/12FM | ||||||||
| 3 Rifle Platoons ea. w/ | ||||||||
| 1 PC(+1)* | ||||||||
| 2 rifle Sqds | ||||||||
| 1 sqd w/Panzerschreck(early) | ||||||||
| Equip 1 Platoon in ea Company with Panzerschreck(early) | 22.50 | |||||||
| * 1ST Platoon PC =+2, others = +1 | ||||||||
| If in prepared defense add 21 fortification points: 4 sqd bunker = 4.5 pts; 3 sqd bunker = 3.5 pts; 2 sqd bunker = 2.5 pts; 1 sqd bunker = 1.5 pts. Mines ( 4" long or 1 feature) = 2pts; wire (4" long) = 0.5 pts. | ||||||||
| * Figure stands may be identified with different unit designations | ||||||||
 |
| Boundary Lines as selected by both sides |
THE BATTLE
 |
| The Battle for Ste Giles NOTE: The 75mm Observer shown in the US center is in error, there was none and I am too lazy to change the map! |
B Company (US Right0 advanced under heavy fire, their 2nd Platoon becoming pinned down in the wood just at the German set on line. B's 3rd platoon managed to get into the house to the left of the 2nd platoon but soon had a sqd suppressed and the others behind the house with no place to go. The 1st Platoon was initially held in reserve. The German Cpt. Seamens' deft use of mine fields and barbed wire stopped the US cold in their attempt to reach the objectives A and D to their front.
 |
| The Us position on the Right. B/2 is pinned in the wood and B/3 is in the house but suppressed. |
That Suppress moved the initiative to the US Left where Rick Bryant pushed quickly into the wood and fields near the German set-on line then passed the initiative to Dick Bryant in the center. Dick moved up to the wall to his front and into the woods on his left Sector line to set up the 75 to command the road. Fire from the German 2/10 Platoon in the field to the front of the US advance suppressed an inf. sqd. in the wood and the initiative passed to the Germans.
 |
| Rick Bryant moves up on the US Left. |
 |
| Dick Bryant's US Central position. Note his suppressed infantry in the wood. But he got his own back by suppressing a German stand in the field to the front. |
The Germans attacked on their Right, but managed to loose most of the platoon in the orchard. In the center the Germans and US exchanged fire with Dick Bryant getting the worst of it, loosing his HMG and most of the platoon in the wood. Well directed mortar fire from the German Right under Mitch Abrams added injury to the insult! Dick was expending most of his smoke rounds to protect the advance of Ricky's forces on the left.
Another sweep of US air power netted no results except for a couple of pinned stands. Dick White was expending a lot of smoke trying to get his platoons unpinned and unsuppressed. He sent in an engineer squad to deal with the mines, but it was killed outright giving the initiative to Dick Bryant.
 |
| US air arrives for its 2nd sweep pinning a stand of Germans |
The Germans essentially held their positions, trying to cause as many casualties as possible among the Americans. In this they were successful but some attempts at moving and and unpinning eventually lost them the initiative and it was back to the US. The Btn CO, in charge of the Company on the US Right attempted to force an opening in the enemy to his front with one of his tank reserves and promptly lost it to Panzershreck fire. In the center Dick Bryant moved his reserve Platoon up to the wall and decimated the German platoon to his front with rifle fire until he lost his initiative.
The US Btn Commander decided that the best chance for a win was on the left and sent the remaining Tanks over to Ricky on the left. He advanced a tank up to the left of the orchard where it was destroyed by a Panzerschreck! Initiative to the Germans.
 |
| US looses a third tank! This time to Panzerschrek fire |
 |
| US Loses its air cover |
The Germans, on the left had lost two platoons but were still holding out with a platoon and a HMG. The US Force there was essentially out of smoke and was hesitant to move across the no-man's land between their position and the objectives.
A few more turns were played but the US conceded as they felt that they didn't have the strength to take enough of the objectives to make up for their lost victory points. They had lost 3 tanks, 1 Aircraft and 7 stands for a total of 24 points. The Germans lost 11 stands for a total of 11 points.
As this was a German win, the next battle will also be an American attack into a prepared German Defense. Reinforcements for both sides have arrived, but are mostly Green, Will the US find the right formula to win the next battle, Stay tuned......
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