Into the Bocage with the Catawba Gamers

Several of the BOHM regulars made the trip to Parker Banner Kent and Wayne for the January Catawba Gamers Game day. The game was Disposable Heroes set in WWII. The scenario was a German counter attack against the American in the Bocage country after the D-Day landings.

The scenario had the Germans attacking. With their objective to exit armored vehicle off the right board edge and capture the hill on the lower right. The American had to stop the Germans. The game was a combination of two Skirmish elite scenarios so more people could play. The green hedges were the Bocage and blocked line of sight, To see through a model had to have its base touching the hedge.

A view of the German Infantry force. Two rifle squads, a command section, an 81mm mortar and a heavy mount MG-42.

Some of the American forces defending the hill against the Germans.

The German armor ready for a break through.

Americans defending the road.

First moves the Germans move up their support weapons. An 81mm Mortar and a 75mm infantry support gun that we received as a Reinforcement.

The German armor driving down the road.

Until fired on bu a hidden American Hmg in the farmhouse.

German Infantry moving up.

American Infantry pinned down in the Hedge grove.

German Infantry move forward to clear out a farmhouse.

American rifle squad takes cover behind a stone wall.

German fire tells and the squad at the hedge grove falls back.

The German armor still stopped, trading fire with the American at gun.

American bazooka team in a jeep arrives as reinforcements.

The layered American defence holding the German armor at bay.

An American Sherman tank arrives as reinforcements and concentrates on slowing down the German Infantry.

The short squad returns to the hedge grove as the Germans advance in cover.

Another American Sherman arrives as reinforcements.

Then it brews up a German tank.

The German mounted infantry close on the American squad at the stone wall.

The Americans fall back but the German half track is destroyed.

The lone trooper keeps up his fire with his trusty BAR.

another American squad sneaks up on a German armored car.

As the game winds down the lone trooper finally falls.

I enjoyed the game. I like the Skirmish elite scenario books but some of their maps leave allot of open space on the table and a unit trying to cross a large area of open ground under heavy machine gun fire in Disposable Heroes is next to impossible. In hindsight I should have had the 81mm mortar shooting smoke rounds instead of trying to hit a unit. I could have smoked the short squad or the hill and just ran the German Infantry up the board edge.
The Armor that had to exit the board stopped on the road after getting into range of the Americans. Once again in hindsight, we might have done better if one of the German tanks would have come and moved down the middle of the board. Forcing the American to have to maneuver their antitank assets around and preventing them from concentrating them on the end with the German armor.
The American worked together and deserve the win, the lack of communication on the German side was over only problem.
I look forward to the next time I can get some Disposable Heroes with the Catawba lads.

ColKG