Chain of Command AAR: Another Teaching Game

Yesterday there was another chance to introduce a fellow gamer from the Weiß-Blaue Strategen (a club from Munich) to Chain of Command.

Bernhard is an experienced player of rules like Battlegroup and has plenty of Brits for North Africa, but for the sake of simplicity he commanded my US Airborne (played as Regular) against Alexander's German Grenadiers.

For once, I only acted as match director and referee.

The patrol phase in full swing

The first of the 3 Grenadier squads deploy, immediately going on Overwatch

While the Airborne deploy their 60mm Mortar first, to make sure that the Germans keep their heads down

One of the airborne squads cautiously approaches the village occupied by the grenadiers, who are completely isolated there.

The other squads advances too ...

... but mounting Shock from the crossfire of 2 Grenadier squads will force them to back a little bit

Firefight between the grenadiers in the village and parachute infantry, which is additionally supported by well-placed fire from the 60mm mortar ...

... accordingly, the defenders, who had all squeezed themselves into a house and were therefore unable to bring all their weapons to bear, are shot up shortly afterwards and flee. The village is thus liberated.

Only now does the lieutenant commanding the grenadier platoon decide to concentrate the fire of the 2 remaining squads on the airborne squad in the orchard and allows the squad positioned in the centre to advance.

While his other remaining squad tries to hold the position against well-placed fire from the Airborne.

But too late, the advancing squad is caught in the concentrated fire of the Parachute Infantry and the mortar fire and finally has to withdraw as well.

This finally broke the morale of the German grenadiers and they hurriedly cleared the field before they could be completely wiped out.

Conclusion:

1. One could see Bernhard's experience. He formed focal points and always concentrated his fire on one of the grenadier squads and was thus able to take them out one by one.

He also utilised one of the US Boys' greatest advantages whenever possible: Marching Fire.

2. CoC has once again proven its potential one can play the period even if he don't know the rules as such.