DATE; December, specific date unknown, 1944

TIME; 0530 hours

PLACE; God only knows for sure

US ARMY SITUATION; a small number of US Army engineer troops, pressed into duty as mechanized infantry during the confused fighting that was known as THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE have discovered a previously unkown (to them, anyway) stone bridge crossing a canal that appears capable of supporting tanks. unfortunately, they are fresh out of explosives, have no radio, and do not have a clue as to where they really are. and they can hear German armor coming their way in the morning fog . . . .

GERMAN ARMY SITUATION; a small, isolated, and lost advance unit, after spending an uncomfortable night, is once again searching for a bridge to bypass American resistance. that is why the Germans are moving out, slowly, down this nameless dirt track searching for a bridge capable of supporting tanks. company HQ thinks there is such a bridge over the canal in this forest. there has been no contact with the Americans in almost 24 hours, and although scattered individual soldiers and units are thought to be in the area, HQ does not expect any worthy resistance.

TABLE TOP TERRAIN

my own set up for this skirmish was on a 4ft by 4ft folding table. the tabletop was heavily covered with low hills, trees and brush.

entering (and centered on) from the EAST table edge is a narrow dirt road that runs straight toward the WEST table edge until it connects with the stone bridge over the canal, then the road makes an immediate direction change, runnig NORTH and SOUTH paralleling the length of the canal. shallow drainage ditches flank this road on both sides of the canal.

the canal runs in a straight line from the NORTH to the SOUTH table edges, centered on same. it is doubtful if the ice will safely support the weight of a loaded down soldiers, and the canal is too deep to ford with men or vehicles. the canal sides are too steep, and too soft to allow wheeled or tracked vehicles to climb them. under the ice the current flows from NORTH to SOUTH at 1" per turn.

the stone bridge crosses the middle of the canal and can can support the weight of one tank at a time crossing over it.

a wooded, steep hill overlooks the bridge and road on the WEST side of the canal.

DEPLOYMENTS

1. AMERICANS

a. there is not enough time ot tools to erect a real roadblock, and there are no explosoives or time to rig the bridge for demolition anyway. the Americans prepare a hasty ambush and a holding action.

b. AT mines (4 of them) are placed on the bridge, as well as across the roadway NORTH and SOUTH of the bridge. the engineers are relying on luck and the fog to prevent the Germans from spotting the mines on the bridge itself, but the AT mines across the roadway ( 3 AT mines at each location) are attached to telephone wire, and can be slid into position in front of vehicles or tanks on the road, by engineers hiding in the drainage ditch (1 or 2 men at each location).

c. on the hill overlooking the bridge and road, the rest of the engineers have gone to ground in a linear ambush built around their LMGs, BARs, rifle grenade launchers, other smallarms and hand grenades. actual deployment of the ambush is up to the American commander.

d. the Americans have parked their vehicles (a 1/4 ton or jeep, and a 3/4-ton truck or weapons carrier) in the woods behind the hill with NO GUARDS.

e. use markers to indicate the possible locations of American on the hill top (one for each real soldier/weapons team, and 1D6+1 dummies). the engineers in the roadside ditch and the location of the linked AT mines are marked on sketch map. indicate the location of the American vehicles by using real markers.f. the mines on the bridge are not indicated in anyway, there is a morning fog but can be detected by infantry crossing the bridge on foot in front of the German column.

g. spotting checks are made as normal, and if one is made, the marker is flipped to reveal whether it is real or a dummy.

h. once a marker shoots or moves, or becomes visible to the Germans, it is immediately replaced with the appro- priate soldier or weapons team.

2. GERMANS.

a. the German unit is deployed in road column, and must remain on the road until the shooting starts. the order of march is up to the German commander.

b. until positively ID'ed, use makers to represent tanks and other vehicles moving along the roadway. a tank sounds like nothing else, so a tank is always marked "tank". the Germans get one dummy marker for each actual vehicle.

c. tank riders, or troops riding on any vehicle a noted as such. vehicle mounted troops (half-tracks, trucks, etc) are noted as such, too.

d. at game start, dismounted German infantry (if used) are deployed on each side of the roadway, and not scattered in the woods as an advancing skirmish line! use markers for each real soldier or weapons team that is dismounted. Germans get 1D6+1 dummy infantry markers.e. all rules that apply to American markers also apply to German markers.

ORDERS OF BATTLE

1. AMERICANS.

BASICALLY, this is a re-enforced engineer squad consisting of various level REP soldiers, led by a SGT who has the highest REP. the engineers have dismounted the .30-cal LMGs from the jeep and truck to use in the ambush.

a. SARGE; REP-5, SMG, pistol, grenades, knife-bayonet, and short, well chewed seegar.

b. SENIOR CPL; REP-4, M-1 rifle w/ grenad launcher, rifle AT grenades, grenades, knife-bayonet.

c. JUNIOR CPL; REP-3, SMG, pistol, grenades, knife-bayonet.

d. LMG TEAM #1; REP-4 GUNNER, LMG, pistol, grenades, knife-bayonet.

REP-3 ASST GUNNER, M-1 rifle, grenades, knife-bayonet, LMG ammo.

e. LMG TEAM #2; REP-3 GUNNER, LMG, pistol, grenades, knife-bayonet.

REP-3 ASST GUNNER, M-1 rifle, grenades, knife-bayonet, LMG ammo.

f. BARMAN; REP-3, BAR, grenades, knife

g. BARMAN: REP-3, BAR, grenades, knife-bayonet

h. GRENADIER: REP-4, M-1 rifle w/ grenade launcher, rifle AT grenades, grenades, knife-bayonet.

i. RIFLEMAN; REP-3, M-1 rifle, grenades, knife-bayonet, and linked AT mines

k. RIFLEMAN; REP-3, M-1 rifle, grenades, knife-bayonet, and linked AT mines.

l. the American jeep and weapons carrier are both DV=0.

2. GERMANS. this is an adhoc force, consisting of one tank (i used a Panther) with crew, and 6 tank riding infantrymen, one half-track (with 2 crew, and 8 infantry- men), an armored car with auto-cannon , and crew, and a kubelwagon mounting an LMG with CO, driver, RTO, and LMG gunner.

a. PANTHER TANK (DV=3) NCO, is REP-4, gunner is REP-4, loader is REP-3, bow gunner is REP-3, and driver is REP-3. the tankers all have pistols, bayonets, and there are 2 SMG for dismount use. tank is low on ammo for its main gun ( 1D6+1 rounds).

b. TANK RIDERS are all REP-4s (NCO has a SMG, LMG gunner also has a pistol, LMG asst gunner has a SMG, and the three riflemen all have the German semi-auto rifles (42 or 43 model). everyone has grenades and a bayonet. squad also has two panzefausts.

c. HALF-TRACK (DV=1) has a pair of mounted LMGs (fore and aft). the crew is all REP-3 (driver, and forward LMG gunner. the aft LMG belongs to theinfantry dismounts). crew has semi-automatic rilfes. grenades and bayonet.

d. HALF-TRACK RIDERS are a mix of REPs, with one REP-4 NCO. NCO has a SMG, pistol, the LMG gunner also has a pistol, the LMG asst has a semi-auto rilfe (42 or 43 model), the grenadier has rifle grenades, the remain four riflemen all have semi-automatic rifles. veryone has a bayonet and grenades. the squad as 2 panzerfausts.

d. ARMORED CAR (DV=1) with 20-mm auto- cannon and 4 crew (NCO is REP-4, others are REP-3s). auto -cannon is low on ammo. use limited ammo rules. the crew all have pistols and their are 2 SMG for dismount duties.

d. KUBELWAGON (DV=0) with LMG. the CO is a REP-5, the driver a REP-3, the RTO a REP-3 and the LMG is a REP-4. CO has a SMG and pistol, the RTO and driver have SMGs, the LMG gunner also has a pistol. bayonets and grenades for all.

VISIBILITY RULES

there is a morning fog at game start that reduces visiblity to 12" max. each time any face card is played increase visiblity by 6".

SPECIAL RULES

1. CROSSING THE FROZEN CANAL. each soldier attemptng to cross the frozen canal tests vs REP on 2D6 to see if he breaks through the ice.

• PASS 2D6= No trouble at all!
• PASS 1D6= Slip and fall flat. must test against REP to regain his feet.
• PASS 0D6= The soldier falls through the ice and drowns.

2. ANTI-TANK MINES. whenever a vehicle passes over an AT mine, test on 2D6 vs the vehicle driver's REP to see if the vehicle runs over an AT mine and detonates it. test for each AT mine seperately. AT Mines are all rated as APW-4.

• PASS 2D6= the driver avoids detonating the AT mine(s).
• PASS 1D6= the driver has a narrow miss!
• PASS 0D6= the driver runs right over the mine (or mines). check on ARMOR PENETRATION RESULTS TABLE for results.

3. LINKED AT MINE USAGE. when ever an engineer pulls one of these AT mines into the path of a vehicle, he must test for "FIRST SIGHT" to do so.

• PASS 2D6= engineer pulls both AT mines into the path of the vehicle and vehicle driver must test to avoid the mine(s) as the vehicle passes over same.
• PASS 1D6= engineer pulls only one AT mine into the path of the vehicle, and vehicle driver must test to avoid the mine as the vehicle passes over same.
• PASS 0D6= engineer completely loses his nerve and ducks down to allow the vehicle to pass by.

4. RIFLE GRENADES. these are grenades launched by a launcher attached to a rifle. two types in this scenario. both have a range of 24" and both can be fired direct or indirect by grenadier.

a. AT is an APW-2, TARGET=1, no blast circle.

b. HE is IMPACT=3, with a 3" blast circle.

5. both forces have been in contact previously, and both have been unable to re-supply. thus;

a. once a stated number of types of munitions are expended, there are NO MORE AT HAND.

b. use the short ammo table for the 20mm auto-cannon, all rifle grenades, and hand grenades!

OTHER GAME INFO

Americans use all red cards to determine initiative.

Germans use all black cards to determine iniatiative.

All jokers are wild, and this allows the GM to have a few unexpected events up his sleeve.

The game lasts for 12 face cards or until one or both sides have disengaged or been killed off, captured or incapacitated.

Germans win if the capture the bridge before game end and retain control of same.

Americans win if the have control of the bridge at game end.

this a small fight, on a small table, using the forces i had readily at hand, and that i played out solo. it can be easily be done with other rules, and with players.

have fun! i did!

DAWGIE