AAR 1942 France: Operation Biting (Bruneval) by John, Part One

Originally wanted to play this in CoC but decided to use another Lardies rule set IABSM due to the size of the engagement.

I have been a huge fan of this rule set in the past but hadn't played it in a long time…

This scenario itself is loosely based on Operation Biting or the Bruneval Raid and due to limitations on resource's and time restrictions I've adapted the size of the forces involved and the terrain itself is not entirely accurate. The information contained in the background narrative is also at times fictional and not entirely historic. :)

The radar station (below, left) is permanently manned by signallers and is surrounded by a number of guard posts and approximately 10 guards who normally sleep in the Villa (below, centre). The buildings in the enclosures to the left of the Villa is La Presbytere which houses two platoons of German troops are also shown (below, right).

wo further platoons of infantry are stationed in the Garrison and another somewhere north in village of Bruneval itself. These are responsible for manning the defences guarding the evacuation beach. These include a strong-point near the beach as well as pillboxes and machine-gun nests on the top of the cliff overlooking the beach. The beach is not believed to be mined and has only sporadic barbed-wire defences, but it is patrolled regularly even at night. The British have a limited time to acquire the radars tech before a mobile reserve of infantry stationed some distance inland become available (a German reinforcement card will be introduced to the game after seven turns).

The Radar Station (below) must be occupied by the British Technician. For the successful removal of the radar tech the Technician must score a 6 on a Tech roll. The roll is taken at the end of each turn that he has occupied the radar. He starts with only one dice but gains one more with each new turn.

The Game

Despite the British cards outnumbering the Germans 4:1, the game begins with a German Blinds card, but the scenario calls the Germans to roll a 5-6 to activate on a card in the first Turn. They roll a 2: so no go…

The next card out activates the British Blinds or "Ghosts".

Although this is IABSM, I do love the Patrol Phase in CoC, and so I'm using it here to represent the stealth movement of the British vs the German guard patrols. The British hope to get as near to their objectives before the German Patrols lock them down. The British will have two free moves of the Patrol Phase before the Germans can move:

German Patrols head out in an attempt to lock the British down as far as possible from the objectives:

The British spread out towards the objectives...

But eventually the German patrols lock them down:

The green circles show the British Lock Down positions, the orange squares where the Germans are:

The British markers will now move at least 6 inches in cover towards their original entrance point (the Union Jack), and will now become the Drop Off Points for the British Blinds or "Ghosts". These Markers represent the British entry points in the game: they have gained quite a bit of ground:

f the Germans Blinds card is drawn before the British in this second turn it would allow their Blinds to move towards the British and actively try to spot the enemy, so it is vital that the British get the first card...and they do:

Four British Ghosts are deployed on Drop Off Point closest to the Villa. The British have four Platoons in total but they also have four dummy Ghosts so the German player isn't sure which one is real.

Two British Ghosts are sent down towards the village. Another moves into the woods overlooking the beach defences. Another towards the first pillbox.

The Turn ends with the Tea Break card been drawn before the German Blind card so the Germans have no ability to attempt to spot the advancing British which means the German patrols have not spotted them yet.

Next turn and the British turn up again. They are close enough to the villa to use two movement dice and assault the Villa: the score of the dice will not be a representation of what speed they are running, but should be interpreted as whether the Germans notice and react in time. An 8 is rolled and since the distance to the Villa is less than eight inches this means the Germans haven't noticed the British approach. The British burst through the doors of the Villa only to find every German fast asleep…the British have more than four times the amount of dice than the Germans in this assault so that means an automatic surrender for the Germans…the Germans are quickly tied up and herded into a small room.

In a matter of several short minutes the British Paras have captured the Villa and eliminated the the threat of the first pillbox…but now 3rd Platoon can hear loud German voices shouting from the village below. Soon the Germans will be ready for battle and the British will be outnumbered.

For the next instalment, click here

John