I ran my second IABSM game of the pandemic with players separated by around 500 miles.

This game is from Chris Stoesen's Campaign for Greece ‘41 book and based on his Glider Assault scenario (#13). It revolves around an Aussie attempt to keep a road open through Fallschirmjaeger infested territory.

From the book: “The Australian 2/6th came under assault from glider borne troops. It was the job of the 2/6th to keep the roads open for the retreating Dominion troops. The gliders landed close enough to the Australians that they watched them land. The landing was so rough, they at first believed that they had crashed until the Fallschirmjagers began to exit their gliders. While the forces are what were reported from the Australian and New Zealand sources, the map is entirely fictional drawn from the references that were in the sources.”

The Aussie player had two platoons while the FJ player only had five sections. I was only using a 4 x 4 space for this small game. There was a road running diagonally across from the NE to SW mostly through the higher ground. Five walled farms were connected to this road.

The German player (Martin)’s briefing:

Your Company has been tasked with a glider assault on the Bridge. Due to strong winds you have landed off course and your command’s gliders have been separated. Your command team is together. Gather what men you have and drive towards the bridge. While landing you observed several parachutes dropping near you. You will use whatever troops you find nearby.

He had two sections of FJ paratroops with one MMG team and a Level II Big Man. The glider troops had two sections of FJ glider troops; an HQ section with two 50mm mortars and two ATRs; and three Big Men, Levels IV, III and II.

William's Aussie briefing:

You are the commander of B Company of the 2/6th Australian Battalion. The road must remain open. High command has placed you here to prevent the Germans from completing a vertical envelopment of our retreat. If you can only keep the road open, your unit will be pulled out and you will be headed to Crete to rest and regroup.

He had two 4-section platoons, only one of which had the 2" mortar. A Level III Company CO commanded, and the platoon leaders were Level II and III.

The Game

I sent some pics of the board to the two players, Martin (in Florida) and William (a mere 13 miles from my table), along with briefings and units. They sent back some clear instructions on how they wanted to deploy and what they wanted their Blinds to attempt. The directions were sufficiently idiot proofed so that even I managed to send the Blinds out in the correct order.

Southern half of the table

This pic shows the Aussie blinds moving from the southern edge of the board.

Northern half of the table

DFS 230 glider

I painted up a couple of these for the table. Just wanted to add some character.

Meeting of the blinds

This is the eastern side of the table. German dummy blind in the bottom orchard. A section of glider men under the blind at the crossroads and the Aussie 2nd Platoon to the left.

Aussie blinds get to the hill

The Australian 1st platoon has moved up on to the wooded hill and the 2nd platoon is in the farm at the bottom on overwatch.

Paras spotted

First unit spotted was the German paras along the road. The glider troops are back at the farm to the left.

Aussies up on the hill open fire

Glider troops return the fire from the slope and farm.

Aussies in the trees

Actually on the ground under them but since the players aren't at the table I tried to make it a bit more obvious what and where things are. I took a load of piccies for the remote players.

2nd Platoon at the wall

Germans in the rocky gulley

They were getting fired at from the hill and long range from the 2nd platoon at the farm. Smoke from the 2" on the farm.

East half of the table

This was where all the action occurred.

The German blinds in orchard at the bottom and in the gulley are dummies. The MMG team is back behind the road on a ridge.

Para MMG opens up

One of the first Aussie casualties was their platoon CO.

Less shooting from the hill

Besides losing their platoon CO one of the Aussie sections was forced to retire in the woods.

FJ troops stuck on the slope

High tide for the FJ

Glider troops shift to fire

Smoke from the 2" caused 1 of the glider sections to move back to shoot at the Aussies in the woods.

Para section ldr directing the fire of the MMG

The Glider ldr and the HQ section are in the villa

FJ troops run back to the farm

View from gulley to SE farm

Aussie 1st platoon

They lost their pla CO, but William had sent the company CO with this group.

First Stuka strike

The German Air Support card came up quite frequently. The initial bomb run caused 2 casualties on one of the 2nd pla sections.

Glider troops under fire in the orchard

The Germans definitely had an advantage in automatic weapons. But they were outnumbered 8 sections to 5.

MMG team gets smoked

Farms on the east edge

The German dummy blind was spotted. It appears that the orchard might be empty.

Aussies make a dash for it

2 sections move out

MMG firing at the running Aussies

Both sides getting worn down

Only 2 Aussie sections left up on the hill. Germans consolidating in the villa.

Overview of the German positions

Gratuitous glider picture

I painted up two of them so had to put them on the table.

More smoke on the MMG

It was the last round of smoke available to the Aussies.

Back at the farm

Hazy view

Nice buildings from Total Battle Miniatures

Getting quiet

1st platoon spent

When the Company CO was hit they were down to just a few men and 1 AP in 1 section.

Fire breaks out

Random event had a fire break out in the trees. Just another reason to pull back.

Survivors consolidating

The 2" put a couple of HE rounds out towards the MMG team but otherwise that was it for 1st platoon

Para swing out to their left

2nd platoon moving into the east farm and orchard

Germans getting ready to meet new threat from their left

All of 2 platoon moving up

FJ taking cover in the rocks

3rd Stuka strike

It misses the 2nd platoon completely. The second strike also caused no casualties on this group.

Moving up through the orchard

Placed on the trees so players can see them in the pics

And up to the wall

More targets for the FJ

FJ view down the slope

Hits on the Aussies

The advantage is with the Paras and all their auto weapons

Trading shots

Glider troops join the paras on the slope

nother Aussie section bottles

And disaster!

A deadly friendly fire incident. I allow for misidentification with air support. It takes snake eyes for it, but on the rare occasions in a game when it happens it is always catastrophic. No exception here. The FJ lost a section ldr and 5 more men. Fortunately the overall FJ ldr was unhurt in the villa next to the blast.

And now the FJ is pretty well spent

The MMG team survivors cover the remaining 6 men from 3 sections as they head back to the villa to consolidate.

End of the game

The road can still be interdicted from this villa position, so the Aussies will have to root these FJ survivors out if they want this route to stay open.

It was a bloody game with the FJ losing a total of 32 out of 49 men, including 3 BM. The Aussies lost 9 in their 2nd platoon but 24 in the 1st platoon along with its ldr and the Company CO. 35 total casualties.

This was a much more manageable game than the previous one. 2 players, 4 maneuver units and a 4 X 4 table. A nice diversion and a way to connect during our social distancing period.

Mark Luther