Goumier in the Vosges

 French attack at Rochesson

Vosges, Alsace. October 1944

This is a fictional tabletop wargame based on the tough fighting by the Free French trying to force a crossing of the Vosges in October 1944, an excuse to field my new Goumier Tabor.

After two weeks of hard, bitter fighting in the Vosges against well a dug-in determined defenders, the French were exhausted, but the US Seventh Army wanted one more push a diversionary action to draw off German reserves from a drive by Leclerc`s 2^nd Free French Amoured Division further north which it was hoped would break through to Strasbourg!

General De Lattre committed Guillaume`s Groupe de Tabores as the main element of this attack.

Scenario

2^nd Tabor (1GTM) commanded by Col. Rousel plus supporting units are tasked with assaulting Hill 675 (known as Monastery Hill) which overlooks Rochesson to the east.

French attackers

2^nd Tabor de Goumier (1GTM) includes artillery FOO (63RAA) and FAC (9^th Tactical Air Command)  #1 

Support

2 assault engineer platoons (87^th French Engineer Groupe)

3 x Sherman (2RCA)

Note this photo includes the 63RAA FOO and the FAC

2 batteries, 2^nd Battalion 63RAA (105mm) off table

#1 the FAC can call in close air support on a 5-6 (1D6) a P47 arrives the next turn.

German defenders

Consisted of elements of the 198^th Infantry Division -The Division had suffered heavy casualties during its retreat to the Vosges Mountains. After the retreat from France, several minor formations were folded into the 198th during its defensive operations in the this area. These formations included two battalions from Grenadier Regiment O/V, the Fortress Infantry Battalion 1432, the Fortress Machine Gun Battalion 40, the 8^th Kriegsmarine Ship Cadre Battalion, parts of the 2nd Battalion of the Security Regiment 200, the remnants of Battalion Mahnke and Battalion Märker, as well as several additional smaller units and disorganized groups of retreating soldiers. Obviously not a cohesive unit with some of the man-power well below battle quality but, protected by bunkers, wire and terrain, they could still put up a stiff defense.

Composite battalion HQ (includes FOO for mortars) & a ten man security platoon (LMG, Panzerfaust)

Composite battalion with:

4 x 10-figure platoons (lmg each)

2 x Panzerfaust, 1 Panzershreck, sniper

2 x MMG team

2 x 81mm mortars

20mm AA

Pak38 in fortress mount

2 mixed minefields

History

After 48 hours of attacking, the Goumier managed to take all the hill tops around Rochesson and two German counter-attacks failed to dislodge them! Unfortunately the attempt of the French II Corps to break through the Vosges onto the plains of Alsace and onto the Rhine had failed, this time.

My Table

The game

Deployment: The Germans deployed right across the table centered on the main trench/bunker. Each of the two forward bunker held a MMG team. There was a full platoon on each flank (each centered around an MG bunker), third platoon was entrenched in and around the ruined monastery, the Pak38 bunker was also near there. The last platoon was in the main trench system, the 20mm AA was also here along the Battalion HQ (safely in their command bunker).

The French decided to commit two Goum supported by all their armour and the two engineer platoon to a direct frontal attack supported by artillery, mortar and whatever air support could be called. The third Goum would try and end run down the left flank.

French center

French left flank

German center

Turn 1 saw a general French advance, the center Goums were immediately hit by German mortars and MMG fire which caused casualties

Turn 2-3 the French kept advancing under fire, Shermans tried to engage the bunker with direct fire, on Turn 3 the Sherman on the far left scored a direct hit and wiped out the MMG team.

Turn 4 finally saw the French artillery FOO contact his guns, calling fire down on the monastery - where he assumed (wrongly) the German mortar FOO as hiding

The German mortar scores a hit and claims the CO of the center Goum, luckily his 2IC and platoon commanders are close by to prevent any need for morale checks.

The Goum on the far left has encountered a bunker and comes under LMG fire!

Turn 5 On the French right the Shermans continue (ineffectively) to suppress the MMG bunker, one is also hit by the Pak38, but the shell fails to penetrate (and the gun goes un-spotted). In the French center, mortar bombs continue to drop among the Goumier, but as they are spread out casualties are light. On the far left one platoon engages the bunker (taking casualties) whilst the rest rush forward to flank it.

Turn 6 A Sherman hits a mine on the left!

Goumier of 1s and 2^nd Goums find minefields infront of them also and take casualties

Fortunately both units have Engineers with them who can spot un-mined areas

The Shermans on the French right finally suppress the MMG bunker on that side and its crew abandon their bunker

More french artillery drops around the monastery causing casualties among the platoon dug-n there.

The Pak38 once again hits a Sherman but fails to penetrate, this time however the gun is spotted by the FAC who calls in TAC air, a P47 is on the way.

On the far left the Goumier continue to exchange fire with the bunker (and now other dug-in Germans) as they move forward.

Turn 7 The lead Sherman wipes out a German position near the monastery (this causes a morale test among the defenders)

French engineers use Bangalore torpedoes to blow a gap in the wire

The center Goum unit is devastated by LMG, MMG and 20mm fire loosing 50% casualties including every officer and NCO, they go to ground or withdraw to cover.

One of the German LMGs is wiped out by the Goumier mortar

The P47 zooms across the tabletop and drops her eggs bang on target, wiping out the Pak38

On the far left the Goumier close assault the bunker

Turn 8 A Sherman nails another German position

The Goumier mortar targets the 20mm (miss), but the French artillery FOO also starts to bring his guns to bear on the upper hill.

On the far left the German platoon are over-run and wiped out by close assault.

Turn 9 The FAC calls in another P47

The Sherman by the monastery hits another German position, the survivors fail their morale check and flee

The 20mm is smashed by artillery

And with accumulative casualties the defenders in the trenches fail their morale check and abandon their positions.

Turns 10-11 the French artillery, mortars and tanks, ably supported by P47 strikes blast the hilltop until no return fire is felt

Turn 12 the Goumier advance to capture the hill

Blocking Route 82 (Goumier in Italy scenario)

Blocking Route 82

Pico, Italy, May 1944

This is a fictional tabletop battle, based on the fighting west of Pico, Italy during May of 1944, an excuse to field my Goumier Tabor.

Elements of Col. Bondis` 3^rd GTM has been detached from the main body and sent west of Pico - which was being assaulted by 3^rd Algerian Division supported by 1^st French Motorised Division. The orders are to prevent the Germans from reinforcing the town and also to act as a blocking screen in case of an enemy counter-attack building up from Lenola.

9th Tabor plus a mule battery from 69RAA have formed a blocking position on Route 82 based around a small unnamed Italian village in the hills west of Pico. Initially the Germans coming to reinforce Pico will be unaware of the French, but as the day wears on they begin directing attacks against the Goumier in the hope of breaking through to Pico!

My tabletop

French blocking force

9th Tabor de Goumier (3GTM)

Battery, 1^st battalion 69RAA (75mm pack howitzers)

German arrivals

Turn 1 along Route 82

Infantry company (276^th Grenadier Regiment, 94^th Infantry Division) in trucks + a SDKFZ232 (26^th Panzer recce battalion)

Turn 10 along Route 82

Infantry company in trucks + Marder III + Pak40 & tow (all 276^th Grenadier Regiment)

Turn 20 generally from the west can be on or off Route 82

Four platoons of dismounted infantry + 2 x MMGs & 2 x 81mm mortars + composite battalion HQ (276^th Grenadier Regiment)

2 x Panzer IVH, 2 platoons panzergrenadiers in half-tracks, Sdkfz 251/9, Sdkfz 251/3 with composite HQ (26^th Panzer Division)

Support

1 battery 23^rd Panzer Artillery Regiment (105mm) #1 (scenario rule below)

French reinforcements

Turn 12 FAC 12^th Tactical Air group #2 (special rule below)

Turn 18 3 x Sherman (US 760^th Tank Battalion)

Special scenario rules

#1 the panzer artillery can only be directed by the Panzergrenadier HQ

#2 FAC can call in a strike from either a P47 Thunderbolt or a P38 Lighting (50/50 chance) the FAC must roll 5-6 on 1D6 to successfully call in the strike which arrives the next turn.

History

By 22 May the French pressure on Pico along with the strangling effect of the Goumier flanking moves convinced the Germans to abandon Pico and 7^th Algerian Tirailleurs moving in from the south and east and the Goumiers coming from the west and north were able to capture the entire town by early on the 24^th.

The Game

Turn 1 sees the lead German elements enter the table 

Turn 2 as the armoured car approaches the ruined farm all hell breaks loose as the 75mm packs open up as does the Goumier 81mm mortar

The armoured car receives light damage, but the lead truck serious damage and the platoon it carries takes casualties

Turn 3 sees the following German vehicles pull off the road and their troops debus, the survivors of the 1^st platoon move off the road and walk straight into Goumier rifle and LMG fire taking more casualties resulting in a morale check (which they fail). The damaged armoured car takes a direct hit and is wiped out.

Turn 4-5 sees the German 2 & 3 platoons plus the coy HQ move to the left away from the targeted road. The French pack 75s drop shells onto the area, but only cause limited casualties as the Germans are spread out. The German 1^st platoon has just abandoned the fight and run away! This has left an opening for the now unopposed Goumier on the German right to move forward.

Turn 6 The Germans moving left of the road are hit by an accurate salvo from the 75s, they also take fire from two groups of Goumier taking casualties! At the same time the Goumier who were on the right (now behind the Germans) also unleash a volley which causes even more losses – these result in multiple morale checks – all of which were failed and the Germans either flee or if isolated they surrender – an entire German company destroyed in 6 turns!

The Goumiers now had several turns to regroup and reset their front positions.

Turn 10 saw the arrival of the second German column led by a Marder III

Turn 11 the German coy commander arrives in his funky ex-Dutch Jeep

Turn 12 unfortunately history just repeated itself and whilst passing the burning wrecks of the first company the lead vehicles are bracketed by 75mm shells from the guns and 81mm mortar fire! The Marder takes a direct hit and just blows up!! The lead track is also torn apart by shrapnel and over half its occupants are killed! (they fail their morale check and simply run away – history once again repeating itself)

Turns 13-14 the German commander quickly organises his men to get off the targeted road and moves into the woods on the left (as his predecessor did), they come under 75mm fire as did the previous company, the Pak40 stays in the rear and its crew start to deploy their weapon.

Also on Turn 14 the US FAC arrives on table (I forgot all about him)

Turn 15 the Germans advance left of the road, under sporadic 75mm fire, the US FAC sets himself up in the village.

The Pak40 slams a round into the ruined farm (actually unoccupied by the Goumier)

Turn 16 the FAC calls in support (success) a P38 is inbound, the Germans are now skirmishing with Goumier, their MG42s cause the first French casualties of the game! The Pak40 once again blasts the ruin, but it has now been spotted by the Goumier mortar observer!

Turn 17 The Germans and Goumier are still fighting on the left, even though they dispatch a few Goumier, the Germans cannot make ground due to the 75mm pack artillery and a well placed Goumier LMG team in stone farm house!

The P38 arrives over the tabletop

A Goumier mortar bomb lands close to the Pak40!

Turn 18 The Germans on the left are stalled, unable to move without exposing themselves!

The P38 targets the only thing he can see – German transport on the road

The Lightning`s cannon and MGs tear through an Opel and the Pak`s Sdkfz10!

Another Goumier mortar round lands close to the Pak40 causing them to lose a man, the fact that they were being targeted and combined with their tow being shot-up by the P38, I rule a morale check is required– they fail and run away…..

On the left, the German company have gone to ground unable to make any headway or withdaw!

Once again the Goumier had a few turns to re-set.

Turn 20 saw the next German arrivals, this time they mean business - 276^th Grenadiers will advance up the left side of the table supported by mortars to engage and distract the Goumier, whilst the battlegroup of 26^th Panzer will drive straight up the road and smash through to Pico!

Turn 21 the German attack begins

Turn 22 the US FAC calls for help (success again) a P47 is in coming

The German armoured advances up route 82 past the burning wrecks of the previous columns.

The German infantry come under sporadic 75mm pack fire

Turn 23 the P47 enters the tabletop

It targets the lead Panzer IV but misses

Lucky for the French the US armour arrives on table (once again I forgot)

Turn 24 The FAC fails to contact a plane this turn! The lead Panzer spots the incoming Shermans but exposes itself to the Goumier Bazooka team – who don`t miss!

The 1^st panzergrenadier platoon arrive at the ruin and debus

Unfortunately (for them) they have arrived just as the Goumier have decided to launch a counter-attack

Over on the left the advancing Germans (still under sporadic 75mm fire) meet up with their comrades from the last column who are in the process of beating back a local goumier counter-attack!

The German commander calls down his mortars against the stone farm with its LMG nest!

Turn 25 The remaining Panzer exchanges fire with two Sherman, he misses as does the return fire and worse still Sherman 2`s gun jams (double 1 rolled)! The panzergrenadiers are in a stiff fight with Goumier over ownership of the ruin! The 2<sup>nd</sup> PG platoon and HQ arrive to add weight to the attack supported by their vehicle mounted MGs and the Strummel`s 75mm.

On the left the Goumier move through the village to engage the incoming Germans

German mortars flatten the house with the LMG

Turn 26 The Panzer and Shermans again exchange ineffective fire, worse still Sherman 2 rolls a second double 1 in a row! and its gun is now totally useless, it backs out allowing No3 to join the fight. The FAC successfully contact another P47!

The fighting around the ruin and at the outskirts of the village is getting up close and personal.

Turn 27 The turning point, the panzer and Sherman 1 both continue to show they need gunnery practice, but Sherman 3 not only hits the pesky panzer but rolls a double 6 and wipes it out!

Just when it looked like the panzergrenadier firepower was gaining the upper hand a P47 zips down and lays his eggs right across the Strummel and a nearby 251 plus causing a few casualties among the grenadiers nearby

Faced with Shermans and now large numbers of ferocious Goumiers, the Panzergrenadiers morale cracked and they spend the next few turns scrambling aboard their remaining transport before turning tail and running back the way the came.

On the edge of the village, the 276^th infantry having sustained a constant drain of casualties finally have reached a morale check! They can see numbers of Goumier in the village and woods around them, and they know the American tanks are also closing in. So the commander orders them to break off the action and withdraw, covered by battalion mortars!

The result was not really a surprise, but the accurate support from 69RAA really caused most of the German casualties among the first two columns (and quite a few on the infantry the last attack too) The TAC air controller was on fire, only failing to call in a plane once!