Green Hell!

 Green Hell

Hürtgen Forest, September 1944

 This is a fictional game based on several actual actions mixed together to create an interesting tabletop battle.

Hürtgen is proving a bloody nightmare for the advancing US forces, a meat grinder, fresh divisions go in and battered, shell-shocked survivors come out. The dense dark forests protect the defenders from the usually dominant US airpower and devastating artillery.

In an attempt to break the deadlock, 2^nd Battalion of the 109th Infantry (28^th Division) supported by elements of the 707th Tank Battalion have swung west to hopefully outflank the German defensive line around Granz. In their way is the small town of Reingard.

American orders

Take and clear Reingard as a jump-off point for a major attack against Granz.  

American forces

2nd Battalion 109th Infantry

Battalion HQ

HQ personnel

Mortars

MMGs

AT guns

FOO 106th Field Artillery 

3 infantry companies each with:

HQ

3 rifle platoons

Support weapons platoon

“E” company

“F” company

“G” company

Attached:

2 assault platoons 109^th Infantry each with:

10 men (flame-thrower team, Bazooka team & demolition charges)

1^st platoon

2^nd platoon

Elements 707th Tank Battalion

1 x M5 lt tank

3 x M4 Sherman

1 x Sherman dozer *1

Support

2 x batteries off 106^th Field Artillery *2

 German Defenders

Elements Convalescent “stomach” Battalion D-6

Coy HQ with added sniper

2 x rifle platoons (LMG, Panzerfaust)

Bunker with MMG

Elements Luftwaffe Fortress Machinegun Battalion 55

Coy HQ with added sniper

2 x rifle platoons (LMG)

Bunker with MMG

 Odds`n sods

1 x Pak40 + crew

2 x 81mm mortars (can be directed by either company HQs)

Bunker with 37mm AT gun

Open emplacement with 50mm AT gun

Wire, entrenchments and 2 x 6x6 mixed minefields

Special rules

The river bank is steep and slippery, impassable to non-tracked vehicles, tanks can move down the bank and cross the river. However each turn of movement requires a 1D6, on a roll of 1-2 the tank slides out of control into the river and becomes mired and immobile!!

 *1 the dozer tank can cut a path in 1D3 + 1 turns, after which tanks can move without the die roll

 ** US artillery, everything is wet, radios don`t work well in the wet therefore trying to contact artillery by the FOO team is difficult only connecting on a 6 on D6! Also once connected there is a 1 in 6 chance that any incoming shells fall on the nearest US units in error!!

My table

The Game

The American deployment began with two companies advancing (the third in reserve) either side of the road, each supported up by the Shermans (the dozer leading the way to cut a path down the river bank)   and reinforced with an assault platoon. Battalion support weapons – 57mm AT guns, .30cal MMGs and 81mm mortars were also either deployed or attached to these companies as were FOO teams from the 106^th Field Artillery,

Turn 1 sees German mortars bang on target causing casualties among “F” company including the artillery FOO party!

“E” company`s 2^nd platoon finds itself exposed to machine fire from a bunker across the river and lose their platoon leader with the first burst, as per our rules the platoon cannot move without a commander so goes to ground. The company CO orders the 1^st Sergeant to move to them and take command next turn.

The Dozer begins to cut a path, but is fired on by a concealed AT gun (miss), luckily the lead Sherman gun tank spots the Pak40, but its first shot misses too.

 Turn 2 German mortars again drop around ”F” company this time among the casualties is the company RTO! Their 2^nd platoon is targeted by a machine gun, a supporting Sherman spots the gun but fails to knock it out.

The Pak40 hits the dozer but fails to penetrate, the Sherman gun tank is on target and nails the German gun

“E” company 1^st sergeant takes over 2^nd platoon, both 1^st and 3rs platoons are targeted by machine fire from across the river.

Turn 3 “F” company take yet more casualties from German mortars, 1^st platoon is so depleted it folds into the company HQ and support platoon. 2^nd platoon takes casualties off the bunker, the Sherman targets the bunker, but fails to knock it out.

The Sherman dozer is still working on its path, “E” company supported by Shermans are now engaging German MG positions on the other bank.

 Turn 4 “F” company prepares to scramble down the bank and cross the river, still under machine fire.

The dozer completes its path

A Sherman gun tank moves to follow it, the tank that has been covering manages to knock out an MG bunker

“E” company are at the river bank

 Turn 5 In “F” companies sector, battalion mortars lay smoke to cover 2^nd and 3^rd platoons crossing of the river, this saves them from being exposed to point blank MG fire.

Their supporting Sherman wipes out the nearest MG bunker

The Sherman dozer crosses the river and smashes through some barbed wire, luck is on their side as a point blank hit from a Panzerfaust rolls a double 1 for penetration (obviously a dud round!!), the Sherman`s coax MG hoses the ambushers, adding to their bad luck!!

“E” company are caught mid-stream by accurate mortar fire which causes casualties! Their 60mm mortar wipes out a German MG nest.

Turn 6 “F” companies 2^nd platoon are cutting their way through some wire still protected from direct fire by smoke, 3^rd platoon are crossing the river behind them. Company HQ, the assault platoon and odds n`sods cross further to the left and are quickly punished by two concealed LMGs!

The dozer now acting as a gun tank pushes on towards the village, hits a mine and is disabled!

Seeing this the other tanks decide to move along the river to the right to avoid the obvious minefield.  

“E” company continues to suffer from mortars as they cross, 2^nd and 3^rd platoons also know they now must avoid a minefield to their front.

Turn 7 “F” company, 2^nd platoon are through the wire, unfortunately the first man through steps on a mine!

The HQ and assault platoons are pinned by LMG fire, but their 60mm deals with one nest hidden in the wood cutters cottage

“E” company are now mostly across the river, the tanks advancing upstream in an attempt to sweep around the minefield. German mortars drop around the company disrupting their organisation.

Turn 8 “F” company, in an attempt to get around the minefield, part of 2^nd platoon climb up the ruined bridge onto the road, they are immediately targeted by hidden Germen guns and take casualties!

With the machine gun in the cottage silenced the company CO leads what`s left of his commend towards the sawmill. The assault platoon sergeant moves what`s left of his platoon to assault the last LMG nest on that side.

A series of awful rolls (2, 1, 1) leads to all three US tanks to sink into the soft river bed!!

This combined with some good German mortar fire and another well placed LMG nest halts “E” company`s attack, just when it looked like they would sweep around the Germans flank and into the village.

Turn 9 “F” company`s 2^nd and 3^rd platoons are pinned on the river bank with a minefield blocking their advance and still hidden German guns ready to fire as soon as they raise their heads.

The company CO and his men have found the sawmill occupied by German infantry and are involved in a firefight.

The assault platoon sergeant and his men charge the LMG nest, their flame-thrower wipes out the nest, but both he and his NCO are killed, the rest of the survivors without a leader go to ground.

 This seemed a good point to call it a day, very much as you`d expect. The poor quality Germans protected by emplacements, minefields & wire were a pretty even match for the GIs who couldn`t call upon overwhelming artillery or air support. Of course luck plays a part, all the tanks bogging down on turn 8 one after the other (my dice hate me), without that. The Americans would have been off to the races with the Germans having very little left to stop them.