OPERATION SEALION: THE BATTLE FOR DWORKIN VILLAGE
Electricfox asked me to write this up, and I hope others will find it enjoyable...
BACKGROUND PART 1
First, a note to all. If you have important papers do _not_ put them in a box, throw the box in an attic and leave it for 20+ years. Why? Mice. Most everything is ruined. However, there's enough intact plus what I remember to write this with some accuracy.
Some friends of mine and I wanted to wargame Sealion. This scenario was written up to do just that. The how's and why's of the invasion aren't relevant, just German troops vs. the Home Guard and a few regulars.
There were nine of us. Three played the UK forces: one the Army Major in command, a few regulars (some 12 IIRC) with him plus the Home Guard (about 50-60 men). The second commanded the single Matilda I tank (with a Boys ATR instead of a Vickers MG) and the third the artillery; one 2-inch mortar, one Northover Projector (basically a bottle-throwing smoothbore gun, most of the ammo was incendiary or smoke) and a Smith Gun (another smoothbore gun, used to throw grenades). These last two were Home Guard issue. There was one Vickers MG on a tripod, no Bren LMG. The major had a Thompson SMG, everyone else a rifle.
Three (including me) played the Germans. One commanded the sole German armor, a Panzer IIB with old-style running gear (this will be important later on), one the infantry (a Captain, a Lieutenant and about 50 men) and me commanding the artillery. This consisted of a short-barreled 75mm IG, two 50mm mortars and a 37mm AT gun. Ammo for all three was limited, again this will be important later. The Germans had two MG34 LMG's and a flamethrower with limited fuel.
The last three players were the overall referees, making decisions and forcing a lot of last minute changes on both sides, really doing the 'fog of war' bit and keeping everybody on their toes. They would also decide things like weather, air support, reinforcements, etc. randomly.
For starters, we Germans had _no_ idea where we were. All signs had been removed and we were using an old prewar guide book of limited use. Dworkin was the name of the village where we thought we were, we weren't even sure of that!
There were a major last minute change. The first was the leadership of the UK forces was to have been a 'Colonel Blimp' type left over from the Great War. This was changed to a Major in the regulars who had come back from Dunkirk with a leg wound but was dragooned back into service. This was later said by all to have been the biggest change, otherwise Colonel Blimp would have ordered everyone to charge the Germans and it would have been all over pretty quick.
Another thing everyone agreed on was that the tenacity of the UK forces was paramount in stopping the Germans. Some of the men were from this village, the others from villages further north and east who would have been invaded next if the Germans had continued to advance. This gave everyone a good reason to stand their ground and their high morale played a major role in the fighting.
There were enough US rifles to arm the Home Guard, so no pikes or longbows. However, ammo on both sides was limited. Again, this was to prove a major obsticle for both sides but particurarly the Germans.
The Matilda I had broken down in the area and was towed to the town's crossroads where it blocked all vehicular traffic (only bicycles and motorcycles could get by). The village was surrounded and the roads bordered by waist-high loose stone walls. Again, this would aid the defenders greatly and hinder German movement.
The Germans were on foot. The artillery was towed by horses and there was one horse-drawn wagon for ammo and supplies (the mortars were carried disassembled). We'd hoped to pick up trucks and other gear as we'd done in France but there was nothing to take - it had all been moved, hidden or destroyed before we got there. This was in keeping with Sealion defense as was removal of all signs.
TBC...
Electricfox asked me to write this up, and I hope others will find it enjoyable...
BACKGROUND PART 1
First, a note to all. If you have important papers do _not_ put them in a box, throw the box in an attic and leave it for 20+ years. Why? Mice. Most everything is ruined. However, there's enough intact plus what I remember to write this with some accuracy.
Some friends of mine and I wanted to wargame Sealion. This scenario was written up to do just that. The how's and why's of the invasion aren't relevant, just German troops vs. the Home Guard and a few regulars.
There were nine of us. Three played the UK forces: one the Army Major in command, a few regulars (some 12 IIRC) with him plus the Home Guard (about 50-60 men). The second commanded the single Matilda I tank (with a Boys ATR instead of a Vickers MG) and the third the artillery; one 2-inch mortar, one Northover Projector (basically a bottle-throwing smoothbore gun, most of the ammo was incendiary or smoke) and a Smith Gun (another smoothbore gun, used to throw grenades). These last two were Home Guard issue. There was one Vickers MG on a tripod, no Bren LMG. The major had a Thompson SMG, everyone else a rifle.
Three (including me) played the Germans. One commanded the sole German armor, a Panzer IIB with old-style running gear (this will be important later on), one the infantry (a Captain, a Lieutenant and about 50 men) and me commanding the artillery. This consisted of a short-barreled 75mm IG, two 50mm mortars and a 37mm AT gun. Ammo for all three was limited, again this will be important later. The Germans had two MG34 LMG's and a flamethrower with limited fuel.
The last three players were the overall referees, making decisions and forcing a lot of last minute changes on both sides, really doing the 'fog of war' bit and keeping everybody on their toes. They would also decide things like weather, air support, reinforcements, etc. randomly.
For starters, we Germans had _no_ idea where we were. All signs had been removed and we were using an old prewar guide book of limited use. Dworkin was the name of the village where we thought we were, we weren't even sure of that!
There were a major last minute change. The first was the leadership of the UK forces was to have been a 'Colonel Blimp' type left over from the Great War. This was changed to a Major in the regulars who had come back from Dunkirk with a leg wound but was dragooned back into service. This was later said by all to have been the biggest change, otherwise Colonel Blimp would have ordered everyone to charge the Germans and it would have been all over pretty quick.
Another thing everyone agreed on was that the tenacity of the UK forces was paramount in stopping the Germans. Some of the men were from this village, the others from villages further north and east who would have been invaded next if the Germans had continued to advance. This gave everyone a good reason to stand their ground and their high morale played a major role in the fighting.
There were enough US rifles to arm the Home Guard, so no pikes or longbows. However, ammo on both sides was limited. Again, this was to prove a major obsticle for both sides but particurarly the Germans.
The Matilda I had broken down in the area and was towed to the town's crossroads where it blocked all vehicular traffic (only bicycles and motorcycles could get by). The village was surrounded and the roads bordered by waist-high loose stone walls. Again, this would aid the defenders greatly and hinder German movement.
The Germans were on foot. The artillery was towed by horses and there was one horse-drawn wagon for ammo and supplies (the mortars were carried disassembled). We'd hoped to pick up trucks and other gear as we'd done in France but there was nothing to take - it had all been moved, hidden or destroyed before we got there. This was in keeping with Sealion defense as was removal of all signs.
TBC...
