AAR: Tactical squad event.
So we set off on this caper to tinker with past game structure and accomplish a few new goals . We’ve had a long string of successful airsoft games, but it always felt like we were missing some of the theatre or feel of an actual WWII action in terms of tactics.
All of our past events have been right in every call except game play itself. Scenarios and missions existed but it was a real chore to keep the collective of individuals on task as units/ squads. Primarily as long as the question of a victor at the event was left in play the event denigrated into winning being the focus. I wanted something more similar to reenactments where foregone conclusions on this were established pre battle.
We also wanted to bring in some considered structure IE hard unit structure For this event we determined that the best chance of building and keeping a US unit in the filed for events would be to simply give in to the popular notion and go US airborne. 101/82nd +. WE have had a very successful time putting a good sized 10-12 man German Mixed Kampfgruppe together all along but needed similar results on the allied side.
Moving into this event We took on both goals and have succeeded in both cases.
The scenario was an approx. D+10/11, the action leading to the Carentan Battle. The focus point was a small farming village off a cross roads leading to Carentan. D company was assigned the area to sweep and clear to ensure a straight shot at the town ahead. In reading up on the matter I discovered that Dog company of the 502nd had deployed troops to assault a farmhouse not too dissimilar to the one our current Sedona field has on it. The 4th platoon was tasked to the attack. It consisted of 14 men and one officer. We were short only 2 men in our portrayal of an Airborne Platoon at this stage of the invasion. I was impressed!
The event plan was built around the US airborne unit traveling along a preset path through the ‘village’ securing houses and outbuildings, crossing through a German Barbed wire rung minefield, pushing down a tree shrouded lane to reach the building on the opposite end of the farm. Finally once set and dug in at the house the German Kampfgruppe counterattacked into the village and was cut down by the tired but angry US paratroopers defending the hard earned village buildings. Prisoners were rounded up from the living and walking wounded. Searches were conducted and the prisoners processed and moved out to the company CP> thus ending the story lined route approach to the event. The US unit had fixed ammo loads, prohibited open reloading and a strict regen procedure . Each trooper had a deck of cards with colored codes, upon a hit a card is pulled and your fate cast. Dead, mortally wounded in pain, and functionally wounded >you need help were the three possible draws.
Meanwhile the Germans served in a dedicated OPFOR role. There was no wining or losing for them, they were there to demonstrate German tactics to an enemy as well as conduct and create the atmosphere of the US unit stumbling into a large platoon sized element within the farmhouse village. The German players had very aggressive regens and in cases where the US squad was held up or down with casualties the Germans would fade, dodge, shift positions through out the event. The concept being that they were creating the illusion of a larger unit and a constantly active battlefield.
So how did that work you ask? God damned excellent is how.
The Germans played their parts magnificently as they shifted positions under fire, set up the MG 42 we had in murderous potions allowing for the US sqd to get hammered at almost every turn of the road. There were few dull moments and the work they did made me as the Platoon Sgt feel like I was really in the heat of something and constantly facing a barely visible enemy to our fronts under the shady trees and underbrush. IT felt like an experience and less of an airsoft game. Guys screaming commands, people shouting mock pain, the Germans constantly clattering away ahead of us with commands in German. It was frantic and the atmosphere was noted by all to the be the real win
So much so that I was able to construct my experience of the taking of the la Rue de sean farmhouse June 16th , 1944.
As the US Airborne platoons top ranking NCO, I was assigned the platoon. Our orders were to secure the farmhouse buildings in the village of La Rue de Seane. I tasked Corporals Rinaldi and Menne to two half strength squads. After Getting word form the company CP on the radio the platoon moved out crossing a lane that ran slightly uphill.
On the outskirts of the village we encountered our scout team of pathfinder Escoval and paratrooper Guerrero which had been discovered by two FJ sentries on the edge of the farm. The single combat was quick and quiet and the garrison didn’t notice the scuffle. As the platoon moved into the outer works that were discovered closer to the village the Platoon was immediately hit with heavy machine gun fire from our front. Two paratroopers went down immediately. I ordered the 60 mm Mortar the 2nd sqd was carrying into action and began dropping rounds on the Machine gun manned trenchline ahead of us. Several rounds later the German position had crumbled under the intensive mortar fire. The platoon had exhausted all rounds in the effort to silence the Heavy Mg emplacement.
Cpl Rinaldi’s 2nd Sqd abandoned the mortar and went to their rifles. Both squads picked there way into the village past an iron gate and into a thicket of trees very near the first farmhouse. 2nd squad began blasting the farmhouse with support fire as 1st sqd pushed its way to the walls of the house. Several men in the assault were cut down by flanking fire from MG positions to the left of the farmhouse under a thicket. 2nd sqd was able to get fire onto the MG position and grenades finally cleared the threat. Myself and the rest of 2nd sqd pushed to reach the buildings outer walls, Pvt Beyer fumbled a grenade on the outside wall of the doorway, while Sgt Gilliland came in behind him and put another into the farmhouse itself. Screams were heard inside and all was obscured by smoke emitting from the now ruined farmhouse. The German defenders of the village were identified as belonging to the 17thh SS div and the 6th Fallschirmjager and they were putting up a determined fight for the collection of farmhouses. .
The approach into the well manned village was costly and several of the men needed desperate attention which was delivered inside the captured farmhouse. As the platoon settled into a defense on the farmhouse, they reloaded their weapons as well as secured several German grenades to aide in the coming assault.
An additional out building across the rear farmyard was quickly assaulted by the refreshed Plt and secured. A few German rifleman held the position across the crop yard from the building. Rebuffed by their accurate long range fire, Cpl Menne pulled is men back into the platoon line of march while covering the left flank.
The platoon encountered a roadblock leading through the village center with an earthwork barrier in place with tank traps and heavy barbed wire thicket supported by minefields. The two squads bounded up the earthworks and the men went to work on clearing a patch in the wire in the center of the roadway were they were no mines. With significant support fire brought to bear the men begin filing under the wire one at a time.
The Plt secured the opposite side of the wire belt and supported the crossing by the plt remnants. We had lost several more men in the push to the opposite side of the village, German soldiers were in every building and under very piece of cover. The Germans had mortar support zeroed in on the northern end of the farmhouse village and those rounds were taking their tole on the advancing men of DOG company 4th PLt.
Sgt Gilliland sensing the overwhelming odds arraying against him, called into DOG 6 with a request for fire support. Soon after howitzer fire fell all over the tall escarpment that rose of to
the front which had been shielding a squad sized element free to pour fire down on the beleaguered Paratroopers. Once the arty barrage had cleared the front, the platoon pushed on along a tight roadway between several barns and other structures. The lanes between these buildings were a naturally centered target for Germans on both sides of the lanes line of march. The Paratroopers inched their way down the central lane when fire erupted to the platoons front.
CPL Menne succeeded in clearing a wire obstruction with most of 1st sqd and began pouring fire down the lane to our front where most of the germen fire was massing. This allowed the men to assault the head of the lane and with a few pitched grenades and some close in Thompson work the road into the final farmhouse yard lay open. Pvts beyer, Marks and Suepawncheck's Smg's were red hot and barrels smoldering from the intensive fire they poured into their front.
Sgt Gilliland had taken the 2nd squad through a wire dug out near the same barn 1st squad was on the opposite corner of fighting the Germans.
Sgt Gilliland pushed the 2nd sqd to get into the barn and through in order to secure 1st sqds entry into the final farmhouse. CPL Rinaldi spearheaded the assault in the south side of the farmhouse while 1st sqd pushed up on to the north side awaiting the melee within the house to cease. The two units meet up and placed a hasty defense on the farmhouse yard. The yard was pock marked with impact craters from the support Mortar fire pouring in from the company CP set up just down the road.
A large wooden fence lay to the front of the house which a portion of 2nd sqd occupied. First squad had crossed over the farmyard wall and into a copse of trees to the farms left allowing them an excellent enfilade of the farmyard itself.
No sooner had the squad set positions than the Germans launched a counter attack . A heavy mortar battery was providing an effective rolling barrage across the Platoon front and in several point blank exchanges the Germans were largely cut down. Grenade damage to both sides was especially brutal as the assaults and been proceeded by thrown grenades from both sides at very short range.
Seizing the moment Sgt Gilliland pushed the reserve sqd element into action and swept the Plts front recovering several wounded Paratroopers as well as five German prisoners. Several men form the 17th SS and a few From FJR 6. These men were quickly processed, one of their number was badly hurt and was attended to by Cpl Menne. Sgt Gilliland called into DOG command and was instructed to link up at the company CP with the prisoners in tow. The 4th Platoon Dog Co moved out to rendezvous with main body of the company a half mile down the road. Another hard days battle won.
What we concluded.
• It was nearly universal in expression that this was the preferred way to run these games.
• The immersion far outweighed the need to win.
• Despite the rugged and rocky terrain at this battlefield we were able to effect a fair proportion of correct fire and maneuver tactics and maintain squad cohesion. This field was however the least conducive for this type of work, we look forward to running these at some other places with more flat and brush covered terrain where maneuver is much more possible.
* fire and maneuver depends on the ability to put large volumes of fire forward. Our garands and my Carbine were single shot and didn't provide enough out going fire to support well enough. we look forwad to the new garands that work better as well as BAR's and I'm hopeful I cans ecure a viva 1919 to upgrade for the role
• The non competing OPFOR concept a solid success, we will most likely run events this way with minimal winner take all options in the future.
• The fixed and sometime blacked out regen made it an especially challenging job to run the course through the village. It also gave each player a better sense of danger as having only one life in the as airsoft battle made for a much more thoughtful and defensive player than the normal run and gun casual player develops.
• Having units with assigned rank structure and troopers willing to follow was key. We will be using this organization rom now one just as I have with the numerous reenacting units I have belonged to.
• We didn’t make facial hair /haircuts or boots a priority at the tactical. I was more focus on determining the current player base and assembling the two units. Success was had on both counts. I apologize to the offended who cannot see the bigger picture.
• A special thanks goes out to 2nd BN/ John R of RECONDO school/ JUMP TO DESTINY fame for loaning me several kits to ensure I had full uniforms for all. Very helpful
We also left the event with anew sense of vigor for SOCAL ww2 events and are looking to follow up with a training and invitational at the more forested battlefield this coming December
if you are interested in a spot on either the US airborne unit or the German Kampfgruppe Zephyr let us know in PMs or at theregiment.com. join there today for locale events to southern californina
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