A GENERAL PETTYGREE BATTLESTORY
Date: May 1941
Location: North of Athens, Greece
Situation: Race to Corinth
Location: North of Athens, Greece
Situation: Race to Corinth
Solo Scenario Test: Imagineered From History
Reason: Preparing for a four-player game in March
Rules: Blitzkrieg Commander II (Home Version)
Miniatures: 15mm (Pettygree, etc. are 28mms)
Rules: Blitzkrieg Commander II (Home Version)
Miniatures: 15mm (Pettygree, etc. are 28mms)
We Use What We Have
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TURN 1
"Well Pettygree? What's the story?
"Our situation General Frisby is to continue moving south, staying ahead of the pursuing Germans, pass through The Isthmus of Corinth into The Peloponnesus and arrive at its southern ports to evacuate Greece."
"Another Dunkirk then, if we aren't careful!"
"I don't think so, Sir. The Armoured Brigade followed by the infantry and artillery are well ahead of the Germans. In fact...."
"I see them. Well done. But what of Gerry?"
"According to recent reconnaissance by one of our Gloster Gladiators...."
"Their van leads with Mark III Panzers armed with short 50mms. The rest of their Motorized Battlegroup with infantry and artillery follows considerably behind."
Rules Note: The Motorized Battlegroup failed to activate for several turns though they had a high probability to do so.
"Look Sir, the Armoured Brigade is underway. The A 9s have pulled away from the slower A10s. They will probably beat the Germans to the Corinth road intersection."
"And the lorries Pettygree?"
"Hesitating, I'm afraid."
"Get them moving."
Explanation
Before Turn 1, the Germans won the throw to move first every turn.
Their Van with Mark IIIs needed a 2D6 = 2-9 throw to activate and enter the table as shown. A next throw needed a 2-8 to continue activating. This failed. Thus, the entire German Battlegroup stalled on the entry road after the tanks moved 30cms. Reason: The panzers blocked the rest of the Battlegroup in a long traffic jam.
British Armour needed a 2D6 = 2-8 throw to activate, followed by a 2-7 to keep going and a 2-6 to activate for a third and final phase. One of our Home Rules allows British and Italians a one-time rethrow in the event of an activation failure per turn.
Allied lorries moved only once during Turn 1 because their second attempt to activate on a 2-7 even with one rethrow stopped them with only a 20cm progress along the road.
Normally activation throws are reduced (-1, -2, etc.) the farther units are away from their commanding officers. Not so when on a road.
TURNS 2-3
"Wo sind die Englander?" ("Where are the English?")
15mm Command Decision Mark III from Brigade Games
"Da Sie sind!" ("There they are!")
The lead Commonwealth AFV.
15mm Command Decision A-9 tank from Brigade Games
"Charlie, any Germans in sight?"
"No, Tom. We'll turn to the right here. The Corinth intersection is next."
"So far so good, then?"
"Right you are mate."
Charlie and Tom use a convenient 30mm long red dowel to move.
Meanwhile, Allied lorries moving 20cm per phase are catching up.
Explanation
Germans: On Turn 2, the panzers failed to activate holding back the rest of their Battlegroup. They needed a 2D6 = 2-9 throw. Not hard to do, but.... On Turn 3 the panzers activated twice moving 30cms x 2 = 60cms down the road. However, the rest of the Battlegroup needing a 2D6 = 2-10 failed to activate and remained off table. Not very Blitzkriegish, eh?
Commonwealth: AFVs and lorries moved down the road slowing with eventual activation failures. However, they made good progress. Charlie and Tom wish the A-10 tanks were right behind them but at 22cms per phase, they are lagging behind.
TURNS 4-8
THE RACE TO THE CORINTH TURN
Charlie and Tom pull their A 9s off the Corinth Road positioning in the classic hull down tactic exposing only turrets to the enemy. They know the Germans are coming.
Slower A 10s pass behind them. All turrets are turned to face the foe should he appear.
Meanwhile, Commonwealth lorries have caught up and...
Commonwealth tanks are ready to engage the panzers whilst protecting the retreating lorries. In the distance....
Panzers are heard beyond a nearby rise.
They soon leave the road taking up hull down positions to assess circumstances but....
Time has run out. They pull out to fire and stop the enemy retreat.
Their Motorized Battlegroup led by Panzerjager self-propelled guns are close behind.
FINALE
One Panzerjager self-propelled gun destroyed by enemy tank fire.
Panzer 50mm gunnery knocked out one A 10.
Then an A 9 was taken out.
Soon another A 9 and A 10 would be knocked out.
As German motorized infantry now out of their trucks headed for the road. They took inconclusive fire from the A 9 behind the pines.
After four Commonwealth tanks were knocked out, two Mark IIIs penetrated into the lorrie column. Seven vehicles had already passed by. The ones shown would not.
FINAL REMARKS
1. Activations favored the Germans firing early. Typically a Commonwealth tank was knocked out with another being suppressed --- unable to fire in its turn.
2. This solo game was a test for a four-player game. As turns progressed, it became evident that at least two players would most likely only be driving vehicles while the other two would be racing for the Corinth Road and finally open fire at game end. Naturally things could have turned out differently but it is more important for me as a host to provide a game where all players get to move units and throw combat dice.
3. This scenario is a good solo or two-player game.
4. It was fun to get out my North Africa Commonwealth and German forces and transporting them to Greece. They have been boxed for far too long. Ditto for our house version of Blitzkrieg Commander II.
5. Don Featherstone once said something like this. The solo gamer can play at his own satisfying speed over a long period of time and even go back to rework things. This game started in early February and was completed in early March 2022. Don had it right.
6. Thank you for looking in. Comments welcome.
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