Planning a solo commando raid game - Part 4 and last in the series

This is the fourth and final post in a series about a commando raid game using 20mm plastic miniatures and solo rule mechanisms. This post covers the battle report, while the previous three posts covered preparing for the game.

A quick recap, there are a total of 5 objectives for the commandos to destroy with the primary objective being the radar installation. These are defended by 2 pillboxes and 5 guard units that are positioned near the objectives. Additionally, there are 10 German reserve units that arrive one on each turn after any contact is made with the commando units. The reserves will arrive at one of three locations each turn determined by a dice roll.

A view of the tabletop with the 5 objectives circled in red and a blue arrow showing the arrival point for the commandos on turns 1, 2, and 3.

The reserves have been lined up in a line and will start arriving in order, starting at the end chosen by dice roll.

In other words, the commandos must defeat, or avoid, the 2 pillboxes and 5 guard units, then destroy the radar installation. After contact is made with the enemy, 10 reserve units will start arriving one by one each turn. The commandos must complete their mission before the reinforcements overwhelm them.

The German defenders lined up. A dice is rolled to determine which end of the line to start drawing reserves from.

The raiding commando force consists of:

• HQ - 1 squad with 2” mortar led by Major John "Houdini" Smith
• Group A - 3 squads and 1 demolition squad led by Captain William Jones
• Group B - 3 squads and 1 demolition squad led by Captain David Brown
• Group C - 3 squads and 1 demolition squad led by Captain Michael Williams

HQ and Group A arrive on turn 1, Group B on turn 2, and finally Group C on turn 3.

This force will arrive from the north-east having landed further up the coast and having been guided through an area of marshland by the local resistance group.

All the figures are based on 3” by 3” bases in groups of 5 or 6. A German unit is one base and a commando squad is one base.

Battle Report

Major Smith and Captain Jones’s Group A cautiously advanced through the marshland with their guide, steering clear of the spotlight and pillbox. They had successfully navigated the treacherous terrain in good time, but their presence was discovered just as Group B arrived. German guard units moved forward and engaged in ranged fire with the lead commando units. Major Smith ordered the men to take cover and return fire.

Leading elements of the raiding force arrive.

Achtung! The commandos are spotted.

The commandos found themselves in a difficult situation. They were confined to a small area unable to fully deploy, but they knew that they had to press on and complete their mission. Major Smith and Captain Jones led two assaults on the German positions. The assaults were successful, but they came at a high cost. Major Smith was wounded, and Captain Jones was killed.

Despite the loss of their leaders, the commandos started to make ground. They crossed the road and began to flank the German defenders, whose numbers were increasing as reserve units arrived.

The situation is getting crowded as more commando units arrive and the defending units have them hemmed in.

More German reserves arrive.

A series of costly but successful assaults allow the commandos to cross the road and begin to flank the defenders.

The German reserves are bolstering the defence.

Finally some progress for the commandos as their flaming units engage the defenders.

The leading commando units advanced into the buildings, closely followed by the demolition teams carrying their explosives. The demolition teams quickly positioned themselves at two of their objectives: the coastal defence HQ building and the railway sheds.

Minutes later, two loud explosions rocked the air. The buildings were engulfed in flames and smoke. The demolition teams had done their job perfectly. The coastal defence HQ building was now a pile of rubble, and the railway sheds were in ruins. The harbour infrastructure had been weakened significantly.

Demolition teams arrive at the railway sheds and HQ building.

Bang!

The commando forces were starting to lose ground. The German defence was fierce as more reserves arrive, and the commandos were suffering heavy casualties. 

Captain Brown who was now in charge, knew that further attacking options were limited and decided to call off any attempt to break through the town to the radar installation. Instead he ordered all his remaining units to clear a path to the docked ship. The commandos successfully fought their way through the German positions and planted explosives on the ship. Moments later, the ship exploded in a massive fireball and gave the remaining commandos the opportunity they needed to try and slip away to escape in ones and twos.

The commando raiding force had suffered heavy casualties and were a spent force. Only a handful would make it back home with the assistance of the local resistance. They had destroyed the German ship and weakened the harbour infrastructure.

The raid destroyed 3 of the 5 objectives, but the primary objective, the radar installation, remained untouched.

Summary

So was the raid a success? A commando raid on a harbour and warehouse complex was successful in causing mayhem and destruction two three of the five objectives, but failed to destroy the primary target, a radar installation, and none of the commando squads made a successful escape.

I have been reading the book “Donald Featherstone’s Wargaming Commando Operations and Reflections on Wargaming” and in one of the chapters it discusses the outcomes and lessons learnt from the commando raids in World War II. The commando raids were a significant part of the Allied war effort with their intelligence gathering, disruption of enemy operations, and raising morale. However, some argued that these raids had limited strategic value and were costly in terms of resources and lives which could have been better used elsewhere.

Success or not? 

Whether or not the raid was a success depends on how you define success. If the goal of the raid was to cause mayhem and destruction, then it was a success. However, if the goal of the raid was to destroy the radar installation, then it was a failure. I think at best it was a partial success with three out of five objectives destroyed, but a costly one.