Jackson Gamers' 15mm WWII Game
A Romp in the French countryside
Arty Conliffe's WWII rules set Crossfire is a "Different Animal" from other rules sets. For one thing, there is no measuring. Everything is in range. You can move as far as you want, as long as you move no further than the terrain feature that you enter. And you can get shot to pieces... easily.
There is also no "turn" as in most games. You may continue to move or shoot till you attempt something that does not succeed. Then your enemy gets to move or shoot till he attempts something that does not succeed.
Our forces are 15mm from all different manufacturers. We mount 3 infantry on a 1.25" square base and call it a "Squad." A machine gun and two gunners on the same size base is an HMG section. A mortar and two gunners, again on a 1.25" square base is a mortar section.
An officer on a 1.25" x .625" base is a "Platoon leader" while an officer and a lackey on a 1.25" square base is a "Company commander."
Photo by Ed Sansing
Two of Ed Sansing's platoons on the left flank of the Allied front. These are ordinary "leg" infantry. The allies are on the right side of the image, Germans are unseen on the left.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Onw of Phil Young's German rifle platoons (in foreground). His combined HMG's are in the background. This image is just to the left of the image above - about the game's starting position.
Photo by Jim Pitts
A look down the length of the battlefield with the Germans on the left and the Americans on the right. Crossfire games need a lot of fairly small terrain pieces. Players tend to rush across the open areas to dive into woods (green areas) or fields with crops growing (tan areas). Units have a difficult time surviving in the truly open areas (light green).
Photo by Jim Pitts
One of Jim Pitts' Fallschirmjager platoons has come under fire with one squad being pinned.
Photo by Jim Pitts
One of Jay Stribling's American infantry platoons - fairly early in the game.
Who were the gamers?
The Americans were Bill Hamilton, Ed Sansing, and Jay Stribling. The Germans were Phil Young, Sean Pitts and Jim Pitts.
Crossfire plays best as a "1 person against 1 person" game. The next time that we do this, we will divide the board into aa "area" or "section" for each gamer so that he will face a single opponent. It should move much faster that way.
Photo by Ed Sansing
A disabled German tank, one of the objectives of the game. The Disabled German tank, two other broken-down vehicles and the town were the 4 locations that "had to" be held to win the game.
Photo by Ed Sansing
The faces of the enemy! The German commanders in this game were (left to right) Phil Young, Sean Pitts and Jim Pitts. Sean has just cast the dice, while the other two watch for the result.
Photo by Jim Pitts
One of Jim Pitts' Fallschirmjager platoons prepares its firing positions behind a smoke screen. As soon as the smoke clears it will turn its fire on another of Stribling's American infantry platoons.
Here is Jim's brief description of the affair: On Saturday, August 1, six of us enjoyed a romp in the French countryside as the Germans and the Americans went against each other.
The Americans were less than inspiringly commanded by Jay Stribling, Bill Hamilton, and Ed Sansing, each with an American leg infantry company, plus they had a platoon of 81mm mortars to provide fire support.
The Germans were capably commanded by Sean and Jim Pitts, each with a Fallschirmjager (parachute) company, and Phil Young, with a German infantry company, plus they had a platoon of 81mm mortars to provide fire support.
As one of the American players the above less than inspiringly commanded is galling, but I must admit that it is pretty close to the truth - Jay Stribling.
Photo by Ed Sansing
One of Bill Hamilton's platoons. One squad and the HMG section are suppressed and one squad is pinned down. Note the smoke screen at left. Both sides used their mortars to fire more smoke shells than high explosive.
Photo by Ed Sansing
Ed Sansing describes this as "My left flank platoon keeping watch on 2 of Phil Young's squads." This is the second platoon of Company A (Ed's command).
What forces were engaged here?
An American infantry battalion, reinforced with extra machine-guns, and a mortar platoon took on a Kampfgruppe of Germans. The Jerries had two companies of Fallshirmjager (Parachutists) infantry and one of ordinary infantry. They had similar reinforcements of HMGs and mortars. The parachutists were considered elite.
Photo by Jim Pitts
One of Jay Stribling's American infantry platoons as it overruns one of Jim Pitts' Fallschirmjager platoons. One of Jim's squads has already been destroyed and the other two will soon follow it into oblivion.
Photo by Ed Sansing
What is left of 2 of Bill Hamilton's American platoons faces one of Sean Pitts' German platoons. Two rings to the rear of a stand means it is spressed - can not move and can not fire. One ring to the rear means that the stand is pinned. It can still fire, but can not move till rallied.
Photo by Ed Sansing
One of Ed Sansing's platoons faces Phil Young's massed machine guns. On the right a lone Platoon Commander (PC) is all that is left of Ed's other platoon.
Photo by Jim Pitts
The last action of the game depicts one of Sean Pitts' Fallschirmjager platoons overrunning the American 81mm mortar platoon, effectively ending the battle with a German victory. Just before this, Sean had eliminated the last of Bill's American infantry platoons that was covering the mortars.
So, Who won this battle?
The Germans won handily. They had two companies of Parachutists and one company of ordinary "leg" infantry. All three of the American companies were ordinary infantry. There is a distinct difference in the ability of the elite parachutists' ability to rally after being broken (Supressed). This proved decisive.
The Americans should have had some reinforcements or perhaps an armored vehicle to balance the game.
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