MILITARY MODELLING -FEBRUARY 1979

C.S. Grant tests last month's scenario.

With the cobwebs of the 1978 New Year celebrations barely cleared from my head, I made my annual pilgrimage to the Model
Engineer Exhibition. Never being one to miss the chance of a wargame, I continued my journey South to Dover where I had arranged
to meet my old friend and opponent Andrew Green, in order to fight Teaser Six. This, I may say, would not be the first time the
aforementioned "Major" Green and I had come to grips over this scenario. In fact, we had fought it on several occasions when we had
thrashed out the basic ideas and principles more than a dozen years before. The venue was the same as before — the much fought-over
Grant table-top with the same kindly and benevolent umpire, Charles Grant.

The terrain was laid out in accordance with the diagram and instructions given in last month's article. I was to take the part of the
defender and therefore dispositioned my forces as indicated.

Unit Map Reference

Number
One Platoon — 1 1
section
— 2 section 2

— 3 section 3
— HQ 4
1 medium tank 5
1 medium tank 6
1 medium anti-tank 7
gun
1 medium mortar 8
1 medium mortar 9
1 medium coastal gun 10
OP parties (2) In the lighthouse
and the town.

My forces, having dispersed for the night, my

devious opponent was now huddled in a corner
shaking dice under the auspices of the umpire.
He was, of course, calculating his time and
direction of arrival as you will remember from
last month. These preliminaries having taken place, my somewhat gleeful enemy arrayed his forces on the table as at dawn in the
following manner:

Map Reference Unit Entry Move Periods On Table At Dawn

Letter Point
A, B, C and D 4 tanks A 6
E and F 2 armoured cars A 5
HQ assault HQ B 2

G1, 2, 3 and 4 1 platoon (3 sections + HQ) C 6

2 platoon (3 sections +
J1,2,3and4 C 1
^Q)
M1 and M2 2 mortars C 4

All in all, a fortunate draw for the attackers though they had drifted rather more to the east than was perhaps desirable. Despite
this, the progress of the tanks, armoured cars and the first platoon was rather luckier than might have been anticipated considering
the bad weather. (Diagram 1).
With the dawn breaking, my OPs, in particular the one in the lighthouse saw the menacing black silhouettes looming through the
grey swell of the sea. Once the alarm was raised, my garrison tumbled into action. Being of a simple disposition, my plan was
itself simple in nature. In the event of an assault from the sea, my first priority was the harbour, 1 and 2 sections being the anchors

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of my defence would hold firm. Three section would be a mobile force designed to meet and combat any landing force supported by
the tanks. The coastal gun was a fixed item. The anti-tank gun at the bridge would remain to protect this vital passage from east
to west. Once the direction of the enemy assault was known, either 1 or 2 section could be released to aid the other as required.
While my plan was set, I had only to wait to see the enemy's direction of assault. Meanwhile, "Major Henry Fonda" Green was
making rapid appreciation' and a new plan as a result of the meteorological imponderables which had dealt him so foul a hand.
Although of no great intelligence, the goodly Green was able to grasp that his somewhat optimistic plan of entering the harbour
undetected was now lost. In fact, to coin a phrase, this was a "whole new ball game". A quick assessment showed that he
would not get through the harbour mouth without taking the most terrible battering from the defenders. Moreover, his infantry
who had been carried out to his extreme right (G and J) would take some time to bring their craft across to marry up with the
armour. The alternatives were either to wait till everything could consolidate to the west and attack as a united force; attack
through the harbour piecemeal; or to change the whole plan. The "Major", being no fool, decided on the latter.
Quick orders were given by radio and the new plan set in motion. The assault would now go »in on the beach east of the town quickly
named "Alamo" by the "Major" (somewhat of a sentimental, if frustrated, cinema buff!). There would be a simultaneous attack by
the tanks and first platoon followed by the second platoon. However, the tanks and armoured cars (A to F) would continue towards
the harbour, the whole less A and E swinging north-east at the lighthouse to join the infantry (G) assaulting "Alamo". The first
two (A and E) would, however, continue on into the harbour, onto the beach by the town. The uncertainty this diversion
would create would hold up the deployment of the enemy to the east or the west of the town and give the main assault a
greater chance of success.
The battle now commenced with the attacking force putting the aforementioned plan into action. Meanwhile, my defenders rushed
to repel the expected landing. As the flotilla came within range they were engaged first by the coastal gun, then by the mortars.
The division of the landing craft at the last moment as they approached the harbour allowed me to move. I deployed 3 sections
out of the town and down towards the east beach along with my tanks to meet what was developing into the main threat. Now
convinced that the pier and the houses to the west were not the target, I radioed 1 section to mount up and move round to the town
as a reserve. I know not whose army these wretched coastal gunners (10) were in, but as their shells dropped ineffectively about the
two enemy landing craft entering the harbour I began to doubt if they were on my side. My mortar fire (8 and 9) directed from
the lighthouse was more fortunate and a direct hit on a landing craft (B) caused it to career chaotically off course, ramming
another before exploding in an enormous oily cloud taking its tank to the bottom of the sea off the east beach. The first wave of
enemy infantry was now nearing the "Alamo" beach and would arrive at the same time as the landing craft. I was beginning to
despair of my efforts to destroy the enemy in the water when one of my tanks now nearing the east beach destroyed another landing
craft and contents (C). Three section, now
deployed on the beach, were causing some
casualties on the enemy assault boats of the first
wave although the enemy amphibians were
returning fire.
If I was to defeat this landing I knew I had to
destroy much of the enemy's armour before it
could land and overwhelm me. As if in answer to
my prayers, my coastal gunners had at last
woken up and destroyed one of the landing craft
with tank (A) — just as it reached the beach, I
might add. However, the other craft inside the
harbour had disgorged an armoured car (E)
onto the beach, of which more anon. Mortar and
tank fire on the east beach had eliminated the
last enemy tank (D) but, as in the harbour, an
armoured car (F) had survived to land at
"Alamo". Celebrations were however short-lived.
With my two tanks and number 3 section now
fighting off the enemy infantry storming ashore,
that wretched armoured car (E) from the other
beach was able to sneak round my flank. With a
lucky shot at close range into the rear of my tanks it destroyed in one blow 50% of my armour (5). Its success was to some extent
nullified by the destruction of its compatriot (F) by my other tank but the loss was serious. Moreover, it had not finished its evil work.
Three section was falling back as the enemy's second wave arrived and their mortars (M1 and M2) came into action. Two section was
providing covering fire from the houses but I had great hopes for 1 section who were now arriving in the west of the town. Folly! The
whole section in a half-track appeared in the west end, only to be greeted by the armoured car (E) which destroyed the vehicle, killing
all but a couple of the section. A fatal blow for my forces. The armoured car was itself hit and destroyed by a hand-held anti-tank
weapon as it left the town, but it had done untold damage (Diagram 2, period 9).

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Three section now fell back to the houses, my mortars and two section still covering them. My solitary tank (6) was still doing
good stuff but it only narrowly evaded a
vicious squirt from an enemy flame thrower. I
was now in a tricky position. The loss of one
section was crucial. Two assaults by the first
enemy platoon (G) were repulsed but the
second wave (J) now well co-ordinated,
supported by mortars and machine guns,
launched a third assault which gained a
foothold in the south east of the town
(Diagram 3, period 13).
I now had little more than a section of
infantry, one mortar and a tank and could
not possibly hope to hold the town. I
therefore resolved to withdraw west to the
bridge which was covered by my anti-tank
gun and make a stand there in the hope that
I could hold out until reinforced.

Conclusions

First of all as regards the result, under the

guidelines laid down in the description of the
Teaser last month, the assaulting forces had
won. That is, they had "secured the town with a beach head". In fact, they had all but destroyed the defenders as well!
Secondly, and as I have emphasised in the past, to my mind the most important factor was the enjoyment of the game. All three
of us — I include the umpire — had an excellent afternoon with fun, excitement and not a few laughs. Despite "Henry Fonda"
surviving to fight again, one of my opponent's other commanders, "John Wayne" no less, came to a wet end, shot down as he
vaulted from his craft. Further¬more, the incompetence of my coastal gunners caused considerable, if rather one-sided,
amuse¬ment.
On a more serious note, it is the exception rather than the rule to fight modern games at Dover for no other reason than our
preference for other periods. Furthermore, this has been the first Teaser fought in a modern setting .and perhaps I may be
permitted a few comments which are, of course, only a personal view point. To my mind, the scale of this action is about right for a
modern war game. A company or combat team action confined to small arms and short to medium range weapons has much to
recommend it. It does, I believe, retain the more personalised form of wargaming. For my money, to contemplate larger action
sacrifices the fun of personal combat at section level; it loses some of the aesthetic pleasure because of the require¬ment for
smaller figures, increased complexities with the technicalities of longer range weapons and, dare I say it, moves towards board
game techniques.

Well, that's my opinion for what it is worth. I have nothing against board gaming or, for that matter, the use of figures so small that
certain members of the Dover coven could destroy whole corps with a "battle of the mid-riff bulge". However, when it comes to
"moderns", I will stick to "John Waynes" and "Henry Fondas" that I can see. How about you?

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