A friend and I gamed a scenario based on the British breaking through the Hindenburg Line in the Fall of 1918 (modified Trench Fight). The British have a Rifle Co. of three platoons, a Mortar Platoon, HMG Platoon, Tank Platoon, an Artillery Battery w/Heavy Gun support and Priority Air Support. The Germans have a Rifle Co. of two platoons, a HMG Platoon, a Heavy Mortar Battery, an IG Platoon, a Fahr Panzer and two ATR teams. This is about a 3 to 1 in favor of the British. The Germans had a complete trench line across the board w/ wire and a communication trench to the rear. They also had a bunker in the trench line and two field gun bunkers.
After the preliminary bombardment, which only managed to kill one German infantry team (pinning all platoons), the British Rolling Barrage moved forward and the tanks and infantry followed. The Sopwith Camels attacked the German off-board heavy mortars but did not manage to hit anything. The Germans managed to kill a few British teams as they tried to cross the open terrain.
Turn two say the Fahrpanzer go up in smoke as a six pounder from one of the Mark V tanks easily penetrated it. The rolling barrage continued to slowly plod forward with the tanks and infantry close behind. The Sopwith Camels attacked the German off-board heavy mortars again but did not manage to hit anything.
Turn three the tanks crushed the wire and headed up the hill toward the trenches. The British took more losses on the left in front of the HMG in the bunker. The German ATR teams tried desperately to destroy the tanks with no success. The Sopwith Camels attacked the German off-board heavy mortars again but did not manage to hit anything.
Turn four the tanks move up to the trench line and halt, preparing to drop the trench cribs and breach the lines. One tank tries to pin the HMG bunker with its six pdr but fails. The Germans move forward up the trenches to try and stop the break through. The German ATR teams continued to try to destroy the tanks with no success. The Sopwith Camels attacked the German off-board heavy mortars again but did not manage to hit anything (seeing a pattern here?)
Turn five the lead Mark V tank drops his trench crib and rolls over the trench line with another following. There mg’s rake both sides of the trenches keeping the Germans head’s down. The HMG bunker opens up and destroys one of the British Infantry platoons following the tanks. The German ATR teams continued to try to destroy the tanks with no success. The Sopwith Camels attacked the German off-board heavy mortars again but did not manage to hit anything.
Turn Six the rolling barrage lifts opening up a duel between the tanks and the IG bunkers. The tank mgs continue to rake the trench lines will the German ATR teams try to score a hit. The British infantry make it into the trenches and start assaulting the remnants of the German infantry, forcing them to fall back. The 18 pdrs of the British start a smoke barrage to give cover to the pinned down unit on the left. The RFC does not show up to continue their pathetic attempts to silence the German Artillery. (Can image why?)
Turn Seven and midnight arrive. The tanks continue there push forward, pinning one IG and moving out of the others LOS. The British infantry on the right clear the trench of Bosch and start moving forward. The Small unit on the right breaks through the wire and attempts to storm the trenches and silence the HMG bunker only to be destroyed. With this turn complete we call it quits. Giving a victory to the British even though the objective was not taken.
