Churchill in Trouble and the power of Rum : Operation Sealion

A few games ago Churchill was cornered in the command tunnels under Dover Castle. Using a double he managed to escape the clutches of the Nazi’s and flee on foot. Making his way north towards the village of Guston he has taken refuge in a small farmhouse where he has been found and protected by the local Home Guard. They have managed to get word to the regular forces in the Area who have sent a rescue party who have clear instructions to rescue the commander in chief at all costs. Obvious to the PM’s plight  group of Sailors from HMS Belfast are drinking themselves to oblivion unaware that the invasion has started !

Worse still the telegraph has been intercepted by the Germans and any available units of Fallschrimjager have been ordered into the Area. Luckily for the British the Germans are dispersed and may not be able to make a co-ordinated assault.

[Scenario Mechanics : this was a slightly complex scenario so if you are interested read this bit if not skip to the action. The two forces are roughy equal in size, Churchill with the Homeguard start in the White Cottage, they can fire out but are unable to leave the building until either the attackers or defenders assault the cottage. The Sailors who are getting very drunk start in the pub, they will only leave the pub when they roll a D6 (6 turn one, 5 then 4 etc). Due to their Dutch courage the sailors will fight with plus one but shoot at minus one. The British rescue forces the Green Howards will advance onto the table from either the road by the pub or the field behind the pub as they are advancing from Guston/Whitfield. The fallschrimjager can all enter turn one but use to their dispersed nature they must randomise to one of six entry points mainly from the south and west ie from Dover. The final challenge then for both sides is the rescue vehicle a single bren gun carrier will arrive at a random road point which will only be determined when Churchill leaves the building, this cant be assaulted but represents the escape point and the British must do everything they can to get the PM to this point. The game ends with either his escape or capture. We decided Churchill as a playing figure needed a special rule in case he got shot at a lot. So he would take wounds on a 5 and only be killed on a six]

The action begins here......

No wonder the Sailors dont arrive turn one  recent delivery means the pub is well stocked. The first part of the rescue mission arrives in the form of an armoured beaverette it immediately opens fire to the south

The telegraph message said Churchill was hiding in the white cottage so the paratroopers make straight towards it, with surprise they come under fire from the upper floor and hit the deck

The regular forces of the Green Howards arrive from the behind the pub

Despite their random start points the Germans do have a concentration in the SE including a Rad-8 and a machine gun unit

Initially  unsure what tactics to use (they dont yet know the escape point) they start to spread out 

BOOM ...the Rad-8 makes short work of the beaverette bbut it is turn two and the Sailors haven’t come out of the pub yet

Another squad of paras advances from the west

The british lay down smoke, which drifts in the wrong direction, but the germans assault the cottage triggering real mayhem

Finally the sailors hearing the noise stumble out of the Kings Head only for a stray bullet to hit the delivery truck causing it to blow up pinning them and killing one !

The Fallschrimjager assaulting the cottage are short shrift of the Homeguard although they loose two of their squad, more importantly Churchill slips out the back running to take cover by the phonebox

The arrival of the rescue carrier yeppee

Oh you’re kidding it arrives in the worst possible location presumably having been diverted by other germans and road blocks it enters from behind the germans and the SE !!!!!!

A short pause whilst the PM hatches a plan, luckily the Soldiers all know their duty demands they must save Winston no matter the cost

Just to avoid being shot at Winston ducks behind the delivery wagon. An initial assault by regular infantry fails as they are all but wiped out, so the PM orders the sailors forward, as the ex First Lord of the Admirality Winston has a way with the Sea dogs and stacked with Jamaica Rum the sailors charge out to clear a path, shot at from all directions they are heavily pinned down but somehow despite the wounds they dont lose all their men, the remaining Howards engage the germans in the hedgeline

With only a few sailors left they are out of range of the squad of Fallschrimjager so turn their drunken assault on the machine gun, (this was a very lucky roll as with the pins they needed a very low roll but with Winston close by they got it )

Now very exposed the Rad-8 swivels its turret and opens fire Petty Officer Ginger Cooke dies a hero’s death (cant believe the sailors still have several bottles of Rum with them and they are lighting them up, did they have flaming sambuca in WW2?)

Missed a picture here but the remaining sailors are assaulted by the hardened Fallschrimjager, however incensed by the death of their officer they fight the germans back ....Dutch courage

It’s not over yet though there are still germans in the field and the Rad-8

Only one thing for it RUN......

Winston vaults the hedge and just as the gunner of the Rad-8 gets him in his sights....SMOKE fills his view finder the only direct hit needing a six from the British mortar team lands smoke in the perfect place ...Phew

Close now , in the background fighting is still taking place as the Howards’ are fiercely assaulting the germans in the hedgeline to keep them distracted its all or nothing......

Clunk the turret turns again spraying the field with machine gun fire, if they cant capture him then they will kill him ! Pinned but miraculously unharmed

Winston is able to make his final dash to the waiting carrier !

Typing this up is almost as exciting as the game, it was great fun and despite the complexity gave a very balanced game. When the carrier arrived i think we both gave Winston no more than a 10% chance of getting away. Some lucky rolls when needed helped. I missed a couple of bits in the write up as random events caused several units to run back into the white cottage either looking for loot or perhaps confused and looking to check if the PM was actually out of the building......the fog of war. Anyway not bad for a virtual game.

Finally then another shot of the Lake District as i got out walking again on saturday.

For those interested this is Gowbarrow Fell and Penrith where yours truely lives can be seen in the middle distance just to the right of the top of the Trig point/summit marker. For those not familiar with the british climate this is more typical weather than the crazy hot blue sky stuff we have had recently.