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World War Two Command Decision

Although Command decision was originally deigned for use with 20mm scale vehicles and figures these rules work equally well with 1/300th scale vehicles by turning all measurements from inches to centimeters. With one vehicle or infantry stand equaling a platoon quite big games can be played allowing you to use all the Divisional supports, although small games can also be played with a couple of battalions.

Formations in my collection:

Allied Formations

1943 UK Armoured Division + 1944 upgrades

1944-45 US 3rd Heavy Armoured Division

German Formations

1944 21st Panzer Division

1944 9th Panzer Division

1944 105th Panzer Brigade

1944-45 Panzer Division

1944-45 Kampfgruppe, 15th Panzergrenadier Division

1944-45 Panzer Lehr Division

Wargame Websites:

Society of Twentieth Century Wargames http://www.solar.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~aaron/SOTCW.shtml
WW2 Spearhead http://spearhead.50megs.com/

World War II Command Decision Game - Battle report

Panthers still in their winter camouflage holding a major intersection but having paid a heavy price in doing so - there is no less than six burning panthers and one disabled in this picture along with a burning Pz IV H and two Sherman's.

On a sunny day myself and a friend of mine Andrew Rooney decided to have a bash at Command Decision using the Scenario generator in  Command Post No. 11, the quarterly magazine for Command Decision.

In generating the scenario the Germans were attacking US forces in the Spring of 1945 at dawn on a overcast day which would prevent Allied air power from taking part, with the winters snow finally melting the German armies spring offensive was about to begin.

To start with Andy received much to his disappointment elements of an US Infantry Regiment which consisted of a Battalion HQ, Anti-tank company and a off board 105mm Howitzer battery with an on table Forward Observer. With this force he ended up with a defend sector.

I on the other hand ended up with an 'SS' Panzer Kampfgruppe giving me a Battalion HQ, a four platoon strong Panther company and a mechanized infantry company with a open road order. 

In the ensuing battle one of Andy's hidden anti-tank guns managed to take out two of the Panther platoons in the flank but in doing so expended all of its ammunition and forcing the rest of the Panther company to retire to cover to lick its wounds. Mean while a town with a major junction was being swept by the Battalions HQ recon elements forcing another anti-tank battery to reveal its self and was it self chased of by a recon motorcycle smg stand which in turn was destroyed. The Battalions recon Panther gave chase to the anti-tank battery which managed to recover, deploy and put three rounds into the front of the Panther, but to Andy's horror they all bounced. With the Panther returning fire with several HE rounds it reduced the anti-tank gun to a pile of scrap metal killing the crew. 

As Andy's reinforcements arrived - a infantry battalions weapon company - the 'SS' mechanized infantry company assaulted the town and closed assaulted the US FO stand in one of the buildings who actually fought of the assault inflicting heavy casualties on the infantry forcing them to retire. This gave Andy enough time to withdraw what units were in the town to safety, but with the arrival of the US reinforcements the Germans orders were changed to Breakthrough which meant that  the Mechanized infantry company was the only German unit capable of doing this and did so in style by travel marching of the US table edge at the same time being protected by the Heroic recon Panther giving me a mission success whilst at the same time Andy declared a mission failure as he no longer could defend the sector with what little troops he had left. Andy also retired his anti-tank company as the only battery left had no ammunition.

We decided that it would be unfair for Andy to roll again on the Infantry table as my troops now occupied key positions on the table so we decided that he could randomly generate which commands his reinforcements would come from, He ended up by getting a tank company of three M4 (76) Sherman's from the Infantry regiments attachment list and a Combat Command HQ from the Armoured regiment list.

I also retired the battered Panther company and on rolling for replacements I received two new Panther companies and a off table 150mm Howitzer battery and a Forward observer. My mission role now gave me Attack to Hold which is where the game got interesting as you will see from below.

I had to Attack and hold a major road junction which so happened was devoid of US troops but knowing that US armour was on their way I had to act quickly, my two Panther companies being at least three turns away I decided to rush my Battalion HQ into the town to secure the objective and to buy time until the Panthers arrived. Unfortunately Andy's armour arrived nearby with the same idea and we both rushed headlong into the town meeting head-on.

"Ooops?!!!"  went the German commander as his Panzer IV H rounds the bend to see a company of 76mm armed Sherman's hurtling towards him (the two Panthers still burning from the previous engagement near the stream).

With both lead vehicles opening fire at point blank range the air was filled with AP rounds, with each lead tank firing two rounds a miracle was needed to survive at this range. As the smoke cleared the Americans were surprised to find that they had survived whilst the Pz IV was burning furiously with the crew all killed so ended the game as the commander of the tank was representing me and I was now dead. Moral victory to Andy.

As it was still early we decided to continue the game which got more interesting as it went on.

  
As the remnants of the 'SS' Battalion HQ retire the M4 company takes up positions to defend the town from an imminent attack whilst the Recon Panther (next to the tall building, its now camouflage blending in with the road) slowly stalks one of the Sherman's.

the Sherman's took up defensive positions awaiting the two Panther companies to arrive but first had to deal with the recon Panther which was now stalking one of the Sherman's, having spotted each other at the same time they opened fire the Panther taking two HVAP rounds the Sherman taking an AP round, with the Panther now ablaze the Sherman badly damaged retired leaving two platoons to hold the town.

Finally the two Panther companies stormed in hoping that their armour and firepower will win the day.

As the Panthers go in the Sherman's take an all-round defense.

Unfortunately the Sherman's got the drop on the Panthers, the result was two more Panthers ablaze and one disabled for the loss of one Sherman. As one of the mauled Panther companies retreated the remaining Sherman retired leaving the junction in the hands of the Germans - mission success. Another reinforcement roll gave the Germans a Mechanized infantry company which hurriedly reinforced the Panther company holding the town, the Americans received another Sherman company and a defend objective order which they succeeded in doing so receiving another Sherman company which Andy uses to try and retake the town with.

  
One of the Sherman companies assault the town but lose two platoons to a Panther which in turn is also knocked out.

With the loss of another Panther the remaining company in the town retires leaving one platoon in place with the infantry. A combined assault of the remnants of two Sherman companies, a heavy weapons company and a fresh Sherman company sees the Germans pushed from the town with heavy losses on each side. A German motorized infantry company was halted by a US anti-tank battery which caused severe casualties on the infantry causing them to seek shelter deep in side a wood their transport disappearing into the sunset.

The Final push by the Americans forces the Germans from the town.

US Forces

Initial:

BHQ, Infantry Regiment

    2 command stands, 2 jeeps, 1 57L53 A/T gun +crew stand, 1 Bazooka stand, 2 light trucks

    (attached) 1 FO stand, 1 jeep, 1 105mm howitzer (off table) - withdrawn

Anti-tank Company

    1 command std, 1 jeep, 2 57L53 A/T guns + crew stands, 1 Bazooka stand, 3 light trucks, 1 medium ammo truck - 1 battery destroyed rest withdrawn

Reinforcements

Weapon Company:

    1 command stand, 2 MMG stands, 1 81mm mortar stand, 2 jeeps with ammo trailers, 1 jeep, 2 medium trucks.

Sherman Company

    1 command M4 (76), 2 M4 (76) - 1 damaged, 1 destroyed

CCA HQ

    1 command stand, 1 jeep, 1 M5A1 light tank, 1 Staff radio half-track, 1 recon jeep - AAMG

Sherman Company

    1 command M4 (76), 2 M4 (76) - 2 destroyed

Sherman Company

    1 command M4 (76), 2 M4 (76) - 1 destroyed

Anti-tank Company

  1 command std, 1 jeep, 2 57L53 A/T guns + crew stands, 1 Bazooka stand, 3 light trucks, 1 medium ammo truck

German Forces

Initial:

'SS' Battalion HQ

    1 command Pz IV H [destroyed],  1 recon motorcycle smg std [destroyed], 1 recon Panther [destroyed], 1 engineer stand, 1 Sdkfz 151/1, 1 Sdkfz 10/2 (Quad 20mm AA)

Panther Company

    1 command Panther, 3 Panther - 2 destroyed including command vehicle, unit demoralized, withdrawn 

Mechanized Infantry Company

    1 command stand, 1 weapons stand, 2 infantry stands, 1 Sdkfz 251/10, 3 Sdkfz 251/1 - removed due to breaking through enemy lines

Reinforcements:

    1 Forward observer stand, 1 kubelwagen, 1 150mm Howitzer (off table)

Panther Company

   1 command Panther, 3 Panthers - 2 destroyed

Panther company

   1 command panther, 3 Panthers - 2 destroyed, 1 disabled, 1 damaged

Mechanized Infantry Company

   1 command stand, 1 weapons stand, 2 infantry stands, 1 Sdkfz 251/10, 3 Sdkfz 251/1 - 1 infantry stand damaged, 1 Sdkfz 251/1 damaged, 1 Sdkfz 151/1 diabled

Motorized Infantry Company

   1 command infantry stand, 1 Pzbch's infantry stand, 1 weapons stand, 2 infantry stands - Pzbch's infantry stand destroyed