02 Hundred Hours Battle Report – Raid on Rommel’s Fuel.

Out in the darkness of the desert something moved. Privates Shultz and Wagner, their eyes fixed firmly on the ground making sure they avoided the deposits left by the guard dog, failed to notice the “clink” of wire cutters on the fence surrounding the compound. Silently, two teams of the LRDG entered the compound through the cuts in the fences and started to make their way to their targets.

All is quiet as the LRDG move in.

So began Saturday’s game of 02 Hundred Hours. This is a game of night raids in WW2 published by Grey For Now Games. 

Grey For Now Games - 02 Hundred Hours

Unlike other games, it has a unique system of managing detection and movement at night. As the attackers sneak to their objectives, they run the risk of making noise, and with it, raising suspicion. The defenders, meanwhile, follow fixed patrol routes until they spot something or the alarm is raised. Once raised, the defenders are quickly reinforced and so it becomes a race for the attackers to complete their mission and escape. Therefore one of the key aspects in the game is for the attackers to try to avoid the sentries, rather than kill them, and to decide when to “go noisy”. This makes it very different to most wargames.

In this game, the LRDG patrol had the mission of infiltrating one of Rommel’s fuel dumps and storage plants located deep behind the German lines in North Africa. If they could destroy the facility completely, they could put a severe dent in Rommel’s plans. 

They had four targets: the fuel dump, the storage tanks, the HQ building and a store of machinery spare parts. The patrol consisted of eight in total: four troopers, the commander (Lt Jones), his sergeant, a demolitions expert and a man who had proved himself so deadly with a knife, he was known simply as “The Ghost” – at least in his own imagination! Everyone was equipped with demolitions charges but only the demolitions expert had the ability to accurately set the fuses on his charges. Everyone was armed with Tommy guns less one trooper with a Bren and the Sergeant with a silenced Sten SMG.

Entering the compound at two points, the teams made their way to their first objectives: Lt Jones and Sgt Smith to the fuel dump; the Ghost and a pair of troopers heading to the machinery store, and Cpl Miller, the demolitions expert, heading to the HQ. 

Meanwhile, the other two troopers took up covering positions with the Bren. Everything started to go well, despite two troopers getting caught on the fence as they entered. Unfortunately, a moment’s carelessness and Lt Jones suddenly found himself face to face with a German unterfeldwebel doing an inventory of the fuel dump. Launching himself at his enemy, Lt Jones flailed at him with his knife but the German NCO was able to block his blows as he tried to ready his MP40, yelling for help. Realising he had been rumbled, Lt Jones stepped back, swung up his tommy gun and cut him down.

As the echoes of the gunshots died away, shouting and sirens filled the air as the Germans started to react. Suddenly reinforcements started to flood into the compound, swarming towards the Ghost and his two companions who had been caught in the moonlight. 

A burst of schmeisser fire cut down his two companions but the Ghost seemed impervious to everything that could be thrown at him: a ferocious guard dog, encouraged by the promise of sausages for supper, leapt at him from out of the dark; unphased, the Ghost punched it briskly on the snout and it ran back to its handler; Oberleutnant Mueller, the guard commander, levelled his pistol and fired several times but only succeeded in nicking his tunic; more schmeiser rounds kicked up dust around him. Would nothing take stop the Ghost?

Making the most of the distraction, Lt Jones laid his charge at the fuel dump. Unfortunately he hadn’t set the fuse as accurately as he’d thought and before he could get away, the fuel started to explode around him! Amazingly, he was able to escape, slightly singed but otherwise unharmed from the conflagration, thereby earning the nickname “Smokey Jo” from his men. 

Lt Jones (L) places his charges as Cpl Miller makes for the HQ.

Cpl Miller put his training to good use and the HQ building was soon reduced to ruins as he escaped into the darkness. All pretence of covertness gone, the Bren gun opened up, cutting down a pair of guards in the open.

But what of the Ghost? Standing there, spinning his knife, he seemed to challenge the Oberleutnant Mueller to do his worst. Surely this would be a fight to the death of Hollywood proportions? But then, before either could move, a young Gefreiter levelled his rifle and shot the Ghost clean through the head: rather reminiscent of Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom? 

The Ghost takes on the might of the DAK.

But revenge was swift; before Mueller could utter a word of congratulations, the Bren gun roared into life again and both he and nearby dog handler were mown down, leaving the dog to go in search of his sausages and the Gefreiter wondering who would write him up for his decoration now. 

Sergeant Smith entered the fray with his silenced Sten but unfortunately he wasn’t used to its handling and all his shots went wild. The muzzle flashes giving away his position, it wasn’t long before more rifle shots laid him out.

With half his force gone and the guard reinforcements blocking his way to the final two objectives Lt Jones blew his whistle and signalled the retreat, slipping back into the darkness and heading to the RV with their vehicles for the long journey back across the desert. Once back at HQ, he would only be able to report partial success which would be considered scant reward for losing half his men.

Thanks to Mike, Steve, Paul & Lawrence for their participation and good humour!