Raid on a Munitions Dump - 02 Hundred Hours.

Overview

02 Hundred Hours is a skirmish wargame focusing on night-time raids in World War II. Inspired by classic war movies as well as historical events, battles are fast paced with roughly 10-20 models on either side.

https://greyfornow.com/pages/02-hundred-hours

Three of the four players were new to the rule system, and once the table was laid and the mechanics explained, it was time for the teams to formulate their plans. The mission objectives for the game were to set explosives on armoured vehicles and supply dump, and to take a German officer prisoner.

Infiltration was via either long board edge (left and right sides of picture above) and exit was to be to the left hand side through the trees.

One munitions dump was in the barn, guarded Gendarme pairs who patrolled the area including cutting through the trees.

All other objectives were in or to the front of the farmhouse, again with Heer sentries patrolling. Three dog units were also on roving patrol to begin with.

The commandos split their forces, bringing on a single pair through the trees to target the tanks…

whilst sniper, bren-gun support and both officer characters came on by the rocks on the opposite long edge.

A first approach to the rear of the farmhouse by an officer resulted in a dead dog handler, having been put down by a silenced weapon before he could raise the alarm.

However, a German officer on the lower floor saw an attacker shortly afterwards and killed him outright by shooting through the window.

By this time the alarm had gone off, and the defenders decided to drive all of their resources towards the farmhouse, which was where the main thrust of the attack seemed to be.

The second allied character - a sergeant with extra hand-to-hand abilities - successfully entered the farmhouse via the backdoor, surprising the pistol-toting officer within.

Several rounds of hand-to-hand combat ensued, with a second German officer supporting the first with an SMG.

Still the sergeant battled on, his particular set of skills causing several ‘trauma’ events on both Germans. At this point it felt like the entire game was taking place in the ground floor of one building, with both sides wishing for ‘character’ counters before the other side could attack! Eventually though the poor sergeant paid the ultimate price, being gunned down having used up his action chits early on in the round but not winning the fight outright.

Such a valiant action bought time for another team of attackers to set demolition charges by the tanks, in a hope of salvaging a minor victory by achieving at least one objective. The last minute production of an axis ‘event card’ made the explosives blow up immediately however, killing the demolition team at the same time.

At this point it became clear that the mission was not going to yield any further successes, and the remainder of the attacking force withdrew without further loss. The defenders had succeeded in repelling the worst of the attack, resulting in a minor victory for the Germans.

More importantly, we all had a good laugh at the nail biting moments, and everyone enjoyed the game. Indeed, one player claimed to be a ‘convert’, vowing to procure a set of the rules for himself. Job done, in my opinion. 

The Eightieth Anniversary of D-Day Commemorative Game - 02 Hundred Hours.

Editors Note: Continuing with our 80th D-Day Anniversary theme for this month's club meeting, some of the chaps got together to run a clandestine attack on a German D-Day gun battery with overtones of the attack on the Merville Battery on the eve of the landings.

Devon Wargames Group - The Eightieth Anniversary of D-Day Commemorative Game - Chain of Command

If you missed the first AAR in this series of games you can pick it up in the link above.

In addition, if you would like to read about the other D-Day inspired game run at the club this month then I attach a link to Nathan's, 'Stumpy's Wargaming Blog' where you can read his AAR on his 'A Walk in the Park, Le Mesnil Patry' game using Rapid Fire Reloaded, link below.

Stumpy the Toxic Blog - A Walk in the Park, Le Mesnil Patry

JJ

Scenario: 0200hrs, 5th June 1944. The Normandy coast. 

A German gun battery threatens the landing ships due to arrive later that day. The battery is patrolled constantly, with dog handlers and sentries roaming all over the site.

Main objective: Destroy 2x 88mm guns with dynamite.

Secondary objective: Destroy 2x munitions dumps to prevent supplies being sent to reinforce other positions on the coast.

British paratroopers chose to attack the site from three different directions (each a corner of the table), the ‘characters’ carrying dynamite entering nearest each gun emplacement and other men (troopers) acting as diversions and support.

Maintaining stealth for as long as possible, the officer crept down a slope and despatched three sentries in succession without raising the alarm level unduly. He was able to plant the dynamite on the more exposed gun and retreat towards the nearest munitions pile before it went off. Supported by a trooper with a silenced pistol, they removed two sets of guards who had come to investigate…

On the opposite corner, the Sergeant was leading his group stealthily across a field to attack the second gun in the bunker.

Without complete detection, he placed a charge.

To his surprise it went off before he could make his escape and he was in line with the bunker aperture as it went off. The main objective had been achieved.

Fortunately he escaped serious injury, and was able to continue into the compound towards the munitions piles.

By now of course the element of surprise had been lost.

The German officer led the counter attack through the trench works, taking shots at targets of opportunity on the adjacent hill as the third team of paratroopers tried to suppress German reaction to the explosions.

Despite his better aim, the German officer’s pistol failed to deter the troopers on the hill, and they were able to eliminate a pair of sentries and a dog handler to relieve the pressure on the sergeant who was going for the munitions.

Keen to achieve the secondary objective also, so as to give their comrades the best chance possible for a successful beach landing later that day, the British men fought to the bitter end.

Despite a well marshalled response by the site’s guards, the attack was a pyrrhic victory with both objectives achieved in the end, despite almost total losses of men on both sides.

This game was really good fun to watch as the two sides tried to outmanoeuvre each other.

My thanks to Mark, Matt, Lawrence, Rob and Paul for playing out an entertaining game in good spirits.

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!