Game Reports

WWII Crossfire Market Garden

Posted by PaulRPetri on 18 Jul 2021, 00:26

Another game report. Four of us were able to gather at my house and have a go at the rules "Crossfire" which were writen by Arty Conliffe in 1996. As the legend goes Arty was challenged in 1994 to write a set of WWII rules that did not need a tape measure. Arty succeeded in the challenge in my book.

Our battle had a German force attempting to force an opening in the lines of the US Paratroopers. You will notice in the first few shots below that the game board is loaded with seperate terrain features. These features are how you move around the board.

View from behind the American lines. The tape measure is how far forward they can deploy.
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A look at the American forces.
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A view from behind the German lines.
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A look at the German forces.
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The left flank of the Americans deployed for action.
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American center.
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American Right flank.
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The Germans flowing onto the game board. They massed all of there forces on the American right flank. Lucky my game partner Sam was in charge of that sector or we would have been in real trouble if I was in command!
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American center and right preparing for the onslaught.
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Germans trying to press forward on the left flank but have already have been "Pinned" by accurate American fire, the red pipe cleaners standing up.
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Behind the American right with a Panther tank leading the charge. Not good!
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One American unit has attempted to shot in response to German movement and has scored no hits and has been marked "No Fire" with bullet casing standing up.
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Panicked is seen in the American ranks as more units are marked "No Fire" and one squad has been "Suppressed" bullet casing on its side. The Panther was joined by a Stug III who machine gunned the US units.
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Some of the center American units have redeployed heading for the cover of the hedge line. Attempting to form a defensive pocket.
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A shot from behind the German lines which shows the German Panther has been hit by bazooka fire and is suppressed and American units are lining the hedges to form a Crossfire!
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The Panther has been destroyed and the American squads have stormed the tree's wiping out the German units that had been suppressed in the woods.
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The Stug III was assaulted by a squad of Americans after it had been suppressed and was destroyed. Suddenly the Germans are in trouble.
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The final blow that overwhelmed the Germans.
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The Germans had rolled the dice for one concentrated blow on the Americans right but it was stopped up in real style by partner Sam.

In the second game, I did not take any pictures, the Germans spread out and were able to squash both of our flanks and grabbed the center ground. These rules are very fluid and if your opponent has no line of sight on your units and cannot fire on them they can move clear across the board. This happened in both games and really requires you to think about your postion and deployment. We will be playing many more of these Crossfire games. In two gaming sessions around 4 hours each we played two games to conclusions in both sessions. Great fun!!
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
Posts: 620
Member since:
02 Apr 2019, 00:59


Posted by Peter on 19 Jul 2021, 17:04

Excellent game report Paul! Thanks for sharing! :thumbup:
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Peter  Belgium

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25 Mar 2008, 18:51

Posted by Harry Faversham on 20 Jul 2021, 09:22

Exciting AAR, and a very nice wargaming set up you lads have there... I'm a tad jealous!

:-D
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Harry Faversham  England
 
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16 Nov 2013, 13:56

Posted by Ochoin on 20 Jul 2021, 10:00

That sounds like a cracker of a game!

I very much like the look of your table. Bullet casings are a great idea - very atmospheric. I'd steal the idea but you can't, of course, get easy access to firearms or their accoutrements here.

I don't know the rules but they look as though they produce historically accurate & playable games. I'll bet the German player was not amused at losing a mighty Panther to a bazooka.

donald
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Ochoin  Scotland
 
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16 Jan 2010, 04:00

Posted by Harry Faversham on 20 Jul 2021, 11:30

I'm lucky enough to be a member of a gun club, and can glean plenty of brass... they give our Wild West shoutouts an authentic smell!

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:P
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Harry Faversham  England
 
Posts: 561
Member since:
16 Nov 2013, 13:56

Posted by PaulRPetri on 20 Jul 2021, 14:36

Thank you fellas for your kind words. I am lucky enough to own a house that has a very large basement. Which provides an excellent wargaming area. Of course it was just poured concrete walls very dungeon like, and I had to rough it in with wood framing, and run all the electrical and then have dry wallers finish it off. That was done around 20 years ago! Well worth it!
I collected up my brass casings the last time I had to practice for my yearly qualification shoot. Ammunition prices have risen to nearly a dollar a bullet (9mm) so I figured I would put them to some additional use at that price! I am a retired cop here in Illinois and I still keep my status to carry a gun as I guard banks part time to keep some extra money coming in. Being an armed thug is one of my few skills in life.
Donald the Panther took 3 bazooka shots and a shot from an anti tank gun to finally do it in. In game two, which I didn't get any pictures of, the Panther ran amok on our left flank, which I command of course, knocking out my anti tank gun and machine gunning loads of my infantry.
Crossfire is an excellent set of rules.
Thanks again for the kind comments.
PaulRPetri  United States of America
 
Posts: 620
Member since:
02 Apr 2019, 00:59

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