Scenario 32 Rehearsal for Crete
Scott B
REHEARSAL FOR CRETE
SCENARIO 32, CRESCENDO OF DOOM
AFTER ACTION REPORT
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
“I could see the snow-covered Mount Olympus against the blue sky, hovering over the dense fog of the Warda Plains. It was overwhelming. I had seen a lot of the world. Nothing compared to Mount Olympus. So there I sat, pensively in awe, holding a copy of Homer that I had brought along. I never put him away while I was in Greece.”
-- General Herman Balck, 3rd Panzer Regiment of the 2nd Panzer Division
Black would continue his drive south past the Tempe Valley and push the Australians and New Zealanders back to the Thermopylae line where again they would withdraw further still toward Athens and Peloponnesus peninsula. The objective was to cut-off and eliminate the British forces in Greece. There was no doubt that Greece had fallen, now the question was could sixty thousand British prisoners be taken as the spoils of war.
While the British held the Germans at Thermopylae, they had already begun evacuating forces at three major locations - Porto Rafti, Megara and Nafplio with the latter south of the Corinth Canal. The rearguard actions and Royal Navy allowed fifty-thousand ANZAC forces to evacuate and escape capture. The British evacuation of Greece represented the end of Allied resistance in western europe, leaving her allies and the continent under the Nazi boot. Britain now stood alone. It would be a long time before they returned to the continent.
RESOURCES
“Rehearsal for Crete.” CRESCENDO OF DOOM. Baltimore, MD: The Avalon Hill Game Company, 1980. https://storage.googleapis.com/archivesqlt/CAJ00032A.pdf
Black, Herman. “Order in Chaos.” University Press of Kentucky. 2015.
“Battle for the Corinth Canal.” Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Corinth_Canal
“German Invasion of Greece “ Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_invasion_of_Greece#Thermopylae_position
Long, Gavin Merrick. “Australia in the War of 1939-1945 - Volume II - Greece, Crete and Syria.”
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1417307
McClymont, FG. “To Greece.”
https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Gree-c19.html
Felton, Mark. “German Paratrooper Assault - Corinth Canal 1941. Youtube.
https://youtu.be/X422RyNOFLc?si=n3xbSPPYCUg65P6R
VICTORY CONDITIONS
The side controlling the bridge wins automatically.
Last to have a unit on either side controls the bridge.
Allied infantry units (not Fire Groups or SWs) may attempt to detonate the disconnected charges and blow the bridge on a KIA result after turn four.
If neither side controls the bridge then inflicting the most squad/crew/AFVs losses wins.
GAME TURN ONE - Look, Up in the Sky!
German Comments
The Gliders and Paratroopers attempt to land close to the objective. Their strength is at short-range and the bridge is lightly defended. The paratroops intend to drop within the gliders so the latter may protect them as they run to their arms canisters.
While the Gliders fared well, none of the Paratroopers landed on target but instead on the wrong side of the river. Even worse, they are separated from their arms canisters and can only watch as the British search and destroy them (both the canisters and the Paras). Unarmed Paras only have a nominal 1 FP in Close Combat and no ability to fire on the IFT.
The units in the river are lost, including the three arms canisters. There won't be enough to arm the 468s.
I hope Crete goes better than this.
British Comments
It feels very confusing. The British Army is in trouble. They have been defeated and are trying to evacuate Greece. The British are strung out on the road trying to get south across the bridge on the Corinth Canal. The Germans want to capture that bridge to trap them and the British want to exit the rest of their units over the bridge before they blow it up. The RAF is nowhere to be found and the Brits are being harassed by the Luftwaffe.
This scenario models the confusion of that type of situation. I found it very difficult to set up a coherent defense of the British around the bridge. I tried two different set ups before starting this game and didn’t consider either very good. Even after setup, the British are not allowed to move in their turn. This freezes them in place as the Germans make their first attack runs.
The initial decisions will be tough. Once the British are free how will they react? Race to bridge or hold their position? What is the plan? ????
Neutral Comments
Losses at the end of Game Turn One:
Germans 4 units lost, 1x 5-4-8 and 3x 4-6-8
British 3 units lost, 2x 2-3-7 and 1x Bren A
GAME TURN TWO AND THREE - MOPPING UP
German Comments
This is what a bad Paradrop looks like, before and after.
Some landed in the river, and others broke from landing in woods. Most were cut down running to their arms canisters. The glider troops on the other side of the river didn't have the range to support them and just watched. It was brutal.
The Germans did have four 109s providing air cover for three turns and they did most of the damage to the British. They caught a British platoon in the open and chewed them up pretty good.
One of the Bren's overran an unarmed para and rolled '11', meaning the para's threw a lucky grenade and destroyed it.
But for the most part, it was the British making quick work of the paras on the south side (top) of the river.
British Comments
As I feared, the British were caught out of position. The Luftwaffe showed up with four fighters and got a duration of three turns on the board for those aircraft. The gliders came in and landed near the bridge without much opposition at all. It will be bad.
The only thing that has saved the British is that the German parachute drop was off target. Apparently, the transports were off course and the parachutes were scattered all over the south side (top of board) of the canal. This area was fairly well defended and the paratroopers were cut down quickly.
The glider infantry is moving to quickly eliminate defenses on the North side of the bridge. The AA batteries are being suppressed and the Germans will move against the bridge soon. The net result of all this is the British inflicted more casualties than they took in the first three turns. It is clear that without reinforcements the British will be hard pressed to hold on to the bridge.
Neutral Comments
Losses at the end of Game Turn Three:
Germans 16 units lost, (15 Paras dropped and only two remain, one unarmed).
British 13 units lost.
TURNS FOUR TO SIX
German Comments
Only one squad remains on the south (top) side of the river, awaiting the inevitable. Soon there will be none.
The Germans attempt to consolidate their side of the river (bottom). They must move quickly to prevent the British infantry from firing at the bridge charges and blowing it (KIA result). Controlling the Bridge wins you the game.
British Comments
Turns 4 to 6 were pretty frustrating for the British. In their efforts to clear all the Germans from the south side of the board, resistance stiffened near the bridge. A single squad spun off a new leader and then managed to occupy entrenchments near the bridge. It is going to take a full platoon to dislodge them. The British 458s and their excellent leaders entered as planned but took two turns to get to the woods overlooking the bridge. They are in a reasonable position now. They also have salvaged an ATG to overlook the bridge position as well. Two small MG tanks joined the battle late in Turn 6. The British are in a position to contest the Germans capturing the bridge. In their haste, they now realize that they did not control the bridge in the first turn and face the same predicament.
All the while, everyone looks over their shoulder for a German air attack. I fear that it will be a game changer.
Neutral Comments
It is anyone’s game at this point, with twenty British casualties and nineteen Germans.
The river has bifurcated the fighting into two separate battles. Each player is in a good position to secure his respective side. However, the short range of the Germans prevents him from directing fire on the opposite shore. The same is not true of the British player, with his longer range and position enabling fourteen fire power factors to fire upon the German side.
Both sides have the bridge under fire, making it difficult to capture by either side. Either player wanting to capture it must face strong enemy fire and risk casualties. The battle area has settled into the immediate area around the bridge from the initial placements over five boards.
This game could go to the first side to receive air support.
BRITISH TURN SEVEN TO NINE - TWO PUSHES AND NO SUCCESS
German Comments
The Germans assault the last British position with five squads, a DC and a 10-2. The British supported the defenders from the far side of the river, breaking or eliminating all the Germans squads. Other than the 10-2 placing a DC on the position, it was a failure. Adding insult to injury, the British immediately rallying two of three units broken by the DC, leaving the German with little to show for their losses.
British Comments
The battle is through Turn 9 and still there is no air support for the Germans. The British get to business trying to control both sides of the canal. Using their light tanks and ATRs that fire away at the one good AT weapon the Germans have on the North side, an armored car mounting a 20mm gun. Finally, an ATR gets a lucky critical hit and the PSW 222 is finished. Now the British can use their hastily put together mobile forces to rush the bridge. At the same time, British MGs with good leadership tear up the Germans on the other side of the canal. One tank races across the bridge to the North side to pin down the remaining Germans. The Greeks get the honor of taking the bridge and riding into a firestorm. They are cut down on the bridge. Other units move up. I think the British have their blood up now….
Neutral Comments
Both sides seem to have forgotten about the bridge, the possession of which wins the scenario automatically. Neither has control with only one turn left! The bridge starts the game neutral and possession is given to the last side to have an infantry unit on both ends.
Losses at the end of British Game Turn Nine:
Germans 28 units lost.
British 26.5 units lost.
GAME TURN TEN
German Comments
During the last few turns, the British took the lead in eliminated squads with their long reach across the river. The Germans could only be unwilling targets, lacking the range to return fire. The last option is a suicidal charge at the bridge. They were eliminated by British defensive fire, securing an Allied win.
British Comments
The British just had to sit tight and wait for the Germans to charge. The rolls were not all perfect and that kept the suspense until the final shot. It was enough and the Germans failed to take the bridge. Additionally, the losses handed the British the win. Thanks for a great game, Scott.
AFTERMATH
German Final Comments
I think this is strongly Axis favored despite an Allied victory. The German paradrop did not land accurately and all sixteen paratroops landed in the midst of the British without their arms canisters. They were summarily eliminated. Despite this, the Germans still gave as good as they got and managed a last turn charge for the bridge. That they could do this despite their initial losses suggests a strong German balance.
The joy of this scenario is its uncertainty. Do the paras land on target, or the British armor arrive early, or can either side get air support? The dice have a way of interfering (even more than usual) with your march to victory in this scenario. Expect fate to flip flop back and forth with little certainty of outcome. Worth a play just for that.
British Final Comments
This game seemed like a marathon because it took nearly the full 10 turns to decide. Units were all over the map and it felt like there were many small battles happening everywhere. The key moments for the German player was the initial air support. Those strafing fighters were devastating. The British were lucky that there was not a second round of fighters late in the game. I think that a second group would have secured the German win.
For the British, the scattered German paradrop kept them in the game. With better luck, the Germans would have captured the bridge on Turn 1 or 2. With the poor scattering of the paratroopers, the British just kept them away from the target and at the same time piled up the casualty points.
I would rate this scenario as pro German for one major reason. The Germans have the last move. The British will have to do very well to keep charging Germans (even halftrack passengers) away from the bridge. I was just able to keep it from happening. That being said, there is a lot of replayability with the changing luck along the way.
Thanks to Scott for a wonderful game. I do appreciate the lesson.
Neutral Comments
Both sides put themselves at a disadvantage by failing to secure the bridge early on. The game could have gone to either side with a lucky roll providing air support which would dominate the board. After the players consolidated their side of the river, the Germans found themselves unable to retaliate against the British on the far side. The British wisely deployed their forces to form large fire groups and take advantage of the shorter German range. A combination of good luck and skillful play propelled the Allies to victory.
It was certainly a bloody game and losses were fairly even until the engagement turned across the river. At that point the British range advantage widened the gap to a significant lead in casualty points.
