This is the continued battle report for my second game of Five Men from Normandy (.30 Caliber Edition). I am calling it Five Men from Algeria, because I am playing out the campaign of a group of US soldiers from the 168th Infantry Regiment as they move into Tunisia in 1943 after the Torch landings.
In the current mission, the squad had orders to seize a residence near an important crossroads. Most of the opposing DAK squad was caught out in the open and taken out by mortar fire or rifle fire. However, a DAK LMG gunner and a rifleman had taken cover in the residence. Sarge and Clay were advancing laterally, moving from cover to cover and attempting to assault the residence. Here is the scene when we ended Part One...
Clay attempted to go left around the rock formation to close on the residence. However, guard fire from the DAK inside drove him back, so he flinched and hunkered down behind the rock formation. Sarge then got ready to advance around the right side of the rock formation, and Sutton moved up to join their position.
On the next US turn, Sarge darted around the right side of the rock formation, dodging DAK guard fire and managed to take shelter in a blind spot behind the residence where there were no doors or windows. (I had forgotten about this feature of the building when I originally had the DAK soldiers enter the building in that same spot, as they fled from mortar fire on turns one and two.) The DAK rifleman then reacts by moving to the other side of the house. (Remember, on a typical turn, only half of the figures will activate.) He's ready to provide guard fire if Sarge attempts to come around the far side of the building.
While the rest of his squad held various positions and tried to occupy the Germans' attention, Sarge did attempt to dart around the far side of the building. The DAK guard fire caused him to flinch back to the blind spot where he started his move and hunker down. The remaining US figures held their positions and tried to rally.
Sarge was armed with a trench knife that provided him with a close combat bonus, and I wasn't playing with any grenades in this mission. So, after he recovered from being hunkered down, he again tried to charge around the far side of the building. He rolled well for his movement and burst through the front door. The LMG gunner was still facing out the window and not in a position to open up on Sarge when Sarge came through the front door.
The attacking player gets to add +1 to their D6 roll. Sarge didn't need that bonus. He rolled a 6. The DAK LMG gunner rolled a one. The LMG was out of the action.
I was originally concerned that Sarge had advanced too far without support and was about to be finished off by the remaining DAK soldier. However, I then noticed a particular feature in the close combat rule: the winner of a close combat has the option to advance 2 inches and engage in another close combat, just without the original +1 bonus.
Sarge presses his advantage. After taking down the LMG gunner at close range, he gets up close and personal with the remaining DAK soldier...
Then Sarge eliminates the remaining threat, rolling 6 versus 2.
The objective is secured! The opposition is eliminated. Mission success! Somebody give Sarge a silver star! (I'm playing with an older edition of the rules. I wonder if there are medals in one of the newer editions?)
The butcher's bill is pretty modest for the US. Only Sundstrom was wounded in action (for the second time in two missions). Rolling on the after mission chart, we learn that he is moderately wounded and will be hospitalized for 13 days. Sarge has rolled and earned the new skill of Guts. This is very fitting and probably more useful than a silver star anyway.
Sarge's section has earned some much needed R and R. However, they are not going to get it! Hostilities are too hot in this sector. Just when they have finished securing the objective a US Jeep comes squealing up. There is a major in charge of intelligence at regimental HQ, and he has some urgent new orders for Sarge's men. Tune in next time!
Five Men from Normandy is proving to be very cinematic, narrative driven fun. I am thankful for a rule set where I can have fun with a pretty small amount of figures on the table. I would like to paint up enough figures to play some Bolt Action games. However, right now, that doesn't seem like a high priority, because I am having so much fun with Five Men.
Thanks for reading!
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