OTTBE Mission 17: Hell Over Hamel - 4th July 1918 - by Flash
A bit of history:
The Battle of Hamel occurred in the early hours of 4th July 1918. It was a successful combined arms attack made by Australian and American infantry supported by British tanks on German positions in and around the town of Hamel located south of the River Somme, 3km north of Villers-Bretonneux in northern France.
The German advance earlier in the year had created a "bulge" in the front line around the village, which had created a salient that exposed Allied troops in the sector to enfilading fire and enabled the Germans to observe Allied rear areas. Control of the village was vital if they wished to continue their offensive in the sector, and would enable them to continue to threaten Amiens, 11 miles (17 km) distant.
Capturing the village would help set an "aggressive posture" for the allies and relieve pressure in the sector. The village also acted as an obstacle to the proposed eastward advance through the Somme planned for later in the year and its capture would facilitate future offensive operations in the sector. Lieutenant General John Monash commander of the Australian Corps was chosen to plan the attack.
All the Allies' objectives were achieved in 93 minutes, just three minutes more than Monash's calculated battle time of 90 minutes. After taking the village, the Australians and Americans began rebuilding the shattered defences.
Mopping up was completed in the Vaire and Hamel Woods by 06:00 and in Hamel by 07:00. Meanwhile, supplies were brought up on four carrier tanks.
At 04:45, reconnaissance aircraft from No3 Sqn AFC (RE.8's) began photographing the new front line so that maps could be produced.
At 06:00, No 9 Sqn RAF (RE.8's) began flying aerial re-supply sorties, employing a parachute delivery & rack system that had been developed by a team led by Australian Captain Lawrence Wackett (3 Sqn AFC).
pic Wackett (Go look him up)
Pressure was maintained on the Germans through air attacks behind the line by No 23 Sqn (Dolphins), No 41 sqn (SE5a) and 209 Sqn (Camels), although this was stopped around 09:30 when the Germans dispatched 30 fighter aircraft to the skies above Hamel to gain air superiority.
While small in scale, the Battle of Hamel was to have far-reaching consequences as it provided a practical demonstration of tactics for attacking an entrenched enemy using combined arms tactics. The strategy employed at Hamel was then successful on a much larger scale in the Battle of Amiens and was a major factor in Allied successes later in the war.
Two Australians, Thomas Axford & Henry Dalziel were awarded the Victoria Cross for their conduct during the battle. Fourteen Americans were also decorated by the British, including four Distinguished Conduct Medals, Four military Crosses and six Military medals.
Thomas A Pope who had also rushed a German machine-gun during the German counter-attack on 5 July, was one of those who received the DCM, being awarded the medal personally by King George V on 12 August 1918. He would also later receive the medal of Honor. Pope and seven other doughboys were also awarded the US Army's Distinguished Service Cross for actions during the Battle of Hamel.
Please do have a look and follow the links:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Hamel
The Game:
The battle plan for Hamel involved re-supplying the engaged machine-gunners with ammunition dropped by aircraft. In the event No. 3 Squadron was assigned other tasks during the battle and the ammunition dropping was performed by No 9 Sqn RAF.
Monash later wrote, "at least 100,000 rounds of ammunition were dropped during the battle with obvious economy in lives and wounds."
So this game will be based upon that part of the mission before the Germans fill the air with machines and clear Tommy ground attack aircraft from the skies:
Recon has been completed, the allies are flying in to drop ammo to the MG teams to arm them to repel a counter attack. The Eagles dawn patrol has stumbled into the action to find what appear to be bombers heading for their chaps and take the appropriate action. Bulldogs heading to or from covering ground attack missions intervene in an effort to protect their two seat colleagues.
Mission:
Drop ammo to all 3 gun sites
Method:
Alt: drop made from level 2 - parachute retarded stall - see special rules
Drop card must cover the red dot to count full points see victory points for near miss.
Drop card: http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/dow...o=file&id=1498
Bombing Diagram: http://www.wingsofwar.org/forums/dow...=354%20Bombing
RAF Machines:
2 x RE8, carrying 2 ammo drops each
RAF friendly forces:
2 x fighters - arrive after shooting starts - random from anywhere around the map
German forces:
4 x fighters in 2 pairs, 1 pair arrive game start; second arrive the turn after RAF fighters start shooting - both pairs arrive randomly on German mat - from long side sides or ends.
Setup:
Two mats, long sides together - designate mats Allied/German
Place 3 x MG posts on German mat. Two facing the German long edge and one ruler from it (edge to edge) and about 1.5 rulers apart (dot to dot). Place the third behind them and a ruler apart (dot to dot) so as to form a triangle - these are targets for re-supply.
Start two RE.8 centre of Allied long edge, flying in mutual support of each other.
Start formations of two Eagles on a randomly selected German mat edge.
eg roll D6 Top 1/2, Bottom 3/4, long edge 5/6
Enter Allied fighters in turn after shooting starts from any random mat edge inc German
eg Roll D6: Top Allied 1, Top German 2, Bottom Allied 3, Bottom German 4, Allied long 5, German Long 6.
Enter second formation of Eagles in turn after arrival of Bulldogs on a randomly selected German mat edge
If using Altitude rules arriving models are at least one level above the unit that arrived previously.
Special Rules:
If a RE8 is lost before it gets off the Allied mat it is replaced by a newcomer from the long edge next turn.
Wounded observer rule will be played.
RE.8 rear gun has a 360 arc of fire on targets a level above it.
RE.8's can be up-gunned to twin Lewis in back by Bulldogs if you wish... why wouldn't you ?!
Eagle player's roll D6 for each RE8 when rear gun first to be used, 1 or 6 = B mount fitted, anything else it's an A mount - good luck !
Wounded Observer:
a. You knock him down for the remainder of the turn he is hit in
b. He stays down the whole next turn
c. He returns to action at the beginning of the next turn with these penalties applied.
ie 4 move gun jam, can only fire at short range & not after steep moves.
d. A second hit and observer is incapacitated.
Retarded Parachute Drop:
Whatever the speed of the drop the ammo will only move (drop) at stall speed, however, they will move a second stall card on next movement phase.
ie if dropped off a straight or similar long move ammo will move a stall that phase rather than a straight, and then move another stall card the next phase.
Options:
If you want to introduce drift to your drop you may do so - I would suggest something simple like using the arrow of the stall card for distance - Roll D6: 5 short, 6 long, 1 left, 2 right, 3,4 on target
It's July - the Siemens Schukert D.III are back in play and, if you are lucky enough to have any, the Pfalz D.XII is now available to the Eagles if you want to down grade from a Fok D.VII ! Why would you ?
Victory:
All guns supplied - 6 pts allies - 0 pts German
2 guns supplied - 4pts allies - 1 pt German
1 gun supplied - 2 pt Allies - 2pts Germans
0 guns supplied - 0 pts Allies - 3 Pts German
If drop card not over red dot some ammo is lost - give 1pt to the Germans !
(eg 2 guns supplied but two drops near miss: 4pts Allies ; 1 +2 = 3pts Germans.
Eagles - can either play the mission as written - so a simple air superiority game for you, or, if you prefer you can reverse the roles but make it a ground attack game on the allied guns, please use the bomb load values from the rules for damage.
Good luck gentlemen !
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That looks fine Dave!
Originally Posted by Setarius
That sounds very ominous Dale!
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