One Hour Wargames: Scenario 31 Holding Action

There is no shortage of good scenarios in the One Hour Waragames Book, howver, I couldn't resist the temptation and add some more and so consulted a book that Neil Thomas also refers to and sites as inspiration to a number of his scenarios in the book.

This was based on Charles Stewart, Scenarios for Wargames (Wargames Research Group, 1981) (pp.14-15) and called Holding Action. The Blue General commands a numerically inferior force tasked with holding the larger Red army. The Red army must not be allowed to break through the position the Blue force adopts during the hours of daylight. At last light, if it still holds its position, the holding Blue force will be able to withdraw having bought valuable time. A couple of roads funnel the Red forces which are divided in two using these as approaches to the Blue holding position. Blue has 4, Red 6 units.

The period I chose was WWII in the Western Desert. With a rather sparse selection of hills and rocky outcrops for terrain the British took on the role of the Blue defender with couple of infantry platoons, a unit of Matilda II tanks and a Mortar section. I also added a recon section of a Humber AC aswell as the Commander element - an addition to the core rules. Facing these were two motorised columns of three panzer grenadier companies, two Pz III units and a AT gun. Again I added a Puma AC and Commander element as additional units.

The game played very nicely with a strong thrust by the Germans to the north countered by stiff resistance from the British line further south. As the game pivoted the Germans gradually brought numerical superiority to bear and by turn 10 the British defence had collapsed. A German victory before night fall. This was a great scenario to play and I think I will get out my Cold War NATO and Warsaw Pact forces and play it again as a likely defensive situation for Western units heading off a Soviet invasion.