Landings at Hythe

26/9/40

(Scenario update pending)

Pics from v1.0

The Germans, having wrested the skies from the RAF, and packed very last available U-boat around the RN's bases, launched their long anticipated invasion of Britain on the 26th of September 1940. Transport Fleet B landed the 17 Infanterie Division around Hythe. The invasion had started.

The scenario is based off the the official German plans for the invasion and the  British defences are accurate.

Note: this is a large complex game, using many "chrome" rules such as paratroopers, especially the 8ft x 5ft version. Its not recommended for beginners!

1940's OS map of the battle area from: http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#616,135,1

Map and Order of Battle

Note on Game Size

The scenario can be played two ways: big (8ft x 5ft) or small (6ft x 4ft). The black dotted line shows the outline of the 6x4 table.

Units denoted in italics on the OB do not appear in in the small game

Allied Deployment

Allies deploy first and move second

Some of the deployment locations are not very well defined on the map, for example the Brigade HQ of the 2nd London Infantry Brigade. It is suggested that a house or haystack model is placed at the nominal deployment location on the table, to avoid confusion on the day of the game.

Large Game Only

Brig HQ, 2nd London Infantry Brigade and its associated logistics are deployed within 12" of the point shown on the map. they can be in different locations.

1st London Rifle Brigade (1 LRB) is deployed anywhere touching the Lyminge-Cheriton railway.

1st Queens Westminster Rifles (1 QMR) Mobile Column, is a reinforcement arriving turn 4 on the north edge within 12" of point B in the large game.

1st Queens Westminster Rifles (1 QMR) (-), is a reinforcement arriving turn 5 on the north edge within 12" of point B in the large game.

2/5th Queens (+) is a reinforcement arriving turn 6 on the north edge within 12" of point B in the large game.

C4 & C5 Mobile Battery is a reinforcement arriving turn 6 on the north edge within 12" of point B in the large game.

Brigade AT Battery is deployed within 12" of the point shown on the map but must be touching the road

The 4 Sections 501st Field Company RE are each deployed touching one of the bridges over the Royal Military Canal touching on the north side. One section per bridge - see special rules. Note these units do not have standard unit bases and are represented by a pillbox model which in effect acts as the unit base.

All units of the 6th Field Regiment RA are deployed within 12" of the point shown on the map. they can be in different locations. The guns are in support of the infantry and HQ of the 2nd London Infantry Brigade (not C4 & C5, brigade AT or 501st RE)

B Coy 6th Somerset Light Infantry is deployed in or touching Dymchurch. It is entrenched (2L).

C Coy 6th Somerset Light Infantry is deployed in Burmarsh which is a fortified nodal point (3L) - see special rules

D Coy 6th Somerset Light Infantry is deployed on the escarpment within 6" of the point shown on the map. It is entrenched (2L).

Recce 6th Somerset Light Infantry is deployed within 12" of Burmarsh

D Coy 18th Royal Fusiliers is deployed on the ridgeline north west of point F. It is entrenched (2L).

B Coy Kent Home Guard is deployed in Sellindge which is a fortified nodal point (3L) - see special rules

5th Stevedore Battalion (-) is deployed in or touching Hythe or Saltwood

Detachment 5th Stevedore Battalion (-) is in Dymchurch Redoubt (4L) - see special rules

Small Arms School is placed between Dymchurch Redoubt and Hythe but not touching either. it must be at least partially south of the road.

37th Super Heavy Battery RA  must be straddling the railway between Lyminge and Elham. It is in support of the beaches (see special rules).

The units at RAF Lympne and RAF Hawkinge are placed in or touching the BUA representing the buildings. They are in pillboxes (2L)

Small Game Only

Brig HQ, 2nd London Infantry Brigade and its associated logistics are deployed within 12" of the point shown on the map. they can be in different locations.

1st London Rifle Brigade (LRB) is deployed anywhere touching the Lyminge-Cheriton railway.

1st Queens Westminster Rifles Mobile Column, is a reinforcement arriving turn 4 on the north edge within 6" of point B' in the small game.

1st Queens Westminster Rifles (-), is a reinforcement arriving turn 6 on the north edge within 6" of point B' in the small game.

2/5th Queens (+) is a reinforcement arriving turn 7 on the north edge within 6" of point B' in the small game.

C4 & C5 Mobile Battery is a reinforcement arriving turn 7 on the north edge within 6" of point B' in the small game.

Brigade AT Battery is deployed within 12" of the point shown on the map but must be touching the road

The 3 Sections 501st Field Company RE are each deployed touching one of the bridges over the Royal Military Canal touching on the north side. One section per bridge - see special rules. Note these units do not have standard unit bases and are represented by a pillbox model which in effect acts as the unit base.

B Coy Kent Home Guard is deployed in Sellindge which is a fortified nodal point (3L) - see special rules

5th Stevedore Battalion (-) is deployed in or touching Hythe or Saltwood

Detachment 5th Stevedore Battalion (-) is in Dymchurch Redoubt (4L) - see special rules

Small Arms School is placed between Dymchurch Redoubt and Hythe but not touching either. it must be at least partially south of the road.

37th Super Heavy Battery RA  must be straddling the railway between Lyminge and Elham. It is in support of beaches (see special rules).

The units at RAF Lympne is placed in or touching the BUA representing the buildings. It is in pillboxes (2L)

Bde HQ 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and Logistics enters the battle turn 8 within 12" of point A

C Squadron 2nd Divisional Cavalry enters the battle turn 5 within 6" of point A'

Milforce enters the battle turn 6 within 6" of point A'

22nd Wellington Battalion enters the battle turn 7 within 6" of point A'

23rd Otago Battalion enters the battle turn 8 within 6" of point A'

German Deployment

Germans deploy second and move first

Large Game Only

Voraus Abteilung 21 Infanterie Regiment is deployed between Dymchurch Redoubt and Hythe. Its front edge is touching the beach.

All other elements of 21 Infanterie Regiment arrive between Dymchurch Redoubt and Hythe, see table below for arrival times and locations

Voraus Abteilung 55 Infanterie Regiment and Panzer Abteilung B are deployed between Dymchurch Redoubt and Dymchurch. Their front edges are touching the beach.

All other elements of 21 Infanterie Regiment  arrive between Dymchurch Redoubt and Dymchurch  see table below for arrival times and locations

543 & 616 Panzerjäger arrives turn 6 within 6" of Dymchurch

Kampfgruppe Steinzler lands turn 2. The selected DZ must be within 6" of the wood at point G

Kampfgruppe Meindl lands turn 2. The selected DZ must be within 6" of the point H where the ridgeline meet

Kampfgruppe Brauer lands turn 6.The selected DZ must be within 6" of the wood at point I

Small  Game Only

Voraus Abteilung 21 Infanterie Regiment is deployed between Dymchurch Redoubt and Hythe. Its front edge is touching the beach.

All other elements of 21 Infanterie Regiment arrive between Dymchurch Redoubt and Hythe, see table below for arrival times and locations

All elements of 55 Infanterie Regiment arrive up to 6" north of point J'. See table below for arrival times

543 & 616 Panzerjäger arrives turn 8 up to 6" north of point J'

Kampfgruppe Steinzler lands turn 2. The selected DZ must be within 6" of the wood at point G

Kampfgruppe Brauer lands turn 6.The selected DZ must be within 6" of the wood at point I

Large Game Reinforcement Schedule

Small Game Reinforcement Schedule

Terrain

The table is 8ft x 5ft if playing the large game, 6ft x 4ft If playing the small game. Ground scale is 6"=1km. North is indicated by the compass rose

Red lines are roads and the black dashed lines are railways. They have no game effects

The blue line is a the Royal Military Canal, this is a wide river. The treble black lines indicate bridges.

The dashed brown line are level two ridgelines. Those with triangles along them are escarpments with the points of the triangles indicating the direction of the down slope.

The open ground is actually a series of enclosed fields, so all the terrain is cluttered

The pale blue area is the sea, which is for the most part impassable. An area one base width wide bordering the coast is considered shallows.

Romney Marsh is the green are with the blue vertical lines in it. It is fields but also rough terrain due to the number of drainage ditches in the area.

The pale brown areas are level 2 hills and the dark brown level 3 hills. However there is no vision from the level 3 hills down to level 0. Remember the game uses hills or ridgelines not both. I recommend ridgelines

The green areas are unmanaged woods

The light grey squares are suburban BUA, the dark grey areas are town centre BUA

The grey circles with "flanges" are defended localities. They are treated as villages and use a similar template. Represent them in a similar way as a village on the table top but surrounded by barbed wire and with a few pillboxes scattered around. See special rules.

Dymchurch Redoubt 1948 - from http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/eaw013670

Aircraft

The Luftwaffe is using most of its strength to keep Royal Navy at bay or to escort the Ju-52s carry the Fallschirmjäger, thus there is little close air support available. Stukas are active in turn 1 but will be busy attacking coastal guns which s not depicted by this scenario. In scenario terms only the Allies get air power. This is only available outside the times when the Luftwaffe are active.

The allied player may roll for aircraft on turns 3-4 and 7+. Roll 1d6, on a 4 they get 1d3 light attack aircraft (Lysander, Miles Magister or Tiger Moth), on a 5-6 they get two Blenheim or Hampden bombers

The Bombers may only attack German units touching the beach

Special Rules

The game is 10 turns long for the small version and 11 turns long for the large version

Dymchurch Redoubt is a 19th Century fort with a dry moat around it. It cannot be involved in a close combat unless a German Engineer unit is in contact. The unit within has no flanks. It is a very solid construction and gives 4 left shifts for cover

Defended localities are fortified villages. They are for the most part they are treated as a suburban BUA. Due to the obstacles around the village any unit attempting to come into contact must halt 1" away and may not contact. If a unit is already 1" away it may move to contact but it  is subject to a minefield attack of 9 factors before it contacts. Engineer units are only subject to an attack of 4 factors.

Any German unit attempting to cross the military canal by a bridge must contact a pillbox held by the 501st RE. The German unit will count as attacking from a defile. Any unit moving to close assault the pillbox and still touching the canal (so not just attacking across the bridge)  is subject to a minefield attack of 9 factors before it contacts. Engineer units are only subject to an attack of 4 factors.

The bridges are wired for demolition however at least one bridge will fail completely to blow and remain intact (Historically in exercises simulated bridge demolitions were poorly conducted, and demolishing all the bridges would break the scenario)

Folkestone, Cheriton and Sandgate are out of play to both sides:

• Any German unit within 6" will be attacked by 2FP if it is also subject to another Allied attack (artillery must be called down successfully if its the only other attack) the bonus applies to all shooting at targets within 6" of the towns.

• British units subject to involuntary moves (ie forced back) may enter the towns. Once in the town they must roll each turn to activate and leave the town. Any Allied unit at least partially within the towns may not shoot.

Also take note of the following chrome rules (further explained in the BBWWB rulebook)

• German units touching the coast must remain disrupted

• Paratroopers that have just landed are both disrupted ad regrouping. This is in effect a double disruption.

• Units with the flame attribute reduce all cover to 1L if in contact with the enemy

• 501st Engineers demolishing bridges

Victory Conditions

The victory locations are: bridges over the royal military canal; escarpment EF (EF' in the small game); escarpment CD (C'H in the small game), road exit A (A'); road exit B (B') and the RAF bases

To win the Germans must clear an intact bridge over the Royal Military canal, clear escarpment EF (EF' in the small game) hold an RAF base, and contend any of escarpment CD (C'H in the small game), road exit A (A') or road exit B (B')

The game is a draw if the Germans only clear an intact bridge over the Royal Military canal, clear escarpment EF (EF' in the small game) and hold an RAF base.

Any other result is an allied victory

To clear an objective there must not be an Allied unit touching it at the end of the game.

To hold an objective there must not be an Allied unit touching it at the end of the game and a non spent German unit must be touching it.

An objective is contended if both  a German and Allied unit is touching it at the end of the game.

References

The scenario is generated from the German and British plans taken from:

Invasion of England 1940 by Peter Schennk - German invasion plans

We Shall Fight Them by Ian Lofting - British preparations

Pillboxes of Britain and Ireland by Mike Osborne provided some useful info about pillboxes, especially the nugget that most UK pillboxes of the time were only bullet proof not shell proof

The map came from: http://www.npemap.org.uk/tiles/map.html#616,135,1