One of the worst fears of any combat soldier is becoming a prisoner of war. It is such an unknown situation as anything can happen when you give up your right or will to resist. In some cases, surrender only seemed to work if you were taken as part of such a large group that the enemy had to stop fighting to deal with you. In cases too numerous to count, soldiers on both sides were not partial to take small groups of prisoners as it meant taking a rifle away from their comrades or even more prevalent, lessening their rage of battle that they might have just been feeling a few seconds before when the fighting was fierce and murderous. No nation in the Second World War can claim innocence in regards to shooting unarmed men. It is simply a fact of war.
While soldiers did know or assume this, surrenders did occur regularly and there are many cases of kindness and cruelty on all sides. Yet surrender was normally only an option when all other avenues had been exhausted and that normally happened when the affected unit was surrounded without an escape route. The escape route didn't need to be large or even completely free of enemy control. Remember that the German drive out of Falaise in 1944 was dominated by the Poles to the North and the US driving hard from the south. The German army literally walked out of the pocket getting shot at on both sides, but still did not consider surrender an option even though the pocket was 90% closed.
When the pocket did close, there was still another option over surrendering your life to perhaps the not-so-tender mercies of your enemies- the breakout attempt. The operative word is 'attempt' because no breakout was ever a sure thing and sometimes, even if they punched through the holding enemy troops, the formation making the attempt had to walk or drive hundreds of miles before they reached friendly lines again. Look to the Italian 8th Army at Stalingrad that had to march 300 miles over 40 days before they reached safety.
In some cases, the fighting men were restricted in breaking out not by the terrain or even the enemy, but by their leadership who felt that holding in place was preferable to retreat. Both Patton and Hitler felt it unwise to have to pay for the same ground twice, although Adolf was much more adamant about it than George was, In one case at Deymansk, an entire Corps was pocketed, but successfully survived thanks to the Luftwaffe and the fact the Germans inside the pocket never felt that their position was tenuous.
But Deymansk was the exception, not the rule as most surrounded formations would be slowly squeezed out of existence, hence the need to breakout before the situation got so bad it became impossible to move. Once the order was given to breakout, time, distance and type of units attempting the breakout determined just how organized or successful the attempt would be.
In 1944, one-armed Hans Hube took an entire army out of a pocket, but he was also clever enough to retain enough gasoline to carry his men to safety.
In stark contrast to Hube's success is the German attempt at Velikie Luki and the US Army's chance in the Ardennes with the 106th Division. In both cases, the breakout quickly lost steam and cohesion against the determined defenders and rapidly degenerated into individual groups of men trying to make their way to safety. At that point, the survival of the unit came down to their training and experience as soldiers and a little commodity known as luck.
The failed breakout is the focus of this scenario. While the other type of breakout is also fun, it is also much like a set piece battle and you are only colored by the description the scenario gave you. Here, the situation is a little murkier, the stakes a little higher and the rewards sweeter if you make it as there is no one telling you in a harsh voice "For you, the war is over!"
Troops Needed
Here's the beauty of this scenario: You can use any army you want. The enemy will be run by a referee and one or two other players, but the players working with the referee have to come into the game with the understanding they are not there to win the game, but to simply keep the other players from succeeding. Each player attempting the breakout will begin with two plus a D10 die roll for the total amount of figures in their squad. Using this math, a squad can have anywhere from 3 to 12 figures. That number is the total amount of men available to just that player. If you have more than one player, each will make his or her own separate die rolls. The squads will all be armed with the common weapons adopted by that army for that time period. If your total score is an '8' or better, you may equip one soldier with a Light Machine gun (LMG). Roll 2D6. That is the number of grenades in your squad. The last roll you will make is for troop quality. Use the troop quality tables for the year the scenario takes place (players or referees choice) as per the Combat Command rules. If you roll Green troops, add one figure to the squad. If they are elite, remove one figure. Add one final figure to the total to serve as a Sergeant and your leader. He may be equipped with a pistol, rifle or a Sub Machinegun (SMG), or carbine.
For every three breakout players, one player may add a Lieutenant to his group. If you can't settle this democratically or by fisticuffs, then fall back on the alternate method of having each player rolling a die. Lowest roll gets the LT. Ties are re-rolled until there is one clear winner. You can also do the 'whiner' rule. The person that complains the most is automatically made the LT so they can now lead you to victory with all their vast resources and infinite knowledge they were enlightening you with just a few minutes before. Hopefully, the sarcasm will be lost on them or they have a good sense of humor. If not, see the top of the paragraph for instructions.
If a Lieutenant is taken, then he can be equipped with the same choices as a sergeant. The person the LT is assigned to can also equip one figure in their squad with a radio. The radio cannot call for support, but it will allow the LT to coordinate his actions with other players on the table. The LT section can also automatically upgrade one soldier in the section to a SMG, LMG, or Sniper. Again, this is the LT player's choice. The LT also has the option to transfer the men among other player's squads to even them out of he wishes. You can never remove a squad entirely or take away LMG to give to another squad - not without a riot at least.
Set Up
Each squad or section is set up south of the Red line in the area marked `Breakout set up area'. Each player and squad may try to coordinate their activities before the breakout begins, but once they are set up on the table and the game starts, the players may only talk to other players that their squad is adjacent to on the table. The exception is the LT with the radio. He or she can talk to anyone.
Victory
Enemy units do not count for victory conditions at all. Terrain does not count for victory at all. To `win', you must exit your squad off of the North table edge. Not all of the squads, just the one you're running. Your squad can be in any condition except routed. Routed units will retreat back towards the breakout start area. You have 6 turns to accomplish your victory conditions.
Terrain and Conditions
The buildings are, a mix of stone, wood and brick and are totally dependent on what you have on hand. Place the buildings as you see fit. The woods are light shrubs and park-like trees, which will give a +1, save. The walls are stone and give a +3 save if the line of fire crosses over them. The fields are not in season or have been harvested, so they just give a + 1 save for the dirt mounds. The stream is shallow and stagnant. For players looking for a twist, don't be afraid to take this map and modify it for other regions or conditions. Make it the Steppes in 1943 and have the river possibly frozen or liable to crack if hit with an explosive. Treat all soldiers who fall into the freezing water as casualties and remove them (they will die of exposure long before you get to safety). Or take it another way and turn it into a wadi or gully in the desert. The scenario will play the same regardless of how you want to use the map.
This is a night game. Roll 4D6 to see how far you can spot.
Enemy Set Up
The table will be devoid of any enemy units at the start of the game. As friendly or enemy units move, fire or spot, they will be placed and removed from the table as appropriate. It is possible to start contacting enemy units from the defender set up line onward.
Special Scenario Rules
Movement in the open does not count as being automatically spotted due to the cloudless night. You must still roll to spot. Firing units are automatically spotted as per the rules.
Remember that when a unit fires at night, the spotting range is automatically increased to the firing units location, so other unactivated enemy units may have their events triggered by the shot.
Player's Map
ONLY THE REFEREE SHOULD READ BEYOND THIS POINT!!!
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© Copyright 2004 Hal Thinglum
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