Germans in Dover 1944
A what if scenario by Craig Baxter for Flames of War
Germans in Dover 1944.
In initial plans for Operation Sea-Lion (the German invasion of Britain) called for large-scale beach assault on the southern English coast. The Germans had identified beaches along more than 200 miles of southern coast of England. Troops from Divisions stationed in France would make the assaults on barges and ships converted for a beach assault. The hope was that the troops would secure a large enough beachhead that they could quickly capture significant portions of southern England.
Germans in Dover uses the Defensive Battle, Beach Assault, Prepare Positions, Interdiction, Overwhelming Force, Floating Reserve and the No Retreat No Surrender Special Rule.
Attacker
With continental Europe under control of the Third Reich the only adversary left in our way is Great Britain. At dawn our ships leave France and head for England to bring the only remaining hold out into our firm grasp. Soon Europe will be unified under German rules.
Defender
The Nazi Regime in Berlin has enslaved all of Europe. Only Britain and her people stand as a beacon of freedom and light in a world gone mad with darkness and cruelty. Germany has our island firm in her sights and soon waves of German invaders will attempt to crash upon the shores of this great nation. The only thing standing in the way of this evil is the brave men and women of the Empire. Through courage and sacrifice we will overcome this adversary and turn back the tide of this unimaginable evil.
Preparing for Battle
(Germans in Dover uses the beach map from Hit the Beach on the Flames of War website)
1.The British player places their objective first, then the Allied player places theirs. Objectives cannot be placed within 12”/30cm of the beach or dunes or within 20”/50cm of the rear of the table, nor within 8”/20cm of the table edges.
2. Next the British player places their fortifications anywhere in the Hinterland Zone. Bunkers may not be placed across roads or the beach exit.
3. The British player must hold at least half of their platoons in Delayed Reserve at the start of the game. The remaining platoons teams are now placed in the Hinterland Zone.
4. The German player must hold at least half of their platoons in their Floating Reserve. Place the rest in their landing craft in the Sea Zone.
5. Next the German player places any DD tank platoons that will swim ashore in the Sea Zone.
Beginning the Battle
1. The British force begins the game in prepared positions, so their troops are in Foxholes and Gone to Ground.
2. The German Player conducts a Preliminary Bombardment on the defender’s forces.
3. The German player then lands their DD tank platoons.
4. The German player may not make Reconnaissance Deployment moves.
5. Both players should remember that the British reserves will be hindered by the Interdiction special rule when making their plans.
6.The German player has the first turn.
Ending the Game
The battle ends either at the end of the Starting Step of the German turn 12, or when the German player starts any of their turns holding both objectives.
Deciding who Won
Unlike most missions, casualties are irrelevant. All that matters is getting ashore as far and as fast as possible, or stopping the enemy from doing so.
The German player wins if they hold the objective placed by the British player, otherwise the British player wins.
Special Rules
Interdiction
The German air force totally dominates the skies over England. The British reserves are placed centrally so they can respond to a landing anywhere. However, their march is continually interrupted by German air attacks making their movement very slow and uncertain.
The British player’s Delayed Reserves arrive on rolls of 6 rather than 5+ as normal.
OverwhelmingForce
In order to overcome the defenses in southern England the Germans require an overwhelming force. The Germans know that they will be scattered and disorganized as their troops face withering British fire. It is only through overwhelming force that they will secure a beachhead and victory.
The German force has 75% more troops than the British force. I recommend 1750 points vs 1000 points.
When an German platoon is Destroyed, the player returns it to the Floating Reserve to represent a fresh unit landing in its place. Infantry and Man-packed Gun teams in the platoon return to the Floating Reserve and can land again as long as the platoon contains at least four such teams. However, all other types of teams are permanently lost. Destroyed Armoured vehicles remain where they are.
Independent teams are also permanently lost when they are Destroyed.
The German player may voluntarily destroy platoons and return them to the Floating Reserve in the first part of the Starting Step.
No Retreat, No Surrender
The fate of Empire and Reich weighs heavy on the soldiers on both sides of the invasion. Victory will bring them glory while defeat will result in certain death.
Neither side needs to take Company Morale Checks. They will fight until the end.
British Forces
The British player may build their company from any late war British infantry list.
You may not take air support.
Sea Lion Defenses
The British defenses along the along the southern coast of Britain were strong. They included bunkers with the heavy anti-tank guns as well as tank turrets.
The British may take the field fortifications from the D-Day Field Fortification List with the following substitutions.
Anti Tank Pill Boxes
Sub 7.5cm pill box for a 17pdr
Sub a 5 cm pill box for a 6pdr
Many not take a 8.8cm pill box
5cm Kwk Nest
Sub 5cm Kwk with a 2pdr
FlaK Nest
Sub FlaK 38 for a 40mm Bofors
Turrets
Sherman Turret – 70 points
Stuart Turret – 50 points
You may not take a rocket battery.
German Forces
Germans forces may take any Heer or SS infantry company from any Late War Army List with up to two additional combat platoons of infantry.
You may only take one tank platoon in your list to land on barges. The platoon is limited to no more than one tank platoon with a maximum of 3 tank teams. Instead of barging in tanks the German player may take one platoon of Schwimmpaner IIs, Tauchpanzer IIIs or Tauchpanzer IVs.
The Germans may take Naval Artillery from the D-Day Briefing.
Germans may take priority air support from any list.
The company may not take field fortifications.
Assault Troops
German troops that hit the beach with extra equipment to help deal with the beach fortifications.
All infantry teams in combat platoons are treated as engineers for crossing minefields and barbwire. Additionally you may replace up to one team per combat platoon with a flamethrower at the start of the game.
Barge Landing
Troops have to be barged across the channel to reach the shores of England. Once their troops have to deal with the oceans current, winds and gunfire.
Use the beach landing rules for drift from the D-Day scenarios for landing your troops in the beach.
Schwimmpanzer
(from wikipedia)
The Schwimmpanzer II was a modified version of the Panzer II which, at 8.9 tons, was light enough to float with the attachment of long rectangular buoyancy boxes to either side of the tank's hull. The boxes were machined from aluminium stock and filled with Kapok sacks for added buoyancy. Motive power came from the tank's own tracks which were connected by rods to a propeller shaft running through each float.
The Schwimmpanzer II could make 5.7 km/h in the water. An inflatable rubber hose around the turret ring created a waterproof seal between the hull and turret. The tank's 2cm gun and coaxial machinegun were kept operational and could be fired while the tank was still churning its way ashore. Because of the great width of the pontoons, Schwimmpanzer IIs were to be deployed from specially modified Type C landing barges, from which they could be launched directly into open water from a large hatch cut into the stern. The Germans converted 52 of these tanks to amphibious use prior to Sealion's cancelation.
This mission assumes that the Germans adapted this technology for a beach landing in 1944. German players may take 3-5 Schwimmpanzer IIs. Schwimmpanzers IIs have the same stats of a Panzer II F and use the DD Tank rules for deploying and coming ashore. Schwimmpanzer IIs cost 45 per tank.
Tauchpanzer
(from wikipedia)
The Tauchpanzer or deep-wading tank (also referred to as the U-Panzer or Unterwasser Panzer) was a standard Panzer III or Panzer IV medium tank with its hull made completely water-proof by sealing all sighting ports, hatches and air intakes with tape or caulk. The gap between the turret and hull was sealed with an inflatable hose while the main gun mantlet, commander’s cupola and radio operator’s machine gun were given special rubber coverings. Once the tank made it to shore, all covers and seals could be blown off via explosive cables, enabling normal combat operation.
Fresh air for both the crew and engine was drawn into the tank via an 18m long rubber hose to which a float was attached to keep one end above the water’s surface. A radio antenna was also attached to the float to provide communication between the tank crew and the transport barge. The tank’s engine was converted to be cooled with seawater and the exhaust pipes were fitted with over-pressure valves. Any water seeping into the tank’s hull could be removed via an internal bilge pump. Navigation underwater was accomplished using a directional gyro compass or by following instructions radioed from the transport barge.
Experiments conducted at the end of June and early July at Schilling, near Wilhelmshaven, showed that the submersible tanks functioned best when they were kept moving along the seabed as, if halted for any reason, they tended to sink into the sand. Obstacles such as underwater trenches or large rocks tended to stop the tanks in their tracks and it was decided for this reason that they should be landed at high tide so that any tanks so mired could be retrieved again at low tide. Submersible tanks could operate in water up to a maximum depth of 15 metres (49 ft).
The Kriegsmarine initially expected to use 50 specially-converted motor coasters to transport the submersible tanks. But actual testing with the coaster Germania showed this to be impractical due to the ballast needed to offset the weight of the tanks and the fact that the coasters had to be grounded in order to prevent them from capsizing as the tanks were transferred by crane onto the vessel’s wooden side ramps. These difficulties led to development of the Type B barge.
By the end of August, the Germans had converted 160 Panzer IIIs, 42 Panzer IVs and 52 Panzer IIs to amphibious use. This gave them a paper strength of 254 machines, about the equivalent of an armored division. The tanks were divided into four battalions or detachments labeled Panzer-Abteilung A, B, C and D. They were to carry sufficient fuel and ammunition for a combat radius of 200km.
This mission assumes that the Germans adapted this technology for a beach landing in 1944. German players may take 3-5 Tauchpanzer IIIs or IVs. Tauchpanzer have the same stats of a Panzer III M or IV H and use the DD Tank rules for deploying and coming ashore. You may mix IIIs and IVs in this platoon.
Panzer III Tauchpanzer cost 80 points per tank
Panzer III or IV Tauchpanzer cost 120 point per tank