Two Lone Shermans - Mission 1

What do you do if you have a game of Lone Sherman set up on your table, but two people want a game for the evening? A quick modification turns Lone Sherman into Two Lone Shermans!

Lone Sherman is a solitaire wargame that puts the player in charge of a Sherman tank somewhere in France after the Normandy invasion. It has fun and challenging missions, but is not completely historical, as a Sharman would not operate alone without support. Lone Sherman was written by Mike Lambo.

The game can be played on a map using counters, but I use 10/12mm Minifigs models on hexes from Kallistra, houses from Total Battle Miniatures and trees from Timecast.

 

Two Lone Shermans - Additional Rules

These rules allow two players to cooperate in a Lone Sherman mission fighting against the game's Artificial Intelligence.

Place a second Sherman on the same hex as the first, facing the same direction. When setting up German tanks, place two tanks on each hex, facing in the same direction. Do not increase the number of German Infantry placed.

No tank may enter a hex occupied by an enemy unit, but as the hexes each represent 100 – 150 yards it is possible for multiple friendly tanks to occupy the same hex.

Repeat phases 2 and 3 (Position Commander and Sherman Operation) for each Sherman in a random order.

When activating German tanks, determine the order randomly. German tanks will react to the nearest Sherman in their LOS, if none then to the nearest Sherman.

Both Shermans role for End of Turn Events in the same order as they performed the operation phase. Sniper and Infantry Attack events can affect both Shermans. Other events will only affect the Sherman that roles. If the result is a Panzer or Infantry unit, only one appears.

If the objectives require the map to be exited, both Shermans must do so for a victory.

If one Sherman is destroyed, the mission will be considered a draw if the other Sherman completes the mission objectives.

 

Mission 1 - The Village

This mission requires the Shermans to destroy all of the enemy units that start on the table, but not any that arrive later, and then to exit the road on the far board edge. There is no time limit as such, but the more time it takes, the more unfortunate events can occur. These can include such things as the arrival of more German tanks, infantry or air support.

I only have 3 Panzer IV models, so I used StuG III models instead.

StuG III: A Panzer IV can be replaced by a Sturmgeschütz III. Because the StuG III lacks a rotating turret, it can only fire its main gun through its front or front side facing. However this gives it a lower silhouette making it harder to spot and hit. Additionally, if it tries to perform a FIRE action with the target in its Rear Side, the StuG III will immediately perform a TURN and then FIRE.

 

The mission started with the two Shermans entering on the road at the bottom of the board. The lead Sherman was commanded by Lieutenant Michael Wilson and the second by Sergeant Mitch Lee.

A Panzer IV and a StuG III entered from the board's right edge and Panzer IV and a StuG III entered from the board's left edge. 

Lieutenant Michael Wilson advanced his Sherman towards the Germans behind the hedgerow, he opened fire on the Panzer IV destroying it. 

Sergeant Mitch Lee guided his Sherman through the village and into the muddy field beyond; he opened fire on the StuG III hitting it once but without penetrating its frontal armour.  The StuG III returned fire but without success,

The second Panzer IV and StuG III seemed to have trouble locating the Shermans, and did not move into the attack. Reinforcements in the form of a Panzer III appeared.

Sergeant Mitch Lee opened fire on the StuG and damaged it. He then left the muddy field and headed towards the village.

Lieutenant Michael Wilson opened fire on the already damaged StuG, his flank shot penetration and brewing up the StuG. He then followed Lee's Sherman towards the village, laying a smoke screen to protect his advance.

The StuG advanced into the village and opened fire without success. The Panzer IV and III followed cautiously in its wake.

A Luftwaffe Ju 87 Stuka appeared over the battlefield. Despite, or perhaps because of, the smoke it spotted Lieutenant Michael Wilson's Sherman. Luckily Wilson had his head out of the hatch, and he spotted the Stuka getting ready to attack. He grabbed the turret-mounted Browning .50 caliber M2 HB Machine Gun and opened fire. The hail of bullets discouraged the Stuka causing it to miss its attack.

Lieutenant Michael Wilson opened fire on the StuG without causing damage, and decided not to move.

Even Sergeant Mitch Lee opened fire on the StuG, also without success. The low silhouette of the StuG among the houses was a tricky target. Lee order his Sherman forward and then turned so that his frontal armour faced the enemy.He laid a smoke screen to protect his advance.

The StuG III opened fire on Wilson, killing his co-driver.

The Panzer IV turned to face the treat caused by Lee's Sherman, opening fire but failing to hit through the smoke.

The Panzer III charged past Wilson's Sherman, hoping to soon get a flank shot with its low-powered gun.

Sergeant Mitch Lee advanced his Sherman towards the Panzer IV, hitting it twice but both shots failed to penetrate.

Lieutenant Michael Wilson moved his Sherman onto the road and open fire into the flank of the StuG but without success.

The StuG raced out of the village, trying to get behind the Sherman.

Even the Panzer III continues its circle to attack from behind.

The Panzer IV fired back at Lee's Sherman, also with no effect.

A second Panzer III arrived from the north, driving down the road.

Despite the hail of 50-cal bullets, the Stuka pilot hadn't given up. He had circled round and came in again for a second attempt on Lieutenant Michael Wilson's Sherman. Wilson still had his head out of the hatch, and he spotted the Stuka circling ready to attack. He grabbed his trusty turret-mounted Browning, and opened fire. The Stuka caught fire and was seen crashing into a nearby wood.

Lieutenant Michael Wilson shot at and damaged the StuG III and then moved his Sherman into the cover provided by the village.

Sergeant Mitch Lee shot at the Panzer IV, finally his luck was in, the shot penetrated and the Panzer brewed up. He them moved his Sherman to face the remaining Germans.

The StuG repaired the damage and then moved slowly forward. 

The Panzer III on the road raced towards Wilson's Sherman in the village.

The final Panzer III continued its slow cautious journey behind the wood.

Lieutenant Michael Wilson chased the StuG III, firing into its weak rear armour and destroying it. He then ordered a smoke screen.

Sergeant Mitch Lee shot at the Panzer III, firing into its weak rear armour, even that brewed up.

The final Panzer III opened fire on Wilson's Sherman, but the target was hard to see in the haze of the smoke screen, and the shot missed.

Having destroyed all the original Panzer IVs and StuG IIIs (and a Panzer III for good measure) the Shermans headed north, along the road and exited the board. 

A victory for the Two Lone Shermans!

 

Lone Sherman - Mission 13

Lone Sherman is a wargame that puts the player in charge of a Sherman tank somewhere in France after the Normandy invasion. It has fun and challenging missions, but is not completely historical, as a Sharman would not operate alone without support. Lone Sherman was written by Mike Lambo.

The game can be played on a map using counters, but I use 10/12mm Minifigs models on hexes from Kallistra, houses from Total Battle Miniatures and trees from Timecast.

There are 11 missions in the game with a 12th bonus mission written by the author. I have designed an additional 13th mission.

Mission 13 - The Rescue

Lieutenant Baker was out performing a mission in his Sherman tank, when a mine in a village disabled the tank. Having radioed their situation to headquarters, Baker and his crew bailed out, A German machine gun in a nearby wood opened fire and Baker and his crew took cover in a small cottage where they were pinned down.

Headquarters tasked another Sherman, commanded by Staff Sergeant Martin Lundgren from Minnesota, to advance to the village and rescue Baker and his crew.

This mission requires the Sherman to pick up the crew of the disabled Sherman and return with them. There is no requirement to engage or eliminate any enemy units. There is no time limit as such, but the more time the Sherman takes, the more unfortunate events can occur. These can include such things as the arrival of more German tanks, infantry or air support.

The map of the mission. My collection of Kallistra terrain is currently missing ponds, so I chose to use marshes/swamps instead. 

The disabled Sherman in the village, with Lieutenant Baker and his crew pinned down by a German machine gun team.

The set-up at the start of the game. Two German Panzer IV tanks will attempt to stop the S/Sgt Martin Lundgren in command of the Sherman from completing the mission.

During the first turn, the Sherman advanced along the road. The two Panzer IV's and moved towards the Sherman and a Panzer III entered along the left-hand road to reinforce the Germans.

During turn 2, the Sherman advanced into the first village. The two Panzer IV's advanced so as to surround the Sherman, The commander of the Panzer III seemed reluctant to move towards the more powerful Sherman.

During turn 3, S/Sgt Martin Lundgren was standing with his head outside of the hatch of the Sherman and could clearly see the Panzer IV that was in the open field with no cover. Lundgren ordered his gunner to open fire and the Panzer was hit and destroyed.

Lundgren then reversed his Sherman out of the village, deciding to advance cross country instead of sticking to the roads. The remaining Panzer IV advanced out of the village towards the Sherman, having seen the fate of his comrade, the German commander laid smoke to cover his advance. The Panzer III, still very cautious, advanced slowly along the road. 

During turn 4, the Sherman driver put his foot down and tore hell for leather across the open field towards the village with the disabled Sherman. Both Panzers followed after the Sherman, but were not fast enough to catch it. German infantry were spotted in the woods near the Sherman.

During turn 5, the Sherman entered the village containing their brothers-in-arms. Using their machine-gun, they caused the German infantry in the woods to flee. They then picked up Lieutenant Baker and his crew in the Miscellaneous phase, launching smoke to cover then climbing aboard. The Panzer III advanced onto the road, and opened fire on the Sherman, but the smoke screen hid the target. More German infantry appeared in the woods, but far away from the Sherman.

During turn 6, the Sherman fired twice at the Panzer III, the first shot failed to penetrate its armour but the second damaged it. 

As the Sherman tried to sneak past the Panzer, the Germans hastily repaired the damage to their tank and then opened fire, but the Sherman's side armour was thick enough to save them. The commander in the Panzer IV, his view of the Sherman hidden by the woods, failed to advance.

During turn 7, the Sherman opened fire on the Panzer III without effect, S/Sgt Lundgren then ordered his driver to put the pedal to the metal and race towards home. The Panzer III moved forward, getting a shot at the Sherman's rear, but still failed! The Panzer IV, now saw the Sherman race across the fields and moved into the village. The German infantry in the woods decided that it was safer to stay among the trees, than to come forth and challenge the Sherman.

During turn 8, the Sherman headed into the farm and towards home. The commanders in the German tanks, seemed to have lost interest in pursuing the retreating Sherman.

During the final turn, turn 9, the Sherman exited along the road.

A successful mission and a gallant effort by S/Sgt Martin Lundgren and the crew of his Lone Sherman.

Lone Sherman - Mission 1

Lone Sherman is a wargame that puts the player in charge of a Sherman tank somewhere in France after the Normandy invasion. It has fun and challenging missions, but is not completely historical, as a Sharman would not operate alone without support. Lone Sherman was written by Mike Lambo.

The game can be played on a map using counters, but I use 12mm Minifigs models on hexes from Kallistra, houses from Total Battle Miniatures and trees from Timecast.

The Sherman was commanded by Staff Sergeant Martin Lundgren from Minnesota.

Mission 1 - The Village

This mission requires the Sherman to eliminate both Panzer IV's and exit the board at the opposite point. There is no time limit as such, but the more time the Sherman takes, the more unfortunate events can occur. These can include such things as the arrival of more German tanks, infantry or air support.

The initial set-up.

 

Having knocked out the first PzIV, the Sherman must now fight a second PzIV supported by a PzIII.

 

 

As the Panzers close in, the Sherman goes hull-down behind a hedge.
But German infantry, armed with a panzerschreck, appear out of the barn in the farm.

A second play through of the mission...

Every time a mission is played, the set-up is different!

 

The Sherman crept into the farm, to fire at the PzIV from its flank.

 

The final result was that the Sherman won one mission but failed the other. 

Second Punic War - Castulo (211 BC)

This is the seventh scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. It represents the Battle of Castulo fought in 211 BC near modern Linares in Andalusia. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra with trees from Timecast and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks.

The History

Time runs out for Publius Scipio. After several years of unbroken successes, the Scipio brothers rashly divide their armies to defeat the Carthaginians in detail. 

As Publius Scipio neared Castulo, he was harassed day and night by the Numidian light cavalry under Masinissa. When informed that Indibilis was moving across his line of retreat with 7,500 Celt-Iberians, Publius Scipio decided not to face Mago but to attack the Iberian chieftain, fearing that he would be surrounded by Carthaginian forces. The Romans marched out that night to launch an attack on the Iberians and, hopefully, evade Masinissa's cavalry. They marched throughout the night and caught Indibilis and his men by surprise in the early morning; and, with a numerical superiority, began to gain the upper hand in the ensuing action. However, the Iberians managed to hold off the Romans in the confused night battle just long enough for Masinissa to arrive.

With the Numidian cavalry attacking from the flank, the Roman assault on the Iberians began to slacken. When Mago and Hasdrubal Gisco arrived with their combined armies, the Romans finally, after a grim struggle, broke and fled, leaving Publius Scipio and most of their comrades dead on the field. 

Shortly thereafter, Publius Scipio’s son, Scipio Africanus, comes to Spain, rebuilds and retrains the Roman army, and wins the battles of Baecula and Ilipa, thus avenging the deaths of his father and uncle.

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

The Romans started by ordering forward their elite heavy legionaries to complete their line.

Ignoring the Roman centre, the Carthaginians activated their flanks.

On their right flank, the Carthaginian infantry with Hasdrubal in command moved into the woods.

While on their left flank, the Celt-Iberian warriors, with Masinissa in close support, charged into the Roman legionaries. Both sides took losses, but the Romans came off the worse. 

The whole Roman line was ordered to advance. They contacted a unit of Celt-Iberian auxilia, which they pushed back with casualties.

The Carthaginians pushed forward their left flank.

The charging Celt-Iberian warriors destroyed one unit of Roman legionaries and caused serious casualties to a second. Masinissa's Numidian light horse caused the Roman light infantry to retreat. Javelins from a unit of Celt-Iberian auxilia caused casualties to the unit of legionaries led by Publius Scipio himself.

The Romans continued their advance in the centre

One unit of Celt-Iberian auxilia was destroyed, the second unit of warriors was decimated and fled, but the third unit of Celt-Iberian auxilia fought well and despite taking losses caused serious casualties to Publius Scipio's already understrength legionaries.

The Carthaginians advanced their right flank though the woods, but this was ignored by the Romans who instead continued to advance their centre.

As they advanced, the Roman elite heavy legionaries eliminated the Celt-Iberian auxilia who stood bravely, but perhaps foolishly, in their path.

Masinissa ordered his Numidian light horse to perform a mounted charge, they rode behind Scipio and his legionaries and attacked from the rear. They destroyed the single unit of legionaries marching with Scipio.

Having first despatched the legionaries, the Numidian light horse with Masinissa at their head, slaughtered Publius Cornelius Scipio and his staff.

Seeing the loss of their general, the Roman army fled the field.

Scenario Result 

Carthaginian Victory: Carthaginians 4 - Romans 3

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	3	35
Carthaginians	4	31

Second Punic War - 2nd Beneventum (214 BC)

This is the sixth scenario in our campaign representing the Second Punic War based on my own campaign rules. It represents the Battle of Beneventum fought in 214 BC near modern Benevento in Campania, 50 kilometres northeast of Naples. 

The scenario was played using the Commands & Colors Ancients rules but on hex terrain from Kallistra and using 6mm figures from Baccus instead of blocks. The river was made by turning some Kallistra hexes upside down and filling with modelling clay; I have posted about this method in an earlier blog post.

The History

Desperate for manpower to replace the losses at Cannae, the Romans found a unique solution; they formed two legions from slaves. They were given to Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus who saw their potential and trained them well. Two years later, still under his command, these legions engaged a Carthaginian army under Hanno.

Hannibal, while preparing to assault the city of Nola in Campania, was waiting for his nephew Hanno to bring reinforcements up the Via Appia by way of Beneventum. The consul Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus ordered Gracchus, to march from Lucercia to Beneventum with the idea of confining Hannibal in Campania. Hanno and Gracchus reached the city about the same time, but Gracchus got actual possession of the city due to the fact that there was a Roman garrison within. 

The two armies lined up in order of battle, arrayed in the fashion typical of the day. Gracchus issued a decree to his men before the battle - freedom to any soldier bringing back a Carthaginian head. 

The Roman attack started well, but as soon as Carthaginians began to fall, scores of Gracchus's troops broke ranks to decapitate corpses. Faced with a disintegrating army, Gracchus corrected his error by amending his decree to "win the battle and secure your freedom." The slave soldiers quickly reformed and swept all before them. 

Interestingly, these soldiers gave their loyalty to Gracchus - not Rome. When he was killed a few years later, most of the soldiers in these legions deserted.

The Refight

The Romans and the Carthaginians faced off against each other. Rome at the bottom of this picture, and Carthage at the top.

Seeing that his troops were not yet in line, Gracchus ordered his troops forward to form an ordered line.

The Carthaginian light troops, advanced, shot at the Roman warriors and lights, and then moved back again.

The Romans advanced on both their flanks to challenge the Carthaginians.

Mago led his light cavalry and elephants forward in a mounted charge. The cavalry charged the Roman auxilia forcing them to retreat with some loss.

The elephant charged straight into the Roman warriors, even they retreated after having taken losses.

The Carthaginians advanced their right flank, and the Romans countered this by advancing against them.

Hanno led his elite African heavy infantry to attack the Roman legionaries

The fight was a tough one, but the Carthaginians steadily got the better of the Romans.

Hanno ordered his African infantry to double time and surround the lone Roman auxilia unit. At the same time his Spanish warriors double-timed into a position to flank the Romans.

The Romans pushed forward their troops, reforming their line.

The Carthaginian medium infantry crashed into the Roman flank doing great damage.

The Romans fought back, the elite Roman legionaries led by Gracchus charged into the fight. 

This attack wiped out the African medium infantry and caused the Spanish warriors to flee with great loss.

Seeing the success of the Romans, Hanno led his elite African heavy infantry to attack the elite Roman legionaries under the command of Gracchus himself. The legionaries were wiped out and Gracchus was killed in the fighting.

Seeing the loss of their general, and the slaughter of their elite troops, the Roman army fled the field.

Scenario Result 

Carthaginian Victory: Carthaginians 7 - Romans 2

Campaign Result 

	Victories	Banners
Romans	3	32
Carthaginians	3	27