Messenger Boys WTO (id:#61656)
(ASL Journal #10 ID: J152)   [next]   [previous]
See Also: Messenger Boys by Paddington Bears
Designer: Andrew Rogers
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
BritishGerman (SS)
45.454545454545%

Overview:

By the fourth day of the British offensive Operation Bluecoat, the German front line had been penetrated and the armoured units sought to exploit the gains. To obtain a clear line of advance, the British Guards Armoured division changed its orientation and sought to push eastwards from the village of Catheolles. This redirection led the Guards into the path of SS-Panzer-Division “Hofenstaufen”, redeployed to this sector to meet the British threat. The Germans faced a more tactically adept opponent, with the Guards manoeuvring in combined tank and infantry battlegroups. One battlegroup, consisting of the 2nd Armoured and 1st Motor Grenadier Guards battalions, pushed from Catheolles into the hamlet of Drouet towards their objective on Montchauvet. Challenging this battlegroup were SS troopers from 9.SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment “Hofenstaufen”, supporting panzers and a surprise.
Attacker: British (2nd Company, 1st Grenadier Guards and 3rd Squadron, 2nd Grenadier Guards)
Defender: German (SS) (Kompanie 9, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Hohenstaufen" and remnants of Grenadier-Regiment 752 and elements of SS-Panzer-Regiment 9)  
5.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:14.0 D:9.5
AFVs: A:6
Sherman VC(a)
Sherman V(a) x 3
M5(a)
M5A1(a)

AFVs: D:4
SPW 251/1 x 2
PzKpfw IVJ x 2

Guns: A:0
OML 2-in. Mortar x 3
D:1
5cm PaK 38

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: Bocage (B9.5). Bldgs: Ground level only. A: Elite
Overlays: OW1 O5 X15
Errata (source)
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2025-06-17(A) Eric Partizan Eric vs Douglas Leslie German (SS) win
2025-06-16(D) Douglas Leslie vs Eric Partizan Eric German (SS) winThe British have a lot to do but lots of tools to do it. In the end, they fell one building short of the total that they needed. Very enjoyable scenario.
2023-06-09(A) fabrizio da pra vs Alex Koestler British win
2023-01-29(A) Tuomo Lukkari vs Mikko Lukkari British win[Imported from ROAR]
2021-01-18(A) X von Marwitz vs Lars-Peder Jensen German (SS) winSet in August 1944, this scenario has some 'Bocage' feeling to it, but it is nevertheless not one of the 'full-scale' Bocage scenarios. Basically, an Elite British force supported by tanks and halftracks has to push back and root out a smaller German SS force to and out of some buildings. Not all the Germans are SS, but those who are not are Fanatic and have a commissar-type Leader by SSR. The Germans receive reinforcements which are small but powerful in the form of a pair of Pz IVs and two SS-laden halftracks, that should arrive in the nick of time just when the Germans need them most.

A full AAR will be found at GameSquad forum under the following link:

http://www.gamesquad.com/forums/index.php?threads/j152-messenger-boys-aar.159971/
2020-09-12(A) Jeff Waldon vs David Wolfe British winVASL - Atlanta and Seattle ASL Clubs
2020-02-28(D) Michal Sedlacko vs George Tournemire British win[Imported from ROAR]
2020-02-14(A) Øyvind Jacobsen Bjørkås vs Nils Bakke German (SS) winI tried a flanking move through the hills, which took too long.
2017-09-23(D) Tom Kearney vs Lindsey Murillo German (SS) winCommonwealth in Normandy campaign.
2014-04-07(D) Richard Carter vs Davide Bendazzi British winI set up too far forward and was overrun. Then got too aggressive w/ my reinforcements.
2014-04-07(A) Davide Bendazzi vs Richard Carter British win
2013-08-31(A) Paul Messina vs Edward Beekman German (SS) win
2013-08-14(D) Paolo Cariolato vs Philippe Rohmer German (SS) win
2013-03-25(A) patrick palma vs Chuck Dye German (SS) win
2013-03-25(D) Chuck Dye vs patrick palma German (SS) win
2013-03-23(D) Jesus Pie vs Pierce Mason German (SS) winA great game decided mainly by a PSK and a PzIV shots that leave Pierce almost without armor support for the last attack, and also the poor performance of his 9-2, breaking with the first shot that he recives, and his refusing to rally (he roll 10 and 11 in his rally attempts). eASLeague 2013 - Front Line group - 1 round
2013-02-28(D) Allen Evenson vs Todd Hively British winConceeded a little early in the game due to time constraints but Todd has the upper hand. VASLeague 2013 Round 1
2013-02-10(D) Andy Beaton vs Richard Hooks German (SS) winRematch was much closer, the German win hinged on a close combat kill of the British 9-2 and the failure of the British smoke mortars at the key road crossing moment. If either of those rolls had gone the other way, a British win was in reach.
2013-02-06(D) Andy Beaton vs Richard Hooks German (SS) winBritish tanks were bloodied right at the start, and it blunted their aggressiveness. And the British don't have the time to be cautious. Racking it up fr a replay.
2012-12-28(D) Eric Partizan Eric vs Michel Bongiovanni British win
2012-12-02(A) Fred Ingram vs Jeff Coleman German (SS) winThis one went right down to the wire with 3 buildings still in melee at the end of the last turn. The British needed to win one of the melees to win the game. The really disappointing roll was a 6-1 CC attack against the commissar type leader in the 2 hex stone building. The roll was gacked, badly.

The game started off badly even at setup as we both misread the less than sign on the restriction for being between hex row I & Q. We read it as being greater or equal to level 2 hexes (which forced the defender to foolishly be on the hill). Luckily we caught the error before start of play.

The game went as designed I feel. The initial German troops delayed the British getting near the victory buildings until the reinforcements arrived, After that it was a very fun slug fest.

Jeff gambled a bit and moved some units into a wood building right next to 2 British halftracks and a pile of infantry. He withstood the two 16+2 shots and came back with devastating defensive fire. Killing all infantry/leader with a Yahtzee KIA, and shocking one HT while recalling the other. That was the critical turning point of the game.
2012-12-02(D) Jeff Coleman vs Fred Ingram German (SS) win
2012-11-19(A) Will Willow vs Jim Bishop German (SS) winVASL
View all or balance report
ActionDate
Bongiovanni Added a playing2025-06-17 16:36:46
Hutch Modified the misc. rules2025-06-17 12:09:58
Hutch Modified the gps location2025-06-17 12:07:06
Dougban Added a playing2025-06-16 20:14:48
Bongiovanni Uploaded a VASL file2025-01-10 11:15:31
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.76Votes: 25
Views: 5304
To-Play list count: 4
Estimated Play time: 5.3 hours
Recorded Games: 18
Archive recorded plays:
British7
German (SS)11
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Messenger Boys [Confirmed]
[A] British 43
[D] German 49
All Rights Reserved. (c)2022 Dave Ramsey.