Bolt Action - Desert War Campaign tracking - Round 4. update 2nd of Jan 2021

Campaign season

This fall of 2020 really seems to be a true campaign season! I’m currently leading a Song of Ice and Fire campaign, playing in a two player Sharp Practice campaign and participating in a 10+ player Bolt Action campaign. This campaign starts with all units as inexperienced and if they succeed in both surviving and doing good in the battles they will evolve to regulars and then veterans and learn special skills. So some tracking is needed and I will do it in my notebook and here. Follow  the faith of DAK forces on this page...

Battles

Battle 1. Sectors vs.Marko's Free France army - RESULT: VICTORY!

Battle 2. Demoltion vs. Tero's British - RESULT: VICTORY!

Battle 3. Double Envelopment vs. Juha's Commonwealth - RESULT: destroyed 8 enemy units, but too many escaped battlefield 25-14 victory to Juha

Battle 4. Supply drop vs. Tor-Erik's US Army

Result: VICTORY both by securing the scenario objective and by taking out 9/12 enemy units compared to 3/8 of my units destroyed / fled.

My army is based on the Rommel Triumphant from the Armies of Germany book

HQ

First Lieutenant Juergen Zimmerman 

XP 50

Status: Regular

Kills: 

Infantry skills: Stakeout

Office Skills: Give'em hell boys (make one player re-roll any one die result

Story:

1. Battle: survived and motivated his troops to victory, he also breached into the enemy sector, bringing 3vp
2. Battle: hang back this time, protecting the home base, survived the enemy artillery barrage.
3. Battle / Double envelopment, night fight. Stayed at own lines, observing the 88 shooting at shadows
4. Battle: played a key role snapping half of my army into action on several rounds, as I was lucky to get the first die out of the bag and he snapped my 88 a unit of infantry and  himself into action. Survived besides taking some risk in securing the objective in the last moments. 

Infantry

Heer Infantry squad
Qty	Weapons
8	Infantry with Rifle
1	NCO Helmut Kohl with Submachine gun
1	Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)

XP: 0

Status: Inexp.

Kills: IIII

Infantry skills: 

NCO Skills:

Story:

1. Battle: they were defending my key sector, but were overwhelmed by the charge of French Foreign Legion men, KIA
2. Battle: they were sent to outflank and arrived at the end of round 4. dashing towards the enemy base. Took a hit from enemy fire, but succeeded in their order test on round 5. and charged the enemy base, killing the enemy officer there and then consolidating into the base, winning me the battle.
3. Battle: This legendary unit continued heroic deed; they rapidly moved through the village, surprised an enemy unit in a vehicle and destroyed both the unit and the vehicle, proceeded to take out the enemy MMG team and broke through to the enemy DZ. They were awarded heroic deed bonus XP
4. Battle: They were the first unit on the objective as it dropped on Round 3. They cunningly used the Move up! -skill to dodge the barrage called in by the enemy artillery FO. This move brought them a bit too close to enemy and they were suddenly charged by an enemy removing their Down order with a campaign special ability - a nasty surprise!!! Fought bravely but were over whelmed... KIA

Battle 2.

Battle 3.

Heer Infantry squad
Qty	Weapons
8	Infantry with Rifle
1	NCO Egon Krenz with Submachine gun
1	Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)

Battle 3.

Battle 4.

XP: 30

Status: Regular

Kills: I

NCU Skills: Morale boost (+1 to a morale check), Regroup (-1D3 pin)

Story:

1. Battle: they pushed forward to the enemy key sector and occupied the village center
2. Battle: deployed on the field (hidden), advanced towards the enemy base, but got side tracked trying to kill the enemy artillery observer. Then moved on to take out an enemy MMG.
3. Battle: arrived from reserve and moved forward following my Panzer IV, then zigzagged through the village and dashed to the enemy deployment zone, scoring 2 VP
4. Battle: They were part of the vanguard moving in to secure fresh water wadi on the right flank. Defended it bravely before panicking to losing too many kamerader to enemy fire - surprisingly jumping up from having a down order! At least they survived!

Fallschirmjäger

Battle 4. Securing the objective

Qty	Weapons
4	Infantry with Rifle
	Entire squad is Stubborn
1	NCO Walter Ulbricht with Submachine gun
2	Infantry with Submachine gun
1	Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)

XP: 60

Status: Veteran (after using above experience)

Kills: 

NCU Skills: Regroup (remove D3 pins before order test), Hit the dirt (change to Down)

Story:

1. Battle: they pushed forward to the enemy key sector and occupied the village center
2. Battle: deployed to the field, moved to outflank through my right flank, but faced heavy opposition there and rerouted towards the center, survived the enemy artillery barrage by eating dirt and this stopped them from playing a significant role in the battle.
3. Battle: They were first acting as the bodyguard for my Officer and 88, but as no enemy (sensibly) dared to approach the mighty 88 they took an easy stroll through the centre of the battlefield and breached to the enemy DZ
4. Battle: Moved in as reinforcements on third round - they smartly waited to see where the supply drop landed. Moved to secure the objective and then charged and destroyed an enemy unit moving in too close. Killed another enemy unit too. They were the last infantry unit standing, with just 3 men, in the end of the battle - winning it for me! They are awarded the act of heroism -bonus.

Heer Pioneer squad

2	Infantry with Rifle
1	NCO Erich Honecker with Submachine gun
5	Infantry with Submachine gun
	Entire squad equipped with anti-tank grenades

XP: 0

Kills: I

Infantry Skills:

Story: 

1.  Battle: only motorised unit, moved rapidly into the enemy sector, disembarked from their SkdFz to destroy an enemy unit and then secured 3 VP. 
2. Were left in the reserve with their SkdFz and were a total disappointment by NOT ARRIVING at all!
3. Battle: Were left in the reserve with their SkdFz again AND AGAIN they loitered there, finally arriving in round 5, which was too late. Still they heroically tried to stop the enemy tide breaking through my right flank, they almost destroyed an enemy infantry unit, before they were overwhelmed. KIA 
4. Not in active duty

Vehicles & Artillery

Panzer IV

XP: 

Status: Regular

Kills: IIIII III

Gunner skills: Adrenaline rush, hair trigger (shoot after run)

Story:

1. Battle: Not in active duty
2. Was left in the reserve and arrived on R2. Blasted at the enemy support weapons with not much results. Was hit by enemy artillery barrage and pinned, failed rest of the order tests... not very impressed! 
3. Battle: arrived from reserve and sped up via road to ram an enemy Indian Pattern AC and the medic team inside. Then continued to move forward on the road and eliminated two more enemy units (antitank team and their transport), unfortunately after t
4. hat they were hit by enemy Grant and the panzer was destroyed, but luckily the crew bailed out and survived! Very impressed this time!
5. MVP of the battle! Destroyed 4 enemy units (at least) and was crucial in defending the objective during the last two rounds. One of the keys to victory was , that I was able to take out all enemy anti-tank capability and then my panzer was able to roam free.

SdKfz 251/10 half-track 

Light AT

Taking out the enemy tanks in battle 4.

XP: 30

Status: Inexp.

Kills: 

Skills: 

Story:

1. Battle: sped the pioneers forward and then played cat & mouse with an enemy vehicle. Took three shots at it, but failed to hit.
2. Was left in the reserve with Pioneers and was a total disappointment by NOT ARRIVING at all!
3. Battle: finally arrived from reserve in round 5, which was too late. Still it heroically tried to stop the enemy tide breaking through my right flank, but it was destroyed as per transport rules
4. Battle: plan was to give this ride to Fallshirmjägers, but reserve roll would have been made against this vehicle's morale, so I decided to bring it on the first wave. Soon engaged in a fire fight against the enemy Stuart tank (with 5 MMGs). I won and took the enemy tank out. Then moved to support in defending the objective.

88mm Flak 36 dual purpose AA/AT gun + spotter Wilhelm Pieck

Status: Veteran (when the below XP is used)

XP: 30

Kills: III

Skills:

• Gunner skill: Adrenalin rush (fire x2 at the same target)
• Infantry skills: move up (change Down to Advance), pass through

Story:

1. Battle: destroyed an enemy vehicle and half of a unit of infantry, foolish enough to enter a building within it's LOS
2. Battle: deployed in a position to shoot directly at an enemy infantry unit, scored a hit on the first order die of the game! Kept that unit Down for most of the game and eventually destroyed them and a mortar team that was too close...
3. Battle: deployed on a hill with excellent view to entire battlefield. I misunderstood, that night fight (visibility) rules would only be in effect during the first round and hence I hardly had visibility to many shots. Spotter managed two indirect shots (before being killed), but neither the 6+ nor the 5+ hit
4. Battle. Played an essential role in defending the objective. No kills this time, but hit at least three times during the game and hence depleted and pinned several enemy infantry units. In addition many times the enemy went down as I called a shot against them, which in addition to damage caused was essential in stopping the US infantry onslaught towards the objective. Survived the enemy artillery barrage. Advanced to Veteran level. 

Battle 1.

Battle 2.

Battle 4. Defending the perimeter

Kradschützen squad
Qty	Weapons
5	Infantry with Rifle
1	NCO Otto Grotewohl with Submachine gun
1	Infantry with Submachine gun
1	Infantry with Light Machine gun (requires loader)
	Entire squad mounted upon motorcycles and sidecars

XP: 0

Status: Inexp.

Kills: III

Infantry skills:

NCO skills:  

Story:

1. Battle: sped forward on the left flank, luring an enemy vehicle to chase them, escaped and then moved to the village centre and took out an enemy truck with their lmg. They never dismounted.
2. Battle: dismounted into the village and charged some tough Aussies - both units were killed in this melee!
3. Battle: they had to ditch their original plan to ride hard to the enemy table edge into stemming the tide on my right flank, they killed a smallish enemy unit and survived!
4. Battle: took a risk and left them in the reserve; they duly arrived in R2. Took an evasive action and then dashed into the village and took out an enemy mortar unit. Took several hits from small enemy teams with SMGs. Proved their bravery by succeeding in charging with three pins (testing against morale 5) into the enemy HQ with 3 men (2 SMGs)... but failed to cause any casualties!!! Took a casualty in return and were destroyed. Should have moved them into guarding the objective instead of these silly adventures... 

Weapon Teams

Medium Machine Gun team

Team Leader: Johannes Dieckmann

XP: 0

Infantry skills: Fast loader (RoF +1)

Story: 

1. Battle: They took a high vantage point on a roof and blazed away, taking out two enemy teams, but then the building was overrun by two enemy units

2. Battle: they were deployed on top of my base and spent early rounds in Ambush, but no enemy moved very close. Saved my base by gunning down the lone Artillery observer dashing towards my base.

3. Battle: Not deployed

4. Battle: Not deployed

Medium Mortar Team

Team Leader: Willi Stoph

XP: 0

Story: 

1. Battle: They were positioned on the back drop and managed to zero in a hit on enemy artillery. They were KIA by a French break through

2. Battle: was not on active duty

3. Battle: was not on active duty

4. Battle: Not deployed