RAPID FIRE! Fast play rules for World War Il by Colin Rumford & Richard Marsh UATE Re log Hondeghem (27 May 1940); Gallabat (6 November 1940); Corinth Canal Bridge (27 April 1941); Hong Kong (8-25 December 1941); WTP ecules Pa ea tS TERS lee nN Oe 9) Plus 8 pages of colour photographsAbove: Italian mobile column on the move. (Staff car by Skytrex Lid. Figures by Raventhorpe Miniatures.) Front cover photo: Corinth Canal. Briish armour moves to counter-attack the Germans. (Vickers tanks by Cromwell, rucks by Raventhorpe Miniatures.) Back cover, top: Safi. The ‘Bernacole’ lands the harbour assault force. (Crane by Dapol; landing craft by §.D.D. & Airfix; MS tank by RAFM Company Inc.; ‘Bernacole’ scratch-built by Richard Marsh.) Back cover, bottom: Barce. The Long Range Desert Group New Zealand and Guards parrots (Vehicles by Matchbox; 20mm Breda by Raventhorpe Miniatures; figures by various manufacturers including some conversions Below: German Headquarters group. (Figures by Britannia Miniatures.)Rapid Fire Fast Play World War Two Wargames Rules For use with 20mm Mi by Colin Rumford & Richard MarshStratagem Publications Ltd, 18 Lovers Lane, Newark, Notts. NG24 1HZ. © Stratagem Publications 1994 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored ina retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of Stratagem Publications Led. ISBN 0 9524305 0 9 Printed in Great Britain, Graphical reproduction & printing by Pressplan Services Ltd, (656 Forest Road ‘Walthamstow London E17 3ED (Tek: 081 509 9969)Table of Contents Glossary 4 Introduction 5 Playing the Game 6 1, Movement Rates 1 2. Observation 8 3. Morale 9 4, Small Arms, HE and Other Firing Values 2 5. Direct HE Fire 15 6, Anti-Tank Fire 7 7. Miscellaneous Weapons and Their Effects 19 8, Grenades 20 9. House to House Fighting 20 10. Smoke 20 11. Pre-game Bombardment 2 12. Aircraft 2 13, Paratroops and Gliders 2B 14, Engineering, Obstacles and Demolitions 4 15. Vehicle Repairs 25 16, Logistics 25 17. The ‘Cost’ of a Force 26 18, Vehicle / Gun Classification 28 Examples of Unit Organisation / Cost 32 Scenario Format 35 ‘The Defence of Hondeghem: 27th May 1940 36 ‘The Battlefield at Hondeghem 37 ‘The Battle of Gallabat: 6th November 1940 39 ‘The Battlefield at Gallabat 4 ‘The Seizure of Corinth Canal Bridge: 27th April 1941 2 ‘The Battlefield at Corinth Canal 43 ‘The Fall of Hong Kong: 8th - 25th December 1941 46 ‘The Battlefield at Hong Kong, 47 ‘Operation Archery’ - The Assault on Vaagsd: 27th December 1941 33 ‘The Battleficld at Vaagsd 56 ‘The Cavalry Charge at Chebotarevsky: 24th August 1942 37 ‘The Battlefield at Chebotarevsky 59 "Operation Caravan’ - The Raid on Barce: 13th September 1942 60 ‘The Battlefield at Barce 63 ‘The Landings at Safi: 8th November 1942 64 ‘The Battlefield at Safi 65 Modelling the Terrain 69 Select Bibliography n Playsheet Page 1 n Playsheet Page 2 B 8 pages of colour between pages 38 and 39. Rapid Fire 3 "Tae of ContentsGlossary AA Anti Aircraft Ac ‘Armoured Car AT Anti-Tank AFV Armoured Fighting Verhicle Boys British Anti-Tank Rifle co Commanding Officer DUKW American amphibious truck Flak German anti aircraft / dual purpose gun HE High Explosive HMG Heavy Machine Gun HQ Headquarters IDF Indirect Fire LCA British infantry landing craft LCM British / US vehicle / infantry landing craft LRDG Long Range Desert Group LCVP US Ianding craft - vehicle / personnel MG Machine Gun MMG Medium Machine Gun PAK Panzer Anti Kannon (German Anti-Tank gun) PIAT Projectile Infantry Anti Tank (hand held British anti-tank weapon) pr British artillery classification - ‘pounder’ Sakfe, German vehicle designation SPG Self Propelled Gun Rapid ie 7 GiessaryIntroduction ‘The Second World War is, to date, the largest conflict the world has experienced, and to any child born in the 1950's it was a powerful influence on youthful interests and imagination, From. the reminiscences of relatives, the collection of wartime memorabilia and the first military toys, ‘grew an interest that the authors of this book have carried into adulthood; manifesting itself in a desire to recreate the armies and battles of World War Two in the scale we began fighting them back in the nineteen sixties : 20mm, * This volume offers a set of eminently playable (and rigorously tested) rules for the World War ‘Two period, and wargame scenarios for eight of the lesser known battles of the period 1940 - 1942; with historical backgrounds, wargame maps, special rules and orders of battle for each conflict. The illustrations show incidents from re-fights of these actions and feature our own figures, models and terrain. The construction of the latter, with information on design, materials and painting is detailed in the final chapter; assisting wargamers who are striving for more convincing, battlefields. A selected bibliography is provided to enable further research and, it is hoped, provide a clearer understanding of what global war meant for the ordinary soldier fifty years ago. It would be inappropriate to introduce any publication of this nature without acknowledging the help and efforts of others. In our case thanks to the members of the Grimsby Wargames Society, particularly Dave Tuck, Mal Taylor, Martin Buck & Steve Walker, who have spent countless hhours fine tuning the rules and play-testing the scenarios and Michael Huteson for the word processing, * (In fact the rules work perfectly well with 15mm scale too - no need to alter movement rates or ranges). Rapid Fire‘These rules are designed for fighting brigade size actions using 20 mm figures. They provide for ‘an interesting mix of supporting weapons, such as artillery, aircraft and armour. Unless a particular game requires something different there are nominal restrictions on the maximum size of tabletop units and these are: ‘An infantry battalion or similar unit 48 figures An artillery battery 3 guns ‘An armoured company or squadron 3 AFVs ‘The scales used to achieve these unit sizes are approximately 1:15 for figures and 1:5 for ‘weapons and vehicles. They have been found to give well balanced forces, capable of actions performed by their historical counterparts. Players take alternate tums. In each tun the appropriate elements of a force may move and fire, or fire and move, There is one important exception to this system and this isthe reserve fire rule. The Reserve Fire Ri If an element has not moved or fired in its own tur it may ‘interrupt’ the opposing player's next tum and fire at any suitable target. This facility is only available to small arms and other weapons (except mortars) firing ‘line of sight’ In writing any rules itis impossible to foresee every problem which may arise during the course of a game. In cases of dispute let common sense prevail. In grey areas’ let the dice decide. ‘The emphasis is on fast play, enabling players to concentrate on tactics rather than the minutiae of complex tables and mind-tangling calculations, Unlike most rules, which set out the mechanics of play in great detail and provide a playshect pethaps as an afterthought, the playshect is central to our game. Sections 1 to 8 which follow correspond to the numbered segments of the playsheet and should be read in conjunction with it. In addition to models and terrain players will need the following equipment: Several six sided dice (46); one or two ten sided dice (410); a tape measure sub divided into inches; some balls of cotton wool for destroyed vehicles and smoke, markers to represent ‘light! and ‘heavy’ damage to vehicles; and a 12" square of clear polythene marked with nine numbered (I to 9) boxes of equal size (see section 4). Rapid Fire @ Playing the Game1. Movement Rates The distances stated on the playshect are the maximum any element may move in one turn. Penalties for elements crossing certain terrain features are made on a random basis with the score on a six sided dice (d6) being deducted from the stated maximum. Linear obstacles such as walls and hedges are diced for only once; continuous features like woods and hills are diced for each tum movement across them is attempted. It is not necessary to dice for individual figures, but a test should be made for cach company (about cight figures) or vehicle. Once a dice is thrown then a player is committed to moving the clement, It follows that if'a player is unlucky no apparent movement will take place. Example A rifle company wishing to cross a hedge throw a six. 6" - 6 = 0, therefore they cannot cross this turn. They will of course be eligible to move 6" in their following, tum, Other deductions from vehicle and horse movements are made in 6" units. These are made for limbering and unlimbering a gun, for debussing or embussing infantry and for cavalrymen mounting or dismounting from their horses. A further 6" is deducted from towing vehicle ‘movement if the gun fires in the same turn Example ‘An anti-tank gun towed by a light truck may fire, limber and move off in the same turn, but the vehicle movement will be restricted to 3" if travelling cross country ‘There are no vehicle movement penalties for towing a gun provided an appropriate towing vehicle (prime mover) is used. Infantrymen debussing and cavalrymen dismounting may move 3" from their vehicles or horses and fire at enemy targets in the same turn, However, they may only engage targets at short range (up to 6"). Cavalry may charge once per game at an extra 6". One in five dismounted figures ‘must act as horseholders. Infantry mounted on bicycles may add 3" to their road movement and suffer no penalty for mounting or dismounting, ‘Most elements can move and fire in the same tum. Some weapons, however, require more time than others to bring them into action, These include towed artillery batteries, ‘non-wheeled! anti- tank guns such as the British 2pr; the German 88mm flak; medium and heavy machine guns and 3" / 81mm and larger mortars. Consequently these weapons may only move or fire in any one tum, Tapid Fe 7 Ty Movement ate