The Fight for Faire Bissone (A communal Combat Mission experiment)

In the past I’ve asked Cornerites and Flareopaths to choreograph CM scraps set in France, Germany, Poland, Italy, the Netherlands, the former Soviet Union, North Africa, and the Middle East. One thing I’ve never done though, is supervised a game inspired by a historical engagement, or shared a room with order issuers. Reader TV-PressPass is eight turns into just such an experiment.

A volunteer at Calgary’s Military Museums for the past four years, Skorpion-owner Edward had, up until last month, spent most of his time “scanning photos, polishing machineguns, and trying to find useful things to do”. In late November, however, he swapped scanner and duster for Steam Deck and projector, and, with the help of some fellow volunteers, launched a live Combat Mission: Battle for Normandy wargame loosely based on a real 1944 clash.

Edward’s goal is both simple and admirable: “Present a moment in history in an interesting way, and open the doors of wargaming to people for whom it would normally be a challenge”. He asked his unit chaperones – in the first session, “a collection of 8-14 year olds, plus a handful of local veterans” – to use their (in the main) infantry assets to cooperatively reconnoitre a bridge near Falaise. If deemed practical, the players would attempt to seize the bridge and hold it until the arrival of Allied armour.

Participants get a “brief window” in which to discuss the previous minute’s action, brainstorm tactics, and issue new orders. Edward then translates orders into in-game waypoints, cover arcs etc. and lets CMBfN generate another sixty second burst of hands-off WeGo drama.

How did things go for the Cal Highs during the inaugural session? Pretty well judging by this AAR:

“At the platoon commander’s direction, players organized their sections and detachments to make a wide swing around the village, hoping to approach the bridge from the eastern side. Our reconnaissance elements deployed deeper into the woods on the east and west sides, hoping to infiltrate and get eyes on the bridge without being noticed.

In the first few minutes of the battle Cpl Lafountain’s armoured car advances cautiously down the main road, and spots a suspicious looking pile of sandbags and barbed wire in the Y intersection at the north end of town. Cpl Lafountain has his driver throttle down and opens the top hatch to get a better look through his trusty binoculars…

A quick scan of the four-storey office building is interrupted by the starred muzzle flash and hail of lead that unmistakably marks a German MG42 machine gun. With the speed and alacrity that comes from being on the receiving end of Hitler’s Buzzsaw, Lafountain buttons up and directs his crew to sweep the intersection and building with coaxial machinegun and 37mm cannon fire.

The Vickers machinegun and 2 inch mortar join in soon after, hammering the upper floors of the office building. Several minutes of heavy exchanges commence, and the Staghound advances slowly down the road. As minutes creep by and ammunition is expended the enemy fire drops off noticeably, but no white flags appear from the windows of Bureaux de Devereux et Associés, and sporadic bursts of incoming rounds keep everyone alert.

On the far side of the village, Forward Observer Captain Redman and his radio operator infiltrated the western side of Faire Bissone last night and now begin creeping closer. They aim to inspect the bridge and relay key details over the wireless set to Maj Green in C company HQ.

However a handful of German soldiers lounging in the nearby park have dropped their sandwiches and hastily snatched up rifles at the sound of gunfire. They spot the FOO as he approaches, and a surprising exchange of fire results in the radio operator mortally wounded.

Crouching next to his fallen radioman, Cpt Redman gets the company 3 inch mortar platoon on the radio and with practiced calmness begins directing in spotting rounds onto the park while bullets snap through the trees overhead. Although more accustomed to calling for fire from the brigade’s big 4.2 inch guns, the available mortar shot begins to fall in only a few minutes.

He manages to complete the transmission of “Fire for effect” before a sharpshooter’s round finds him and the Forward Observer Party becomes our first unit to be struck from the command list as killed-in-action. The resulting barrage of airborne HE leaves at least one German sprawled on the road and convinces the others to quit the park post-haste.

Simultaneously the pioneer and infantry sections maneuver south and east through the nearby woods to attempt an approach directly onto the bridge, keeping to the trees and dead ground. An occasional snapshot from the direction of the village keeps their heads low, but otherwise unharmed.

In turn 7 Cpl Hubbard’s 3rd Section pushes up to the thick bocage hedge lining Chardin Farm. Pte Goldring spots movement on the upper floor of a house 160m distant and with his Bren gun threads the needle through hedge, trees, and buildings to put fire on the position. A responding rifle grenade detonates in the hedge soon after, and 3rd Section experiences its first injury.

While the bridge remains firmly in German hands at the start of turn 9, Pvt Morris and his scout detachment have snuck into position and drawn up a sketch of the defenses. Hunkered down in thick bracken, they are eagerly awaiting a link up with Lt Brewster’s Platoon HQ to radio their findings up the chain of command and complete the initial objective.

Meanwhile the follow-on platoon has arrived with their Bren Carrier, light 2 inch mortar, and additional infantry sections and are ready to push up the road to support the attack next session.

With the lead platoon beginning to move into position and seconds from contact, the next session has the makings of a decisive one when the scouts intelligence report reaches Company HQ and the push for the bridge begins…”

Live near Calgary and free on Jan 23? Attend the second session, and your decisions and exploits could well feature in the next instalment of The Fight for Faire Bissone.