No-Mans Land Mini-Campaign

This is a skirmish level mini-campaign set in no-mans land on a fairly static front. It is applicable to any period (see the possible settings). Each player is a junior commander whose job is the patrol and control the area between the opposing forces. Over three game days and nights each player must plan and execute 6 missions from a predetermined list. The interest lies in the fact that each player is picking from a different list to that of his opponent. The key problem being addressed is “How does a commander react when faced with events not covered by his orders?”

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Infantry Unit Frontages during WW2

I wanted to get an idea of the ground scale in Crossfire so I started with an analysis of frontages from WW2. In general it seems that defensive frontages were wider than offensive. For example, a company would attack on same frontage as one defending platoon. I’m a bit sceptical of the frontages given in Lucas (1982) – they just seem too narrow compared to those mentioned in other sources. The discussion refers to various Infantry Formations such as line, broad wedge, etc.

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Swaab – Field of Fire: Diary of a Gunner Officer

Jack Swaab (2005) was a Gunner Officer with the 51st Highland Division from 3 Jan 1943 to the end of World War II. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, and NW Europe. His book is literally his personal diary. It is interesting to read to get an idea what was on the mind of a literate combat solider, although there are few detailed accounts of action.

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2 Foot City – A Crossfire Battle Report

John Mclennan and I often play DBA on a 2′ by 2′ cloth. One evening we were discussing how many Crossfire building sectors would fit on such a table, so we tried it. As it happens the particular layout we used had 35 building sectors (of various heights). That seems enough for a company a side, hence after a brief discussion about a scenario, we set to. As usual I was the Russians and John the Germans.

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2 Foot City – A Crossfire Scenario

Table - 2 Foot City - Crossfire - Banner

It occurred to John Mclennan and I that you could pack a lot of buildings onto a 2′ x 2′ table so we set one up to have a look. We liked the end result so much we invented a Crossfire scenario for WW2 and played a game. This is the scenario, but there is also a battle report.

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Operation “Link Up” – A Multiplayer Crossfire Scenario

Table - Link Up - Crossfire - Large - Banner

Operation “Link Up” is a fictional Crossfire scenario set in late summer 1944. It is based on Bennett’s (2003) what-if Rapid Fire scenario called “Operation Comet”. I converted it from Rapid Fire to Crossfire and tweaked. There are three players per side. You might also want to check out my other Rhine Crossing scenarios.

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