Harbour Raid ... The Game....

Early morning at the small port of St Honore-Sur-Mer.......

Amended 02/06/2025 to add some notes on the game (see end of the post)

---oXo---

German sentries patrol the section of the docks they are using for delivery of supplies and a temporary U-boat base (for refuelling/re-arming etc)....

In the back streets near the port, French resistance fighters approach the harbour....

Approaching from the sea, at speed, British motor gun-boat (MGB) and two launches with commandos..

The commandos land on the mole as the MGB gives covering fire to the landing ....

The resistance sneak up .....

An officer on the u-boat, pops up to see whats happening ....

The Germans sentries have taken cover from the MGB salvos, while a few more soldiers come out of the barracks...

Commandos work their way onto the dock, a couple of men of the mole with a bren gun keep the German's heads down....

The resistance are into the compound.....

The commandos have gained ground and are moving up into the main part of the dock...

Some armed crew men from the u-boat move onto the dock.....

The commandos inch forward.....

The Germans are pinned down behind the truck and are taking heavy casualties....

The u-boat crewmen come under fire from some commandos and resistance fighters ....

the commandos and resistance are now mopping up....

They have control of the compound ...

German reinforcements on their way .....

the German armoured car is into the compound supported by infantry .... explosions are going off and store rooms are on fire.....

The fuel tank blows up .... as the commandoes move to get back to the mole.....

Remaining resistance fighters make their way to safety ....

The German armoured car with its infantry support move into the compound slowly .....

Two brave resistance fighters try to hold back the Germans 

as the commandos head back to the mole....

The German armoured car and the British MGB exchange fire.....

The commandos are back on their launches and away...

The german installation.. in a right mess after the raid..... burning fuel over the u-boat and along the dock...with buildings on fire and the occasional explosion.....

---oXo---

Notes about the game...

Forces

Germans:   At the installation: 2 men on the main gate, 6 men in the barracks, 6 sentries on duty, plus U-boat crew ('skeleton crew') - 4.  Reinforcements from local garrison by truck 10 men; with armoured car – if any double on 2D6

British and French Resistance: 8 commandos, 8 resistance fighters.

Special Game Rules/Mechanics

• Time to Set Charges: must be stationary by the target for one move

• German Reinforcements by truck - After first alarm raised, throw 2D6 to see how many moves before reinforcements arrive on board edge on the main road.

Damage to Buildings/Targets

• For each charge set, throw 2D6, if double 1 charge does not go off; otherwise add to damage points for target.
• For each grenade thrown into a building; throw 1D3 and add to damage points for target.
• For a hit from British motor gunboat; throw 1D6 and add to damage points for target.

A target catches fire when damage points reach 10; large explosion if damage points exceed 20.

Targets and Damage Points Caused

• Warehouse (nearest to mole): 18 - on fire
• Coastal Freighter (by warehouse): 19 - on fire and cargo burning
• Small store room: 19, major damage to contents, on fire
• Barracks room: 7, minor damage to contents
• Long store-room: 10, minor damage to contents, on fire
• Fuel Tank: 27, explodes and on fire - burning fuel .....
• Large store-house (by perimeter fence): 18, major damage to contents, on fire
• Submarine: intact but fuel burning on the deck.

Harbour raid game - ready to go ....

A few things re-arranged and a dock area surface made up on a piece of thin MDF using some printer paper sheets. So now ready to play the game....

Figures to be located and placed start positions, then can play the game.....

Harbour raid game - planning and initial setup....

 Initial setup for a harbour raid game....

I'm still fiddling with setup. The central area will be the main game space. Commandos to come ashore along the small mole to the left side of the table, while resistance launch a diversionary attack from the town side.

Attack on the Railway Gun Installation...

British commandos and French resistance attack the railway gun installation...

---oXo---

The commandos with their guide have arrived by the perimeter fence.....

On the other side of the railway gun installation, the resistance group is moving up the railway line (they have placed charges in two places along the line) ....

The commandos wait for a patrol to go past and then make a cut in the perimeter fence, they go through....

The resistance are also through the perimeter fence...

The commandos reach the gun turntable and start to set charges....the German patrol heard something and moved slightly closer...

The German patrol comes a bit closer and think they see a movement, they move up cautiously.....

The resistance are walking straight into a German patrol, the dog starts barking, one of the soldiers has seen them and fires a shot in the air to raise the alarm the other fires at them but misses ....

More Germans run out of the barracks building moving towards the Resistance group...

With the alarm raised German soldiers on the perimeter patrols move towards the nearest sound of gun-fire by the turntable...

The Resistance are now exchanging shots in the dark with the Germans and some are in hand-to-hand combat...

By the turntable, commandos trade shots with the Germans.....

A couple of the Germans are hit and go down. So far the commandos have laid charges at each end of the turntable and in the nearby equipment hut.

The resistance have lost a couple of men... it looks like they will be surrounded....

However two of the resistance fighters have found their way through and head towards the railway gun...

The Germans close in on the commandos by the turntable, but a group of three move off...

Germans and commandos are fighting hand-to-hand...

Three commandos reach the ammo store....

Meanwhile the Resistance are struggling to deal with the Germans ....

The Germans get the upper hand, and close in on the remaining resistance fighters...

The remaining resistance fighters have been eliminated or captured by the Germans, one gets away though...

Two of the resistance who had evaded the Germans, set charges in a supply dump, while some Germans move up to protect the railway gun...

Germans moving towards the railway gun are caught in a burst of machine gun fire from the Resistance and go down...

the Resistance set a charge on the railway gun...

The remaining commandos near the turntable are overwhelmed by the Germans...

The Germans search for the resistance fighters near the railway gun...

The resistance fighters evade the Germans in the dark and make their escape...

With no Germans around the commandos set a couple of charges on the railway gun....

The remaining commandos then make their way to the rendezvous point for extraction...

---oXo---

The Germans searched for charges after the fighting stopped, not much luck in the dark.  As soon it was light they were about to start searching;  but in the pale early morning light, the charges that had been laid went off, at the turntable....

on the railway gun .....

The ammo store explodes sending debris everywhere..... leaving a big hole in the adjacent railway line; the blast derails and damages the diesel shunter.

A good nights work by the attackers, the installation will be out of action for a long time...

---oXo---

Notes

1. Forces

• Germans:  
• at the installation:  2men on the main gate, 6 men in the barracks ; perimeter guards four 2 man teams, 2 sentries on the railway gun, inner patrol with dog 2 men (patrols central area), 1 man in the watchtower. [21 total];   
• reinforcements from local garrison by truck 8.
• Attackers: 7 commandos + 1 resistance guide;  8 resistance fighters [18 total]

2. Casualties: Germans 11; Commandos 3, Resistance 6.

3. Charges laid and damage inflicted...

Turntable                               3 charges        [8] Badly damaged, major work needed to repair

T/Table Equipment room.     1 charge          [2] Minor damage

Supply dump 1

Supply dump 2

Supply dump 3                      1 charge          [2] Minor damage, small amount of supplies destroyed.

Ammo Store                          2 charges        [10] Kerboom ! flattened, large crater and lots of debris

Railway Gun.                        2 charges         [8]   Disabled, major work needed to repair 

Diesel Shunter.                      1 charge          [5] De-railed and damage to engine

Approaching Railway Line.  2 charges         [10] Two sections of line damaged, needs replacing