Bolt Action - Game Report 5

Operation Entoyment July 1946

Introduction

This was the third of three tournament games at Entoyment. This was Bolt Action Scenario 5 - Top Secret.

Situation

1st Bn Duke of Glendon's Light Infantry were on live firing exercise with their armoured and artillery support troops in Northern Norway. 2 days ago into the exercise the CO was contacted by the War Office to ready a small force for a covert operation into Finnish territory to recover a package from a crashed Russian light plane that was in Finland some 10 miles inside the Norwegian/Finnish Border. 

The package contained highly sensitive Soviet planning information that could be instrumental in suppressing Soviet covert operations to take over newly liberated countries in Eastern Europe . 

Enemy Forces

We understand the Finns have been alerted by their Soviet controllers and are moving a mechanized force to recover the package themselves. The commander in the area of the recovery operation is Luutnantti Jason Cossey, with his second in command Ylikersantti Adrianna Cossey.

Friendly Forces

The CO has put together a crack force under OC 9Pl. 9Pl has 3 sections each of 8 men including a LMG and its Piat team, they are supported by a Churchill from C Squadron 147th Regt RAC and a FOO, and a Mortar section from the Bn Mortar Platoon.

Mission

9Pl is to secure the package and extract it to Norway as quickly as possible.

Combat Report

This report was prepared for SIS and the War Office by an unnamed intelligence operative seconded for the operation. It is to be protected under the 50 year rule.

OC 9Pl had a sound plan. He sent 1 and 2 Sections left flanking to approach the package from the cover on the left. Meanwhile the Churchill tank would dominate the centre and protect the package with MG and direct fire. 3 Sect would provide support advancing through the cover on the right centre.

Right from the outset we saw that the Finns were ready and willing to use force to recover the package for the Soviets. 

The FOO was able to bring down highly effective concentrations of fire down on the enemy as they were trying to deploy. It certainly bought 9Pl some valuable time to move to the package to recover it. Unfortunately OC 9Pl was unavoidably detained and missed the start of the engagement; had he been there he might have been able to influence operations for the better

Although it was late in arriving the Finnish armoured support stopped the advance of 1 Section. Although 2 Sect did manage to secure the cover adjacent to the package. However as useful as the Churchill was it proved unable to fully suppress the Finnish artillery piece, or destroy their armour. The fire from this artillery piece destroyed 2 Sect before it could recover the package.

With the loss of 1 Sect a Finnish section managed to secure the package unscathed and started to withdraw with the package. Fortunately the Churchill was alert to this and before they had gone too far they were destroyed by the Churchill's machine guns. The Finns managed to use their two remaining sections to move up and complete the extraction of the package despite the fire being directed at them.

3 Sect tried to intervene, but losses they had already suffered, and the need to destroy a Finnish Infantry section blocking their way, prevented them getting anywhere close to the package. That was despite the best efforts of the Mortar section to provide fire support.

Outcome

It was unfortunate mission that saw the package recovered by the Finns for the Soviets and allowed them to secure Eastern Europe in their expanding hegemony.

For my part I did not come last in the competition, despite my best efforts. I was rewarded by selecting as my prize a fine 28mm Soviet personality sniper for my forthcoming Bolt Action Soviet force.