OPERATION: VERITABLE

The Battle for the Reichswald

©Paul Rohrbaugh, 2000

"I want him [von Runstedt] to hang onto the West Wall as long as humanly possible. Withdrawal will merely mean moving the catastrophe from one place to another." -- Adolf Hitler, March 2, 1945.

"The enemy has committed a major blunder by continuing to fight west of the Rhine." -- General Bernard Law Montgomery, January 21, 1945.

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Operation: Veritable is an introductory level, two-player wargame on the battle for the Reichswald forest. It was fought during the second and third weeks of February, 1945. Despite the looming defeat the German's faced, the Wehrmacht was still able to put up a stiff defence. Fought in inhospitable terrain and terrible climatic conditions, Commonwealth troops from Canada, England, Wales and Scotland launched an offensive that General Bernard Law Montgomery hoped would finally bring them to the Rhine and victory.

Acknowledgments: The author of the this game would like to thank Brian Brennan, Jason Carsone, and Daniel Thompkins for playtesting. Without their input the development of Operation: Veritable would not have been possible. Also, kudos go out to Hjalmar Gerber and Scott Holmgren for their great editing, and to Kerry Anderson for the map design and graphics.

2.0 COMPONENTS

Each copy of Operation: Veritable is composed of the following:

• One rules book
• One 8" by 11" map
• One sheet of 52 playing pieces (units)
• Two sets of charts (1, 2)

Players will also need a six-sided die to play the game.

2.1 Mapsheet
The mapsheet shows the terrain over which the historical battle was fought. A hexagon grid has been superimposed to regulate the movement and positions of troops.

2.2 Counters
The 52 counters represent the fighting forces on each side and markers used to facilitate the flow of the game. Counters are defined on the players' aids.

Army counters, or units, represent the combat forces involved in the struggle. Air unit markers are used to indicate the target hexes for air strikes (see 5.0).

Nationalities have been distinguished by the background colour scheme while the unit symbols have been colour coded by divisions.

Note that before play, the owner must prepare the counters. Glue the counter sheet onto Bristol board or heavy cardstock and cut out the individual counter. Poster board is usually too thin (but is fine if doubled up) and corrugated cardboard is too thick. Also, a paper cutter can be helpful at producing sharp, square units.

2.3 Playing Aids
Provided with the game are two playing aids sheet containing charts and tables needed for play. These sheets should be kept at hand during the play of the game.

3.0 PREPARATION FOR PLAY

Once the components have been produced, separate the coloured forces and players choose sides. Players then set up their units (see 10.0). Place the game turn marker on the February 8/9 turn. Play then begins with the first turn (see 4.0).

4.0 TURN SEQUENCE

Operation: Veritable is played in a series of game turns with each game turn representing the actions of two days of the battle. During each game turn, the sequence of events that occur are as follows.

4.1 Air Power Determination Phase
Players determine if any air units will be received during the turn and who will get them (not on the first turn, however).

4.2 Allied Player Turn
The Allied player determines the sequence of play for his/her portion of the turn (move then fight or vice-versa) and the entry of any reinforcement units. Place the turn sequence marker on the appropriate space of the player aid chart to indicate the player's turn sequence choice.

4.3 German Player Turn
As with 4.2, the German player determines the sequence of play for his/her portion of the turn and the entry of reinforcement unit(s). Place the turn sequence marker on the appropriate space of the player aid chart to indicate the player's turn sequence choice.

4.4 Game Turn End
Repeat steps 4.1 to 4.3 for all seven turns. Determine the number of victory points accrued by the Allied player at the end of turn 7 to determine the game winner. (Note: if playing with optional 11.3, there will be an 8th turn for the Allied player only).

5.0 AIR POWER

The 4 air units represent the tactical air support of the RAF (Allied player) and Luftwaffe (German player). Due to the terrible weather and demands for air support on other off-map battlefields, the availability of these units is somewhat problematic and determined each game turn.

5.1 Air Power Determination
Starting with turn 2 the Allied player rolls a die and consults the Air Power Table to determine if any Allied or German air units are available.

The first time the Allied player rolls a 5 or a 6 the German player receives the Luftwaffe Surge unit. The next time the Allied player rolls a 6 (only) the German player receives the Luftwaffe Surge unit for the final time in the game.

Designer's note: The Luftwaffe Surge unit represents some of the final sorties of this once-mighty airforce.

5.2 Air Unit Effects
Air units can be used to shift the combat odds of a hex under attack (either offense or defence) one column in the owning player's favour for each air unit committed. An air unit can be used once per turn and can not be "carried over" to the next turn if it not used.

6.0 SEQUENCE OF PLAY

6.1 Turn Sequence Determination
Each player must decide at the beginning of the turn the sequence he/she will move and attack the units under their command. Also, each turn a player must decide if he/she will commit units from their strategic reserve as reinforcements to the game.

6.1.1 Move/Attack: Players choosing this option move all of their units before launching attacks on enemy units. There are no modifications to the rules governing movement and combat.

6.1.2 Attack/Move: Players choosing this option launch attacks before moving their units. All such attacks receive a 1 right odds column shift. (Designer's note: this represents the use of prepared, attached artillery units and infiltration tactics as opposed to attacking "on the move" in section 6.1.1).

6.2 Movement
Each unit is moved individually hex by hex paying the appropriate Movement Point (MP) cost for the hexsides crossed, hexes entered. A unit must have sufficient MPs to enter a hex before moving. However, a unit may always move a minimum of one hex if it expends all of its MPs to do so.

6.2.1 Forced March: Any unit that does not exit or enter an enemy ZOC during the turn may move up to double its movement allowance.

6.3 Stacking
A player may never enter an enemy-occupied hex. A player may stack all the subunits of a division plus any one battalion, battery, kampgruppe, or 79th Armoured unit in the same hex. Only 2 regiments/brigades from differing divisions may stack in the same hex. Units found to be in violation of the stacking limits at the end of the turn are eliminated. Air and outpost units do not count toward stacking.

6.4 Zones of Control
All combat units have a zone of control (ZOC). Enemy units must pay an additional MP to enter/leave a ZOC. It costs 2 MPs to move directly from one ZOC to another, even if it is the ZOC of the same unit. ZOCs do not extend into/through prohibited terrain hexes/hexsides. Friendly units do not negate ZOCs for movement purposes. Friendly units do negate ZOCs for conducting retreats and tracing supply lines.

6.5 Combat
Combat is voluntarily initiated by the phasing player against adjacent enemy units. Total the attack factors and modify that total by the terrain in the attacker's and defender's hexes, hexsides. Do the same for the defending unit(s). Compare the totals and apply them as an odds ratio on the Combat Results Table (CRT). Shift the column to be used by the appropriate odds column modifiers. Roll one die and apply the results.

6.5.1 Combat Modifiers: Unit's combat strengths and the odds used to resolve combat can be modified by the following:

Terrain:

• Woods = defence strength doubled.
• Flooded = attack strength halved when attacking from or into these hexes.
• Major river = attacking across prohibited.
• Canal/minor river = attack strength halved.
• City = defence strength doubled.
• Fortification = odds shifted 1 left if any allied unit attacking across (benefits German player only).

Note: see the terrain effects chart for a complete summary of these modifiers. Also, all terrain effects are cumulative.

Units:

• Commonwealth 79th Armoured units = shift odds 1 right per unit.
• Air units = shift odds 1 right when used to support an attack; shift odds 1 left when used to support a defence.
• Supply = Out of supply unit's CF halved.
• Turn sequence = attacks performed before movement have the odds shifted 1 right.

6.5.2 Combat Results: Results to the left of the slash apply to the attacker, those to the right apply to the defender.

• - = no effect.
• 1,2 = For the attacker, this is the number of units which must either take a step loss or retreat 1 hex. For the defender this is the number of hexes all of the units must retreat, or the total number of step losses the units must incur. (Designer's note: This represents a couple of things. At this time no one wanted to be among the last casualties of a war coming to an end. For the attackers, this was an increasing tendency to "go to ground" when the attack went awry. For the defence this was marked by up flung hands and cries of "Kamaraden!" as well as others who were all too ready to "get out of Dodge" at the slightest sign of trouble).
• E = player's units are eliminated.

6.5.3 Retreats/Steps: Each unit has one step. Each unit that is eliminated from the game satisfies one step of loss on the CRT. Alternatively, players may choose to individually retreat affected units a number of hexes to completely/partially satisfy the results of the CRT. Units attempting to retreat must abide by the following:

• May not retreat into an enemy ZOC unoccupied by friendly units.
• May not end the retreat in violation of stacking limits.
• Must roll one die equal to less than the unit's highest printed combat factor (regardless of the CF actually used or modification). A unit failing to pass this die roll is eliminated. If this step loss satisfies the CRT # result no other units have to retreat. However, if another unit has already retreated when the unit is eliminated, that previously retreated unit may not return to the vacated hex (the rearguard perished).
• Units retreated off of the map are considered eliminated.

6.5.4 Advance after Combat: Whenever a defender's hex is left vacant due to combat attacking units, to the limits of stacking, may advance into the hex. This applies to both 6.1.1 and 6.1.2.

EXAMPLE: It is turn three and the Allied player has elected to move and then attack. The roll for Air Power that turn was a first time roll of "5" resulting in the Luftwaffe Surge unit being available to the German player. All 3 brigades of the 53rd division and one 79th armoured unit are in H8 and the three brigades of 15th are in H9. The Allied player elects to have all of these units attack hex I9 (Hekken) which is defended by the 2-3-3 regiment of the 84th infantry division and the 1st flak battery. The attacker has 24 attack CFs and the defender has 8 CFs (1+3, doubled to 8 for the woods). The initial odds are 3-1. The odds are shifted 1R for the 79th armoured, 1L because at least one (in this case all) of the attacking units are assaulting across a Siegfried Line hexside. It is shifted 1L for the flak unit, cancelling out the shift for the 79th armoured. To add insult to injury the German player elects to commit the Luftwaffe surge unit shifting the odds 1L again. The net result will have this combat resolved on the 1-1 odds column. The Allied player rolls a "3" with a result of 1/1. The defender's result is applied first. Either every unit must retreat 1 hex or one of the units must be eliminated. The German attempts to retreat the units. First the flak unit's retreat is carried out and the German player remarkably rolls a "1" which is equal to or less than the unit's defence strength of 1. The 84th infantry is then retreated and rolled for. The result is a 5 which exceeds the unit's defence strength so the 84th is eliminated (hi-ho, hi-ho, its off to POW camp we go!). The flak unit may not return to I9 (perhaps the 84th helped buy time for the guns' getaway). The attacker's result is now applied. The Allied player must either retreat all of the units 1 hex or eliminate 1 unit. The allied player retreats all of the 53rd units successfully with retreat die rolls of 1,2 and 3 which were modified to 2,3 and 4 due to the presence of the defending flak unit that added 1 to the retreat die rolls (those 88s were wicked). The first unit of the 15th to be retreated is not so lucky. The retreat die roll is a 5 modified to a 6 that is greater than the defence CF of 5. The brigade is eliminated which matches the 1 result of the CRT. The remaining 2 brigades of the 15th can remain in H9 or advance into vacated I9. The 53rd may not return to H8.

7.0 SUPPLY

All units must trace supply to move/fight at full strength. Allied units trace supply to the west edge of the map. German units trace supply to the east edge. Additionally, one stack of German units may be supplied while in Cleve and another in Goch. Supply status is determined at the beginning of the player's turn and at the moment of combat.

7.1 Supply Lines
Supply lines are traced through a series of connected hexes, of any length, to the player's map edge. Supply lines may not be traced through uncontested enemy ZOCs or prohibited terrain. Additionally, for victory point purposes, the Allied supply line at game's end must be composed of all but one road hexes for VP determination.

7.2 Effects of Being out of Supply
Units that are out of supply (OOS) are halved for movement and combat purposes (round fractions up). If a stack is OOS, total all of the factors and then half before rounding.

8.0 SPECIAL UNITS

8.1 Reserves
Each side has two divisions as strategic reserves that can be brought into the game as reinforcements. This is at a cost of VPs, however. Units that are entered as reinforcements enter along the west edge (Allied) or east edge (German) road hexes. Reinforcements enter in supply and at full strength. Both players can enter any or all available units from the strategic reserve pool beginning with game turn two.

8.2 79th Armoured Division
These 3 units do not have CFs as other units. They do, however, stack free (one per hex) with any other Allied units. Each unit that participates in a combat (attack or defence) shifts the odds one column in the Allied player's favour. They have one step as other units and value of "5" for retreat die roll purposes. If defending alone in a hex each unit has a defence CF of 1.

8.3 German Antitank
The 3 German AT batteries, assault gun battalion and Panzer regiment add one to the retreat die rolls of any Allied units in which they are attackers/defenders. (Note, however, that AT batteries only affect retreats in combats in which they defend since they have attack factors of "0"). Also, these units cancel out, on a one-for-one basis, the odds column shifts generated by 79th Armoured division units. Designer's Note: These represent the longer-ranged 75 and 88 millimetre guns of these units. Even at this point in the war a few tigers, panthers, and flak guns could wreak havoc on the thinner-skinned British tanks.

8.4 Outpost Units
These represent the first line, trip wire defences that the Germans had setup on the very front line. Most of the pillboxes and field fortifications were destroyed by Allied air and artillery strikes in the early-morning hours of Feb. 8th. Unlike other units, these formations may not move or retreat and may not attack. They do have ZOCs. They must be set up so that the hex they occupy, or their ZOCs, cover all hexes of the front line printed on the map (hexes F3 to F9) before an outpost unit can be set elsewhere on the map.

9.0 VICTORY CONDITIONS

9.1 Victory Points
Players win the game according to victory points (VPs). The Allied player is attempting to garner them, the German player denying them. VPs are awarded as follows:

• +1 for the capture of Cleve.
• +1 for the capture of Goch.
• +1 for each German strategic reserve unit committed as a reinforcement.
• -1 for each Allied unit that is eliminated.
• -1/2 for each Allied unit that is OOS at game's end. Note: This includes previously exited units!
• +1 for each Allied unit that is exited off of the east edge of the map.
• +2 for each Allied strategic reserve unit that is not committed as a reinforcement and the Allied player can trace a supply line (as per 7.1) from the east to west edges of the map. Note: the hexes the Allied player traces this line in this case need not be previously occupied by Allied units, just outside of German control. Imagine the uncommitted forces moving off of the map, exploiting the gap in the German line even though the unit(s) is/are not physically on the map.

Note that exited Allied units cannot reenter the map/game at a later turn.

9.2 Levels of Victory
The total of VPs garnered by the Allied player is compared to the following chart:

• 1 or less = German victory, of a sorts. They lose the war in a few months anyway. Perhaps you may survive the war yet, Herr Major!
• 2-4 = A draw ,the historic result. The British advance is badly delayed and hard fighting remains before the Rhine is reached by the Commonwealth troops. American forces, however, will encounter lessened resistance when "Operation Grenade" kicks off in 2 weeks to the south.
• 5 or more = A major Allied victory. Montgomery has another press conference and the British might get across the Rhine before the Americans. Jolly good show, mate!

10.0 SETUP

10.1 German Player
Sets up first. The 116th Panzer and 15th Panzergrenadier begin in the Strategic Reserve. Outpost units set up as per 8.4. Two regiments of the 7th Parachute (Fallschirmjager) and KG Katzmann begin in Cleve and/or Goch. All other German units set up anywhere east of the Front Line within the stacking limits. (Designer's note: Although the 2 regiments. Of the 7th Fallschirmjager were technically part of the German's Strategic Reserve, they were released as soon as the Allied bombardment began and so I have treated them as part of this sector's at-start forces. Players wishing to handicap the German side may attach the VP point penalties of the other Strategic Reserve forces for the use of these two regiments.)

10.2 Allied Player
Sets up second. The 43rd Wessex and 79th Armoured divisions begin in the Strategic Reserve. The other divisions set up anywhere west of the Front Line within stacking limits.

After both sides have completed their unit set up begin play with phase 2 of game turn 1.

11.0 OPTIONAL RULES

These 2 optional rules introduce historical concepts that are not crucial to the play of the game, but do increase the simulation value of Operation: Veritable. They can also be used to handicap play between 2 players of unequal ability.

11.1 Amphibious Unit
The Allies had been gathering amphibious vehicles (DUKWs and LVTs ) for the planned assault over the Rhine. As such they were part of the strategic reserve and were not to be released until they actually were at the Rhine. However, the Allies had released some of these hard-to-obtain vehicles (most were in the Pacific) to rescue refugees that had been caught in the flood when the Germans blew the Roer River dams. Most of this work had been done by the 2nd Canadian Infantry division, and they did have at the start of Operation: Veritable enough of the amphibious vehicles to move a brigade. The Amphibious unit enables any one brigade to treat flooded hexes/hexsides as clear terrain for both movement and combat purposes. Also, this unit does not pay the additional MP to cross river/canal hexsides. However, the amphibious brigade is still halved when attacking across a river/canal hex. The amphibious unit may not be transferred to another unit and it is destroyed if the host unit is destroyed. It does not generate the combat odds column shift as with the 79th Armoured division units.

11.2 Fuhrer's Interference By this point in the war, Hitler's stand fast orders and tendency to micro manage military affairs had bred an atmosphere of paranoia and self-doubt at the highest levels of the Wehrmacht's chain of command. To simulate this indecision, the German player must roll a die, less than the number of turns played, in order to bring a reinforcement unit into the game from the strategic reserve (i.e., to enter a unit on turn 3 a "1" or a "2" must be rolled). This die roll must be done for each unit the German player wishes to have "released." A roll of "6," however, means the unit stays in the Strategic Reserve regardless of the number of turns played and may not be requested/rolled for again (The Fuhrer said NEIN!).

11.3 Additional Allied Turn. For play balance between a veteran Grognard and a novice allow the Allied player an additional 8th turn. The Allied player must have previously committed all of the Allied Strategic Reserve units to qualify for the additional turn. Play 4.1, 4.2 normally, skip 4.3 (the German Player Turn) and determine the winner per 4.4. Of course the 2 VPs for uncommitted Allied Reserve units would not apply, and only those Allied units that actually exited the east edge of the map would count towards victory. Look upon this as General Montgomery lighting a few fires beneath his divisional commanders.

12.0 DESIGNER'S NOTES

The end of WWII in Germany has always been fascinating. With the end of the war coming to a Wagnerian finale, the Wehrmacht continued to fight and function organizationally almost to the very end. Voltaire said that a rationale army would run away. Perhaps, but was the German army of 1945 as irrational and insane as its leader? This game does not pretend to answer that question, but Operation: Veritable does show just how hard a wounded and cornered opponent can fight.

Player's notes:

German Player: The German player is attempting to buy time in terrain that is eminently suited to a rear guard defense. Attempting to cover lines of retreat for other off-map formations and allow for the passage northward of badly needed Rhine coal barges, the German commander is trying to keep the catastrophe occurring as far west as possible. The German player must always be mindful of trading space for time. Not only are your formations weaker, they are also fragile. Many will not survive retreat attempts. Counter attacks, while dangerous are not out of the question. They must, however, be well considered and carried out. Don't be afraid of losing troops, as long as they hold off the Allies for another turn, or better yet, take a few down with them. The German player doesn't lose VPs for eliminated units; the Allied player does. Calling in the Reserves is another important decision. Can you afford to give the Allies the VPs? Could they be used to cut off already exited Allied units? These represent the bulk of the OKW's mobile and veteran forces for this sector. Commitment here in the Reichswald may mean a bigger breakthrough in the south when the Americans launch Operation Grenade.

Allied Player: Strike hard, strike often and keep heading east! You have the preponderance of force and a number of avenues of approach, but only 7 turns to accomplish your objectives. The turn sequence you use and commitment of Strategic Reserves are two of the most crucial decisions to make. Use forced marches to exploit any ZOC gaps in the German's lines. Be wary of the German AT, assault gun and panzer units, they can really sting. Be sure to use the RAF when it shows up. Offensive support is usually best, but late-game defensive support could make the difference between a successful stand against a last-gasp German counter attack. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing defeat snatched from the jaws of victory!

To both players, enjoy and learn!

13.0 ADDITIONAL READING

Davis, Franklin M. Across the Rhine. Chicago: Time-Life, 1980.

Dollinger, Hans. The Decline and Fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. New York: Crown Publishers, 1968.

Latimer, Jon D. "The Reichswald: Clearing a Path to the Rhine." In World War II vol. 13, no. 7 (March, 1999). 22-28.

MacDonald, Charles B. The Siegfried Line Campaign. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of the Army, 1963.