An Imagined American Soldier’s World War II Diary Entry:
The late afternoon sun filtered weakly through the bare branches of the Italian hillside, casting long shadows across the uneven terrain. Staff Sergeant James Kowalski’s platoon moved in a staggered column through the wooded slopes east of Naples, their boots crunching softly on the leave-strewn forest floor. With the fog of war heavy in the air, each man in the unit advanced cautiously uphill, rifles at the ready.
Without warning, the distinctive sound of a German MG42 machine gun shattered the silence—a terrifying buzz-saw roar that sent leaves and bark exploding from the trees. The first burst came high, but the gunner was already adjusting.
“Down! Get down!” Kowalski’s voice barely carried over the weapon’s thunder.
The platoon dropped as one, scrambling for whatever cover the earth could offer. Men pressed themselves into shallow depressions, behind fallen logs, anywhere to escape the stream of lead that now swept methodically across their position. The MG42’s cyclic rate was nearly twice that of any American weapon—1,200 rounds per minute—and it sounded like fabric being torn apart, only louder, more terrible.
Private Eddie Marconi found himself flat against cold earth behind a thin oak tree, feeling horribly exposed. Bullets whipped overhead with distinctive cracks, some so close he felt the air displacement. To his left, Corporal Davis hugged the ground behind an outcropping of rock, his helmet pushed down hard over his eyes.
Kowalski lifted his head just enough to locate the source. There—maybe 150 yards uphill, partially concealed behind a natural rock formation. Muzzle flash flickered from a dark opening.
“Henderson! Morrison!” the sergeant bellowed toward his right flank. “BAR and rifles on that position! Two o’clock, rock outcrop!”
Private First Class Henderson, the platoon’s Browning Automatic Rifle man, shifted position carefully, bringing the heavy weapon to bear. Beside him, Morrison and two other riflemen with M1 Garands prepared to fire. Henderson squeezed off a controlled burst, the BAR’s steadier rhythm a stark contrast to the German weapon. The Garand riflemen added their fire, the distinctive ping of spent clips beginning to punctuate the exchange.
For perhaps thirty seconds, both sides traded fire. Then, abruptly, the MG42 fell silent.
The sudden quiet was almost shocking. Kowalski’s ears rang in the aftermath. He remained motionless for several heartbeats, then slowly raised himself to his elbows, scanning the hillside with experienced eyes. Smoke drifted from the rock position. No movement. No sound except the labored breathing of his men and the faint whisper of wind through branches.
Had they actually knocked it out? Or was the gun crew simply repositioning, waiting for the Americans to expose themselves? The Germans were masters of such tactics. Kowalski had seen too many men cut down by “dead” positions that suddenly roared back to life.
He studied the terrain carefully, looking for any sign—a shadow moving, a helmet edge, the glint of metal. Nothing. But that meant nothing. The sergeant’s jaw tightened. They couldn’t stay here, pinned down in the open as darkness approached. But moving forward without knowing the nest’s status could be suicide.
“Hold positions,” Kowalski called softly. “Stay down. Keep your eyes on that rock.”
He continued to watch, uncertain, as the cold Italian afternoon began its slide toward evening.
The Fog of War in Modern Tactical Games
This scenario describes the “fog of war” up close and personal. This isn’t about corps moving across vast plains, trying to encircle your army. This is about not knowing whether your last bullet permanently silenced the enemy who had just a minute before was trying to end your life.
And rarely does this fog of war variable get properly represented in skirmish and tactical wargames — especially in 20th and 21st Century scenarios.
In previous wargaming periods, the condition of opposing forces on the battle tended to be more obvious, as the combatants often formed into neat rank and file in order to form a shield wall or to deliver a volley of musket fire. If they were significantly ‘damaged’, wiped out, or forced back, it would tend to be visible to the opposing side.
But, once powderless gun powder and smaller unit actions began to gain momentum in fighting tactics, it was not always clear – at first – if your ranged fire on an enemy unit or position had the intended effect. Often you would find out only when your units moved and the enemy unit began firing again.
Few WWII wargame rules really depict this well. Your units fire at an enemy unit or position and losses are taken or not. They might become suppressed, in which their next action is degraded in some fashion. But, is that an accurate depiction of combat at this scale?
Hail of Fire
A rules set found on Wargamevault.com, Hail of Fire by Retro Boom, offers a compelling solution for depicting this form of fog of war. In this WWII tactical rules set—described by reviewers as a “Flames of War Lite” rules set—targeted units take ranged fire hits as “Received Fire Points” (RFPs). With a few exceptions for vehicle hits causing instant destruction, these RFPs remain on the unit until its next activation, when a test determines the unit’s damage from the hits.
Based on the unit’s cover and a 1D6 roll, it can either fully recover and act normally in its next activation, it can become suppressed, or it can be eliminated and removed from the board.
If not activated, the unit can hold its position for multiple turns, potentially receiving additional fire or being overrun. This delayed reaction creates an intriguing fog of war element on the tabletop. Opposing forces must watch the unit’s position carefully—either allocating more fire against it, assaulting the position, or maneuvering around it to avoid being fired upon in a future turn.
There are many factors of the Hail of Fire rules set that need further clarification for my liking, but this one ranged fire resolution rule makes it worth reviewing, if you are playing 20th or 21st century tactical tabletop wargames you might want to check out this rules set – on Wargame Vault with a ‘Pay What You Want’ price. This one rule could become an interesting ‘House Rule’ for any of your future WWI or modern skirmish or tactical tabletops.
Let us know if you agree with this assessment.
