WWII Scenario

The Americans know that the Siegfried Line will be a difficult and dangerous nut to crack. Trying to avoid a head on attack, they look for a technological method to avoid having to face these massive defenses. Paratroops and gliders are being saved for the assault across the Rhine River and there are no good drop zones immediately behind the line that would support large scale attacks. Allied scientists develop a machine based on the trenching machines developed in the First World War. The machine will burrow several hundred feet underground, level off and then work its way back to the surface. It will carry a platoon of assault troops. The machine will push the spoil behind it so it will not actually create a tunnel, it will just move through the ground.

The Germans have a long line of defenses across the width of the wargame table. They have minefields, barbed wire, heavy concrete bunkers, machine guns emplaced in concrete positions along with mortars and artillery. Everything is placed on the table in the direction of the American lines. The American troops are drawn up in formation, in preparation for an attack on the Germans. The German line should be very powerful.

The American forces are all in place as if they are going to make a conventional attack. They are hidden or under light cover, but it is obvious they are ready to make an attack. The real American attack will be one platoon of troops in each Mole Machine. They troops will advance underground at the speed of a walk to a point behind the German lines, selected by the American player prior to the start of the game, once the terrain is set up. The American will roll a D6 to determine the actual location of his emerging from under the soil. 1, 50 yards right, 2, 100 yards right, 3, 250 yards right, 4, 50 yards left, 5, 100 yards left, 6, 250 yards right. Due to soil conditions and navigation underground being a new art precise prediction of the location of the moles reappearance cannot be assured. As soon as the mole breaks ground it can move to a level position and the troops can dismount as if they were off loading a truck. The Mole Machine is armored in a fashion similar to a halftrack.

The concept here is the German player should not be informed of the presence of the Mole Machine until they make their appearance on the table. This will create an element of surprise and give the American a tactical advantage. The American must use their infantry to destroy German artillery and attack fortifications from the rear to give the conventional troops the ability to break through the defense line. New technologies were used all the time in WWII, VT fuses, bazookas, jet planes and they created a big surprise when first employed. This technology was not used but it was within their abilities had they wanted such a weapon.