Updating 1940 Mortar FOs to CoC²

The 'Phoney' War, October 1939 - May 1940: 8 inch howitzer of 1st Heavy Regiment, Royal Artillery camouflaged in position near Laquielle.

Image: IWM (O 170)

Mortars in Chain of Command² were one of the elements that underwent the most significant changes from the previous version (and better IMHO too). 

However the new rules rub up against the 1940 Blitzkrieg Handbook and their introduction of Fixed Line Telephones for most of the Allied forces. CoC² bombardment rules are applicable to late war usage where radio communication was more efficient and wide spread - not an option open to many of the early war combatants.

In summary here are the differences between 1940 rules and CoC² concerning Bombardments and their use of Forward Observers (FOs):

Feature	1940 Fixed Line Telephones	Version 2 Rules (General Mortar/FO)
Physical Location & Line of Sight	A FO model is placed on the table. Mortar fire may only be called on a point which the FO can see from their location/LOS. FO can be targetted	The FO sight is unlimited on the table. The FO is not physically on the table and can't be targetted or impacted in any way
Comms Type	Relies on fixed line telephones	Assumes radio contact unless specified otherwise
Movement restriction	Once a static observer is placed on the table he may not move without breaking contact with the mortars.	A FO with a radio is able to operate as covered in the main rules and may change position without affecting their link to the mortar battery
Re-establishing Contact	If the FO moves, the mortars cease fire immediately, and the FO may not attempt to re-establish contact until the next game Turn (representing the time required to run a fresh cable)	Not explicitly covered for radio equipped FOs but see Continuing a Bombardment on page 61
Activation	Only the FO may control mortar fire on a Command Dice of 1 (this was a change from original CoC rules at the time of publishing)	Only the FO may control mortar fire on a Command Dice of 1

So how do we reflect the limitations of a 1940 fixed telephone line Forward Observer (FO), who must be physically placed on the table, and the CoC² rules where the FO is not explicitly placed on the table?

In summary the 1940 fixed-line FO has the following constraints:

1. Immobility: Once the observer is placed on the table, he may not move without breaking contact.
2. Communication Breakdown Penalty: If the FO moves, the mortars cease fire immediately, and the observer may not attempt to re-establish contact until the next game Turn (to represent the time required to run fresh cable).
3. Targeting Restriction: Mortar fire may only be called on a point which the Observer Team can see from their location (Line of Sight, or LOS).

If the FO figure were moved off-table, these limitations would need to be translated into restrictions on a fixed observation point (FOP) or the support capability itself:

Updating 1940 Fixed Line Forward Observers (FO) with a Fixed Observation Point (FOP) The inability to move (Immobility and Communication Breakdown Penalty) can be represented by mandating a permanent fixed location on the battlefield for the FO's observation, even if the action FO figure is absent from the table: Designated FOP The player would designate a Fixed Observation Point (FOP), within 9" of a Jump Off Point. This point represents the location of the end of the telephone line. The FOP must adhere to standard deployment rules (e.g., in cover). Targeting Line of Sight (LOS) The rule that mortar fire may only be called on a point visible to the Observer Team would be rigorously enforced by checking LOS only from the designated FOP. If the FOP is obscured, the mortars cannot fire. Simulating Communication Breakdown and Vulnerability Since the physical FO cannot be targeted, the consequences of the fixed line being exposed or compromised can be abstracted: FOP Compromise and Capture If an enemy unit (e.g., a Scout Team or an infantry unit) moves to within 4 inches of the stationary FOP, the FOP is considered compromised and this would prevent the initiation of any bombardment. This would trigger the "cease fire immediately" penalty if an active bombardment was underway.    Battery fire could not be re-established until the next Turn after control of the FOP re-established. No Bad Thing occurs for the loss of a FOP. Moving a Fixed Observation Point (FOP) Moving a fixed telephone line during a firefight is not an easy task to accomplish, the old line has to be dismantled, a new line run out and established. To allow for strategic repositioning of the observation point (FOP) while adhering to this severe logistical constraint, the following mechanism is suggested: 1. Initiation:  The Fixed Observation Point (FOP) may only be relocated during the Turn End phase.   2. Cost:  To execute the redeployment, the controlling player must expend a full Chain of Command Dice (6 points). This represents dedicating significant effort and resources (like Engineers or command attention) to run fresh telephone cable. 3. Movement   The FOP marker is immediately placed in a new location, up to 12" away from its previous position. The new location must adhere to standard deployment rules (e.g., in cover). 4. Communication Blackout Penalty Due to the time required to re-establish and register new fixed lines, the FO and its associated mortar battery are declared Unavailable for the entirety of the subsequent Game Turn.  During this Unavailable Turn, the player cannot attempt to activate the FO or call in any type of off-table fire (Bombardment, SOS Fire, or Smoke Barrage) from that battery. 5. Re-establishment The FO is automatically ready to observe and be activated again at the start of the Turn after next.

In summary, an off-table fixed-line FO in the 1940 context would function as a relatively immobile, vulnerable observation marker that requires explicit LOS from its fixed location, and would find it difficult to relocate its initial observation point during the game.

Anyway, just some suggestions on applying new rules to the 1940 rules and trying to "play the period".

Thoughts and comments appreciated as always

 

Chain of Command² Rule Clarifications

Last updated: 22nd September 2025

I have been asking and watching discussions on some Chain of Command² rule clarifications on the Facebook Group and on the TFL's Patreon channel, and the excellent community has provided some advice that has helped me to better understand a few rules I wasn't clear on. 

I hope I have reflected the discussions accurately, happy to amend if required. If a FAQ supersedes this I will reflect any updates.

In an attempt to keep these in one place where I can find them - I thought I would make them available to you too.

1. Anti-Tank Guns and Shock/Pinning
2. Firing on Transport Vehicles
3. Handgranaten! and Terrain
4. Bombardments and Interrupts
5. Bunched Targets
6. Bunkers and Cover
7. Smoke Grenades and Tanks
8. Light Cover, Hard Cover and Hard Hard Cover

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1. Anti-Tank Guns and Shock/Pinning

British airborne troops with a 6-pdr anti-tank gun in Hamminkeln, Germany, 25 March 1945

Image: IWM (BU 2304)

So how does shock affect an Anti-Tank gun and team? Lets use a worked example to explain:

• A 6 pounder Anti-Tank gun with five crew and Junior Leader is subjected to enemy fire. 
• The team take enough shock to pin them - in this example no one died, so as per 4.1.1 Pinned Units, it becomes Pinned when the amount of Shock exceeds the number of figures, including attached Leaders - in this example seven shock (shock > crew + unstunned attached leaders: 7 > (5 + 1)).

So the gun is now Pinned, what does this mean for the gun crew as per 4.1.1?

• They cannot move - importantly that means they cannot reposition their gun - they are fixed to their current arc of fire.

If it is activated in a subsequent phase it will operate differently depending on what it is doing:

• Firing HE
• When firing HE, the number of Firepower Dice is halved (see 4.1.1). The 6 pounder would roll two Firepower Dice whilst Pinned instead of the normal four.
• Firing AP
• When firing AP, the impact of Shock gives -1 adjustment per point of shock on the firing gun as per 16.1. In our example, this would be minus seven to the Roll to Hit - it would be a miracle to hit a barn door with this penalty. The number of AP Strike Dice is not changed - Shock and Pinning effects impact Firepower Dice not Strike Dice - so the 6 pounder rolls it's full nine AP Strike Dice in the unlikely event it hits anything.

So far so good. The pinned gun is having a bad time but let us imagine that their Junior Leader or a visiting Senior Leader drops by and all of their Shock is removed - what happens now? The gun is still Pinned - how does this impact their subsequent firing:

• Firing HE
• The unit is still Pinned so it's Firepower Dice are still halved.
• Firing AP
• With zero Shock there are zero adjustments to the Roll to Hit, however the gun cannot move or rotate its arc of fire. If alternatively, there was still some shock this would reduce their Roll to Hit as before. It still has its full AP Strike Dice of nine if it hits anything.

Obviously at End of Turn things would be resolved as usual, remaining Pinned or becoming unpinned as appropriate.

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2. Firing on Transport Vehicles

With the advent of increased use of passenger vehicles other than AFVs and APCs, what would happen if you target the passengers in an unarmoured car or lorry?

The cover for the passengers will depend on the robustness of the vehicle. In my opinion, firing upon a jeep might consider the passengers in the Open, in a sturdy lorry or car Light Cover as appropriate. 

In addition to hits caused on the passengers, any 6’s rolled when firing at Transport Vehicles causes a point of Shock on the vehicle (as per 13.2.12 and 4.2.1).

A quick summary from Rich

"So, the first thing you do is forget the transport. Just shoot at the passengers as though in light cover (zero cover if firing HE). When you fire you'll roll Firepower Dice. They cause hits and casualties as normal, but any 6's rolled ALSO cause shock on the transport. Transport vehicles cannot rally shock and are KO when they reach 4 shock."

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3. Handgranaten! and Terrain

Those pesky Germans are big fans of Handgranaten, and we had an instance where the Germans were inside one house, an American squad in another - both houses were within 12" and visible to one another. 

The question arose that when Handgranaten was initiated were there any terrain penalties for exiting one house and entering a second? The answer is when using Handgranaten ignore terrain between the two parties (obviously within reason - no climbing cliffs!). 

To quote Rich:

"This is a supercharged move. They just move with 3D6 and do their stuff. It;'s a bit generous but its their trademark move. And their Dad did it before them." 

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4. Bombardments and Interrupts

In one of our games the German player called in an SOS bombardment upon an American squad, which he then reacted to by using a full Chain of Command dice to interrupt and move away from the targeted area. 

This led to a long debate but ultimately the call was that Rules As Written do allow you to interrupt a bombardment but it is not in the game designer's mind that you should not do so as it goes against all military training to run around when the shells start landing.

Long story short - you can't interrupt a bombardment in the spirit of the game.

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5. Bunched Targets

Bunched targets on Dunkirk beach 1940

Oh boy, a lot to cover here with the new rule. First of all let's recap the rule so we know what we are playing with:

 13.2.2 "Bunched Targets Where the target is made up of three or more teams, this is a Bunched Target. A +1 modifier is applied when rolling to hit Bunched Teams"

So on to the questions and answers I have gleaned so far. I am not going to go in to all of the debates and arguments and try and concisely give just the answer.

• Can an infantry section with 3 or more teams be considered a Bunched Target?

The simple answer is that no single section can ever be a Bunched Target.

• Does a sniper get +1 to hit a bunched target?

No.

• Does High Explosive (HE) or a Bombardment get +1 modifier (hits on 3+) with a Bunched Target?

Yes.

• Firing on targets in mixed levels of cover, when is it a Bunched Target?

Okay this one is this more complicated and will take an example to be clear. The scenario is that there are three teams (meeting the Bunched Target criteria) but they are in differing levels of cover.  

For the purposes of this example let's put Team A in hard cover and Teams B and C in light cover. Three Teams close enough to be considered a Bunched Target but in differing levels of cover.

As per 13.2.1, "Where the target Team has other friendly Teams within 4”, they become part of the target if they are visible and in the same level of cover. If the target Team has another friendly Team within 4” but in better cover, the firer can choose to concentrate all fire on the Team with less cover, or they can divide the fire between both. Where the target Team is in better cover than the other Unit, the hits must be divided between them."

If the team you targeted has two other teams (or more) within 4" of it, it is a Bunched Target if you are engaging all of the target teams (in our example Teams A, B and C). You will get the +1 modifier if you target all eligible teams regardless of their levels of cover.
 
However, if you elect to just fire at the two Teams B and C in lesser cover, then Team A is excluded, so the target is not considered a Bunched Target.

 In short, to get the benefit of a Bunched Target you must target 3 or more Teams, if this means they are in differing levels of cover then you must take this in to account with their cover saves. 

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6. Bunkers and Cover

Many weapons reduce cover of the target such as HE and other weapons, does this impact the cover a bunker provides? Answer is no they don't. 

To quote Rich:

"Bunkers are unique and separate from light and hard cover. The bunker rule always applies. You can’t reduce cover of a bunker."

 

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7. Smoke Grenades and Tanks

Not that sort of smoke!

Firing an Anti-Tank weapon at a vehicle through a smoke grenade makes the target "view badly obscured" (16.1).

This would apply to an Infantry thrown smoke grenade or a Soviet "Smoke Grenades for AFV" support choice. Obviously vehicle generated smoke and mortar smoke block line of sight completely.

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8. Light Cover, Hard Cover and Hard Hard Cover

There may be situations where you can enhance your "natural" cover rating of light or hard cover by either adopting a Tactical stance or other means.

If you think of cover in terms of modifiers (bear with me on this), so being in the open is Level 0, light cover is Level 1 and hard cover is Level 2. 

When calculating cover, you stack the positives and then remove the negatives to end up with the level of cover at the end. You can't get better than hard cover (Level 2) but you can protect it some times - let me explain. The process is:

• Stack bonuses first, then subtract penalties.
• Hard cover is the cap—you can’t exceed Level 2, but you can protect it from being reduced.

Two examples:

Infantry squad in a building is in hard cover (Level 2). 

If they are targeted by small arms they are in hard cover.

If they are targeted by HE they are in light cover (Level 2 hard cover minus 1 for HE =  Level 1 light cover). 

However, if they adopt a Tactical stance in a building then they are in hard cover versus small arms (you can't get better then Level 2 hard cover), and they are in hard cover versus the HE (Level 2 hard cover plus +1 bonus for Tactical minus 1 for HE penalty = Level 2 hard cover overall).

Tactical stance acts like a buffer against HE’s degrading effect. It doesn’t push you past Level 2 hard cover, but it preserves hard cover when it would otherwise drop.

An Anti-Tank gun is in hard cover of an emplacement. It’s also got a gun shield (effectively Level 2 hard cover plus +1 bonus for the Gun Shield). So that’s hard cover plus a bonus cover level. 

If targeted with firearms then they are in hard cover (you can't get better then Level 2 hard cover),

However, if targeted with HE which reduces cover, that doesn’t reduce to light cover as the reduction of cover only removes the benefit of the gun shield  (Level 2 hard cover plus +1 bonus for the Gun Shield minus 1 for HE penalty = Level 2 hard cover overall)

The gun shield is an additional bonus—a little like a Tactical stance. But since the base terrain is hard cover, the loss of the shield doesn’t drop you below Hard Cover.

More to follow as I come across them.

Updating Blitzkrieg 1940 Support Classifications to CoC²

Following on from my musings over how the new vehicle aspects from Chain of Command² might be applied, I thought it was time to consider how the 1940 Support Options might be classified in to the new support types.

Chain of Command² classifies support options according to specific types. These classifications are indicated by colour-coding on the support lists, making it easy to determine which types of support are available for a given scenario.

These are:

• Blue - denotes Engineering support choices
• Grey - represents Mortars
• White - indicates Infantry Units
• Green - for Support Units
• Yellow - defines Transports
• Orange - signifies Light Vehicles and Armour
• Red - represents proper Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Whilst the Blitzkrieg 1940 book scenarios don't have these additional support classifications applied to them (yet.. watch this space), it might be helpful to consider how the 1940 Support Options would be classified if you choose to use them with the new scenarios in the core rulebook.

There is the addition of new types of Support Option such as replenish points that just predate the creation of the 1940 rules, so those need adding in too.

With no definitions of what necessarily constitutes each of the classifications of support I have used my judgement (flawed though it may be) to make a suggestion as to what each might be considered to be. Feel free to amend or point out any errors I may have included.

The updated classified Support Lists are available in the Files Page on the blog, there is one for each of the nations in the 1940 book.

Enjoy!!