Stout Hearts: Battle in the Hedgerows

“The leading platoons were moving through the gentle, wooded slopes on which waited the first German outposts, little groups of men dug cunningly in among the trees and bushes, crouching unseen in narrow pits under the hedges behind the thin barrels of their machine guns. The British infantrymen came trudging in among the trees, miserable and sodden; bewildered at first as the mines with which the ground was sown exploded beneath their comrades feet and the bullets came whining among them; then spreading out rapidly and moving from tree-trunk to splintered tree-trunk, crouching, alert, angry; angry with the rain; angry with the mud, with boredom and fatigue, and closing in to vent their anger on the enemy.”  

Alexander Baron: “From the City, From the Plough”, 1948 

The Divisional Commander has ordered your Brigade to push on into the bocage. “Keep up with the flanking units, don’t let your chaps get sticky. There are only a few more miles until we are out into open ground!”. 

You have three battalions of infantry. Well trained for the invasion but after two months of fighting they are getting tired. Replacements have come from disbanded units as there are few men left in the UK who can be drafted. You have a battalion of infantry tanks to support your Brigade with dedicated Royal Artillery Batteries for each infantry battalion. The infantry have their own mortars and anti-tank weapons for immediate support. Will they make it through the next few days or will they crack? The attack starts tomorrow at 05.00…. 

Stout Hearts is a solitaire game, based on Jay Ward's popular The Battle for Ramadi and Hue system. As Brigadier, your job is to push through the enemy defenses in exceptionally difficult terrain, utilizing not only your infantry platoons, but also tank, mortar, artillery, and machine gun assets. Intelligence on the enemy is limited. Are they SS? Are there Tigers? How many 88s do they have? Will they fight or will they run? Now is the time to find out!  

Components: 

• Full color rules booklet
• Good looking 17” by 22” Map
• 1 x 8.5" x 11" Player Aid Chart
• 1 x 11" x 17" Player Aid Chart
• 140 beautiful 1" (that's big) double sided counters.