Operation Martlet – Push through Fontenay

This is the second game from the Too Fat Lardies Operation Martlet campaign. 

The photograph shows the game layout after the patrol phase and with the jump off markers deployed. This was going to be a brutal fight for the Orchard and farmhouse in the centre of the table.

The British deployed their first section into the Orchard in front of the farmhouse hoping to capture it before the Germans woke up.

Unfortunately the British had map issues or a late breakfast and managed to turn up long after the barrage to soften up the German had ended. So the Germans were now ready and waiting. However the supporting Vickers in the barn opened up killing one of the loaders of the MG team. 

The Germans deployed another section against the farmhouse wall hoping to hold off the British attack. 

In true stoic fashion the British threw grenades and charged.

Charging Panzer Grenadiers in cover was not going to be easy and after rolling a bucket full of dice each, the result was a lot of casualties, or in this case a very quiet battlefield. Both sides force morale dropped to a worrying level at this point.

As the Germans managed to get a double turn they deployed their Mark IV hoping to get a double shot at the Sherman that had deployed earlier. The first shot missed and the dice gods were not with them as none of the dice would allow the tank to activate on the second turn. All that could be done was to bring up the senior leader to bolster the defences in the farmhouse.

The Sherman fired back at the Mark IV and hit, causing to driver to panic and refuse to do anything. At the same time the bow gunner hosed down the farmhouse in preparation for the next assault.

Having not leaned the previous lesson the British went in again with the bayonet and managed to wipe both themselves and the German occupiers of the farmhouse out. At this point the British force morale plummeted to 0 and they were forced to retire from the game. Casualties on both sides were heavy due to the two infantry assaults on the farmhouse and as such the German hold on Fontenay may be tenuous at best. 

One of the other games…..

Simon was apparently conducting some market research for Lancaster University into a game called  Dungeon Saga, produced by Mantic Games.  Enough said.....