Cherbourg Perimeter, 1940 (Battlegroup)

Simon kindly laid-on a Battlegroup game, set in 1940, portraying a British delaying action against the Germans on the Cherbourg perimeter. By way of trying to avoid the usual linear slugging match, Simon had arranged for the Germans to come on across one corner of the table, while the British held a line across the opposite corner. The objective was for the Germans to exit units from the British held baseline.

The Germans opening by pushing a group of Panzer IIs around the left flank, while the infantry sought to push the right flank and a group of Panzer 38(T)s pinned the centre. Sadly for the Germans, the British had a pre-arranged 18lb barrage that landed on the Panzer 38(T)s, leaving two of them burning.

The Panzer IIs fared better, supported by a Panzer IV. They started to envelop the British right flank, the Panzer IV knocking out an A13 that was threatening the right flank of the Panzer II force. However, two further A13s had swept around the British right, one quickly neutralising the right most Panzer II, while the other managed to knock-out the Panzer IV. The German fortunes were not going so well.

The German infantry had managed to secure a house at the extreme let of the British line, driving the British infantry from the field behind the house. Emboldened, the Germans pushed another infantry halftrack forward to assault the pinned British infantry, only to have it knocked out by a Boyes anti-tank rifle, hiding on the right flank of the British infantry section.

In the midst of all of this, to add insult to injury, a British Morris armoured car had pushed out from the British centre, weaving between the Panzer 38(T)s in the German centre, to take up a position to assail the rear of the German tanks with another anti-tank rifle! This was all too much for the Germans who then chose to pull back to re-group.

What a Tanker, Russian Front

After the successful Normandy WAT game in 15mm, we decided to try the Russian front this time. Greg also had a lovely collection of Russian front vehicles to show off and a nice looking Eastern front village, so why not?
Gone were the many hedge rows of Normandy. Instead the only cover was provided by some low hills and some small woods. Eight players lined up, three Germans and five Soviets. The Germans rolled well for starting vehicles, with two Tiger 1Es and a Panzer IVH. The Soviets started with more of a mixed bag, a T34/85, a T34/76, an SU-85, an SU-100 and Tony managed to score bottom points, claiming a tiny T70!
The aim of the game was for the Soviets to get vehicles onto the roads around the strategically vital village of "Wheresatagain". They would receive 2 points for each operational tank on a road at the end of each turn.
The Soviets started with a mad dash for the village, all accept for Tony in the diminutive T70, who decided it would be fun to park on top of a hill and lock horns with one of the Tigers, with the expected result! Never mind, maybe he would get a better replacement vehicle? Nope, rolled a 4, receiving another T70!

Overall, besides the T70, the Soviets lost a T34/85 and a T34/76, just getting to the village. Things were not looking great for the forces of Stalin. However, after some prolonged chipping away, by Greg's SU-85 and friends, the Tiger on the German right flank succumbed.

This left Dave in the second Tiger, playing big Cat and many mice, around the village, but after a couple of further Soviet losses, this Tiger too fell.

The German replacement rolls were not so good, yielding a Panther and  Stug III, but it wasn't too long before the Panther was embroiled in a melee to the right of the village, managing to despatch the long lived SU-85, before dashing into the heart of the village, to avoid the unwelcome attentions of an approaching IS-2. The highlight of this Panther scrap being the little T70 snapping at the Panther's heels!

Despite amassing 22 points for road occupation, the Soviets had lost 86 points of vehicles, compared to 55 points of losses for the Germans, so a slim net win by 9 points for the Germans. However, with the loss of two irreplaceable big cats, the Soviets were still in bullish mood.

Operation Martlet – Push through Fontenay (Second British Attack)

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

The earlier attack on Fontenay had severely reduced the troops available to each side but the Germans had been hit particularly badly because the British were able to buy additional squads, not an accptable option available to the Germans as they could only have rifle groups and no LMGs.

After the initial patrol phase the British deployed their Vickers and a reduced section into the upper floor of the barn so as to give covering fire for the advance through the orchard. A further section was deployed along the hedgeline to the left and right of the orchard.

The Germans in response deployed a section into the farmyard and a forward observer into the upper floor of the farmhouse who promptly brought in a very accurate mortar barrage onto the barn, pinning the occupants. The British in response used accurate Bren fire to kill the forward observer, thus ending the barrage.

The British crept forward two sections into the orchard and tried to advance the section on the right. In response the Germans opened up with a tripod MG42, causing the section to rush back into cover.

  

Lessons had been learned from the previous game and the Brits made good use of  tactical movement, covering fire and Bren accuracy to reduce the effectiveness of German fire.

Even when the Germans deployed a second section of two LMG teams into the woods on the left of the British advance it was unable to have any significant effect upon the British advance in the orchard. 

 

Covering fire from an elevated position in the barn successfully eliminated the flank threat from two German LMG teams.

 

The Brits in the orchard now prepared to assault the farmyard by throwing smoke grenades. 

However, the Germans had built up a good supply of CofC dice and were able to end the turn thereby removing the British smoke and exposing a single squad to point blank fire from two LMG teams.  

The Germans proceeded to throw a series of 5 double sixes (double phase) hosing down Sarge and his unfortunate squad for six consecutive turns. The Brits were very lucky to lose only 4 men and avoid a broken squad.  Having failed to decimate the Brits the Germans thought better of trying to defend the farmhouse from two sections and  so bugged out leaving the British in command of the battlefield.