Now I had the time before my 38th birthday to make a report.
The game was against Helge testing our list for the upcoming tournament this saturday- Operation Market Garden.
The mission was Breakthrough.
Round 1
The Allied tanks advancing through a small village, while the artillery tried to hit the German pioneers, but there was no loss in Round 1
The German troops tried to advance with the gepanzerte platoon moved at the double. No casualties inflicted.
Round 2
The Allied units moved forward towards the German frontline with the Sherman tanks as spearhed pushing forward. With the cautious movement rule the Allied remained futher than 40cm and in consealment, No casualties inflicted on the Allied forces, though the Canadian artillery started a bombardemnt, this time with disastrous effect .. 2 HMG teams and 2 infantry teams fell against the Canadian shells
The German turn 2, reinforcements came – The Kingtiger, knowing that the pesky AOP would probably get a pretty goal. The German panzergrenadiers came into position and covering and contesting both the objects. A few mounted Sdkfz 250’s drove towards the tiger to deter the AOP with their anti-air MG. The pioneer platoon remaind pinned but used their supply wagon to dig in.
Round 3
The round started with the Canadians failing the reserve roll and the Shermans and the Fireflys moved gently in to position while the AOP flew into position,where it had a clear view of the tiger.
The artillery hit the tiger as predicted, but however the heavy armor protected the tiger from any damage.
The Germans retaliated with two AAMG hitting the AOP with the result of one very dead AOP.
The German round still saw the Pioneers pinned and retreated the supply wagon to the rear. Th ePanzergrenadier dug in, and got reserves – The flak platoon. No planes left on the battlefield but with an 88 with extra crew it could do some damage.
Round 4
The Canadians got a full veteran infantry platoon in reserve.
The German Pioneers remained pinned. The Canadians moved into assault position. The Germans only had rifles and simultaneously pinned, it was very little “defensive fire” the pioneers could deliver.
Then the tanks moved closer to the objects so that they could fire on both pioneers and panzer grenadiers. The two Fireflies tried to shoot the Sd Kfz 250’s.
The Canadian barrage was largely ineffective, and same applied to the artillery pounding one pak40, but the Germans made a 5+ save.
After shooting the Canadians stormed the Pioneer in the bloody melee, one team fell into defensive four, but the rest came out after their first assault there were only four pioneers back. The Germans succeeded counter attack test and 4 teams advanced, despite that they were trained making 4 hits!
The Canadian troops performed well their morale test and wiped the last four pioneers in close combat but at a high cost but they succeeded their platoon moral test.
The Germans got the last reserves – 5 piece Flamethrower tanks – no match for the Sherman or Fireflies tanks, so they were sent into the back of Canadians tanks in the hope that they, against all expectations could harm the Canadian artillery. The Panzergrenadiers which had now dug down opened fire with everything they had .. Pak40 cannon hit a Sherman tank and destroyed it, while MG’s defeated a Canadian infantry team which caused a moral test which the Canadians failed and retreated.
The Kingtiger now moved cautiously through the city.
Round 5
The Canadian HQ consisting of two Sherman tanks moved backwards trying to take care of the newly arrived flamethrower tanks, one firefly turned the turret and releases 2 shots .. A Flammenpanzertank in the open is an easy target for the Canadian Firefly with semi Indirect but despite of re-roll fire power test (against flame tanks) only one is destroyed, the other being bailed out .. The Canadian HQ tank can only see the tank that was bailed out .. and it will be hit again and destroyed. The rest of the Shermans sneaked into a better position to bombard the defence of the objects.
The Germans moved the Flammenpanzertanks moved closer to the Canadian artillery, and the Kingtiger moved into short range of a Sherman and destroyed it with a lucky shot.
Round 6
There was not so much in Allied round 6. The artillery failed their shooting, and Sherman tanks which chased the Flammenpanzertanks had not been defeated (One was bailed) .. The Flammenpanzertanks had driven within about 28 cm of the big 5’5 guns standing alongside the Flammenpanzertanks . On the other hand, the Canadians were very careful with his Sherman tanks since the Kingtiger stood very near, only waiting for the Sherman’s to become visible targets.
The Germans moved the Flammenpanzertanks within assault distance of the major 5’5 guns. The German Nebelwerfers didn’t shot effective against the Shermans and the Kingtiger didn’t hit not something and the panzer grenadiers remained gone to ground so they could not be easily seen.
The Flammenpanzertanks attacked the 5’5 guns and defeated them in close combat. Now the Canadians only had the 25pdr guns, and those were effective against the Kingtiger and the game were moving into a stalemate.
Round 7
The Canadian HQ chased the Flammenpanzertanks and busted another Flammenpanzertanks in to fire, but the platoon succeeded the moral test.
The battle for the objects nothing much happened. While the Canadian Stuarts advanced to remove gone to ground the rest of the company were pending.
The Germans assaulted with the two remaining Flammenpanzertanks against the 25 pdr guns. One was hit by flamethrowers before the assault, even though a 25 pdr gun has turntable, it failed to stop the assault with the result of one 25 pdr gun was lost in the close combat before the Flammenpanzertanks pulled away.
Round 8
The Fireflies, Shermans and the 25 pdr defeated in direct shooting only one Flammenpanzertanks which led to the last tank ran due to failed morale test.
Nothing was accomplished at the objectives.
The German Kingtiger moved forward and made 2 shots against a Sherman who moved at the double and missed both shots. The artillery didn’t injured no enemy tanks.
We had been playing for 4½ hours and decided that the battle was coming to an end .. the German veteran troops were unharmed and dug in their positions, and they held both objects supported by a buried 88mm cannon with extra crew. The German Kingtiger dominated the front line without any chance of being destroyed by the Fireflies.
The Canadian troops retreated and the game ended 4-3 to the German defenders and I got home and went on R&R.
