For this years Action we had decided to go back in time just a little mor then the previous years. So back we went to 1944...
Which meant we were in Normandy, or to be precise in the middle of an assault by the US XIX Corp on the German 2nd Panzer Division. The allied attack had bogged once before that day when a lone German Tiger attacked the spearhaed of the assault and the Americans had to withdraw. The Tiger had been dealt with by the US Air Force, but Battalion was affraid that there might be some more German cats around and send two M-10 tank destroyers and a Sherman Howitzer to the front to support the assault.
Now the allied troops had to advance along a 3m (~10´) x 1,5m (~5´) table to break through the German lines.
All that the American players saw at the beginning of the game was a lone Bergepanther racing over the fields to recover the shot up Tiger. All the other German units deployed hidden.
For their own set up the Americans decided against the most obvious route of attack... a road winding down the middle of the table. So they deployed a Sherman Dozer and the Howitzer on their right flank along with the command and support sections which deployed dismounted from their half-tracks.
On the left flank the two M-10´s along with a half-track and two trucks carrying infantry sqeezed themselfs into a small space beween the hedgerows. A Sherman with Hedgerowcutter led the congregation on this side.
From the very beginning things did not go well for the Americans on the left flank. The Germans had deployed two 8cm mortars at their edge of the table and these began firing as fast as they could, driven on by an officer. The Germans had deployed and observer under the roof of one of the farm buildings and he was tempted by the huge amount of soft skinned and open toppped vehicles on the left flank. So he called the fire in on them, with one of the shots being a lucky deviation. While the mortars were aimed at the trucks, one shot missed it´s target and landed right on the rear deck of one of the M-10´s. It smashed through the engine cover and set the tank hunter on fire. Not exactly the best start for the Americans!
Meanwhile the tanks on the right flank were slowly making their way forward to the first hedgerow, while the command section advanced forward and began climbing it. The US mortars began to fire on the German side of the board. For lack of a better target they fired at the disabled Tiger to prevent the Bergepanther from gettng too close and completing it´s mission.
On the other flank the surviving tank crews had decided to get rid of the mortars by taking out the spotter. So they began firing on the nearest farmbuilding, where one 75mm shot exploded under the roof in no time, killing a German sniper hiding there. Not that it did anything about the spotter, who was hiding in another building.
But now hostilities really broke out on that flank. The other German sniper took revenge by shooting the machinegunner on the half-track. He could not enjoy his success for too long though, since he was badly injured by the Amerikan Infantry riding the back of the half-track.
Die German mortars had walked their fire along with the American advance. This paid off when the driver of the remaining M-10 drove his tank right over the spot the Germans were aiming for now. The next shot that came down landed exactly in the turret of the tankdestroyer killing the crew and setting off the ammo stored inside.
On the other flank things went a little better now. One of the American mortars missed it´s target by far and landed amongst the German tank hunter section, killing the Panzerschreck gunner. The American commander spotted this effect and ordered his mortars to shift their fire via radio. Now the Germans had to relocate, but not without one of the soldiers picking the Panzerschreck up inspite of the enemy fire. Now that their targets had been driven off the mortars shifted their fire once more, this time aimed right at the Bergepanther which had to reverse and took some revenge by firing it´s bow machinegun at the US command section.
Now things really heated up on the left flank. The NCO and one of the soldiers of a German infantry unit hiding on the other side of the hedge climbed it, to spray the Amercans on the other side with their SMG´s. They soon fell victim to American fire, but now the US infantry dismounted their vehicles to attack over the hedge. When the first few of them reached the top of the hedge they themselves now became victims to the fire from the rest of the German unit on the other side. But the German players now needed to change their plans as well. Since their Tankhunters had been forced to flee from the US mortars they were afraid that the tankhunters might not make it in time if the Americans forced a quick breakthrough. So they send the Panther they had kept in reserve forward.
On the right flank the Shermans had forced the first hedgerow and where firing at the ones up front to suppress the Germans they were suspecting there. Now when they pushed through the next hedge and had a clear view of the Tiger for the first time they were quite surprised. It raised its main gun and turned its turret. It had only been immobilized by the USAF and had played dead. The Dozer fired on the Tigers flank to take it out before it could fire. The shot barely made it through the side armour and hit the fuel tanks. But to add to the US bad luck it failed to ignite the fuel.
On the other flank the Americans paid dearly for the indecision of the remaining tanker. Because things had heated up, he had become afraid of a German ambush and did not want to push through the next hedgerow without friendly infantry checking the other side first. Unfortunately the infantry could not spot the advancing Panther from their position and gave the sign to advance. All this had given enought time for the tankhunters to get into position. Just when the Sherman had broken through the hedge it was hit by a Panzerfaust and went up in flames. There was no need for the Panther anymore. The gap in the hedge was now blocked by the burning Sherman and the infantry in the field behind it were being ripped to pieces by the German mortars. So just when the Panther was about to add to their misery the Americans sounded the retreat.
I would like to thank the players who took part in the game (you can see some of them on the photos below).
As usual it had been a great day spend with you, especially since some of you have returned for the third consecutive year to our games now.
And I would like to thank you for all the nice comments... they make the work worth the effort!
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