Sunday, January 5, 2014

Advance and take that Normandy village!

Our group decided to do a WW2 skirmish game. A small scale, 1 figure = 1 man type of game. Very little armour. The scenario was a supported Canadian force moving on a Normandy village. We had the opportunity to play this as a double blind game with a ref watching all plotted off board moves. When opposing sides came within sight of each other they were placed on the table. The Canadian force consisted of 2 platoons of infantry supported by 2 Sherman M4A1's, a Daimler scout car, and a mechanized mortar section (universal carriers). The German forces are unknown.
The shelled out Normandy village.
The Canadian forces decided to split into to flanking forces. The left force had the benefit of the 2 Shermans while the right force had the scout car and the mortar section.
The left force advances across a field. Infantry spread out to minimize artillery strikes. The right force is moving up the other side of the road but hasn't been seen by the enemy yet and therefore not placed on the table.
The left force proceeds across the field. No Germans in sight yet.
Still quiet.
The Canadians are becoming too confident. No enemy in sight.
Ambush!
A German squad with a supporting MG34 opens up on the the Canadian flank. Once Canadian squad manages to pull back with one casualty while the other leading squad gets pinned down and annihilated. Only one soldier escapes!
Counter attack. The German squad has bugged out.
With the help of some HE fire from one of the Shermans the German squad on the Canadian flank is forced to pull back. The Germans did manage to slow down this Canadian platoon with minimal losses.
Hidden armour.
 While the left forces was struggling with the German flank attack the Germans moved a Mk IV into a building and started to engage the 2 Shermans.
View from the other side.

View of from the Canadian side of a well hidden Mk IV tank.

Smoke!
The mortars manage to place down a smoke screen to hide the Shermans. This forces the Mk IV out of the building. Meanwhile on the right side of the road the right force makes it to the church.
Backing out of the house.

Caught a German mortar in a nearby field.
The German mortar crew got caught in the open and paid the price.

Canadian infantry make it to the church but can't move any further.

The scout car falls victim to a lucky mortar round.
With the scout car knocked out the Germans decide to go on the offensive and run their Sd. Kfz 251 halftrack down the road to engage the stalled Canadian infantry.

What's that down the road?
One of the Shermans reversed it's course in the field and decided to move down the road. It managed to take a shot at the German halftrack  but missed. It was at this time that the Canadian forces realized that they'd need more help in taking the village and decided to pull back.

The game ended with a German tactical victory.

The rules used are home grown. As mentioned the scale is 1 fig = 1 man, 1 vehicle = 1 vehicle.