Breakthrough (mobile battle) scenario using Delayed Reserves, Mobile Reserves and Prepared Positions. Click to enlarge the pictures.
With the army lists built before rolling the scenario the Germans were forced to deploy a Panzer III platoon with armored company commanders and a 15cm gun battery in opposite corners of the table. The British chose one of the remaining corners for their deployment and placed two objectives in the last quadrant. They had a Sherman III platoon, an 8 gun 25 pdr. battery and an infantry platoon to start.
We had an inkling of how the day was going to go when, with five dice for limited air, the British got nothing. With no targets for the artillery the whole 8 gun battery dug in. Infantry and tanks moved forward, the tanks justly cautiously. In the German half they would have gotten aircraft with their priority (?! what's with that!?) but the British successfully intercepted them. The artillery has a target and although they fail to kill any stands they do pin the infantry while we reposition the tanks.
Turn two: with Air used to intercept and the infantry remaining pinned only the tanks advance, attempting an end run. Germans continue the infantry bombardment drawing first blood. The panzers find an excellent position where most have the cover of a sunken road.
Turn Three: first chance for delayed reserves but none arrive. The infantry stays pinned. Tanks pop out from behind the woods and engage the Germans to no effect. Aircraft are rolled but intercepted by the Luftwaffe, effectively cancelling each other out. On the German half of the turn the artillery kills another stand and the panzers manage to brew up a Sherman. No reserves are rolled for the Germans either and now we have to watch in two directions.
Turn Four: a British infantry platoon arrives in the empty quadrant in the German rear area. The other platoon finally unpins and maneuvers out of sight. Tanks all miss. The 25pdrs. self spot a panzer but the bombardment is ineffective. The Germans get a MkIII platoon in the quadrant with the 15cm. guns, which moves quickly to threatened objective. Misjudging the distance they don't double move but do manage to storm troop closer. The remaining two Shermans from the platoon plus the CnC are engaged by the five panzers, killing two. The 15cm. battery then targets the company commander and destroys the tank. He fails to get out on his Warrior save and dies with the Shermans. The Germans get aircraft with the only target technically under cover they fail their spotting roll and roar off. The Germans get a MkII platoon from their reserves which enters opposite the other tanks and races to get at the British infantry while the reserve MkIII platoon moves into position.
Turn Five: Down to just one die with all the intercept attempts the British still get a Hurricane which attacks the MkIIs. With all five in blast template only one is hit is rolled and it makes his armor save with a "6." Symptomatic of how the day has gone for the British. A new Sherman platoon comes on and finally kills one panzer. The infantry at the objective tries to dig in but fails. In their half of the turn a Panzerspah platoon arrives and double moves forward. The first Panzer III platoon with the 2iC in a Mk IV move to see Shermans and kill two. Other MkIII Panzers advance from behind the hill and kill the last one. The Company Commander calls in 15cm. battery onto the infantry which failed to dig in, killing one and pinning the rest. With all the British armor gone and facing three platoons of MkIII and MkII tanks the game was conceded.
Sometimes we can blame the dice as a way of easing the pain of a loss. But truly, this was one of the worst games in terms of one-sided dice rolls I've ever seen. The British could not buy a break and the Germans were at least average. Hopefully they will average out next time for Tim.
With the army lists built before rolling the scenario the Germans were forced to deploy a Panzer III platoon with armored company commanders and a 15cm gun battery in opposite corners of the table. The British chose one of the remaining corners for their deployment and placed two objectives in the last quadrant. They had a Sherman III platoon, an 8 gun 25 pdr. battery and an infantry platoon to start.
We had an inkling of how the day was going to go when, with five dice for limited air, the British got nothing. With no targets for the artillery the whole 8 gun battery dug in. Infantry and tanks moved forward, the tanks justly cautiously. In the German half they would have gotten aircraft with their priority (?! what's with that!?) but the British successfully intercepted them. The artillery has a target and although they fail to kill any stands they do pin the infantry while we reposition the tanks.
Turn two: with Air used to intercept and the infantry remaining pinned only the tanks advance, attempting an end run. Germans continue the infantry bombardment drawing first blood. The panzers find an excellent position where most have the cover of a sunken road.
Turn Three: first chance for delayed reserves but none arrive. The infantry stays pinned. Tanks pop out from behind the woods and engage the Germans to no effect. Aircraft are rolled but intercepted by the Luftwaffe, effectively cancelling each other out. On the German half of the turn the artillery kills another stand and the panzers manage to brew up a Sherman. No reserves are rolled for the Germans either and now we have to watch in two directions.
Turn Four: a British infantry platoon arrives in the empty quadrant in the German rear area. The other platoon finally unpins and maneuvers out of sight. Tanks all miss. The 25pdrs. self spot a panzer but the bombardment is ineffective. The Germans get a MkIII platoon in the quadrant with the 15cm. guns, which moves quickly to threatened objective. Misjudging the distance they don't double move but do manage to storm troop closer. The remaining two Shermans from the platoon plus the CnC are engaged by the five panzers, killing two. The 15cm. battery then targets the company commander and destroys the tank. He fails to get out on his Warrior save and dies with the Shermans. The Germans get aircraft with the only target technically under cover they fail their spotting roll and roar off. The Germans get a MkII platoon from their reserves which enters opposite the other tanks and races to get at the British infantry while the reserve MkIII platoon moves into position.
Turn Five: Down to just one die with all the intercept attempts the British still get a Hurricane which attacks the MkIIs. With all five in blast template only one is hit is rolled and it makes his armor save with a "6." Symptomatic of how the day has gone for the British. A new Sherman platoon comes on and finally kills one panzer. The infantry at the objective tries to dig in but fails. In their half of the turn a Panzerspah platoon arrives and double moves forward. The first Panzer III platoon with the 2iC in a Mk IV move to see Shermans and kill two. Other MkIII Panzers advance from behind the hill and kill the last one. The Company Commander calls in 15cm. battery onto the infantry which failed to dig in, killing one and pinning the rest. With all the British armor gone and facing three platoons of MkIII and MkII tanks the game was conceded.
Sometimes we can blame the dice as a way of easing the pain of a loss. But truly, this was one of the worst games in terms of one-sided dice rolls I've ever seen. The British could not buy a break and the Germans were at least average. Hopefully they will average out next time for Tim.
Ouch! I think new dice may be the order of the day....
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