A Tale of Two Battles

Over the summer we sometimes get together on a weeknight for BBQ and a game.  This past Wednesday we decided to do some Flames of War on two tables at once.  The first, and to me most interesting game had my late-war Goums going against Gebirgsjagers.  The other game, also with an Italian boot theme, have British and German infantry squaring off.  Both tables had 1900 points.

Lots of LOS blocking hills, impassable to vehicles on my table; even more terrain but accessible to vehicles on the other.  We decided to play the same random mission on both table; a "Fair Fight."

Gebirgsjagers fielded four of these, over-crewed to make them even
nastier.

Paul (right) and I getting set on henceforth named, Table 1.

And Bob on Table 2.  Hands pictured, Adam.

My Goums had American armor, recon and artillery support, with a "Limited" P-40.

HMGs, 8 cm mortars, platoon of Gebirgsjagers and the rockets
faced my left.

Ready for turn 1 on Table 1.

One of my two platoons of Goums.

Italian designed Semovente in German service, with a good 75mm gun.

A pair of Tigers with the "reach out and touch someone" capability.

Post recon moves, ready for Turn 1.

Table 2 - Ready for Turn 1.

Table 2 British have a battery of 25pdrs. and 5.5" howitzers.

Panzer Mk.III and armored cars support the regular infantry on
Table 2.

British infantry awaits the onslaught on Table 2.

These German gun teams would be strafed next turn in my only
effective air attack.

Table 1 - Tigers smoked so they make space to open fields of fire
and the range.

Table 1 - Semoventes boldly advance.

Table 1 - Limited air support showed every turn, but only one plane.

This drove deep into allied territory alone, prompting me to say,
"I don't know what it is, but I'm going to kill it."  And I did.

Table 2 - Not much armor for either side, so every burner matters.

Armored Cars, armed with 2pdrs. go out to mix it up on Table 2.

Allied artillery made it difficult for the Germans on both tables.

The German left flank on Table 1 spent most of the game pinned.

Table 1 - Lightly armored Semoventes do not fare well.

Table 1 - Outside of the Turn 2 strafing run, my planes accomplish
next to nothing.

Handsome troops, pinned down on the hot seat. 

The Luftwaffe attempts to open things up, but good deployment
minimizes the potential effect.

Mentally sizing up the odds, I prepare to unleash the US tank destroyers.

Table 1 - Time to rush the Tigers and hope for the best.

First my TDs got seven hits on eight rolls, then Paul failed all
his saves, needing only a 4+.

Table 1 - Paul sits stunned, trying to figure out how to say in
German, "Sir, I have no division."  Mein Herr, habe ich keine
abteilung.

Some British success on Table 2, but the Germans continue to advance.

Vorwärts!

Table 2 - Bob's Germans are technically winning, but a lot of
artillery awaits, should he get through the infantry.

We didn't calculate points on either table.  Bob's Germans might have been slightly ahead on platoons destroyed but even if he got through the infantry a line of artillery and bofors protected the objectives.  So all in all not a good night for the Wehrmacht.  Next time, who knows?  Thanks guys for comradely games after good food.