Operation Mercury campaign – Game 3 – Battle for Vlakheronitissia

Returning to our Crete '41 campaign, into campaign turn 2, and with more parachute landings (2nd wave, 2nd battalion, this time south of Platanias town), the map shows we have another opposed airborne landing game to play, but before that, for a change, some of my 1st wave fallshirmjager have equipped and  organised, and moved up from the Tavrontis riverbed via the southern slope of Hill 107 (an objective) through the small hillside village of Vlakheronitissia. With NZ troops coming the other way to occupy the village, we decided on a meeting engagement, at 300 points (still squad-level to be done in an evening), a straight Attack/Counter-Attack scenario. Forces picked from the Tobruk book, table set, 4 objectives placed, we got to the dice rolling...

Both side's scouts had a turn of moving up or sniping away, and the Cretan partisans jumped the FJ sniper in the woods in a close assault and killed him. Then the main NZ platoon arrived, led by more partisans headed down the slope, their Vickers MG team setting up behind to cover them.

The FJ moved up through the woods in their corner, and engaged the lurking enemy sniper, but missed. They also took revenge for their sniper and wiped out the first partisan squad with rifle fire. Things heated up in turns 3 and 4, and both sides moved up to secure objectives. The Vickers opened up some long range suppressing fire, aided by flinging 2" mortar bombs. The lead FJ patrol made it into the village, and got onto ambush fire, as the second partisan a squad rounded the corner and madly assaulted them. In a blaze of close range fire, the FJ squad was lost and most of the partisans died in a bloody brawl in the village centre (2 left). On the FJ far left, an MG-34 team traded fire with the Vickers, failing to pin it, whilst a second full NZ section occupied the opposite building. The MG-34 switched to keeping their heads down, but was also pinned by Vickers return fire. The unpinned NZers saw a chnace to assault the MG team from one buildings to the next, and did so, again, the MG team was lost (probably surrendered). FJ had their 80mm mortar set-up and it flung bombs over the village to pin another NZ section as they moved up passed the landed glider (just terrain in this game). 

Both sides had taken a fair few counters (5-6), but turn 5 would be the finale. FJ MG fire was failing to do much, but it did pin down the NZ rifle section in the far left buildings. Then, more rifle fire killed a couple of them, resulting in a rolled 1 on their morale test, routed. The pinned NZ section had seen enough, they legged it. Then, my timed JU-88 strike roared in low, unleashing 8 medium bombs across the upper hillside, which pinned a 2" mortar team and scored a direct hit on the second partisan squad (now pulled back from their early rash assault), it was annihilated in the smoke and dust. That counter, plus one for 'under air attack', saw the Commonwealth force break, 18 scored on a MV of 17. The elite FJ were at 18 of 22. A win! First of the campaign... and the foothold on Hill 107. We can now hold this village and use it to push on for the top, a fight for campaign turn 3. More Luftwaffe support required... first outing for the JU-88 I painted for this campaign, and it was a good one! He'll be back...

The village, up a slight slope (Hill 107 isn't that steep), and few surrounding fields, olive groves and animal paddocks. Lurking in the woods, angry, armed Cretan locals (partisans).

FJ infantry, Germany's blondest and finest, rush up through an olive grove to secure an early objective.

FJ zug engages the locals after they assaulted and murdered their sniper!. They are mercilessly wiped out in revenge.

NZ rifle section investigates the glider... and come under accurate 80mm mortar fire, pinning them down most of the game.

More armed local partisans head for their village.

The finale, timed JU-88 bombs the hillside above the village, and the New Zealanders have seen enough and withdraw. Vlakheronitissa is taken, my foothold to reinforce and then push on for the top of Hill 107, a battle for next campaign turn. The Luftwaffe turned the tide today.

Campaign hex map, turn 2, blue counters are the FJ (each counter roughly a company strength unit). 2nd Sturm Battalion have hit the ground south of Platanias in relatively good order, but one company landed on top of a NZ rifle company (our next game, which may well hurt). Meanwhile, the main objectives of Hill 107 and Maleme airfield must be taken before any extra German reinforcements (the gerbirgsjager) are allowed. Not all NZers have yet been revealed... only revealed as encountered.