Across the L'Epvre stream and Rue du Vacourt - with Battlegroup Westwall - D-Day to Berlin series, game 4

The next in our series, game 4, and a first tank brawl, with 900 points of US Armour vs a Panzer Brigade list (somewhere in the Lorriane). A straight meeting engagement ‘attack/counter-attack’ scenario. The point of the series is change things up each time, with different types of game and using variant army lists (and use our model collections).

With objectives places (4, at the white building, on two main hilltops and the woods on the right - US right), timed strikes and ammunition selected etc, and corners rolled for. Te US selected their corner and recce units we’re deployed… phew! Time to start playing.

Both sides rolled well and the forces rushed onto the tabletop. The Germans had soon captured 3 objectives, with their recce getting their first. The US recce (a single M20) called in some mortar fire, but scored no hits. As the German panzers arrived, a Pz IV platoon, a StuG battery and a single Panther, with armoured grenadiers and a combat engineer section. The Shermans rolled in to face them, along with an armoured infantry platoon, backed up by an M7 Priest battery. When the FOO was in place, in the hilltop wood line, leaving his jeep behind (it left a few turns later), those M7s got busy, launching fire from behind he hill over the valley. The first stonk caused some pinning, but after this, every turn, the artillery would plunge in and hurt the Germans. The first casualty was the Panther, KO’d by a 105mm direct hit (later a FAMO arrived and tried but failed to fix it), but the 105s went on to score more kills, including thought the game: a StuG and 2 Pz IVs as well infantry… the Germans took a pounding (and the M7s kept rolling 6s!). 

German advance in red. US in blue. X marks the objectives. 

The Shermans split up, one went to support the attack on the far right, where infantry had de-bussed from their half track in the trees and made their way forwards to attack the objective. The single Sherman in support crept (if you can creep in a tank) around the rocks to get a shot a Pz IV, scored a hit but glanced off, but the surprised crew were pinned. Unfortunately, the grenadiers in the trees had a panzerfaust and they responded by destroying the Sherman. The small attack here stalled, with some MG fire traded and pinning, but not much else until far later in the game, a second effort resulted in a M3 half track getting destroyed by a panzerschreck team - a nasty surprise.

The main US thrust was on their left, down into the river valley to get across and up to the road (near the wooden barn and white house). Shermans and more M3 rolled out, as the support fire set-up on the high ground behind, MMGs, 60mm mortar and covering 76mm Sherman on ambush fire. The scout car spotted in more 81mm mortar fire, and in a ‘wild’ shot first killed another StuG, then later, an SdKfz 251 parked behind trees… the IDF was punishing.

The attack down into the valley encountered another Panzer IV, which KO’d a Sherman, then an M3 HT (after the squad had dismounted and moved up across the water, under its .50cal suppressing fire). That Panzer IV proved hard to hit, behind bushes, and much AP fire whizzed by, or scored a hit only to again glance off. One 76mm hit did then immobilise it. It remained firing away, out of AP, then out of HE and down to just MGs. The resupply truck had a long way to come, all cross country and never got there.

Trying to get across the stream became a ferocious fight, the US infantry squad was wiped by MG-42 fire (infantry and 251 pintle-mounted), but a Sherman’s AP round smashed the half-track in turn. The counters had built up. The US drew an Air Attack, but had to roll for it just before the FAC rolled onto the table (last unit on from reserve - a mistake!). The air support didn’t show - drat! A mine strike resulted in another 251 being KO’d as it climbed out the stream valley to help out at the far right objective. The punishment continued, a Sherman KO’d by long-ranged StuG fire, then another by the last Pz IV… then another immobilised too (3 vehicles got this in this game). But one Sherman was dragged away by the ARV after it couldn’t be fixed (allowing a 5 counter to be returned to the pot - sweet!).

The BR counter piles were again large… but the US artillery continued to rule. A volley targeted at the white house resulted in another 2 direct hits… as the combat engineers (in reserve) lost their half track and an MG team was wiped. 2 more counters… and that was enough, the Panzer Brigade had taken enough punishment and pulled back. The US armour had fought its way across the L’Epvre stream and onto Rue de Vacourt (under a lot of 105mm shells… in all, with reloading, each M7 fired 21 timed, so 63 dice in all, and we counted well over the odds in 15 direct hits scored). German artillery support had been 2 priority requests, which were never granted and two timed 81mm mortar strikes, that caused some pinning, but not much else

So, it is 2-2 in the series after 4 games with 2 more to go. The next game, hopefully we can squeeze it in around Christmas, will be for the Battle of the Bulge using Wacht am Rhein, a German armoured attack with the US defending for once. After that, we'll finish on Fall of the Reich for a game (or 2). 

 

Recce M20 spots for mortars across the valley, from the hill top tree line.

The white house, objective, and mortar target. Held by a recce foot patrol throughout.

StuG on station, on the Rue du Vacourt above the valley. A stray mortar bomb unluckily (luckily) took it out.

No one can rid the Germans of these troublesome Priests!. Just arrived (2 supply trucks would be just behind). Hidden behind a hill, they could sit back and let fly.

German armour arriving and moving up hill towards the white house.

76mm Sherman covering across the valley. Smoke is our ambush fire marker. It would quickly need one of those supply trucks.

Armoured grenadiers rush up, over the bridge to deploy to their right and block the route up the valley to the objective.

Down in the stream valley, armoured infantry and a Sherman ford it, but soon get pinned down...

by these defenders, grenadiers, their 251 and a Pz IV put up a hell of a fight against the main US advance. Panzer ended up immobile and out of ammo.

The far right objective, which the Germans pinched early with their armoured car and held on to.

Early victim of the Priests, the single Panther, FAMO trying to fix it, but you just can't get the parts! StuGs beyond largly pinned by the incoming fire (one also got immobilised, FAMO's next job).

Still pushing up in the valley, M3 offing suppressing fire, but then KO'd by the Pz IV's last HE round.

No fixing this one... dragged away for the workshop.

German counters, started all 1s and 2s... then probability caught up. Final 5 finished it with a BR total of 50.  US had 10 BR left... solid-ish win.

Kurgarten, Aachen - with Battlegroup Westwall - D-Day to Berlin series game 3

Third in our series of ‘D-Day to Berlin’ games and we get out of Normandy and into the Westwall book, with an Aachen urban assault scenario. US infantry (with alts from Westwall) against Volksgrenadiers (from the Wacht am Rhein list). Roughly based on the fight for Farwick Park (the Kurgarten – not sure why it has 2 names). 

The park and its surrounding buildings. Sauna house in the park.

The Germans would be dug-in holding their end of the park, with 2 Volksgrenadier platoons and their support, including two AT guns, 120mm mortar, HMGs and a single Panther. The US Infantry were an infantry platoon and a combat engineer platoon, supported by a Sherman platoon, an M12 155mm SP gun, off-table 105s, on table mortars, plus change (sniper, supply trucks, forward aid post, PRTP, etc).

After deploying, it was time to get going, with the game starting with a timed P-47 bombing run, which ran directly into heavy flak fire, dodged 37mm flak rounds, but took damage from small arms and MMGs on ambush fire too, and fled. No bombs dropped. I think they were waiting for that.

The US attack would be two pronged, on the left with the infantry platoon, to press up and take the solo building in the park (we called it the sauna building, an objective). They’d have a couple of M4 Shermans with them. The second prong was down the right, KrefelderstraBe I think it’s called, with the combat engineers to clear out the Germans down to the road junction, supported by a Sherman and the M12, to bring those strongpoints down with direct fire. All the while, 105mm shells and 4.2” mortar bombs would try to keep life miserable down the German end.

The first attack on the left ran instantly into trouble, and the Volksgrenadiers caused many pins and MGs picked off the leading squads in the building (apparently I can only pass a 4+ cover save about 25% of the time). The US couldn’t get any weight of fire down on the sauna house, and Germans stayed put, except a 4.2” mortar shell that wiped out a 50mm mortar team with a direct hit.

The US reinforcements arrived on the right as the combat engineer squads, with flamethrowers, moved up, behind the tank and through the buildings. There was a road block, but the engineers would deal with it with a demo charge, but doing so under fire caused a lot of pinning from incoming 75mm PaK HE.

As the Shermans rolled on the German brought forward their own armour, the Panther appeared in the park and its first shot scored a hit and kill on the Sherman (the officer too). Not a good start for the US. Even their artillery was doing little, just a few pins, no direct hits, yet!

So, the grind was on. The US moved up, Shermans hammering HE into anything… including pinning the Panther, phew! The 105s hit the PRTP, which happened to be where the German FOO had taken up position. A direct hit saw him wiped out (bad place to stand).

The Germans FHQ called down their own priority artillery request, using a wire team to get army level support, in 150mm Nebelwerfers. The 'screamin’ mee-mees' hit the end of the park, but after deviation and single squad took the brunt f the explosions, and was wiped out… messy! That could have been far worse. The tanks continued to trade fire at range, and the Panther weather several mortar hits. Over on KrefelderStraBe, the M12 (and dedicated supply truck) moved up behind the combat engineers and Sherman, which was moving to get a shot into the park at the Panther.

At the sauna house, the Germans continued to inflict damage and pinning with MGs and rifle fire… and the US platoon returned mortar fire, and the Germans were winning. The infantry platoon was already under 50%, and the attack here was stalled. Some squads pulled back to avoid being wiped out.

Behind the German fighting front, a resupply horse-drawn wagon rolled in, the Panther would soon need it, but was unlucky to roll over a mine strike (German drawn, but rolled a 1!). It was destroyed, a problem for the panzer. Grenadiers were building up in the buildings and deploying their many MGs to sweep the park. Moving out on it was very lethal (as one BAR squad found out, rushing into a copse but being cut-down).

We’d reached an impasse,  the US were building up the entire engineer platoon to make their move forwards, once the road block was destroyed by the demo-charge. But fire, especially from a dug-in PAK-40 was pinning them, a lot. Then the 37mm Flak opened up and gutted the squad in the road, despite itself being under suppressing fire from the US’ roof top sniper, a nuisance. That return fire against him seemed like an very uneven firefight, but he somehow survived.

The Panther scored a second kill, hitting a second Sherman, but was then pinned by a 'Confusion' marker. When a mortar bomb then scored another hit, the crew needed a morale test and rolled a 1, abandoning the panzer in the park. Pure fluke, but a very welcome one. The M12, safe from the Panther, could now turn on the sauna house, still resisting (somehow, it seemed to be made like a bunker). The M12 began hammering 155mm shells into it and scored 2 structure points of damage, 1 more and it was gone. The Germans didn’t want to run from it, with US teams on ambush fire watching the destruction (and cheering!). By random (bad) luck a 120mm mortar stonk deviated wildly directly onto the M12 and knocked it out.. out of nowhere – what!? Things looked bad, but the counter taken was an Air Attack… but the USAAF didn’t show up. I was still 10 BR from breaking… but thing looked a bit grim.

Next turn (about the 8th or 9th), the US continued to hammer 105 shells down and scored a direct hit on the dug-in PAK-40, which destroyed the gun (and left the crew fine - they must have run for cover). More mortaring saw an MG team in the park finished off, then the last Sherman used its last HE on the sauna house and, with luck, it collapsed. That wiped out the infantry squad inside and the sudden rush of 4 BR counters taken meant the Volksgrenadiers gave up the fight… time to go.

The US had won it, with 7 BR left… so 2-3 more counters in hand, but the Germans had been a bit unlucky, especially in the losing the Panther to a bad morale check, that might have turned it, as well as the US IDF finding its range and hammering them for a turn (about time!)… well ranged in now, best to pullback from that punishment.

So, another cracker of a game, and the series is now 2-1 to the Germans. Next, we’re using the Westwall book again and going for a tank fight; Panzer Brigade vs US Armour down in the Lorriane. The last 3 games have been US attacks, so it’s time for the Germans to come out and fight, and a chance to get more tanks out. 

US end of the park.

German end

KrefelderstraBe, the brown house, an objective midway down.

Timed strike, heavy flak drives it off.

Lurking in reserve.

Moving up, onto the main straBe.

First victim of the Panther, resorting to HE to try to pin it.

First squad up KrefelderstaBe.

The Panther moves into the park and draws mortar fire.

37mm Flak on the roof... and on ambush fire.

Forward aid post, at the back. Handy 5 BR... behind 81mm mortar harasses the far end of the park.

M12 moves up

Waiting for it at the far end, PaK 40, mostly used as an infantry gun, firing HE down the street.

Croix-le-Bocage - with Battlegroup Beyond the Beaches - D-Day to Berlin series game 2

Following D-Day, game 2 in our series would be using the 'Beyond the Beaches' book and lists, and given it is Normandy, then we decided to make it a proper bocage fight. This would involve combining our hedgerow collections to make a single board that had anything like the density of hedges required. We rolled a random Attack/Defence scenario, with the Germans on the defensive, and got Break Out. So, the Americans would be attacking to get off the far table edge against a thinly held section of the line (at least to start with). 

For forces, at 800 pts, both had gone with infantry divisions. The attacking US infantry force was (roughly), 2 infantry platoons, an M10 battery, and support from a recce jeep team, FHQ and comms team, forward air observer, off-table 155mm guns on call and 81mm mortars too, with an aerial artillery observer in a Piper Club buzzing around above. Few others bits taken too, being counter-battery fire missions (2) and and timed P-51 air strike and a 2nd priority request for more guns. 

The Germans holding the line had a grenadier platoon and ost platoon, with some teams in 37mm and 50mm AT guns, light mortars and an extra MG, 1 StuG and a StuH-42, with recce from a sniper, 222 armoured car, defences were light: a bocage fortress, a road block, some foxholes, but screened by 3 PRTPs and 4 on-board guns (or arriving on board guns) in an 81mm and 120mm mortar team, a 75mm infantry gun and 150mm sIG, all had loader teams if they could, and a 2nd priority request for more guns. They use those PRTPs, which were all placed along the central lane, left, right and centre. The east-west lane was going to be the line of contact, and hellish!

We rolled for random table edges and the US got to pick, then deployed, set the timed strikes and PRTPs etc, ammo'd up the few armoured vehicles and were ready to go. 

Croix-le-bocage, all small fields except for a single white barn, and a central orchard. A lane ran across the line of advance, roughly in the centre. The US must push to it, then beyond, and try to get off the far table edge.

US advances, left right and centre. Main push on the right, left is a diversion/distraction.

First platoon began by moving up on the right, supported by an M10 and with the recce jeep team team calling in mortar fire on the lane, beyond the crossroads were the road block barred the way (behind it was placed a Pak-38), and mortaring managed to KO this gun, and free the lane for use (until reinforcements arrived). Not much combat to start with, some mortaring and the P-51 dropped its bombs to cause a single pin.

More US infantry arrived and 2nd platoon moved up in the centre and on the left, 2 M10s behind. The Piper Cub was kept back, as yet, there weren’t that many Germans to open fire on. The mortars did the work instead. It wasn’t until turn 3 or 4 that the action kicked off… by which time a few German reserves had arrived and rushed to man their positions behind the hedgerows. The StuH-42 arrived at the road block and opened fire down the lane, where the M10 command gun ‘Ace in the Hole’ was lurking, and a long range exchange of fire resulted in zero hits.

As the US infantry filtered forwards and got to the lane, then the real action started. Suddenly, 81mm and 120mm mortar bombs rained down around the crossroads (an obvious PRTP) and more accurate infantry gun fire smashed into the lane by the orchard. Much pinning and first losses. Time to respond, the Piper Cub buzzed on and called in the ‘long tom’ fire, hammering the hedgerows to the right (US), and getting some pinning. The other StuG had moved up here and the M10 and it exchanged fire, only for the StuG to become immobilised as it shed a track slewing right to line up a shot… handy breakdown counter. It was stuck in position, but the M10 couldn’t get it (one hit glanced off). A bazooka team was moving up to try to help out.

At the crossroads, the shriek of nebelwerfer rockets could be heard. The priority request had called up 280mm rockets and they slammed into the crossroad’s PRTP, hard, much pinning, 2 rifle squads wiped out. The counter-battery fire mission failed to do its job! Hanging round on the lane was very unhealthy, so I had to try to push on, except German MGs awaited on ambush fire. The US tried to get them pinned down with BAR teams and M1 rifle fire… with limited success. German firepower was winning the hedgerow to hedgerow firefight on the right. To add to this, they pulled an air attack counter and a Bf-109 arrived, dropping its bombs as well. The Luftwaffe - what!

On the left, infantry had swung around, trying to avoid another PRTP and got to the lane, but one squad found themselves low on ammo, and 75mm infantry gun shells got others pinned. Pulling counters to unpin, the USAAF arrived, thanks to the forward air controller. A P-47 dived in, and it went after the 109 in a dogfight. The 109 then turned on the Piper Cub, chasing it, and pinning and damaging it. A three-way dog fighting had broken out!

Next turn, the P-47 scored a hit and damaged the 109, which failed its morale check and raced for home, freeing the skies for the USAAF. It then turned its rocket on the StuH-42 at the roadblock and immediately turned it into burning wreck with 3 rocket hits! This pilot was an ace!

More incoming IDF hammered along the length of the lane, and the US infantry casualties mounted. I couldn’t push on the right, too much MG fire was awaited, but as the US infantry was pinned down, a sneaking panzerschreck team crawled forwards and smashed the M10 with a hit. Argh! That flank’s advance had stalled out, then a squad broke and ran too. Could the US bazooka team do likewise to the StuG? No. It got spotted and hit and was lost too.

So, the right was a bust, but in the centre the push was on through the orchard, M10 close behind, hammering away with HE at the hedgerow ahead, at least pinning his MG team. The 155s critically failed to fire as comms gave out, and the P-47s last rockets missed the damned sIG-33 at the back of the table… which was a constant menace. One GI squad assaulted German ost troops in the white barn and wiped them out, but took heavy MG fire in return that saw them break. The counters had really mounted up. Back on the right, the Germans launched a mini-counter attack, grenadiers pushing up against feeble opposition, which did wipe out one squad in a close assault through the bocage than saw both sides loss their squads. The third M10, which had been working it way over there to help with the StuG since the StuHs destruction, suddenly found it had no infantry support and panzerfaust-wielding enemy infantry head. It reversed away sharpish.

The US had just run out of infantry. 1st platoon had been wiped out, bar about 4 scattered men. 2nd Platoon was at half strength and heavily pinned around the orchard. Unpinning resulted in breaking the US BR total. There would be no breakthrough at Croix-le-bocage today. The Germans had sent in enough troops to hold on… still with 14 BR left, so a solid win.

It was a well planned German defence, almost thwarted by a severe lack of troops to start with, but they scrambled into place just in time. The three PRTP along the lane meant I had to either sit under them and be pounded by mortars and infantry guns, or move up into the open fields and take waiting MG fire at close range. The M10s failed me (and so often do), scoring 0 kills. The 155s, my big hitters, had done OK, but had not scored enough direct hits to really hurt the Germans. Another day in hedgerow hell… and no ground gained.

So, after 2 games in the D-Day to Berlin series, its 2-0 Germany. Next time we’ll move on to the Westwall book, an Aachen urban assault game.

US POV, along the lane to the crossroads of death. Beyond it would be a roadblock, with an AT gun, then the StuH-42.

1st Platoon head out on the right, M10 in close support.

'Major, I think we took a wrong turn!'. FHQ, handily upgraded to Radio Comms Network. Comms team just behind.

2nd Platoon arrive in the centre.

P-51 bombs the bocage fortress position on far right (largely not in the fight). Easy counter...

Reach the line of contact by the crossoads  - incoming!

Resupply truck helps out an M10.

The battle on the right as 1st Platoon get pinned down, then wiped out.

Piper Cub circles over head and calls in 155 fire ahead of 1st platoon.

USAAF are having a day!

A shocker, a Bf-109s skims in, drops its bombs then turns it sights on the Piper Cub... only for the P-47 to get after it and send it running back to base, trailing smoke. 

'Ace in the Hole' trades fire with the StuH... miss, miss. The P-47 got it!

Attack through the orchard, better than being on that damn road.

Panzerschreck team scores direct hit. Sneaky gits!

The far left, trying to get around unseen, but there is a third PRTP, and the infantry gun has them covered too.

 

Fox-Blue - with Battlegroup D-Day - D-Day to Berlin series game 1

Last year we played a series of Battlegroup games on the Eastern Front, from Barbarossa to Berlin, one battle from each of the Battlegroup supplements for '41 to '45. Then we repeated it in three desert battles from '41-'43. So, that just left the ETO. Getting back to some WWII action, we have decided to play a series of games using all the Battlegroup books that cover the ETO, '44-'45, from D-Day to Berlin. The plan being to vary the scenarios and the army lists used, and get 5-6 different game (often with the same models). So, to start with, D-Day then. I have the stuff and tabletop for an Omaha-ish type game. Time to dig-out the LCVPs.

This was an 800 point Attack/Defence game using the Beachhead scenario from Battlegroup:D-Day,  US Amphibious Assault force vs a Resistance Nest. 

Approaching Fox-Blue in low swell.

The forces, in brief were, roughly:

US: assault boat team in LCVP, DD Sherman tank platoon, Engineer Gap team and Sherman bulldozer in LCM, support weapons boat team in LCVP, M7 Priest, shore fire control party and HQ in LCM, with a PRTP and off-table 5” gun fire. BR 51.

Germans: Ost infantry platoon and auxiliary conscript labourer/kriegsmarine platoon, 152mm coastal gun bunker, 150mm infantry gun bunker, 75mm AT gun bunker (under farm outhouse), reinforced trenches for all infantry, lots of barbed wire (40”), a mined beach with beach obstacles, OP bunker and off-table 120mm mortar battery, plus a few timed strikes, a HQ and comms truck, 50mm mortar team. BR was 31 +6 for their ‘Deserters will be shot’ bonus, the max.

Time to hit the beaches "Let's Go!".

The US approached in three waves, with the gap team and DD Shermans leading, followed by the infantry and M7 Priest and change, at the back. The first turns were quick, as the US landing craft and DD’s all ploughed through low-swell towards the shore and the 5” guns plunged fire onto its PRTP, amidst the defences on the hill on the left. I had decided it would be a mistake to just go up the centre, and take fire from all sides, so chose a flank, here left, as the objective was on the high ground there. The PRTP was then placed to soften up the hill here… but the concrete proved strong enough to resist just about it all, except a lucky direct hit on a MG team that wiped them out… first losses of the game.

The Germans had very few orders, and so fired a few shots out to sea, causing some pinning on landing craft (but as per the special rules, then can still move if pinned at sea), and this was rallied off anyway. By turn 3, the first engineers hit the beach, ramps down and rushed to blow gaps in the obstacles for those DD tanks. It went OK, 1 gap formed, but two gap teams stepped on mines and became pinned. First losses on the beach. The German mortars rained in to add a bit more pinning, the engineers suddenly were fully pinned down. Only one DD tank could get through as the others fired HE up from the waterline, all smashing off concrete to little effect. The M7 Priest was firing en route in as well, but again, the coastal gun bunker was a monstrous bit of reinforced concrete, and the 105mm HE wasn’t denting it.

As the first LCVP arrived, the infantry assault team piled out, rushing up the beach for the single (soft cover we decided). The team HQ stepped on a mine and was KO’d, the LT was the platoons first loss. Soon added to that was rifle fire from the high ground and 50mm mortar bombs, but teams made it to the single and got their bangalore torpedoes out to breach the barbed wire, before assaulting up the slope. The flame thrower team drew fire and were quickly wiped out. Meanwhile, the Sherman gun fire had pinned down the 150mm infantry gun and more 5” shells had smashed the hill top, but the German observer team inside their little bunker called in 120mm mortar fire, and did some damage to the parked landing craft. The Germans suddenly realising their were vulnerable, targeted then and a 152mm shell hit and sunk the empty LCVP… the LCM began backing out to sea.

The US would continue to press, and cleared another gap for the next DD Sherman, which moved up the beach, taking HE hits and shrugging them all off… the Germans lacked for AP, as the PAK bunker was far back and if it could get a line of site, needed 6s to hit. The DD, and bulldozed Sherman which had now cleared a mine-free route up the beach for engineers to follow, could well be the key (no panzerfausts for the infantry here). They continued to HE and MG left and right, but had to be careful, with no resupply for the HE ammo.

The US assault up the hill began, but the first rifle team failed to assault and instead got pinned on the bluff, then wiped out by rifle fire. The Sherman bulldozer through got up the slope and through the lines, behind the infantry gun bunker, which it again pummelled with HE. The Sherman need infantry aid, and engineer teams (demo charges used) pushed up, only to again be cut down by rifle fire (even the German 2 man OP team was shooting with rifles from their bunker now). BR counters were really mounting. Back on the beach, under mortar fire, 80mm and 50mm, the last engineers just couldn’t get the gaps blown and the last LCM, with the M7 Priests to unload, was repeatedly pinned. The last LCVP was raking the trenches with .50 cal fire, as the support infantry weapons team disembarked, humping MGs and their mortar. They again reached the single in force, and found a gap in the wire to assault the trenches and wiped out an MG team and then an Ost infantry squad, they were in the trenches, but pined down, until a unseen Goliath appeared, rolled up, exploded, and wiped them out in a big bang. The German position was cracking… and their counters jumped up too. The US also pulled an Air Attack counter and rolled a 5… USAAF P-47 incoming.

It was close, US losses far higher, but we had the BR to absorb the losses, but was it enough? Well, after the P-47 roared over and rocket attacked the farm, destroying the comms truck parked in the yard, it seemed it would be. The last US infantry were clambering up the bluffs, as Sherman HE continued to try and pin those bunkers. The 150mm sIG had run out of ammo (mercy), but the 152mm coastal gun final hit and penetrated a DD Sherman, leaving it a smoking wreck (first tank loss). 120mm mortars also sank the reversing LCM… and a US MG .30 cal team on the shingle firing into the trenches, as spotted and return fire wiped them out. After rallying, 4 counters left the US on 52 BR total… broken.

The Germans had raced to 27, well short of their 37 (but close to their 31, before the additional bonus). They had held out. ‘Fox Blue is not open’. We’d just have to hunker down and wait for aid.

So, game 1, and its 1-0 to the Germans in the series. Next, into the bocage with Beyond the Beaches.

The tabletop, so nice to get my beach boards out... they don't see much use.

German right and centre, in the gap (draw). This was the auxiliary troops, but they got off lightly.

Coastal gun bunker and infantry trenches beyond.

US disembark, engineer gap teams work on the obstacles just before the armour arrives, just as planned.

Sherman DD lends fire from the waterline as the support weapons boat team arrive.

Assault the high ground, only the engineer's Sherman made it up. The infantry trenches proved too tough for the GIs, even after 5" guns had pounded them. We needed the flamethrower team to clear them out.