BG: Babarossa. Raseiniai Counter-Attack, Part 1

This AAR is for our weekend big Battlegroup: Barbarossa multi-player game, for part of the Russian tank counter-attack around the town of Raseiniai, June 24th 1941, so just a few days into Operation Barbarossa.

It was to be played out as meeting engagement, on a patch of open(ish) farm land north-west of the town, where Kampfgruppe Raus ran into a serious armoured attack by the forces of the Soviet 3rd Mechanised Corps. So a big tank brawl… and it was big so I’ve split this AAR into two halves.

Our game was set at 1,500 points, with three German players with 500 points each (but selected as 1 army, so no duplicating unique units, etc) and 2 Russian players (Colonel Masonov and myself) with 750 points each. That should keep us busy all day.

The fields of Raseiniai... from the 'home-team' end


An early Sunday morning start for set-up… and by 10am we were ready to rock and roll. All scouts deployed, with 2D6 extra units already in support. A mere 3 for us (all KVs to give the Germans a problem from the get-go) and 10 for them, so pretty even in numbers actually - damn, I thought we’d win out here.

Our Soviet plan, concocted in the pre-battle discussion, was for the screen of scout infantry and armoured cars to advance aggressively, along with the KV heavy tanks to draw fire and scare the hell outta the Nazis. They would be the first wave, to harass, disrupt and seize some objectives and mean the Germans couldn’t react well to the forces building up behind as our reserves rolled in. The first wave would be quickly followed by a second wave, our first pincer of T-26s with a lot of tank riding infantry, striking on our right. A Stal!-driven attack with orders to press forwards as fast as they could and not stop to engage the enemy, get past their tanks and into the squishy rear of guns and soft-skins. The third part of the attack would be mine, a lightning BT-7 assault on the left, coming slightly later but at full speed, so it would catch-up with the first pincer, again with tank riders in support, and again with orders to go! go! go!, don’t stop, get close and cause mayhem and give them no quarter.

The artillery fire support plan was simple… to keep a constant barrage of timed 76mm divisional artillery in a blanket of harassing fire missions across their end of the table. We both had 10 timed barrages (so 20 in all!), with two strikes falling from turn 3 onwards (until turn 13 then!) avoid any communications breakdown and no orders required. That would be demoralising (in shear length) and cause constant pinning. We also had 7 counter battery fire missions to silence their expected off-table heavy guns (bit over done that). With them we aimed to win the artillery duel.


2 T-26 platoons (5 tanks of various marks).
3 KV-1s
1 KV-2
2 Motor rifle platoons
2 AT rifle teams
1 OT-133 flame thrower tank
2 BA-10 armoured cars
10 x Timed 76.2mm barrages
Forward observer
2 82mm mortars (on table)
Armoured supply truck (thing).

FHQ - 3 men in staff car       
Motor Rifle Platoon           
AT Rifle Team               
Inf Gun + Komsomoyets tow           
Maxim MG               
DshK AA MG               
Reserve Motor Rifle Platoon (on foot)       
2 BT-7 Platoons (5 tanks each)   
10 x Timed 76.2mm Barrages   
4 x Infantry Foot Patrols
2 BA-10 armoured cars       
Supply Truck               
Repair Truck               
37mm AA + truck tow           
7 x Counter Battery Fire Missions

In all 1498 pts, 102 BR, 8 scouts and 0 officers (command chaos replaces officers).

I don’t have the full German lists, but it was basically;

2 Schutzen platoons (with AT grenades)
1 Kradschutzen platoon
1 37mm AT gun + tow
various 50mm mortar and AT rifle teams
1 80mm mortar

8 Pz IIIs
5 Pz 35(t)s
1 Pz IV
1 Pz II
1 Pzjaeger I

FHQ in Pz I command tank
Radio van
1 20mm Flak38 AA gun + tow

Recce kradschutzen squad
Sniper

On table guns:
2 105mm lefH18 105mm guns (as big AT guns)
1 K18 100mm cannon + loader team (as big AT guns)

Off-table, etc
Battery of 2 105mm guns (off-table)
1 timed 150mm artillery strike
2 2nd priority artillery requests
1 PRTP
2 counter battery fire missions

All 1,500 pts, 10 officers, 96 BR and 2 Scouts

So, not much off-table arty stuff then… drat. They had gone for on-table guns, to use in direct fire, mostly against our feared heavy tanks.

We out scouted them (a lot), so first chit to the Germans and the Russian had the first turn. Fight…!

Russian attack plan... 1. Scouts, armoured cars and KV-1s attack. 2. T-26 swarm to farm, with extra KV-1 and KV-2 support. 3. BT-7 charge into the German rear to mop-up trucks and guns etc. 

German moves (from their end). 1. Infantry platoon holding woods. 2. Pz III attack. 3. Pz 35(t)s on flank protection. 4. Infantry to hold farm. 5. Blocking force, anti-tank gun, Pz IV etc, supported by 105mm artillery behind (rear table).

The Russians started well, we moved up our scout infantry to the road, armoured cars alongside and got the KV’s into firing positions. The KV-2 fired the first shot of game, winging a 152mm naval mortar shell at the distant K-18 gun, missing, before putting the farm’s barn between itself and the return fire. As we grabbed early objectives, they took 2 more chits.

The Germans first turn saw the Kradschurzen scouts race into the farm and disembark into the barn. Their off-table 105s were under counter-battery fire and couldn’t help (get used to that), and it was all rather quiet. They held 2 objectives, so we took our first two chits, to get an aircraft, which immediately showed up, a I-153 bi-plane fighter came buzzing over. Excellent!

A well-to-do Lithuanian farm, and an objective for both sides.

Motorcycles on the way there. behind is the K-18 beast-killer, under the tree. On which are timed barrage is centred. We smiled at that!

The beast of Raseiniai... he so wanted to flatten the farm. 

...and his (not so) little friends, well spread out, so one Stuka strike can't kill them all! Lesson learnt.

Armoured cars and scouts about to push into the woods on our left.

Turn 2, first reserves arrive and on came the first T-26s and their tank riding squads, to crawl away across the fields heading right, led by the last KV. Our scouts pushed forwards again, and began to skirmish in the woods with German infantry. The armoured cars open fire with suppressing HE into the farm’s barn… and the KV-2 missed again and needed reloading. Armoured resupply truck was already on the way, at just above walking speed! The I-153 strafed the K-18 cannon crew, killed 2 men from the loader team and pinned it - good work Bigglesov!

I-153 on this way to hep out by attacking those German guns at the rear.

Armoured cars pinned by mortar fire... but the KV will lead then.

Scouts and their armour encounter their first Germans, and overwhelm them in a brief firefight. Few bad dice rolls for the Germans here, makes a change!

First attacks on the farm, ineffective fire. The farm is made of very stern stuff.

The German’s turn 2, and their first reserves, 10 units, a lot (all) of Pz IIIs just rolled in on their extreme left, so we could see a big clash was coming (in about 3-4 turns) with the T-26s and KVs… my money was solidly on the Reds. Bit of 80mm mortar fire, and a few scouts were cut down by long range MG-34s… still building towards the clash to come.

Turn 3, and incomes the first impacts of our timed barrage, causing more pinning, but not much damage, except their dispatch rider was blown-up on his Zundapp - some debate, but it’s a chit for that too (yeah, 1 man, but he had a important job). The rest of clown cars (T-26s) arrived and followed the leader’s as they rambled on. I had not realised they would be so slow, it was painful… no lightning war here.

My scout infantry did some more good fascist-hunting in the woods on the left, blasting 2 rifle squads into bits at short range.

The circus arrives... various T-26s led by the last KV.

Scout squads hunt-down the Hun and clear the woods.

Moving at glacial speeds...

Coming the other way for a head on clash, the Pz IIIs, before all those men jumped off.

Send forward the armoured ammo carrier... the Beast is in need of resupply already.

German’s go… if they must! The Pz IIIs moved up en masse, they were concentrating for a strong push on our right, and behind them also came the 35(t)s, avoiding our timed strike artillery beaten zone. A lurking anti-tank fire picked off my BA-10 with a side shot… and then the first 1 chit was played as a breakdown chit… on my KV-1. On a rolled 6 it broke down and the crew, daze and confused, climbed out and ran-off.. argh! Lost a precious heavy tank to dumb bad luck. Hmmm, still we were well ahead on the early chits, but things hadn’t got hot yet.

That didn’t stop a few German comments about the unfairness of the Stal! rule and how Command Chaos wasn’t much of a drawback really, 10 German officers compared to an average 7 command chaos orders (over a 17 turn game that is 51 extra orders on average!). Intimidated by the quality and quantity of our armour… the Germans just can’t win in 1941! And their machine guns take up an extra order (that one was a ironic joke!, they know the great advantages of separate MGs). And how many tanks can 1,500 pts of Russians get? … err 25 in this case! How may timed artillery barrages? The Germans are just rubbish! That is morale cracking in the face of the enemy.

Next turn, and the unfairly ‘large and over-powered’ Red Army rolled on, no BTs yet, just useful stuff like our AA cover and supply trucks (and the less useful foot-slogging auxiliary motor rifle platoon) and the repair truck, making for that conked-out KV at top speed. The fight around the farm heated up, the KV-2 scoring a first hit, but the remarkable cover of the thatched barn saving the squad from destruction (5 cover saves all passed - must have a very good cellar). Having previous band attacking buildings to destroy them in favour of the basic rules in such a big game, we now regret this, that KV-2 should just level the farm. It was filling-up with Germans, men and machine guns that had dismounted from the Pz IIIs and taken up positions on ambush fire. They had got there first with more.

One KV-1 went onto ambush fire, awaiting a Pz III to emerge around the barn, and the OT-133 began to sneak off through the woods, just another innocent T-26 making their slow crawl forwards to the Germans - oh no, things would be getting very hot very soon.

Our harassing barrages fell, more scattered pinning and the K-18 cannon took a direct hit, destroying it… phew, big AT gun gone. The I-153 targeted their 20mm Flak, which had just been arrived in the rear cornfield but then forgot to open fire… their bad. The I-153’s machine guns raked the flak crew, and the last pinned man called it a day and headed for Berlin… free skies!

Explosion where the K-18 once was... nice!

Last Germans pullback from the woods, their radio van also had to scarper, the Russians were 1 move away and soon to fill it with holes.

Spreading out a bit, for the coming battle. One panzer broke down, German engineering isn't infallible either. 

 Russian reserve infantry arriving through the cornfield... utter garbage. Mortar spotter trying to get into a better place to get his tubes in the action.

The Germans, fighting their ‘hopeless’ battle against the might of the Red Hordes, moved up, fired a 105mm barrage that didn’t get cancelled and pinned some stuff, fell back as fast as they could through the woods before more scouts, fired MGs for pinning and moved up a Pz III into the waiting KV’s line of sight without realising it. Boom, side shot… hit - dead. Scratch their first panzer. Not noticing what the enemy had put on ambush fire would be a constant feature in this game… multi-player games throw up such confusion, because you don’t see what all the players are doing (not if you’re trying to move the game along fast and avoid to much discussion and debate - get on with it!).

By now all the Germans had arrived, and their cunning timed 150mm barrage missed everything and caused 1 pin - boo-hoo, more black dog glum faces.

The T-26 ramble continued and my first 6 BTs rolled on, along the farm track in single column, tank riders on the back. The on-going fight for the farm was, inconclusive, the Germans still passing way too many cover saves to avoid being pinned and the Pz IIIs came under suppressing HE fire, one pin was the entire result… although one did also break down on a chit and become immobilised… revenge.

The Germans fought back (they do that) and got a Stuka chit, which turned up (no air spotter by a 6 will do it). It targeted the centre of the T-26/KV swarm, sirens screaming, without seeing our waiting flak on ambush fire. Our DshK HMG opened up and rolled, double 6… 2 hits, pinned, and both did damage too… the Stuka was peppered and pulled out. Then the 37mm cannon scored another hit and more damage, 3 hits from 4 shots… and the morale test was a rolled 1… the Luftwaffe pilot though better of continuing in an aircraft so full of holes and returned to base. Man, we almost shot it down. Some debate followed now over if the Russians had to take a chit, as no bomb had been dropped. The Germans though yes - just the presence of an aircraft is enough. We, no, obviously. We ruled no, ‘under air attack’… and nothing attacked us, plus we should get the benefit of awesome AA covering fire, we’d spent the orders to be ready after-all. The game should reward you for doing the right thing.

Still, things were tight, we had the slight advantage, but the Germans had that farm (more like a fortress) in numbers. They also had their Kradschutzen platoon on the board rear, on reserve move as the mobile reserve, if the farm looked like falling, they’d be their in a flash to counter-attack. My last 4 BT-7s arrived and the Russian were also all-in. Everything was on the table, the twin tank attacks could get going… so far the T-26s had produced much threat.

But that is for next time. Part 2, Stal! I’ll get that posted soon (ish).

 The BT-7 column speeding by... about to launch their Stal! charge.

 He's in big trouble, hands up Fritz! My scouts did swift work with some good spotting checks and thankful the Germans blew their suppressing fire.

More to come in part2.

Bloodbath in Miller’s Cornfield, 28mm ACW

I’m a long time big fan (massive) of Sam Mustafa’s Longstreet rules and have played the campaign twice now… loved both (one win, one loss). It’s a set of rules that never fails to give a good, tight, dramatic battle that feels like it tells the story of an ACW battle.

I’ve never used for a straight historical re-fight though, and I wondered how it would fair at reproducing an actual battle, or in this case, part of battle. Having read ‘Landscape Turned Red’, a very good history of the battle of Antietam, blow-by-blow, I decided I had enough information and maps to recreate part of the battle (the entire thing would be far too large for these rules). So I set about writing an accurate scenario.

First things first, Longstreet is a brigade-level game, you command a brigade, with its 4-5 sub-regiments. That wasn’t going to work here. Real battles, being very large affairs, meant a single brigades action at Antietam would simple be a line of men marching across one field under artillery fire. Not much to-and-fro and not much to get your teeth into. Also, the game’s weapon ranges looked miles out for recreating a brigade action at 28mm (too short, a common wargaming short-cut, although I understand why and agree with it). Better, I felt, to recreate a Corps-level action. Here you’d have some more elements and a more varied battlefield to fight over, and the weapon ranges would start to feel about right too.

So, I wrote the scenario for 1st Corps’ first attack at Antietam (begin at the beginning) at 6am, until about 7.30am. This lead-off attack, the Union’s right against the Confederate left, see-sawed back and forth across the infamous Miller’s farm cornfield. It saw heroic actions by both sides and a complete slaughter for an hour and half in ferocious fighting, sometimes at close quarters. It left the Texas brigade (in)famously ‘dead on the field’ after their counter-attack. That sounds like a real game.

So, map drawn to centre my tabletop battlefield on the Miller’s cornfield, forces worked out (at roughly 50-1 in men I think - in which Longstreet is very generous in the size of regiments, because at Antietam they were far smaller). No cavalry, but hey, this is the ACW, horse and musket without the horse… I don’t feel they have a very realistic role in most ACW games anyway… too prominent and too often used in charges… that rarely happened against formed infantry with rifled muskets… the only result was a slaughter of men and horses.

Anyway, an all infantry (and cannon) fight suits me better and would feel more like the ACW anyway (and that’s how it was on the day). Cavalry played almost no part in the Antietam battle.

Here are some shots of an afternoon’s gaming, all over in 2.5 hours.

We deployed in the historical positions, with roughy correct force sizes over terrain that was pretty close to right. So, given what happened on the day, how did Longstreet stand-up to recreating that, or something like it?

I’d say… not bad, 3 out of 5 for a score… but not perfect either, here’s how and why.

The Union attack at dawn was a big one, hoping to turn the Confederate flank and thus defeat Lee’s position on the slightly higher ground around Sharpsburg quickly. The Rebs fought like hell, under Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, because he knew it was vital not to lose this ground, or the day would be lost all together. Lee committed his best reserves to the fight to shore-up the lines, including the Texan brigade.

Our game was close. Actually far closer that it looked. The Union force broke at its ‘Shatter Point’ just as I was starting to get the upper hand, but the game didn’t require the Reb reserves to arrive to save the line… the Texans were not required (although the Reb player could have called upon them, and was about to when my force broke).

On my right, it was as on the day, losses on both sides, skirmishing forces through the west woods, and the Union halted just south of Miller’s farm. I was getting the upper hand, but not fast and not decisively.

In the centre, again, a lot of Union dead in the cornfield, advancing under cannon fire, and a horrid slaughter when the Reb’s opened up their first volleys (7 stands lost in one turn hurt a lot). But my boys in blue caused serious loses back and their charge, aided by a ‘Cold Steel’ card, almost overwhelmed the Reb centre (behind its field fortifications). 1 more casualty scored would have seen the centre broken and the ad-hoc fieldworks overrun. Instead I lost the assault and my attacking units were hurled back, with severe losses, which broke me. Oh for a slightly better dice roll… all or nothing in those charges, and this time it was nothing - drat!

On the right, through the east woods, this was very hard fought contested ground on the day, but here the Rebs let me have the woods, didn’t counter-attack and dug-in instead, but my unit and their sharpshooters won the skirmish fire duel and whittled them away anyway, in a prolonged exchange of fire. Digging in seems to be a ‘no brainer’ for a defender, perhaps it happens too quickly in real time terms in the rules.

The Rebs were not as aggressive in defence as on the day, going pretty much static and digging in… but you have to command a battle the way you see fit (that’s part of the fun of playing). It was a good game and an interesting experiment, which inspired some prolonged post-match analysis… and revealed that 1 more hit (from my 10 attack dice) would have broken the Reb centre and meant he urgently needed those reinforcements or the blue-boys would have been swarming through towards his artillery and the Dunker’s Church (just off the tabletop).

It’s worthwhile trying again, but I think I’ll do it with a slightly different scenario… how about 12th Corps attack, across the same ground, about 1 hour later… to see if the Union can replicate their success against the now battle-weakened Reb line. After that, a scenario for the ‘Bloody Angle’ in the Reb centre in front of Sharpsburg… we could replay all of one day at Antietam in about 5 scenarios I think, as a mini-campaign.

The scenario sketch map an deployment, Union moving north (top) to south (bottom);

Anyway, without photos it didn't happen (so they say)... so some pictures of the action.

Union start lines around Miller's Farm

 Union guns start out front, and their impact was... minimal. 

 Reb start lines either sdie of the Hagarstown Turnpike

Crowded start lines as the regiments and guns squeeze in on the Poffenburger'd fields

 Into the Miller's cornfield

 Reaching the far side into a storm of fire. Pelhams battery (off-table) also taking its toll from the highground to the west (scenario special rule).

Union right at the Miller's farm house (and barn). Under incoming shelling. 

 Along the turnpike, still with incoming, about the face the lead storm. 

Union boys have the East Woods, sharpshooters harassing the Rebs (now dug-in)

The crux of the battle (as on the day), trying to fight forwards from the edge of the cornfield. 

Raking fire from both sides, but the blues come off worst. 

 Charge! Blue reserves move through the front firing line and press home with cold steel. 

Heavy losses on both sides, but the Rebs just (just) held, with 2 stands left (all others gone and that cannon overrun). Thrown-back, the blue-bellies had had enough for this attack.

PS: This game was fought out in December, before Xmas. I thought I'd posted it, but on reflection, it seems not. So, better late than never.

Encounter at Wadoud Oasis

First AAR for 2018, so happy new year all. This AAR is part of the play-testing for BG:Torch and this game was a chance to give the US Armoured army lists a first run-out, to face the Germans in an encounter at the desert settlement of Wadoud Oasis (somewhere near El Guettar, in southern Tunisia).

My US armoured task force’s mission was to capture the village as part of the wider operation to clear the El Guettar area. The Germans, well, they obviously had the same objective. Take and hold Wadoud. Time to get the little tanks rollin’!!

It was a straight attack/counter-attack scenario for 600 pts aside (Platoon game).
My force was rather hastily thrown to together for the coming fight (not much time over Xmas). Consisting of my CO ‘the Major’ in his M20 armoured car, an armoured infantry platoon in four M3s supported by an M8 ‘Scott’ HMC, an M3 Lee platoon, an M4 Sherman platoon, an FO with 2 x 105mm guns off-table to call on and a timed P-38 airstrike (for turn 5). 595 points, 5 officers, 33 BR  and 0 scouts (slight oversight, but I rationalised it as my inexperienced yanks just bulldozing into battle without stopping to take a look first).

Jerry was coming the other way with approximately: a regular grenadier platoon in a few trucks and tank riding, on a Pz III platoon, with a single Pz IVG and a Tiger (eek!). No artillery support, beyond one 80mm mortar, but 2 recce - 8-rad and sniper team. They also had a towed 88, a towed old Russian anti-tank gun and a timed Stuka strike. 602 pts, 3 officers, 40 BR and 2 scouts.

Being out-scouted and having no US scouts at all meant the Germans recce could deploy anywhere on the table and on ambush fire. He stole an early objective with his 8-rad. 2 chits already for me then, both low thankfully.

The Germans went first and first on was the 88 on its Sdkfz 7 tow to get set-up as the welcoming committee, ready for my arrival. A Pz III and the Pz IV also arrived. My response, 1 unit! See how this going already? My first M3 Lee, taking 20mm cannon area fire from the armoured car but shrugging it off. It returned fire and hit and killed the 8-rad with a 37mm shell (useful for something!).

Things started to escalate, his panzers and infantry moving up and into the village. My major arrived and got on the horn to his arty. They banged away and got that 88 pinned… good stuff, but my reserves rolls had been 1, 1 and 2 (with the re-roll for the senior officer). 4 units so far. The Germans had (I countered - 11!). Fritz was already almost in place and his units were getting onto to ambush fire to wait for me. Swift action for the Jerries, tardy stuff by 1st Armoured.

When my Shermans rolled in and moved to secure the 1 objective I could get to (the enemy now had 3). The Sherman’s first shells did little, but one HE shell pinned the Tiger - great work. Not before its first 88 shot wrecked my M3 Lee though, first Tiger kill!! Here we go again!

My arty kept up the steady pinning, no direct hits though, as the major bellowed his instructions and the half-track infantry rolled in. Time to get those ‘purple-heart wagons’ on the move, at top speed, swinging hard right and racing around the town, planning to attack via the rocks and the cactus patch (cover) - things could get spikey!

My P-38 swooped in, and pinned some towing vehicles with its bomb-run - not so good, but I was one turn late to get a good drop right on his tanks. In response the Luftwaffe also swooped in, the Stuka’s pre-chosen target was the objective my Shermans were on. A choice target and as it dived in three of its bombs scored direct hits (with a dive bomber re-roll). Err, that would the three closest targets, all my tanks!

It was carnage as all three Shermans where destroyed in a blink of the eye, costing me 4 counters. Which resulted in my own luck, an aircraft, one 1 and 2 twos. 5 BR in all, phew. The awesome dive-bombing wouldn’t break me… but it had all but shattered my main attack.

Seeing their chance the Pv IV and Tiger boldly pushed forwards, rolling at the last objective, currently un-held. I had no choice, I had to try and hold it, so I used my last two M3 Lees and the senior officer’s M20 to push back, facing off the panzers, but holding the objective (the major himself had dismounted from the M20 and was calling in arty fire from the rocks). It was a one-sided fight, my pinning HE fire did worry the Tiger crew, but they used tactical co-ordination to unpin (veterans) and then between it and the Pz IV ‘special’ they quickly worked over my Lees, destroying them - no tanks left.

Meanwhile, as my armour was destroyed in detail, my armoured infantry pressed their attack as per the plan… their support weapons had been first in the race and got to the rocks for cover, deployed the weapons and opened fire, .30 cal MGs raked the village and got some of the German grenadiers pinned as the others moved up behind (Note here, in the past I have left my support weapon at the rear and thus, they aren't deployed when the infantry go in - a mistake. This time they led and were in place first as the squads de-bussed to push into town, under their fire). The platoon command squad circled round further right, in place to rush the blue-dome mosque. This was an objective held by the grenadier Platoon HQ, if I could steal it back I’d at least have 1 and not be defeated when the Tiger moved up next turn to take the fourth one (currently held by a single M20 blazing away with its .50 cal to try and pin the Tiger - uneven fight!).

One infantry squad moved up and de-bussed into the rocks and cactus patch. The last M3 tried to follow but was hit by the Russian anti-tank gun’s ambush fire and knocked out, leaving the men out, but pinned behind the wreck. The armoured infantry, with all those pintle-mounted MGs pack a lot of firepower, and used well, to pin the German infantry down I felt I could get into town and take that objective. It helped when a Panzer III rolled up, forgot about bazookas (what in 1943? - oh yes!) and was knocked out by a lurking GI in the cactus’ (cactii?). The Russian anti-tank crew were gunned down by MG fire and the grenadier platoon HQ pinned. Next turn I’d be storming in. I boldly (given the BR situation) unpinned (I wanted that infantry squad back) and luckily drew another aircraft, this one hopefully would arrive, another bomb-armed P-38 buzzing in low. Maybe I could just steal it.

Erm, no… it was a rather desperate hope and the Tiger killed the M20 with a single point blank 88 shell. The 5 BR counter I drew pushed me over my BR total, time to withdraw (just a bit!). Defeat at Wadoud Oasis… but the Germans had been, to my surprise, reduced to just 7 BR remaining (mostly unpinning from my artillery fire). Their losses were slight: an armoured car, a Pz III, an old AT gun and about 4 men. The US had been 6 tanks, 2 armoured cars and about 12 men.

Good game… but never again will I fight without: a. some form of AA defence in place, that Stuka strike was just too painful. b. at least 1 scout unit - rookie errors, but hey, if nothing else characterful of the US forces in Tunisia.

A few tweaks to make to the army lists, but nothing major. What to do about that single allowed Tiger? Obviously, the Germans had them in Tunisia, but they are (just like BG Kursk) going to be my nemesis, I just cannot knock one out - never have! This one rolled right up the centre of board, took some pinning, but scored 3 kills and never felt in any danger.

Here are the snaps of the afternoon’s action at Wadoud. 

Wadoud Oasis, Germans arriving via top right, US attack from the bottom left. 

The stream was just difficult ground - a narrow trickle.

 Cactus patch

 88 arrives and is set-up in the centre, sniper team in the rocks. 

First Germans into the village, seizing it before any of the Yanks had really arrived.

German defensive position starting to thicken, ominous.

Er, yeah, very ominous now the Tiger is in place to dominate the centre of the table.

Shermans move up the objective, the stand of trees.

 Fork-tailed devil's bombing run (at high sped obviously).

Troops at last, armoured infantry on the way right around the village.

'The Major' is on the horn... dropping in 105 shells, about the only thing doing any damage atm. 

Stuka!... nooo!.... multiple 6s with its bombs.

Err, no more Shermans, carnage. 

Runningthe gauntlet of ambush fire at high speed, M3s about to de-buss the infantry.

The Tiger and his running buddy push forwards through my arty fire, after the 'Sherman Incident'.

Infantry support weapons out, in place and in cover, opening up on the village over the cactus patch. 

Last reserves, my arrive and M3s try to hold up the panzers, mismatch this...

 Efficient return fire. End of my tanks.

 Final bit of revenge, bazooka in the cactii gets a tank kill... too little too late to save what had become a doomed attack.