Lt Colonel Antrobus1 of 139th Borcesters, after hearing a new commander, a certain Thomaz, was working with the DAK, and that they had recently been given a jolly good old trouncing in a meeting engagement, decided to take on the mighty Kampfgroup Thomaz with a hasty assault..
The remanants of Thomaz had taken shelter around the village of Qaryat Jamila, hastily dug in and ready for a scrap, with minefields (maybe dummy, maybe not).
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Antobus2 had noted the presence of a dreaded 88, plus two platoons of Pak38s, and some 75mm infantry guns on the front line, and a huge open space in front of the settlement, so decided to use the cover to head to the left. Thankfully, some decent moves with two of his three companies put the pressure on. In that traffic jam is a truck section and two carrier platoons, carrying a Bofors 40mm, a mortar platoon, a HMG platoon and an infantry platoon, that Antrobus3 hoped would swing things his way.
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The highlight of the armoured thrust, as the 88 swing round snd reaches out towards the Humber and hits it three times. The Humber miraculousy saves all three! Well, that lasts until the 88 fires again ten seconds later.
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The 88 finishes off the Humber and one of the carrier platoons, unfortunately, the one carrying the mortars, which means they are suppressed and left behind by Antrobus4 to walk to the front by themselves. The tanks sprinted off and found more cover masking the 88's arc of fire.
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The ground is shaken by the arrival of 60lber artillery, which Antrobus5 had programmed in before the fight started. However, the four stands under the template, only one hit was scored! I was hoping to cause enough damage to at least dent the platoons under the barrage. C'est la vie! Behind the fire power, a PAK38 platoon is wheeled to be repositioned to secure the flank.
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The main bulk of the infantry failed to follow Antrobus's6 lead, and decided they liked the cover and stuck there for a while. His troops did move quickly into cover though. The British armour sprinted up out of cover, and then stuck there. The 88mm and the 50mms hammered away at the tanks stuck in the open, killing three.
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Turn 6, preprogrammed smoke blinds the 88, and the main mass of British infantry advance, with the Bofors and HMG spitting fire at the nearest 75mm and killing the infantry guns. The tanks round the minefield, but then blunder back half a move! The British had failed so many motivations, this was touch and go now!
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Turn 7: one infantry killed by HMGs and 88s, and only one move forwards while British tanks are scrapped by German superior shooting. Another blunder by the British armour sends them forwards, but without any shooting. Kampfgroup Thomaz looks on, shrugs and dusts themselves down and relax knowing they gave the Brits a good tonking.
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Yeah, did not go well. Antrobus needed to get the boys moving more quickly. A couple more moves and a few lucky shots, it would have swung the British way. He knew he should have brought more trucks, but he had so upset the transport corps, that the requested trucks did not arrive, not even the broken and captured German kit.
A great game, Phil is really getting the hang of these rules. 88s are lethal, if they get to fire. A fab laugh too.
1The sort of commanding officer who thinks commanding means pointing a stick and shouting, loudly.
2The sort of man who belives the officers mass should be split into those who can trace their family tree back to before William The Conquoror, and the rest.
3Then he could get home for tea, buns and medals.
4He thoroughly believes in lots of long walks and fresh air, as long as the commoners aren't on the same path, or sharing the same air.
5Of course he was targetting the village, it wasn't his.
6Some people don't like being yelled at I guess.
Great looking game but not great for our chaps it would seem :( .
Nice game Will.
Will it was and good and fun game,
The 88 was indeed deadly,
and yes I think putting your infantry in trucks to move them faster would have helped you.
Thanks very much for the game.
I look forward to playing another scenario soon.
Phil