1940 blues!

Today - before our week off gaming next week, we had a game of 'What a Tanker' WW2.

I suggested an early war game using French against Germans...

We chose a Char B1 Bis, Phil's favourite, and Lawrence and I took an H-39 and and R-35

We faced 4 German vehicles, three Panzerjager Is and an early Panzer II.

Our brave French fellows!

The Boche!

Lawrence and I had set up a nice little terrain.

Lawrence's Inn has made appearances in many of our games!!!

The Germans had a Panzerjager on the left...

...the Panzer II in the centre...

...and 2 more Panzerjagers on their right.

Phil had his Char B on the left...

...My H-39 in the centre...

...and Lawrence's R-35 on our right.

Neither my Hotchkiss or the Panzer II opposite got to move, but we both fired! The German was the only one to hit, stressing my crew!

Phil advanced to cover.

A Panzerjager advanced towards him.

The Panzer II was firing 3 times faster than me, but not because of his rapid firing cannon, it was just my crappy command dice!!!!

The Panzerjager facing Lawrence advanced towards him.

Lawrence's R-35 was struggling over the walls of a field!

Opposite Phil, the first Panzerjager was joined by another.

Lawrence was moving through a wood.

The Panzerjager headed to that same wood.

I had finally got moving in the centre and was now behind a wall near the inn.

The Panzer II advanced to cover too.

Lawrence didn't get a firing solution in his dice, so retreated back out of the wood.

I was missing every shot, but eventually the Panzer hit me...

Yow!

My running gear was hit, my slow tank was now even slower!

I was trying to get out of this fight and help Phil, but I couldn't move!

The Panzerjagers were shooting, and their fire hit Phil.

His Char lost 2 temporary damage.

Lawrence was back in the stone field.

The Panzer II was still shooting at me, but my armour kept most hits out.

The Char B had fired many times, but failed to hit the lightly armoured Panzerjagers!

I finally got a good move and hid behind the Inn!

The Panzer apparently didn't see me go as he didn't move!

I fired from the field into the flank of a Panzerjager, but missed again!

Lawrence was outflanked by the Panzerjager facing him, which fired!

He got a running gear hit too!

The Panzer II finally came forward looking to see where I had gone.

Phil turned his Char to try and get in the field. He had been hit and was down to 2 Command dice.

The Panzer II got round the Inn and saw my rear!

Lawrence was down to 2 Command dice now too...

The Germans were undamaged, so we decided to bale out!!!

A very odd game, we couldn't hit anything, and our tanks were on the point of being destroyed quite convincingly.

Ah well, never mind!!!

The tide has turned?

 Today we took a break from Oathmark and returned to the American Revolution (AWI).

Phil was off doing Bolt Action, so it was just Lawrence and myself taking the British and Americans respectively.

As is traditional in these games I once again was on the defensive against a British push.

The Armies deployed in a largely open terrain.

My left consisted of a line of New Jersey Continentals backed up with some Militia and Light Infantry.

My centre and right were Maryland and Virginia Continentals with some Light Infantry. ALL my generals turned out to be Average quality!

The British left was Regulars backed up by some Loyalists and the 42nd Highlanders.

Their centre was mainly of Hessians, with all the Light Infantry, both British and Hessian, and the 17th Light Dragoons holding the right. He had all Average brigadiers too, but got an Indecisive Competent commander in chief! (Lord Howe????)

Lawrence diced for how many orders his Brigade commanders could give, his right got a '1'...

OOO, a '1' and a '2'.

His left only advanced very slowly...The British commander who had 2 orders to give, being Competent and all... got the front rank of the main line advancing.

My Dice were better...

...mostly 3s and 4s.

Things were looking good for a Rebel attack!

My left got going, sending the Lights to face the light British troops.

My Continentals advanced steadily, being careful not to mask my guns.

My right advanced to contest the hill facing them.

My Artillery opened up when in range...

At extreme range, I only managed to disorder the Hessian Grenadiers leading their advance.

The British Light Infantry and Hessian Jägers took a patch of rough ground ahead of my Light Infantry.

The British had got their army advancing and we closed rapidly.

The British left tried to extend their line as my Virginians approached.

In the centre, my Heavy gun opened fire...

...and tore a hole in the British Grenadiers, who just closed their ranks and continued to advance.

My Virginians readied for the attack, the British had a gun in support so would be hard to shift.

On my left, I brought the 2nd CLD regiment to try and match my Light infantry with the superior British ones.

The British atop the hill shot at my Virginians...

...and my Lights contested the hill bravely.

In the centre, my Continentals were reducing the British regiments in front of them.

My left centre was attacked by the Hessians, my New Jerseymen shot up some musketeers who retreated on their second line, the Hessian Grenadiers continued to press the attack.

On my left my Light Dragoons clashed with the 17th LD's

The two Light Dragoon regiments destroyed each other in a fierce fight.

the survivors both routed for home, no wonder!

The Hessian Grenadiers were giving my Continentals a hard time.

On my right, the Marylanders failed and were driven back disordering their second line.

My Brigadier halted their retreat and set about sorting out the mess.

My Light infantry charged some Hessian Jägers who routed, but were stopped by a second line of British Lights.

My guys routed as the British advanced and my other regiment retreated in sympathy.

My New Jerseys were still winning against the British.

My Virginians now came tumbling back like the Marylanders having failed in their attack on the hill.

Despite having light infantry threatening their flank, the New Jersey men got a crashing volley on the Hessian Grenadiers.

On my right, with the Virginians nowhere in sight, my Light infantry were driven past my medium gun battery, which was disordered by a volley from the advancing Loyalists.

Reordered, my brave gun crews fired back at short range!

On my left the British Light Infantry were threatening my guns.

In desperation, my Light Infantry rallied and charged the British lights...and won!

The British routed, and my victorious Light infantry retreated in amazement!

On the right, the Scots and Loyalists continued to shoot ineffectually.

The second Hessian line attacked, but the brave New Jerseymen held.

The British Light Infantry were a bit cagey, as their friends routed past!

My line now had a great turn with my line of Continentals tearing holes in the 'wilting' British front line.

On my right, another volley of cannister forced the Scots and Loyalists to retreat to their hill.

Despite fighting bravely, the British now conceded!

My right wing Brigades had been restored and were now advancing, and with their front rank in a fragile state, the British pulled out. My left wing Continentals were turning the flank of the Hessians too, which probably helped!

A first victory for Washington's army, will it go to their heads?

PS: I am sorry I didn't get pictures of some events in the game, I got too involved in the action!!!!