A day for Cromwells

 Today (before a 2 week hiatus) we had a few games of What a Tanker at the club. I have recorded 2 of them, as its tedious reading a lot...I know!

The first game: This pitted Lawrence and myself with Cromwell tanks against Rhod and Phil with Stug IIIs.

Spot the Cromwells!

The other side had the Stugs.

I started by racing towards the centre and cover!

Lawrence just drove forward to another hedge.

Poor Rhod just sat there, his crew apparently finishing their coffee before moving off!

Phil got moving - though not very fast compared with our tanks!

Lawrence tried to acquire Phil's Stug.

Phil had reached cover...

...and acquired Lawrence.

Rhod finally got moving and also headed for cover.

We were both pairing off into our own little duels.

Rhod moved down the side of his field looking for a better firing position.

I was considering going into cover behind the big rock.

Rhod and I were soon exchanging fire.

My crew got a but 'windy' as a 75mm high velocity round bounced off!

Phil began shooting at Lawrence.

Lawrence returned the compliment!

The Stugs settled down for a long fight.

Rhod fired at my Cromwell, but he never hit again.

Lawrence was having awful luck getting a hit on Phil...

Phil wasn't

Lawrence's tank blew up!

That ended the game for us, I retired from the field!

The Second Game

We faced a Tiger 2!

We advanced with our 3 Cromwells.

Lawrence had a Firefly, and kept back till the time was right.

Rhod finally caught up with Phil.

Lawrence decided to try a long shot...

...but it simply bounced of the German's thick hide!

I had decided to distract the Tiger by racing round its flank.

I was quickly Acquired but never got a firing solution in my dice!

The Tiger started turning his big turret towards me while keeping his frontal armour to the Sherman Firefly.

Rhod decided to hide behind the big rock, while Phil went round the other flank to me.

Lawrence kept firing at the Tiger, but at that long range was missing most of the time.

The Tiger seemed confused, and sat in an open field while ordinance exploded nearby!

Lawrence got another shot on target, but again the round bounced off.

I was in danger, and tried as far as possible to get out of the German's firing arc.

Rhod was ok...rock hugging!

Phil was getting behind the Tiger now...

...I nearly got into the wood...

...the Tiger knocked me out with a single shot!

I therefore took command of the Tiger from the solo system!

I immediately raced forward to get the Firefly.

The said Firefly withdrew into the wood.

I got there!... 

...but my shot missed!

Rhod moved forward and pinged a shell off my tank!

Phil was also trying to hit me.

Rhod and Phil got into my rear and started pummeling my tank, I kept rolling bad armour rolls and started taking damage to my running gear.

Eventually my crew simply baled out and walked back to Germany!

Sorry for the wrong crew, I forgot where my German crew was!

Ah well! We do enjoy Tanker, win or lose!

Return of the Rebels

 Today we had a return to our old favourite, The American Revolution, using my own rules of course! 

I diced against Phil for which side we would be on and I returned to being George Washington.

I did badly again in the Initiative rolls, and this allowed the British to deploy in one flank sector of the table.

The table at game start, very little terrain, 2 low hills and a wood.

The British left advanced slowly, though their Light Infantry moved ahead quickly.

Even the Hessians at the far end were outpacing the British Regulars!

The Jäger centre (!) advanced confidently.

My Americans responded by launching a flank attack to turn the Hessians right.

I advanced my Marylanders to drive off the Jägers and break up the Hessian formations.

On my right, I advanced my lights to face the British lights.

The British brought up the 17th Light Dragoons to support their light infantry.

They had a Competent Brave brigadier, he would be hard to fight.

The British centre continued its ponderous advance.

The Hessians wheeled their Fusiliers to face my Maryland Continentals.

Initially, my Marylanders had the advantage.

My 2nd Continental Dragoons charged the British Light Infantry who fell back into a circle and held their own.

My Americans were repulsed!

Lawrence launched his Grenadiers into the wood, where my Light infantry tried to hold them...

In the centre, my Marylanders were being sniped off by Jäger rifles.

The British horse charged my retreating dragoons, while their light infantry sniped at my heavy gun crew.

My lights withstood the British onslaught...

...but they broke off disordered.

On the Hessian wing, the Grenadiers got lucky and routed my light infantry with ease.

The Grenadiers charged into the wood in pursuit.

I swung my German Battalion onto their flank and took some of them down.

My Marylanders were still winning the firefight with the Hessian Fusiliers.

...but the Hessians held and returned a withering fire.

The remnants of my 2nd Dragoons bravely renewed their fight with the rallied 16th, but didn't survive the encounter.

The 16th wheeled to engage my Heavy gun.

The British infantry now decided to attack my centre.

The Hessian Grenadiers wheeled out to face my regiments.

In the centre, the Hessians got a crashing volley into my poor Marylanders.

Of course, I rolled a '1' and they retreated (sigh!)

The British got a good volley against my Pennsylvanians but they held.

My men did well, and got a fair volley off in return.

The British Light Dragoons took out my gun easily.

The Hessian Grenadiers were matching volleys with my Continentals.

My poor Marylanders were a bit the worse for wear!

The British were round my right flank.

...and extending round.

This was the time when I realised the game was up, so I signalled the Continental army to retreat. Very sad, my dice let me down at several points again, but such is war!!!

Fun game though, as usual!