Happy New Year!

 Today we returned to the club after the Christmas and New Year weeks off, it was good to be back! (next week we are off again as the Church hall we use is being used by … the Church!)

We were only 3 in our little group today, so we did a couple of 'What a Tanker' games.

Our forces were 2 M-18 Hellcat Tank destroyers run by Phillip and myself...

...and Lawrence would run an M3 Light tank.

My solo system ran 3 Panzer IVs

The table we would fight on today.

The Pz.Kpfw IVg raced down the side of the table.

The H's moved into the centre of the table.

I edged my TD along the road, trying to keep as much terrain between me and the Germans as possible!

Philip, new to WaT, raced his TD forward in comparatively open terrain.

Lawrence's little tank was apparently having some engine problems, as it didn't move!

The Pz.Kpfw. IVG went first next turn...

...he managed to get to the Hedge from where he could look for us!

The 2 'H's were co-operating in a sweep towards my TD.

I had a word with Phillip about the way TDs were used in WW2, mainly as ambush vehicles, and he took the lesson to heart bringing his TD back behind a rock.

I decided rather than get cut up between the 2 Pz.Kpfw. IVH's I would sneak round the flank, I took the risk I would be able to make the run before the Panzers could 'Bracket' me.

Lawrence was taking his M3 'Honey' round the other flank.

I got a great roll of command dice, and took the risk of facing one of the Panzer IVs

5 out of 8 dice hit!

The poor Panzer only got one 'save'.

Toast!

The poor crew burnt with their tank.

Lawrence tried to shoot the other Panzer IV H in flank up the road...

... but his little gun either missed or the shell bounced off!!!

The Panzer IV failed to get a bead on the little tank, so he got away with it!

I got no movement, but converted a die to movement and got 12" of movement, getting me round the trees onto the flank of the Panzer IVH!

6 out of 8 hits!

The Panzer only got 2 Armour saves.

A second Panzer IV destroyed by my plucky crew!

The last Panzer wisely decided to head back to Germany at speed!

The crew of the second destroyed Panzer used the smoke of the other burning tank as cover as they made their escape too!

That was a quick game! I had fantastic dice, always hitting and getting loads of damage. Poor Phillip and Lawrence didn't get a look in!

We did a second game, pitting 2 H-39s and a Char BIs against an early Panzer II and 2 Panzer IIIE's. It was rather the opposite of this game, with both sides pecking at the other, and no kills! - this seems to happen a lot in these early war games!!!