Battling in Normandy

Yesterday was 'Star Wars day' - May the fourth...be with you!.

However, we resisted the temptation to do more 'X-Wing' gaming, and instead did a WW2 skirmish with my Crusader miniatures 1944 British against Lawrences' Germans.

Lawrence diced to be in command, with 1 squad and the lieutenant in charge.
Gareth had a squad, and a PIAT team.
I had a squad, and the command groups' 2" mortar team.

Looking at the terrain, Lawrence put my squad at the front, while his squad and Gareth's followed in column.

The target of our mission, the farmhouse.

 As usual, lots of mixed dummy and real counters were placed in potential ambush places on the table.

 I started on table in a wood. I set the mortar to cover my advance.

 My Bren team and rifle group took a small hill to our front. 

Ahead, we could see a hidden marker, we halted to try to observe. 

Lawrence's squad came up behind me. 

 ..followed by Gareth's squad. 

 (An overview of the terrain we were entering)

 Lawrence put pressure on me to continue advancing!

I brought the mortar forward and infiltrated through a copse of trees. 

Keeping to as much cover as possible we pushed on. 

 The mass of Lawrence and Gareth's forces followed on.

Not having spotted any enemy, I continued advancing cautiously. 

Lawrence and Gareth held back protecting my rear and flank. 

My mortar team spotted a marker on a hill ahead... 

..A German sniper took a shot and retired. 

 The NCO of the mortar team slumped down dead.

 Gareth's men spotted another counter..a Mortar attack!

 Luckily, no casualties resulted, but they were suppressed and hugged the earth!

 My men spotted another counter a group of unaware Germans on a hill.

 We hit them with the 2" mortar and small arms, the survivors scattered.

Obviously attracted by this, a group of German infantry fired at Gareth's shaken section. 

 Gareth withdrew his poor rifle team into the woods to recover. 

Another group of Germans to my front spotted my scouts passing between 2 woods as they rejoined me, but failed to hit once!

Supported by Lawrence's men, my squad hit them with mortars and small arms. 

 More amazing die rolls saw them heavily suppressed!

My and Lawrences squads then attacked the German position and wiped them out. 

 My Mortar team meanwhile, saw something altogether more threatening!

We all bunched up in the woods, and sent a runner to Gareth's PIAT team! 

 Fortunately, the Germans fighting Gareth didn't follow him up, so he came forward. 

 The PIAT team taking the lead.

As Gareth came forward, my men probed to the wood edge.. 

 More great shooting from the bren! The surprised Germans were unable to reply!

..they quickly retreated to the farmhouse. 

Gareth finally arrived! 

The PIAT lobbed a shell at the Hetzer..and missed! Fortunately, the Germans didn't see the PIAT (It has a low signature as it is spring loaded!) 

My mortar laid a smokescreen to cover the PIAT as it tried to get closer! 

The Hetzer reacted by moving up to the smoke screen and machine gunning it!

 It then fell back to a walled enclosure.

Gareth's PIAT was waiting for it! 

 My squad now advanced to the hill I had driven the enemy squad from, and saw the Germans had an MG section defending it.

 I came under some ineffective long range fire from my rear at long range. 

 I eventually got my mortar team to screen my flank with smoke!

 Lawrence raced down the flank of the farmhouse, and lost a man to the MG42.

Gareth's men followed to outflank the farm. 

 My fire from the hill silenced the MG42, and the Germans decided to bug out!

We had achieved our objective!

The game was made easier by my incredible dice rolling! for example, I needed 16+ on a D20  with 5 rolls and got 4 hits! 3 kills/disables and a suppression! (6,5,5,3 on D6)

We only took 2 killed and a wound on our force, the Germans took 13 dead and a Hetzer blown up!

We were lucky! - the Germans couldn't hit squat and our firing was phenomenal!

We had fun though, and the solo system running the Germans didn't mind getting trashed!

(The rules used are available at Rules )

How the West was lost!

Yesterday (Saturday) - we were without Ian, who was unwell, but this gave us the chance to dust off my old Wild West rules and figures! - they were last out in 2009!

The scenario was a few brave men attempting to save a town from a rampaging force of Apaches in New Mexico, the townsfolk having mostly fled to the hills!

My men, Frenchie, in blue, Chico, my Mexican amigo, and myself, Rickie, set up along a dried river bed and awaited the expected Apache warband.

Gareth, who had chosen a warlike, but not too bright character waited near the Cemetery. 

His sidekicks, the bank manager and a clerk, protected their workplace! 

 Lawrence waited on a rise at the end of the main street, with his sidekicks, Forbes and Mitch. 

 Unseen, the first of the Apaches approached.

 A small mounted contingent joined them.

 Another group headed for the dry river.

 The Apaches approached the town, where Lawrences' men were waiting.

Gareth, failing his Initiative roll, decided to stay at the far end of town! 

 The Bank staff decided to walk down the street towards Lawrence.

 My men got a fleeting view of the Apache cavalry, and stood ready.

 The Apaches began to group for their attack on the town.

One group decided to infiltrate in via the dried river bed. 

 The cavalry, with some foot braves, approached using cover to hide their approach. 

Lawrence, seeing an approaching group, hid from view and allowed the Indians to come closer before opening fire. 

 Joined by the bank staff, Lawrences men let rip! 

 One Apache fell dead with a head shot from Forbes, two others were grazed.

 The Apaches retreated to cover, firing.

 

The band which went back to the hill, were exposed, and 2 were quickly wounded, deciding to withdraw from the battle. 

 Lawrence ordered the bank staff back to town, and continued shooting.

 On my side of town, the Apaches spotted me and opened fire.

Our return fire only wounded a horse, but Frenchie slumped back dead. 

 The Apache cavalry raced forward to outflank my position.

Their supporting troops pushed forward confidently in support.

The cavalry reached the river bed...but I had fallen back to town! 

 Safe, we celebrated our escape!

Gareth had finally got himself moving, and entered the shop next to the one where I was hiding! His sidekicks stayed in a shop doorway across the street. 

 The Apaches facing Lawrence were still trying to hold their ground.

 

Another shot from Forbes killed another Apache!

 The Apaches facing me ignored Frenchie's body and tried to hook round the town. 

Unseen by Lawrence, another group of Apaches were still moving down the riverbed, and threatened to outflank his position. 

 Lawrence finally killed the last Apache on the hill.

Despite Forbes killing another Apache, the other group facing Lawrence were still holding on. 

Fortunately, Lawrences men took no casualties aside from a few grazing hits. 

The bank manager moved forward again to watch the action. 

 Back on my side, the Apaches decided to attack the town.

Gareth decided to go out of the Jailhouse door to face the Apaches alone, he had called the bank manager and the clerk into the cells!

 Unfortunately, the blast from Gareth's scatter-gun went wide, and the Apache cavalry rushed him! 

 The other Apaches with the cavalry moved forward to help...

 ...they didn't need any, Gareth slumped to the ground bleeding heavily from a lance thrust in his left thigh.

As the whooping cavalry moved round the house, their supports saw Lawrences men and shot at them, despite the long range, their shooting was deadly. 

 Forbes was hit in the head and chest, he fell stone dead.

 With the appearance of this force on his flank, Lawrence gathered all the remaining men and high-tailed out of town.

 Chico and I had not interfered when Gareth was killed, as we would have been killed too, so we too decided to leave the town to the Apaches! 

Fortunately- they seemed to be more interested in liquor than chasing us!  

The battle was very tough! - I think the poor sidekicks Gareth and I rolled up didn't help, but next time, we will probably use a few less Apaches!

Enjoyable though!