Rob's new 20mm WWII Germans got a run out last Sunday at the War Room. Colonel Hans von Luck's reinforced 125th Panzergrenadier Regiment attempted to capture the French town of Ranville which was held by two battalions of British Paras and and two battalions of glider-borne infantry - all under-strength.
Neil (2nd Battalion, 125th Panzergrenadier Regiment), Chris and Doug (21st Panzer Recce Battalion) and Trevor (an Armoured Group plus infantry and SPGs), with distributed artillery support, were the Germans, and had to capture at least two of the following objectives:
The fortified hill (held by Brian and Mal - Oxford & Bucks Light Infantry, 6th Airlanding Brigade)
Ranville (held by Alex - 13th Para, 5th Parachute Brigade)
3. Le Bas de Ranville (held by Richard, later also Patrick - 12th Para, 5th Parachute Brigade)
The operational objective was to drive the Paras from the town and capture a bridge over the nearby river Orne in the wake of D-Day.
Turn 1
Trevor began the attack on Le Bas de Ranville with the panzers, infantry in half-tracks, and self-propelled guns advancing in a staunch phalanx...
Turn 2
Richard soon destroyed one of Trevor's half-tracks and suppressed another, on the British right. He also destroyed the first of several Panzer IV tanks...
Meanwhile, in Ranville, Alex called in off-board naval fire which blew up one of Doug's arriving armoured cars. HMS Arethusa (6 x 6 inch guns) and HMS Mauritius (12 x 6 inch guns) were providing fire support throughout the game...
Turn 3
By now the Germans were advancing all along the front. Doug and Chris began to move up their Recce battalion to Ranville...
On the German left, Trevor laid down smoke, but Richard blew up another of his half-tracks.
Back at Ranville, Alex suppressed one of Doug's recce vehicles with mortar fire from the British position and his anti-tank gun destroyed another.
Meanwhile, as Neil laid down smoke and advanced, Brian killed a German infantry platoon with mortar and artillery fire.
Trevor also claimed a kill - one of Richard's tank destroyers in the wood on Richard's far right. So far so bloody!
Turn 4
As the general advance continued, Trevor's infantry piled out of their vulnerable half-tracks.
Nebelwerfers discharged more smoke to mask Neil's infantry approaching Brian's position...
While Richard countered Trevor's infantry, destroying some of it, on the German flank.
Simultaneously, Alex's naval fire continued to decimate the Recce battalion commanded by Chris and Doug: another sitting-duck recce vehicle was vapourised.
Trevor now responded to Richard's attack by destroying an MG and the second tank destroyer in the wood...
In the centre, Alex's anti-tank gun brewed one of Chris's armoured cars. Unfortunately for the British the gun was itself wiped out soon after.
Elsewhere the assault was stalling. On the British right Richard riposted against Trevor, eliminating one of his tanks. The German spearhead had lost momentum...
However, Neil began an assault by two companies of panzergrenadiers covered by smoke, against Brian's hill-top position.
Turn 5
The German advance continued relentlessly. Neil's infantry maintained their attack on Brian's position.
Patrick arrived and deployed the Royal Ulster Rifles in support of both Richard and Alex.
Trevor's armoured thrust had now lost half its tanks and a fifth of its infantry. And Richard soon suppressed two more German infantry stands...
As Neil straddled the road with panzergrenadiers to attack the British, Brian killed two more German infantry platoons with off board artillery. Ouch...
Chris had been advancing methodically and consolidating his Recce force opposite Alex's position at Ranville. He planned to launch a decisive close assault against the Paras ensconced there...
Yet Trevor's thrust had been totally blunted by Richard. Knocked out like skittles, all the German tanks were smouldering wrecks...
Turn 6
The Germans were still moving up though, with Doug and Chris massing ominously against Alex. Unfortunately they lost an HMG and an infantry platoon in short order.
Meanwhile, Doug attempted to drive three armoured cars down a lane against Patrick's position...
On the German right, after great efforts, Neil's artillery and grenadiers had destroyed the British airlanding infantry in a house in front of the hill. Vorwärts!
Turn 7
Neil continued to make progress. His infantry took the road on Brian's left, as well as the house nearby. However, Mal soon obliterated the two platoons on the road with mortar and off-table artillery fire...
Between the two towns, Patrick advanced towards the wood close to Doug's position. Alex now blew up another of Doug's half-tracks with naval fire...
Even so, Chris laid down smoke against Alex's line in preparation for an assault.
Trevor proceeded to lose a self-propelled gun to Richard and Patrick's fire, and now had virtually no offensive capability left. The Germans were faltering.
Turn 8
Neil had just three infantry platoons left, but managed to consolidate his position around the house in front of the hill...
Meanwhile Chris began his assault on Ranville through the smoke...
Patrick occupied the wood to his front, while Alex destroyed yet another of Doug's recce vehicles with naval bombardment.
But Chris was making progress, and mullered a Para platoon in Ranville...
Trevor admitted defeat, but brought on six more infantry platoons and four tanks to see if different tactics would work...
Turn 9
The final turn began; Chris doggedly continuing his assault on Ranville against Alex.
But Alex eliminated yet another of Doug's half-tracks (obliterating the column of vehicles ostensibly heading against Patrick)... As Patrick moved his infantry from the wood to a position where they could flank Chris's attacking infantry.
Finally, Neil killed off some British infantry, and suppressed Brian and Mal's artillery on the hill, but the British had held on.
Having reset his units, Trevor attacked Le Bas de Ranville. After initial losses, he coordinated his tanks, infantry and artillery to clear the Paras from the position in just a few turns.
Ultimately, Chris's assault captured two buildings in Ranville, but was duly decimated by naval fire and called off. By 4pm, the Germans had failed to capture any of their objectives!
Conclusion
Bad Luck indeed for the Germans, who were plagued by insufficient infantry, powerful British artillery (particularly naval fire) and a tough British defensive position. A relentless assault met remorseless resistance.
Although Brian lost all but one infantry platoon, and Alex lost an HMG, three infantry platoons and a sniper, Richard's part of the line was less badly affected (despite losing the tank destroyers). Neil and Trevor lost the majority of their infantry, and the panzers were wiped out. Chris, who knows the rules well, had done best and managed to conserve most of his infantry and vehicles, while Doug's recce units were badly mauled. Overall, a brutal experience for the Germans. The historical battle also ended with a German retreat, albeit with lighter losses.
Thanks to Rob for an exciting and decisive game, as well as for hospitality. The figures and terrain were excellent, and the scenario well researched. Combined arms, as Richard and Chris suggested, as well as better awareness and exploitation of priority rules for firing seem to be the keys to winning with Rob's adaptation of Spearhead rules. This was the first game featuring elements of the 21st Panzer Division... will their Luck return?
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