Und wenn sich die Reihen auch lichten
Für uns gibt es nie ein zurück!
Teufelslied (Devil's Song)
A couple of months back Phil and Jenny invited Andy and myself down to try out an I Ain't Been Shot Mum (IABSM) scenario Phil had devised to run at the Operation Market Larden Lardy Day. Coincidently it pretty much followed on historically from the Big Chain of Command game Andy had come up with, with elements of 2. SS Panzer-Division Das Reich and 9. SS Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen attempting to recapture the town of Rauray in Normandy from the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish.
It was quite a daunting table for the German attackers (Jenny and myself)...
Commanding the infantry of Das Reich I tried to employ some tactics by advancing a platoon down each flank to see where the enemy was concentrated, holding back a third as a reserve.
Jenny was the Panzer commander, deploying a platoon of Panzer IV's on the German left flank.
With no sign of the British the lads from Das Reich advanced cautiously towards Rauray...
One platoon moving as quickly as possible over the exposed Normandy fields.
In the centre the heavy-machine gun section was pushed forward.
But still no sign of any Tommies...
Hallo Tommy! Are you home?
What's this? Andy had deployed a number of 'blind' markers. Was this a bluff, a section of Tyneside Scots or an anti-tank gun?
My attempted spotting roll failed so it remained a mystery - for the time being...
Jenny decided that a cautious approach was not that of the 9. SS Panzer-Division and pushed her panzers forward...
Andy then revealed one of his blinds and deployed a 6-pounder anti-tank gun!
Some sharp shooting immediately saw one of the Panzer IV's brewed up!
As the armour faltered the German infantry pushed resolutely, but not very quickly, forward.
Whilst in Rauray, the British commander was planning his response to the advancing Germans now he could see their deployment.
With the 6-pounder covering the road, in the corner of a field of dead cows (all very Normandy).
The infantry managed to expose one of the British blinds as a bluff...
As the German armour hunkered down to trade shots with the enemy anti-tank gun.
Who returned fire...
Taking out a second Panzer IV!
With the infantry of Das Reich making slow but determined progress towards the village, Andy deployed a platoon of the Tyneside Scottish facing the German left flank...
Which he decided to split into two to defend the six-pounder from the Germans who were advancing up the centre.
The Germans in the centre soon found themselves under British mortar fire, taking Shock.
And the advance on the German left and centre somewhat stalled.
The 3rd platoon of Das Reich however charged swiftly forward up the right...
Only for Andy to reveal another platoon of Tommies in their path!
Needing to restart the attack on the German left, Jenny ordered one of the Panzer IV's forward...
Only for it to beach itself on the hedgerow! Fortunately the gods of war(gaming) were smiling upon her as the six-pounder was unable to get a shot off.
The fortunes of war then appeared to have changed for the Germans as more armour arrived in the form of a Panther and two Tiger I's.
In the centre the 1st Zug pushed forward, carefully using cover, supporting a Panzer IV.
Whilst a second scooted swiftly down the German left using the cover of a small copse of trees to avoid the attention of the 6-pounder.
Still shaken form the mortar fire the Germans in the centre pushed forward...
Whilst the 1st Zug with panzer support took position in the last cover before the village.
Meanwhile on the German right the 3rd Zug poured fire at the Tynesiders to their front.
The weight of German fire inflicting casualties and Shock on the British - and Pinning them!
Back on the left Jenny concentrated her tank fire on the 6-pounder covering the road...
Managing, at last, to kill some of the crew and inflict Shock on it.
However was it all too late? The sound of Chrysler engines in the village heralded the arrival of a platoon of British Shermans - including a deadly Firefly!
With the battle starting to slip away from them, the Germans needed a change of fortune - and the gods of war(gaming) provided it!
An 88mm HE shell slammed into the 6-pounder completely destroying it, opening up the road for the Panzers!
The Panzer IV in the centre and its supporting infantry spot and attempted take out a PIAT near the destroyed 6-pounder...
Whilst another Panzer IV fired at the newly arrived British armour...
Forcing one Sherman to fall back with Shock.
Andy then deployed another 6-pounder...
Which had a nice flank shot of the Panzer IV in the centre...
With predictable results... Boom!
Trying to protect a pinned section some of the Tynesiders on the German right attempted to charge in on the 3rd Zug...
But were beaten back by the weight of German fire, suffering casualties and both sides taking Shock.
On the outskirts of Rauray, the Firefly then moved into position, aimed and fired!
The Panzer IV on the left exploded!
As a Spitfire FR IX flew over the battlefield...
With the Panzer IV's proving to be easy meat for the British, it was time for the heavy guns...
One 88mm shot plowing into a Sherman which demonstrated why its nickname was a 'Ronson'.
The second Tiger opened fire on the platoon of British infantry on the German left in an effort to dislodge them.
Whilst the central infantry of Zug 2 took the opportunity of firing into the flank of the British their comrades were engaged with on the German right.
Zug 3 pushed forward...
Taking the enemy to breaking point.
Meanwhile in the centre Das Reich's heavy machine-guns were finally deployed to help dislodge the British infantry blocking the advance on the left...
Whilst other command elements, including two Panzerschreck teams, tried to catch up with the advance troops.
Utilising its speed, the Panther on the left pushed forward into the flank of the British troops entrenched behind the hedgerow.
The Tynesiders braved tried to fight off the 44 ton beast with a PIAT...
But the shot bounced off...
Despite the threat of the panzer the rest of the section kept up fire on the Germans to their front...
Inflicting Shock and Pinning the recently deployed heavy machine-guns of Das Reich.
The Firefly attempted a shot at the Panther...
But missed!
The bulk of the 1st platoon of Tynesiders who had been attempting to re-deploy towards the centre of the battlefield came under German fire and took casualties and Shock.
Having become unpinned, the German HMG's opened fire on the section in the hedgerow to their front...
The MG42's cutting a bloody swathe and Pinning the brave Tynesiders.
Their comrades soon found themselves in a precarious exposed position as one of the surviving Panzer IV's moved along the road and opened fire on the British infantry...
Who took more casualties and Shock.
Panzer marsch! The panzers of 9. SS Panzer-Division now moved determinedly forward on the left.
As the British section recoiled under the high-explosive fire of the German tank guns.
More panzer cannon fire smashed into the British line...
As the Panzers pushed past the remnants of the British troops on the German left, spraying them with machine-gun fire as they went...
Bringing the brave resistance of the Tommies to an end.
The Panther then moved forward and loosed a shot at the British armour on the village outskirts...
Boom! The Firefly was destroyed!
Another pass over the battlefield by the Spitfire FR IX saw the success of the German armour on the left, with the British infantry attempting to fall back into the ruins of Rauray...
On the right flank the 3. Zug finished off most of the British opposing them...
Seeing off the survivors who in a brave but foolhardy move fixed bayonets and died to a man.
Unfortunately for the British 1st platoon on the German left, more enemy tank and machine-gun fire caused them to become Pinned.
And as Jenny mercilessly raked them with machine-gun and cannon fire from her Panzers...
She pushed a Panzer IV down the road towards the enemy infantry...
\In an effort to run them down!!!
Fortunately for the Tynesiders them managed to dodge out of the way of the advancing panzer tracks...
But the game was up as the enemy armour reached the outskirts of the village.
A final pass by the Spitfire FR IX over the battlefield saw the men of 2. SS Panzer-Division Das Reich and tanks of 9. SS Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen advancing into the outskirts of Rauray. Though they had put up a brave fight, the men of the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish had been defeated.
Well that was an intense game, I seriously doubted the ability of the Germans to make much progress in the face of the dogged British resistance, but the arrival of the heavier German tanks certainly helped turn the battle their way.
Once again Phil and Jenny put on a great game for Andy and myself, so big thanks to them. I understand it went down well at Operation Market Larden as well.
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