Showdown in Normandy

 Another miserable week weather wise, OK, a couple of nice 'fresh' days but still damn cold with the sun promising so much through the window but not delivering. Took the car into Mercedes last week, three hours of my life I will not get back, the automatic lights camera is malfunctioning, an inconvenience but not serious, so after walking around the lovely little town of Ulverston, a coffee and passing more time in the service area I climbed back into the cockpit and set Mrs Mercedes for home, two minutes down the road the camera came on and right in the middle, inside the lens, was a big, greasy, thumbprint. Annoying as it is I will wait for the next service rather than ruin an afternoon going back to Ulverston to get the thing cleaned. 

Anyway I was looking forward to my game with Jimi at the club, he has been painting away at his British Army to back up his Airborne troops after their debacle the last time we met at the hands of my Waffen-SS (Arnhem theme), I am no Von Manstein I was just lucky and Jimi was unlucky. The British turned up for the meeting engagement with two squads of regulars and one of Paras supported by an MMG, a 6 pdr anti-tank gun and a Churchill AVRE with the spigot mortar. German intelligence had alerted me to the AVRE (Jimi showed me the completed kit on Messenger) so it had me worried, one hit from the thing could obliterate an infantry squad. I took an army platoon with four seven man squads, one of them veteran with a panzerfaust, an armoured car, a Marder III and a panzerschrek, I wanted to try and sneak a shot at the Churchill with the latter.

I put my veterans out on my right flank, a daft move as far as using the panzerfaust, along with the armoured car, then two squads in the centre and the last on my left with the panzerschreck team. Jimi spread out along the village, the MMG and the anti-tank gun were opposite my right and the Churchill was on my left. I failed to get a preparatory bombardment while Jimi's hit me hard taking out the panzerschreck before the game had even started and pinning heavily most of my other troops. As the British moved men out on the flanks and took over a building in the centre and one on their left with the MMG I rallied off my pins and moved my 231 out of the line of fire of the 6 pdr, in this new position it could still fire at the British infantry and it quickly became a problem for Jimi. The AVRE rumbled on and moved to fire at my infantry, it missed but had turned its flank to my line, oh for a panzerschreck.

German centre

My 231 armoured car

Village centre

The monster

 I took the opportunity with the first die to bring on my Marder and boom, the Churchill was hit and the shell started a fire but had not killed it. The small British squad in the centre of the village began to lose men at an alarming rate. The British, frustrated somewhat, now pushed their flanking squads forward, once again they were hit by overwhelming fire from the defenders and the armoured car, losses mounted as did pins. The effect of the pins now kicked in and despite a couple of attempts at rallying these off they had a drastic effect on the Churchill which now either refused to fire or missed entirely, the 6 pdr simply missed. I now sensed victory and with the Churchill in a duel with the Marder I now pushed my centre and right flank squads forward against the weakened British line hoping Jimi would not turn his big gun on them. As the clock ticked down and the pins racked up we called a halt, a German victory. 

Some lovely British infantry

Sadly not a big fire

Jerry flush with victory

The end beckons

 This is only Jimi's second or third game of Bolt Action and each has been dogged by bad luck, the vaunted Churchill which could have obliterated my forces did not hit once during the game when it actually managed to pass its morale test and fire, the anti-tank gun always fired but always missed. My Marder failed to kill the monster but it did cause pins which worked to my advantage.

I now have the last of my SYW units on the tray, a British battalion which will conclude my forces, the last French battalion, Bavarians actually, only have their bases to be done and will take their place with their comrades. I have some vehicles to put the finishing touches to, decals and weathering, and then three SYW buildings to paint, big, heavy resin pieces. I will have to make up my mind where I am going to start with the Italian Wars at some point, which units and how to base and paint them, the amount of information in the Helion books is quite overwhelming and highly detailed.

 I have decided not to go to Hammerhead and instead stick to my original plan of going to Partizan in May. By then I will actually need figures etc. for the new project and will try and pick them up there. 

I was uplifted this morning by actor Sam Elliot, not one of my favourites but commentating on the woke cowboy movie "Power of the Dog" he pronounced it "a piece of s**t." Reality bites.