Pyrrhic Victory

 So, what's new, nothing much in a word. I have ordered up the first of my 'bits and pieces' now that I have stopped with the big projects, namely some Soviet Tank Riders, a Nashorn Panzerjager and an M3 Grant, they are all 3D prints and are from Mardav miniatures. I fully realise two things, the Nashorn will probably never get on the table and probably neither will the Grant which I am lending and leasing to my Soviets, the latter is fantasy it seems as mate Robert pointed out the Russians got the Lee version, well on this ship a Grant was sent, take it up with Stores.

I am now doing my little walk again along Crag road to get my stamina up and my diabetes down, while up there I wondered if I was defending the village of Millhead which I could see sitting on a ridge, where would I put my anti-tank guns, this led further to me wondering if a shot would actually reach it from where I was. So once home I got on to Google and used my skills to provide ranges for different anti-tank guns from my house. Now before you jump on my back I know the effective or maximum ranges will depend on who you listened to or read last so although the 17pdr and 88mm could throw lead out to between 8-10 miles on a good day I have went for averages. The Pak 43 is very impressive, Bolton-le-Sands is about 15 mins from me.

Club member Mike was stuck for a game this week so I offered one here as I would not be at the club, he settled on WW2 and Chain of Command although he was offered other periods. He had tried CoC at the club and it had been a bit of a disaster so I said I would put on a trial game. This also gave me the chance to get my new snow roads out and see how they looked in action, I ended up very happy with them. The game was a German defence of a small village on the Eastern Front, for ease I had already chosen the supports for both sides and Mike went with the Jerries, they had a SdKfz 251/9 (Stummel) and a Panzerschreck while the Russians brought a HMG and a Valentine III tank as support to the fight. I took both the vehicles as I had them and I think only the Stummel has ever seen action, I think I was as disappointed with the Valentine as the Russians were.

The battlefield.

  

Stummel.

Russians probe forward.

Valentine.

Dead Stummel.

In a nutshell the Russians lost out as we approached 2200 hrs, I had nailed the Stummel but the Germans had a firebase in the village and I had taken heavy casualties, so many that even having the only armour on the table I could not turn the tide. I think Mike had a better experience this time and said he enjoyed the game.

And now for the serious stuff, Matt came for our fifth game in the Gembloux Gap campaign, he was riding the crest of a wave having won the last three games and I had suffered fairly heavy casualties with no chance of replacing them for now. Despite having lost the equivalent of a squad I got a free infantry gun and I managed to replace the missing guys with a motorcycle group which had two LMG teams and still had points left to get a 60mm mortar. Matt took an extra 50mm mortar, off-table MMG and a mortar barrage, the mortar barrage surprised me, thankfully in this scenario he is not allowed any tanks.

The terrain and scenario rules are such that the Germans did not get far in the Patrol Phase while I managed for once to get JOPs where I wanted them, I would have to hold out long enough to get a full Chain of Command die and end the turn, because my supports would not turn up until Turn 2. Quite quickly Matt had all his squads on and had formed a firing line in a large wood and waited for me to turn up, I waited to pick up that magical dice and then unleash hell. Matt caught me out with a Fifth Columnist who acted in my rear as a German sniper, anyone who then deployed would be menaced by Jean Claude, I had to get rid of him. I took a chance and deployed a two man grenadier team and searched the woods, the danger was that Jean might shoot and kill my leader or/and the waiting enemy line in the wood would open up and I would lose the two men and my morale would fall, but I had to take the chance before I began my deployment. Sure enough in the next phase I ended the turn, my supports began to turn up and my team took Jean Claude towards a waiting lamp post, they did die in the effort but their loss meant nothing to French morale.

It was my turn to deploy everything on the table and I occupied two buildings which became the lynchpins of my defence. Matt brought along his off-table machine gun and I started dropping smoke on it, this turned out to be the world's worst mortar team and it took all six shots to close the MMG down, and soon after the turn ended and all the smoke disappeared! A firefight now developed between the opposing forces and although I shot oodles (easily well over 100+) into the wood it all seemed to have no effect while my own casualties began to mount, my morale however was holding yet it was slowly falling. Matt now unloaded a mortar barrage on part of my position and it managed to break the infantry gun team before I could rescue them, but apart from this it was fairly ineffective and an end of turn stopped the whole thing cutting it short.

French deployment area.

Germans hold the wood.

My free gun.

Solid defence.

I was now beginning to win the firefight but it was taking time and my morale was only just holding out, I dispaired of throwing 5's and 6's. I had lost an infantry squad but the two in the houses held firm, eventually the German line was weakened to a point where it was pointless to continue so they withdrew.

Targets!

Incoming!

This one was staged for propaganda purposes.

As the dust settled both sides had lost heavy casualties, the Germans would now retire their platoon and bring up a new one for the return fight, I have to fight on so although I think I can still get a respectable force on the table I will have to be very careful to keep it in the fight. Luckily the Germans have a very difficult approach to my lines but I will be very lucky to get away with another blocking action, we intend to play this next week before my operation and the festive season closes me down until after New Year at the earliest. I also have a second intro game against Erik. 

I have to confess I flouted the rules of the World Wargaming Die Rolling Convention 1925 as I changed dice soon after starting the game and showed my disrespect further by changing back again halfway through. I respectfully plead for understanding as rolls of 36+ usually ended in 'nil points'.