1940

 My son turned up today eager to start a campaign, we had settled on Many Rivers to Cross, where the Germans are attacking in 1940 and trying to push the British back while building a bridge to enable their armour to surge into France. I was defending a village with an excellent line of defences, the only problem was that I had to throw dice to deploy, hopefully getting the right scores to cover the whole battlefield. 

Well I didn't and ended up with all my patrol markers on my left flank. At my disposal I had four squads of infantry and some AA machine guns, Stewart had taken a Schutzen platoon from 1st Panzer division and his supports included a Pioneer squad and a Stuka bombardment. In came the Luftwaffe and set two of the buildings on fire causing long streams of smoke to hinder the lines of sight, I forgot all about my AA guns in the excitement. As I started to deploy I fell victim to more Luftwaffe nonsense and my mortar team took five shock on turning up as did one of my infantry squads, I tried to bring a Senior Leader on to save the mortar but was then subject to a Shabby Nazi Trick in the shape of a fifth columnist who nullified my leader.

Luftwaffe causing mayhem.

 

I managed to end the turn and the Luftwaffe flew off, Stewart now began to move troops against my right, leading with the huge Pioneer squad and a Schutzen unit, I managed to shoot up the Pioneers but it took time. My Senior Leader was still in thrall to the fifth columnist and I lost the mortar squad when I ended the turn. Stewart decided to call a halt and withdraw before I started to shoot up his platoon. Round 1 to the British.

Under fire.

The Pioneers and Hans and Heinz.

Bad move.

I now had the opportunity to counter-attack but the disparity in the support points put me off along with the terrain I would be fighting across, so I handed the Initiative back to Stewart. This time I left off the extra squad and took a MMG and a sniper team, Bob and Bert, I rolled really low. The Jerries came prepared this time along with a bucket full of support points, a mortar barrage, flamethrower and Pioneer squad, the Luftwaffe were refuelling and rearming.

Once again I had all my patrol markers on my left and Stewart managed to close me down fairly quickly giving me very little ground on which to deploy, I simply could not stop the Jerries taking the right flank. I cocked up again and brought on MMG far too soon, retaliatory fire killed three of the crew right away despite being in heavy cover. Then all hell broke loose as the mortar barrage hit, right on target, Bob and Bert were taken out and my other squads pinned down for four phases, Stewart used this time to move into the village and waited until the smoke cleared.

Jerry flanking my position.

 

The Pioneers again lead the way.

 

Boom, incoming!

The barrage ends my hopes.

  was done for, I had hoped to injure his core platoon as they advanced but having suffered losses which dropped my morale from nine to four I had to think of the battles ahead, I withdrew having barely scratched the Boche. The baddies now decided to opt for 'Blitzkrieg' so they have to attack the next table with the same men and supports they used for this table, no big deal as they lost no one, but they get one move nearer their goal. 

And yes, once again it is Chain of Command, Matt turned up today and we started a second Abbeville campaign, much different from the first and with different forces, the British from the 51st Highland Division against the German 57th Division. The last one was very difficult for the British to win and the third battle was pointless, we both agreed.

So this time I was again the attacker for the first three games, and for this one I took an extra infantry squad, a mortar and brought back Bob and Bert the sniper team and my ace was a Vickers VIC tankette, which it was doubtful the Germans could knock out but could drive it away. Matt also took an extra squad and his usual foul French collaborator, Louis to snipe away at my boys. The terrain was such that the Boche would be sitting in a large wood while I had to get them out of it.

Near Abbeville, again.

I slowly deployed what I could as my JOP's were quite far back, so it took time to get into a position for my assault, this allowed Matt to get a decent firing line in place, he still had one in reserve and of course Louis turned up. I had to spend time and orders on hunting Louis but I got him fairly quickly, I then had an idea to push the tank up the road and capture the furthest away enemy JOP, but I left it too late and instead put the tank to use supporting my upcoming advance. This came as my men moved into the wood along the roads, I had managed to outnumber the three German squads in front of me and this helped in the prolonged firefight which ensued.

Onwards boys.

Clank, clank.

Looking for the Fifth Column.

It was not all plain sailing however as my tank proved fairly useless at hitting the enemy and several Bren teams and NCO's hit the dirt or were wounded, somehow the teams left behind held up as my morale plunged to six. I was also able to take advantage of a good number of double turns to start to punish the Hun, Matt's morale fell to four and with a couple more Bad Things Happen rolls to make he handed over his sword.

Jerry waiting.

 

Here we come.

 

Closing in.

 At last a game I was more than happy with, I felt I had used my command rolls well and that meant a lot, Matt expected me to be caught entering the wood but he had deployed too far back, if he had been further forward I would have been shot up before reaching the cover, but then again I would have sat in my wood and the nearby house and traded shots across the road. In the next game we are back with a British advance across fairly open ground, deja vu?

There won't be a lot of Chain of Command for the next post and maybe the one after, this Saturday and Sunday will be a War and Conquest marathon with Rob Broom, eight different armies will be in action from the Trojan War up to the Fall of the West. I really am looking forward to this.