Normandy Hellcat!

This week's theme at the Wollongong Wargamers was WW2 Skirmish games. So Caesar joined me in a game of Achtung Panzer! We played the first mission, which is essentially a battle of attrition.

For the Germans, I had Von Ribbentrop's elite Panther:

And a JagdPanther. 

Caesar had the Northants Yeomanry elite Akilla Sherman V, a Firefly Sherman Vc...

And, perhaps improbably, a lost US M18 Hellcat:

Caesar advanced cautiously on his left, spending a great deal of time an effort fruitlessly brassing up the constricting Ambush Terrain:

To the extent I abandoned my initial plan of hanging back and taking long shots and advanced my JagdPanther forward into the village...

Noticing too late that Caesar had sent the Hellcat racing down his right flank in the shelter of the large bocage field...

The resulting close range confrontation would be decided by who was fastest on the draw - both commanders were unbuttoned so it would be a question of passing crew skill tests for a free conversion of a spot into an aim.

I was first initially, but the Hellcat declined to hang around and be shot at, reversing nimbly back into the shadow of the bocage. Then, it shot back out...

And got the drop on the Panther!

By this stage the Shermans had finally cleared the ambush terrain and were jockeying for position to have a go at the JagdPanther...

The Firefly hit and penetrated sufficiently to cause hull damage...

Then the Hellcat, insufficiently sated, also joined in the fun...

Creeping forwards to get a hull down shot at the giant assault gun:

Once again working hard for a side shot paid off for the US Tank Destroyer crew!

An enjoyable game, even if my impatience led to disaster!

Armoured Encounter

This week's theme at the Wollongong Wargamers was 'WW2 Skirmish'. So Achtung Panzer! 

We hadn't played for a long while, and Amos hadn't played at all, so we set up a very simple encounter battle. Judging by the AFVs chosen, we'll call it (very) Late War...

Amos and I took the Allies: I had 2 Fireflys and 2 Sherman Vs, Amos had 2 Comets and 2 M18 Hellcats.

Darren for the Germans had 3 Panthers and a JagdPanther. So roughly equal points.

We set out fairly cautiously...

Trying to set up decent fields of fire from cover:

But easier said than done with lots of ambush terrain around. But the Sherman Vs were quite useful in 'Brassing Up' these areas and so 'clearing' them.

Other than that, they tried to keep well out of sight...

Darren also advanced carefully, whilst playing his Event Cards and Asset Cards masterfully to continually conjure up off table '88s!

Eventually they found their mark!

Thus emboldened, the Germans went over to the offensive!

I waited for a clear shot...

and waited...

Still waiting...

Darren blinked first and broke from cover!

Amos got a hit in...

But it bounced! Still, good fun and great to clear out the cobwebs. We resolved to play this enjoyable game more often...

IPMS 2025 Part 1 - Achtung Panzer!

 

At the Wollongong Wargamers we piggy back off the local plastic modeler's annual bash to showcase our hobby to (presumably) like minded folk...

In relating to modelers, we tend to lay on games at the larger end of the scale. (Although we did get chatting to a lovely bloke who models in 1/100th scale and uses Battlefront kits, so hey ho!) Anyway, this year one of our games was Achtung Panzer! and Darren, our game organiser and director, reprised the Big Game Hunt mission:

He envisaged a participation game, so stripped out all the card play and clock aspects, and gave each AFV a varied set of crew skills to highlight the variety of decisions that can be made. We did however represent the card aspects in the margins of the display.

The scenario was generic as possible but with a good mix of terrain.

Darren is the club's terrain making champ and did us proud as usual. He also has the gift of the gab, so the plan was that he would engage with the public whilst Stuart and I played the game or coached any participants.

In the event we got so much interest we all got chatting. At least that's my excuse for what ensued...

I was playing the Allies with a Firefly and two Sherman Vs, Stuart played the baddies with the eponymous Tiger and a Pz IV for company.

In the event I spend so much time dodging the Tiger I walked right into the Panzer IV's sights!

Darren took pity on me and after I lost all three Shermans and issued me with a Comet and an Achilles 17 Pdr. This time the Tiger itself deigned to be the one to deal with them!

No doubt horrified by the carnage, none of the public stepped forward to play so we set up for a second game by swapping roles....Aha, I thought, how hard can it be with a Tiger?

Nup! Lost that game in record time too! (Two major hits to my turret in rapid succession...)

I conceded before I lost the Pz IV as well - now that would have been really embarrassing! 

On the positive side its always a privilege to share the hobby with the public and we got in a couple of really engrossing and exciting games of Achtung Panzer to boot!

Plus I also got a nutmeg of consolation in the modelling show itself!

Achtung Panzer! Op TRACTABLE

 

80 years ago, in Normandy, the Falaise Gap was closing. Germans fought desperately to break out. The Wollongong Wargamers adapted the Bolt Action Op TRACTABLE scenario to Achtung Panzer to recall a tiny part of the action.

The stage is set. The Canadian team, Darren and Daniel, have deployed in deep cover, knowing the panzers have to come to them...

The German player, Stuart, has allocated maximum crew stars to his drivers, as it is their skill that will enable him to reach his goal of getting at least half his panzers off the Canadian table edge...

Early on he discovers the bridge will only take one Panther at a time...

Whilst this is our third game of Achtung Panzer, its the first time we used card play and asset cards. German infantry, also attempting to sneak out of the pocket, wield their panzerfausts from ambush terrain to take a rear shot at a Firefly and destroy it!

The Sherman Vs will have to shoulder more of the burden - but in this scenario mobility kills against a Panther's running gear will do the job of preventing their escape...

However the lead Panther gets the kill in first!

Its beginning to look like traffic jams are Stuart's biggest challenge!

RAF Typhoons, who historically wreaked havoc at this time, are conspicuous by their absence in our little game! 

The Sherman Vs valiantly jockey for side shots with volley after volley of desperate Snap Shots...these need both dice to roll a 5 or 6.

And indeed all their rolls showed a 5 or a 6 - but only one each time alas! Stuart's panzers have a free run off the table and freedom! 

We found that using the cards not only made for a much more exciting (frustrating?) game, but also gave scope to tailor the scenario historically. This bodes well for future scenarios reflecting other key armoured engagements of WW2 that took place in close terrain, particularly as the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge looms...