Gazala Encounter

 

Last night at the Wollongong Wargamers Peter laid on a Flames of War / Clash of Steel mash up to represent the encounter battle during Op GAZALA between 15th Panzer and the 4th Armoured Brigade.

An 8 x 6 foot table was dressed with a few rocks and hills. The rocky outcrops around the centre objective represented a bogging hazard, and the hills gave hull down cover.

The mission best suited to an encounter battle seemed to be The Clash. Reserves were Delayed, the game would last 8 turns, and the Germans were the attacker.

The British had two squadrons:

Making up quite an eclectic mix of vehicles, including a troop of venerable Matildas. However, these were to play a key role...

The DAK 15th Panzer was much more homogenous, with a variety of Pz IIIs, and a platoon of the dread Pz IV Specials. Peter and Stuart as the German players advanced very aggressively, taking the center objective by the second turn:

With my Honey squadron I sought as much cover as I could...

Whilst Darren with Grants and Crusaders was more adventurous, seizing our right hand Objective early doors.

As the Germans took the fight to Darren out on our right...

I plucked up the courage to break cover on our centre-left with the fast moving Honeys:

Whilst the sedate Matildas slowly trundled up on our far left. The left hand objective was revealed to be a dummy by this stage, but given their ponderous nature it was too late to redeploy the 'Tildas!

My Honey's soon closed on the Panzers. After the painful realisation that front shots would just bounce off the Pz IIIs, let alone the Pz IVs, they managed a lucky side shot!

Retribution was swift!

Things were getting desperate - but that initial side shot was the only one that hit the target!

However in the grand scheme of things Darren was also closing in from our right flank, subjecting the Panzers around the objective to a hail of fire. Whilst shooting rolls on both sides were dire, the Germans were getting the better of it and steadily picking off our units troop by troop, ratcheting up their score!

As the final turn came around we were about 15 points down! However, we gained a nutmeg of consolation as the Matildas, eventually strolling up to the stoush, picked off a might Panzer IV Special at long range with a side shot!

Once again Clash of Steel, used to adjudicate a armour only game of Flames, delivered a fast and furious game with lots of lovely toys on the table!

Culmination Kursk!

Continuing with our resolution to find historical scenarios that can be played large but concluded in an evening, I researched the culmination point of the epic Battle of Kursk...

I don't know for a fact that the StuG AT company of the 167th happened to be concentrated at the main point of impact of 2GTC, but if the staff wallahs were doing their job, they should have been!

This is an interesting stage in the Great Patriotic War as the Soviets were just starting to synthesise their combined arms doctrine hard learnt from the Germans...

Also, T34-76s make a good match for early StuGs!

This was Scott's first game of Flames of War, and we chucked him in at the deep end! He advances his T-34 company and riflemen forward on the left flank, whilst I am echeloned on our right flank seeking the cover of a convenient crop field. Arms akimbo, our German opponent Daniel is quietly confident...

We were lucky with our rolls for aircraft, but they had little impact...

The StuGs, on the other hand, were using the German Stormtrooper attribute to play hide and seek in the woods to great effect!

On our right flank, I got frustrated with them...

And moved on, just dropping off a couple of Tridsavertakas to amuse them - an expensive option...

Daniel timed his ambush to perfection, eviscerating my T-34 company. Sturmoviks provided a crumb of comfort though, taking out a couple of guns...

It wasn't enough to evict them off the objective though. Having followed my tactical advice, Scott's company was also destroyed, for a convincing German victory. 

Panther Angriff!

 

Operation JUPITER: 4th Dorsets at Eterville

Eterville viewed from the North: a good road net, lots of fields with waist high crops and copses in-between:

Predictably Daniel as German placed his objective well to the rear of the village area, and Ed placed his British objective to the fore. Ed would have to take both objectives to win.

In working up the scenario I tried to be objective: a good defensive position but with covered lines of approach, the Germans heavily outnumbered but they only need to hold out for six turns. However from the German perspective the masses of infantry and artillery did look daunting:

This was the Dorset's first real action in Normandy: they were eager to come to grips with the enemy:

With no less than five batteries capable of laying smoke Ed lost no time in screening off the German infantry before sending the infantry forward, supported by the Churchills of the 9th Royal Tank Regiment:

His initial air strike targetted the German artillery, but to no effect:

The Wessex Division's artillery was providing very effective support however - the infantry was steadily attrited and half the German anti-tank guns obliterated!

Using Follow Me movement orders, the 4th Dorsets rushed forward to take advantage:

Thus far it was all going to Ed's plan and I feared the game would be over too quickly!

But then Daniel sprung his ambush: his sustained fire MG42 platoon! The dice gods were frowning upon him, however and the hail of bullets had little effect.

Daniel resorted to sortieing his Tigers!

Just in time for them to cop the second airstrike!

Combined with a firefight with the Churchills, the lone surviving Tiger, receiving a second bail, retreated!

With more than half his points gone so soon, Daniel resorted to using his AA in the ground role and the machine guns of his artillery observer's track!

Without an observer, the Wespes also moved up to contest the British held objective in the direct fire role - would they get there in time?

The Dorsets worked their PIATS and 2 inch mortars hard to pin down the Wirbelwind and enveloped the village from north and west:

In the final turn the Dorsets rushed the German objective, but their lead elements were cut down by the observer vehicle!

Holding an objective each, this hard fought game ended as a draw!