Copyright © 2024, Philip Robinson. All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, in whole or in part without prior permission of the creator

Wednesday 8 May 2024

Delaying Action

After a couple of postponements the Sitzkreig is over, the Germans are advancing to cut the British and French armies in two. In this scenario a British platoon supported by a troop of A9 cruiser tanks and a solitary Matilda II are tasked with holding up the German advance, a timed 4.5 howitzer barrage is also available to them. They must hold up the German advance for nine turns to achieve a successful outcome.
Things started badly for the British with most of the infantry not in position and orders seemingly not clear or getting through. Luckily the German advance had slowed down giving them extra time to get in position although once there the order situation was found wanting (new dice!).
Tommies eventually manned the hastily dug trenches dug earlier by engineers.
The Germans advance but it can hardly be called Blitzkrieg!
A timed Stuka airstrike fails to have much of an impact.
The British 2" mortar put down harassing fire in support of the troops in the forward trenches.
German infantry move up but are pinned down by concentrated British firepower.
The British Matilda moves up to counter an advance on the flank by a German 38T tank platoon but breaks down limiting its view!
The British timed barrage has little effect only pinning down an empty Opel Blitz.
The troop of A9 cruisers are sent to engage the advancing German 38T but get short shrift all being knocked out in short order.
However they have done their job diverting them from engaging the British infantry who have done sterling work in holding off the German infantry.
In turn eight the German Battle Rating is exceeded and the German advance is blunted.
Job done!
A tight and enjoyable game for us both. A lot of froth is bandied about on which rules are better than others etc. But in the end they are all means to an end it is the spirit in which the game is played that counts.

TTFN & KBO 

22 comments:

  1. A grand, tense game rather influenced by those binkin' dice gods! I think overall the Germans lost it rather than the British winning it. Of course drawing special chits helped as well. A grand first outing for the 1940 collection.

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    1. You do your self a disservice there your plan of defence was pretty sound. I agree I didn't coordinate my attack well and forgetting I had off table mortars was a big blunder🙄

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  2. Great looking game and a close encounter

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    1. Thank you Neil, a difficult task for the Germans it needed a better tactician at the helm to succeed.

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  3. Lovely showing, I do like the tanks of that period, loads of character. Your Fat Frank roads have come up nicely.

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  4. Thank Norm. You have got to love all those bolts, the roads meld a lot better now though one of the pieces has lost a bit of texture on the short edge end somewhere during the process, moisture ingress of the paint I would imagine.

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  5. Another handsome battle situ, Phil. The sight of a troop of A9’s brewed up must have been a tough pull to swallow for their commander.

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    1. Thank you Jonathan. The bitter pill was sweetened knowing that they had blunted the German advance I am sure.

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  6. Excellent looking game Phil!

    Christopher

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  7. That is a cracking looking game, great figures and a lovely table, top stuff!

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  8. Good looking game Phil and some nice action, perhaps we should swap dice.

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    1. Thank you George. We think it may have been the chair I sat in it while having lunch, guess what happened to my dice rolls after lunch🙄

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  9. Stopped the Boche. Job is a good'n!

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  10. Indeed! Despite it was me being stopped😂

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  11. A splended looking display there Phil, and a fine collection of toys on show! I personally like the BG rules, but they do provide their fair shar of frustrations as well.... failed com's checks etc, great emphasis on pinning the enemy, costing chits and so on... things rarly go to plan!

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    1. Thank you Paul. They can be very frustrating indeed, I imagine real life commanders feel just as frustrated when things don't go to plan.

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  12. A fine looking game Phil…
    I certainly thought it was all up for the British when I saw all those burning A9’s…
    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thank you Aly. Luckily for the British the Germans couldn't repeat their success against the infantry.

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