The Initial setup (Germans positions in RED, British in BLUE) :
German Plan. The Germans have had a long night hastily digging in overnight and are caught somewhat unprepared by the Britsh encounter. They will have no opportunity to react on the first turn of the game. They have deployed the platoon with a squad & MG in front, followed by a line of three squads. In the middle of these 3 squads in the Platoon HQ,Radio, & mortar team - they are located in a small courtyard in the middle of the village. The German defensive plan is to use the first squad to delay or screen any attack coming from the main rd and if overrun, to fall back to the center of the village and link up w. Platoon HQ in the center.
The British plan is to make an agressive attack on the right flank of the village with 2 squads & Platoon HQ, while 1 squad will establish themselves in the center and lay down suppressive fire to alleviate the attention to the advance at the flank. Smoke grenades and smoke from the platoon 2in mortar will be used in preparation of these initial manuevers.
Intial perspective from the British side:
The battle:
Turn 1
Turn 3:
The lucky hit on the German forward mg was a big break for the Brits but unfortunately,
2 other German MG teams are now spot some juicy targets. The sandbagged mg on the German
right flank immediately notices the muzzle flash from the Bren team in the road and lets
loose with the MG32 wounding the rest of the bren team,the gunner and the #3, an NCO. The attached
rifle squad immediately goes to ground near the trees. Platoon HQ calls for more mortar
fire. This time, ashell hits the road behind the ruins. 2 and 3 squads on the british right
valiantly charge forward trying quickly close the open ground upon emerging from the smoke.
As they charge forward, 3 squad overwhelms 2 germans in a foxhole position killing 1. The
German squad in the ruins has failed moral and is taking cover, stunned by the accuracy of the Bren on the road. At
the same time, the 3rd german MG team in the wheatfield finally opens up on the broad line of jocks rushing
forward. 2 lads fall to the ground wounded. 4 squad immediatly goes to ground but 3 squad,
valiantly continues the assault. So far, German platoon HQ has taken little action, as he
tries to pinpoint the true nature and location of the british assault.
Turn 4:
The British Continue to press theyre attack on the right flank . The German advance squad
in the ruins starts falling back to the center of the village, leaving behind the wounded
and their MG. Finally, the German HQ gets the mortar team into the action, dropping one
just behind the advance 4th squad on the british right, who have gond to ground. The valiant
British 3rd squad continues the assault however, and with their initiative, is able to put
the MG in the wheatfield out of action before it can do more damage, the MG gunner is killed.
The return fire from the dug in german squad cuts down a few more of the lads. British platoon
HQ is close on the heals of 3rd squad's example and calls for the mortar team and radio to
move up and prepare to occupy the ruins. The last functioning German MG,with 4th squad on
the german right is unable to find a target as they watch British 1 squad limp away from
the center behind the trees. It is becoming apparent to the germans now that their
left is in serious jeopardy of being overrun.
Turn 5:
The heroics continue as the squads on the british right continue to push further into the german
position near the wheatfield. Platoon HQ has moved up very close to the old ruin where some
german wounded are likely to be taken prisoner. The price was high, however, for 3rd squad-- as
they pushed into the houses near the wheatfield, they sustained heavy casualties from a german NCO
and his MP38, along with rifle fire from dug in positions beyond the wheat. Fortunately, 4th squad was able
to rally in support and concentrate fire on the stubborn german postion, eventually wounding the NCO.
German platoon CO's indecisive handling of the defense in continued. The remnants of advanced squad
are rushing to reconstitute themselves on the main rd. The squad on the left has fought hard to
hold the position but without MG support, have seen the Tommies begin to infiltrate. The squad
on the german right has delayed in maneuvering to a more advantageous defensive postion and only
now has started to push the squad forward to the tree line to establish themselves with a better
view to the action. And finally more bad news for the Germans as a British carrier has been
spotted making its way up the main road in support of the British attack.
Turn 6:
The British have made some headway into the village but at significant cost. The majority
of 3rd squad has been killed or wounded, and now just 3 brave soldiers are involved in very
tense house to house fighting, exchanging grenades with German soldiers at very close quarters!
The Platoon CO and his staff have taken up position in the large ruins, white 4 squad now
presses into the wheatfield in an attempt to eliminate last 2 stubborn German trench positions.
The carrier upon arriving at the trees outside the village, has debussed its cargo, a 3" mortar
and crew. The rifle squad from 1st squad continues to lag behind, as well as the (radio man
and mortar team ) in the patch of trees -- despite the urging of the Lt. to move up immediately.
German platoon HQ is calmly raining 50 mm mortar fire on the advancing brits pushing into the
wheat field, though with little effect. Overall, the Germans are consolidating their postion
for the most part as per the plan, with most of 1 squad (minus MG) now taking up position in and around
the houses on the central road. 4th squad on the german right, so far completely unscathed in
this skirmish, is now moving up aggressively up the tree line on the right, with the MG team
leading the way and continuing to lay down fire on the units reenforcing from the back of
the british position. And finally, the Germans cheer on the appearance of a Panzer I command
tank arriving at the bridge crossing, soon to be a powerful presence to threaten the british
infantrymen.
Turn 7:
Things are getting interesting now.. Right at the end of the turn, the Brits get reinforced
with another vehical - a dingo scout car! Meanwhile - British Platoon CO is frantically
working to solidify his position in the ruined building. The radio and mortar teams have caught
up to him and he has personally taken command of the remains of the first squad and the carrier,
ordering them to take up positions around the building. The carrier driver, having left the 3" mortar team
to set up, has picked up the bren gun off a wounded soldier, as well as 4 of the men from 1 squad in order
to help fortify the new HQ position. Fighting on the right flank and in the houses continues
intensively with the understrength 3 squad still in frantic close quarters fighting. Grenades
again fall among the houses and an incredible hand to hand fight insues between NCO of 3 squad & NCO
of german 3 squad -- the german NCO gets the better of it, but is shot and killed, right at the last
moment by another 4 squad infantryman advancing on at close quarters! The rest of 4 squad has now
penentrated half way into the wheatfield but the going is getting tough as the well dug in
Germans are fighting them every step of the way. More casualties occur on both sides.
The Germans position looks promising with full strenght 4 squad poised for counter attack on the
british left, and 2nd squad regrouping in the middle can be used to retake the houses or
reinforce the left flank which is slowly being overtaken. The light tank is making a fast
move up the middle road which will also provide excellent impetus for counter attack. The key
now lies in the British being able to reorganize the current defensive lines and coordinate
with the heavy mortar team and their vehicles.
Turn 8:
The arrival of british motorized units may have come too late as the British attack this turn
suffers a setback. To begin, the 3" mortar finally get set up but fails to deliver on its intended
target - the german platoon HQ postion, The British Lt. in the HQ position has signalled for both
vehicles to to re-inforce his position immediately and they quickly arrive -- Both vehicles are
unwelcomingly subjected to close range mg fire out of the tree line to thier left, but there are
no injuries save some shaken nerves. The momentum of the attack on the British righ has slowed
and in the houses, the grenade explosions & pot shots have eerily quieted. The German foxhole
positions on the left have also ceased firing in the face of the ever closing Tommies in the wheatfield,
including 1 remaining Bren gunner. The tommies in the field however, have found themselves
unable to advance to take the foxholes by close assault, and instead, have ducked down into
the wheat to keep fire on from a safer distance. Platoon HQ ordered the 2" to also place a round
into the German HQ position,from his vantage point on the 2nd floor of the ruins, but the bomb
missed its mark falling right. The British Lt. also straffed the german center postion on the
Rd below with his Tommy gun with little effect. He then spots the ominous PZ I tank moving
quickly up to this posion on the road. Unfortunately, he barely has time to utter his next
command as a 50 mm mortar makes a direct strike on his postion, critically wounding him and his
batman!
Turn 9:
A terrible turn of events for the British this turn as the repurcussions of losing their CO
combined with a powerful German counter attack has left the entire platoon in disarray. The
British platoon HQ position was understandably paralyzed, those men who were not injured in the mortar
blast immediately took to the nearest cover for safety. To make things worse for the Tommies,
the counter attack on the right began in earnest as the command tank moved up the road and the
german 4th squad asssaulted aggressively out of the trees with SMG, MG, rifles and grenades!
Twp Men trying to disembark from the carrier were wounded while the others just ducked in
and prayed. The dingo made a quick get away cross country sounding fall back and retreat
to all units. The battered squads on the right began falling back, hoping
to drag a few wounded with them out of the fray. Unfortunately for 4th squad in the wheat field,
they took two more casualties extricating themselves from the wheat - sadly the squad leader
was killed and another wounded. Suprisingly, but unfortunately too late for the British,
the 3" mortar team was able to zero in their gun and scored a direct hit on the German platoon
HQ gruesomely killing the CO and severely wounding both of the 50 mm mortar team. The radio man
and platoon runner were spared, but were considerably knocked about . A real shame for the germansa
after a fairly successful engagement.
... and the final retreat manuevers
The British have the element of initiative striking at dawn catching the germans napping.
The brits smoke up the right flank and start an initial cautious advance. HQ section
advance through the small group trees for a better perspective, leaving the mortar and
radio team behind to support the advance. 1 squad on left assumes has the unenviable task of
moving onto the main road to set up machine gun fire on the center of the position -- having
little cover, they go prone on the road while a rifle team creeps to get in range near the
trees...
The German squads now notice the smoke and hurriedly begin readying their weapons. Platoon
HQ yet to receive word that an attack is beginning..
