Bolt action

[Noisysteve]

A 1000pt a side game. Steve , British v Paul, German

" Oi, Napoleon!"
" You can't just barge in here Hodges, we're discussing very important business"
"It's going to get very serious now, the Germans have landed"
"We're doomed!"
"We will have none of that sort of talk. Corporal Jones, bring your van up."
"Yes Sir! They don't like it up them Mr Mainwaring Sir"
"Hodges, go and warn area HQ. Sgt Wilson, ready the platoon"
A timid, childlike voice piped up from the back, "What do we do if we get captured Mr Mainwaring sir?"
"Whatever you do, don't tell them your name Pike"

So this was a German airborne invasion of Southern England.

Paul took 4 full squads, an MMG, medium mortar, small mortar, medic, Two Man HQ
I took 2 squads of Home Guard with MMG, HQ, and medic, with 2 trucks, and 2 squads of regular infantry, HQ, MMG, medium mortar, half track, 4 man veteran squad, medium howitzer, and the free artillery observer.

Paul's squads quickly moved into the southern parts of Walmington on sea, the British into the north.
Paul had a squad, and a flamethrower on his left, 2 squads in the centre, his MMG, mortars and a squad on his right.
I had a home guard squad on my left, with my howitzer , and a MMG, in the centre I had my veteran squad, observer and HQ. my right consisted of my other home guard squad, their HQ, an MMG, and a regular squad in the half track.
First blood went to the Brits as the MMG opened up on the German medium mortar, killing one of the crew. The small mortar immediately replied, hitting the howitzer first time, killing a crew member and pinning the rest down.
The battle got going as squads moved into adjacent buildings, and pins started building up.
Paul's medium mortar wiped out my MMG on the left, and now the battle was descending into 3 separate fire fights.
On my left a home guard squad was trading shots with a German squad. My howitzer was pinned down by machine gun and mortar fire.
The centre was finely balanced until my artillery observer called down hell right on top of his self, wiping out a regular squad too.
On my right the home guard, supported by the half track and a regular squad, were faced off with a German squad and flame thrower. Heavy fire from the half track killed a few of the enemy, and pinned them down, which meant they refused an assault order. Paul moved another squad from the centre to support them.
On the left another German squad refused to assault, leaving the medic on his own.
In the centre the Germans assaulted the only British left, winning, and leaving the centre in German hands.
The Germans on the right finally got the courage to assault the regular squad trying to outflank them, but suffered badly and was either killed or captured.
The rest of the British squad tried to outflank the flamethrower, but were smoked, leaving just one survivor. The half track swept around, killing the flamethrower crew.
The home guard fired on the newly arrived German, managing to pin them, and then rout them. The right was now in the hands of the British.
Paul again assaulted the left, removing the home guard squad.
At this point time ran out, and after 4 turns we called the game.

After counting the captured order dice, we found a German victory, 6pts to 5, and much closer than I thought it would be.

A great game, lots of incidents, and as Paul said at the time, a game of 3 halves!

We are now planning a follow up game, 1200 pts, with armour, as the Germans consolidate their beachhead and the British regroup.

Oh and Captain Mainwaring and his home guard platoon did manage to retire in good order in Jones's butchers van, after taking out a German squad!

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