Bolt Action Campaign

[Noisysteve]

It was supposed to be an easy night duty for newly commissioned Lieutenant Otto von Splindendorff. but things had gone noisy very quickly. first they heard an almighty droning in the sky, the sparse flak illuminating what looked liked every aircraft ever built. Then what sounded like hell itself erupting, as the distant coast lit up with multiple explosions. Otto now received orders for his platoon to patrol along the road to wards the coast.
They encountered nothing as they approached the bridge at café la Prinz. remembering his training , Otto spread his men out. On his left 2 sections pushed up against the large cafe's walls. The door opened as the artillery observer, sniper, and mortar spotter rushed inside. In the centre , on the road, the MMG set up overlooking the bridge. His third section spread out on his right into a copse, and Otto and his runners followed.

A clanking and rumbling broke the morning silence, and a British Cromwell tank raced into view, followed by a jeep and jogging infantry. An enemy mortar screamed near to the MMG , as Ottos own mortar team set up to his rear.

The tank opened up on the MMg ,killing one crew member, its turret MMG opened up on 3 section in the copse pinning them.
the sniper climbed up onto the café roof and had to duck as an MMG opened up from the wood on the other side of the river.
again the tanks MMG's chattered, taking down 2 men in the copse, they in turn bravely rose up and let fly with 3 Panzerfausts, 2 missing, and the third striking the hull of the tank and deflecting harmlessly upwards.
Massed artillery screamed in , from both sides, making orders hard to understand. 2 section lost 4 men as they got caught in the open, the rest of the german left flank, scrabbling into cover. The German artillery landed on the road, but the British Para's were making good use of the cover, and came through unscathed.
The Cromwell, and jeep opened up on the German MMG and 3 section, pinning the former and killing 1 more of the latter. they in turn returned fire killing 2 Paras. On the German left flank, the Sniper received more incoming MMG fire, his cover diminishing by the minute.
The remainder of 2 section stepped forward and fired its Panzerfausts. Incredibly 2 missed, and the third bounced harmlessly away again!
At the third attempt the sniper rallied and managed to return fire , killing the British MMG gunner outright.
sensing time running out, the British charged across the Bridge, the tank leading, with the CO and a section close behind.
1 section now stepped forward and fired its anti tank weapons at the Cromwell. 1 missed, but this time 2 hit, stunning the crew and setting it on fire. The forward artillery observer and his men fired at the British officer, killing him, and wounding his men. But now it was too little too late, and with 3 section, all but wiped out, Otto ordered a withdrawal, living to fight another day.

A great game, my first one on one.Stu's Tank did its job, although I did have plenty of opportunity to destroy it. The British artillery hit 5 units, scoring at least 3 pins on most, whereas my artillery hit 5 units and only inflicted one pin on each.
3 section took fire every turn and was removed once getting its 10th pin. My Sniper and MMg, also were heavily pinned, but both managed to rally, and clear them. turn 5 was my best with the sniper removing the British MMG, and my observer taking out the British commander. Also managed to destroy the recce Jeep.
I rolled a 3 for 3 section, so they go down to Regular.
Now we regroup.