German Heavy Tank Company vs. Irish Guards Tank Company

Dan and I got together at FTW Games to play a game among the 40K crowd. I went back to my beloved Irish Guards and Dan showed up with the Heavy Tank Company. This would be very tough for the Irish. Luckily, we got Fighting Withdrawal and Dan was the attacker - this made my fleeing in terror look like strategy!

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company CiC - 1 Tiger I E 2iC - 1 Tiger I E 1st Tiger Platoon - 2 Tiger I E 2nd Tiger Platoon - 2 Tiger I E 4 Panzer IV H 2 Whirblewinds

Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company CiC - Sherman 2iC - Sherman 1st Tank Platoon - 3 Shermans + 1 Firefly Vc 2nd Tank Platoon - 3 Shermans + 1 Firefly Vc Anti-Tank Platoon - 4 M10 Achilles Recce Patrol - 3 Stuarts Recce Patrol - 2 Daimler Is + 2 Dingos (ate my babies!) Column Patrol - 3 Universal Carriers

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

A tank platoon guards the two closest objectives. The 2iC and CiC guard the far one.

Shermand on overwatch.

Recce keeps watch in the town.

UNITS IN RESERVE
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: Dan loaded up heavy on the town side. He was really worried about the M10 Achilles I had in Ambush. 5 Tigers rolling toward the town looked pretty intimidating. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: I put a platoon of Shermans + Firefly on overwatch near each objective. I started GTG, so the krauts had to be within 16" to even shoot me. I put my 3 Recce untis on the road for maximum flexibility.

TURN 1

Tigers move up under cover, carefully looking for the M10s

Panzer IVs move up as the Recce retreats.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company

TURN 1 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: Dan races ahead toward the town, mindful of Ambush opportunities. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Recce retreats in the face of Tigers.

TURN 2

German Tanks swarm the town. Where are those Tommy TDs?!?!

Panzer IVs engage the Universal Carriers...

...who run away behind buildings. The Recce keeps tabs on the German Tanks.

Looks like the guards dug the tanks in too deep -- 3 of 4 bog.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company

TURN 2 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: German tanks move in and take the town. The objectives are just to the west of town still in Tommy hands. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Recce pulls further back in the face of the panzers and look for an opportunity to run around and grab the Whilblewinds. The farthest Shermans try to move up, but get stuck in the muck.

TURN 3

Panzer IVs catch the Universal Carriers before they can escape -- predictable results!

Tigers take max-range shots at the Shermans floundering in the woods, destroying 1.

Another Tiger Platoon catches a Daimler I in it's view and destroys it.

Germans consolidate in the town. The brave Stuarts go for side-shots on the Panzer IVs...with no result.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company Column Platoon - DESTROYED 1st Tank Platoon - 1 Sherman

TURN 3 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: The Germans destroy one of three Recce platoons around the town. They also take some shots at the Shermans who tried to move forward, killing one. A Daimler I is unfortunate enough to get smashed as well. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Guards continue to harass and retreat. A brave Recce patrol sends in the swift Stuarts for side shots on the Panzer IVs.

TURN 4

1 Stuart is killed by the Panzer IVs, while the other escapes. This forced delay will be costly to the German cause.

Tigers advance!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company Column Platoon - DESTROYED 1st Tank Platoon - 1 Sherman Recce Platoon - 1 Daimler I

TURN 4 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: The Tigers slowly move toward the objective, while the Panzer IVs deal with annoying Stuarts. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Guards reposition their forces to support the objects and delay the Germans with annoying attacks.

TURN 5

Germans advance toward the nearest objective and force even more Guards to retreat.

Tiger fire into the Sherman Platoon only results in 1 Bailed Out.

The Guards continue to bend, but not break and pull out of view of the Tigers. Did I mention that the Tigers all rolled ROF 3 for Tiger Ace skills?!?!?

The lone CiC prevents the objective from being captured after the Stuarts are pulled from the board.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company Column Platoon - DESTROYED 1st Tank Platoon - 1 Sherman Recce Platoon - 1 Daimler I

TURN 5 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: The Germans advance, but are unable to secure more kills. A lone Sherman prevents the capture of an objective! Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Guards continue to retreat and hold up the Germans by NOT revealing the M10 Ambush. The Germans are over-cautious and just miss taking the objective.

TURN 6

Guess which objective the Brits will pull on their turn? Tigers and Panzers advance!

"They just keep retreating, Sir!"

The ammo dump blows sky-high as soon as the Germans arrive!

"Tommy M10s in the field!"

The M10s prepare to fire!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company 1 Panzer IV H	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company Column Platoon - DESTROYED 1st Tank Platoon - 1 Sherman Recce Platoon - 1 Daimler I CiC Sherman DESTROYED

TURN 6 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: The Germans advance just as an objective is removed. The Guards CiC gives his life to blow the ammo dump objective. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Ambush is finally revealed and a single Tiger is destroyed. The two Sherman platoons consolidate to defend what will be the last objective.

TURN 7

The M10s are shot up pretty bad by return fire, losing 2.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company 1 Panzer IV H 1st Tiger Platoon - 1 Tiger I E	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company Column Platoon - DESTROYED 1st Tank Platoon - 1 Sherman Recce Platoon - 1 Daimler I CiC Sherman DESTROYED

TURN 7 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: The Germans choose to shoot rather than advance agressively -- this may make them just a bit too late to take the objectives. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The Guards' "bend, don't break" strategy is paying off. The Germans stop to shoot the M10s as another objective is blown in the wake of the British retreat.

TURN 8

Tigers move up and shoot a Sherman to bits.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Dan's German Heavy Tank Company 1 Panzer IV H 1st Tiger Platoon - 1 Tiger I E	Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company Column Platoon - DESTROYED 1st Tank Platoon - 1 Sherman Recce Platoon - 1 Daimler I CiC Sherman DESTROYED 2 M10 Achilles

TURN 8 SUMMARY

Dan's German Heavy Tank Company: The Germans advance firing, but have no chance to win the game on objective capture. Jon's Irish Guards Tank Company: The British continue to withdraw and keep the platoons safe.

In the end, Dan was not able to advance quickly enough to take any objectives on time. The Brits just kept retreating and staying in cover. I think that the M10s really were the differnece here, as they had to be accounted for at all times -- their potential lethality was enough to delay the Germans and get the win. 5-2 British victory!

We counted this as a battle in Somerset for the Operation: Sea Lion Campaign

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