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After the NOVA Open, Tom and I were feeling good about Early War again, and wanted to quickly follow up! We did, however, forget that we vowed to play infantry battles at lower points and settled on 1750. The board was set and the mission was Hasty Attack. The Frenchies naturally won to defend. |
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| Tom's Schutzenkompanie |
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| Steven's Frenchies |
Because I got busy for a few days after playing this game, the specific details are a bit hazy now so I am just going to upload the pics and describe the action. Sorry if it's a bit harder to follow! Make sure to sound off on the forum and tell me how you like our battle reports!
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| Deployment |
The French defend the South. With 10 platoons, I get to choose 5 platoons on the board. I go with 2 infantry platoons- one platoon swaps 2 teams with the HMG platoon, and gets both HQ 25mm AT Guns. Each infantry platoon gets a resupply carrier. The big infantry was in immediate ambush, but I figured they'd be on the right. I also start with my 75s, 105s, and Panhards. Tom starts with 2 infantry platoons, mortars, and AT Guns. Tom makes a small kamfgruppe of some sorts to stay at 8 platoons.
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| Grenadiers prepare to advance. |
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| Mortars ready to provide covering fire. |
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| The French right flank |
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| Panhards ready to scout ahead |
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| Pushing forward on their recce move |
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| Germans advance quickly |
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| Pak 36s continually score high marks throughout the game! |
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| French 105s receive fire orders |
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| And light into Tom's freshly arrived reserves, knocking out 1 tank hunter! |
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| Tank Hunters take cover on the bridge |
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| German infantry continues to advance |
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| 4 HMGs and AT guns begin ripping into the French defensive position. |
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| Tank Hunters get in on the action, gunning for French artillery |
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| Meanwhile Tom's infantry solidly holds the town. |
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| German town. |
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| 105s again fire off a barrage |
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| Nailing another tank hunter and bailing one! |
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| The French open up this time, not willing to stand there and take these insults! |
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| 1 German HMG and 1 infantry stand are silenced. |
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| the Tank hunters keep coming! |
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| Panhards prepare to pounce on the tank hunters |
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| Tank Hunters stormtrooper into the wood |
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| The French infantry on the left, realizing nothing is coming their way, move right. |
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| Panhards come out swingin' |
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| While the combined battery rains down on the Germans |
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| The Tank destroyers are eliminated |
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| Victorious Panhards |
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| Tom's mortars rain down every single turn, keeping the French hunkered down |
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| Panzer IIs arrive from reserve, but move to counter the Panhards |
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| The French HMG platoon arrives on the opposite side of the board. |
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| The 2nd infantry platoon redeploying, racing to the right objective |
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| Fire keeps raining down on the the Germans |
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| The Panzer IIs realize the Panhards are baiting them and shift their focus. |
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| Lafflies arrive. On the wrong flank. |
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| Yay mortars! On the wrong flank. |
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| HMGs advance |
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| AT Guns arrive... on the RIGHT flank! |
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| And without a moment to spare! |
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| Finally, the assault comes. |
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| Forcing the French back. |
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| The French pour everything they have into the Panzers, but only bail 3! |
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| The Panzer IIs start chewing up the AT Guns |
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| And charge in again! |
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| 2 bog down on the way in! |
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| And are victorious! |
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| The Following turn the french pour fire into the Panzer IIs and knock 2 out. |
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| But the 3 active Panzer IIs go for it! |
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| Here they come! |
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| The assault is launched! |
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| The French fight bravely despite having no integral AT! |
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| The Germans even push the French back! |
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| At this point the French have lost 3 platoons! The big infantry platoon, their 75s, and the AT Guns. If the fresh infantry platoon doesn't unpin, Tom will have it! |
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| But at the urging of the company command, the men unpin and move forward *Note: Yes the guy on the left is a bit too close- he was nudged in for the photo at the end of the game |
Well, what can we say? 5 Panzer IIs nearly rolled my entire right flank. What could Tom have done with 17? EW is still tank country, but this was still a great game! We really need to try it out at lower points using EW infantry forces. 1750 took a really long time. We got through maybe 7 turns, but played for well over 3 hours.
In the end a narrow 4-3 to the French.
