Three of us go together and played a 1250point Bolt Action game. The battle pitted my Germans against my buddy Bob's Rangers. My German's were tasked with defending a hilly wooded section of the front from an allied attacked. (Note: We played on the same battlefield we used to play an ACW Black Powder game the night before, so it looks like we are fighting in rural West Virgina.) - Hardly a stretch to think of that table as something somewhere in Western Europe. -Judson
German Force
1st Lt.
Artillery Observer
Medic
Light Artillery
Medium Mortar
3 x Heer Infantry Squads
1 x SS Infantry Squads
MMG
Panzerchreck Team
Panzer IV H
American Force
1st Lt.
Captain
Medic
Sniper
Bazooka Team
2 x Medium Mortars
2 x MMGs
3 x Ranger Squads
M 10 Wolverine
M 8 Grey Hound
German Force take up positions on the front.
German 81mm mortar hiding in some brush. We used lichen to mark hidden troops. The lichen was removed once the troops were no longer hidden.
German infantry and support weapons holding the center.
US Rangers advance through a field.
Their M8 moving up in support.
While another squad supported by the M10 advances up the other flank.
German troops silently watch as the Americans approach.
German artillery falls on the advancing Americans.
While German infantry opens up on the other advancing Americans.
The effects of the artillery are devastating.
A Panzer IV arrives from reserve and exchanges fire with the M10.
The Panzer IV comes out on top.
The Germans in the middle exchange fire with American support weapons.
While the Panzerschrek sneaks up on the M8.
After taking out the M8 the Panzerschrek team is gunned down making way for the advancing Americans.
The German's light artillery scores a hit against an American MMG team, knocking out all three crew with four killing hits.
The Panzer IV moves to support the SS on the flank.
It lays down a wall of fire against the Rangers.
Finally the Americans make it over the hill to attack the SS in the woods, but it is too late. The US attack has stalled elsewhere and time has run out.
It was a great game, but a resounding German victory. The Germans scored 12 VPs for knocking out 6 US units while the Germans only score 2 VPs. In hindsight, the US should have flank marched and moved more aggressively against the Germans positions. The Germans were mostly regular, while the US force was mainly veterans.
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“Craig Baxter is the Director of the WWPD Northern Research center in Anchorage, AK. When he’s not contributing to WWPD.net he is busy blogging, painting, modeling and rolling dice. You can find more of his work and articles at frozengamerak.blogspot.com.”
