Our group is preparing for a tournament at the end of summer and are also wetting our Format Season Two toes. We got together for Fallschirjager vs Screeming Eagles airborne battle royal. I recently finished a small Fallschirjager force and wanted to run them. I also wanted to run them with a captured Sherman. I paid for a Panzer IV and used a Sherman 76 during the game. Eventually I am going to get a Sherman and painted it with a cross for my Germans.
Airborne pack howitzer prepares to shell the town.
While the .30 cal deploys and takes up position as well.
The shuffle of jump boots is the only sound heard when the assault begins.
The towns garrison of Luftwaffe field troops are the first to respond.
But by the time the alarm sounds its too late, their are Americans everywhere.
Out of desperation of the Germans send a capture Sherman forward hoping to trick the Americans.
As dawn breaks Fallschirmjager also move in to repulse the attackers.
The Sherman presses the counter attack against the Americans.
American artillery shell crashes down on the German quad 2cm and takes it out, opening up the middle.
Steady American machine gun fire keeps the field troop's heads down.
While overhwleming US rifle fire pins the Germans in this building.
German artillery explodes all around the Americans causing them to hit the dirt.
Fearing the worse and inexperience field troops gather up their courage and assault the approaching Americans, but are destroyed.
The sun comes out and the Germans throw more reinforcements piecemeal at the Americans.
Smoke covers the advancing Americans.
As the Yanks poke their heads out from round this building they draw attention from the German light mortar.
A direct hit from a US bazooka lights the Sherman on fire, but the German crew manage to put out the flames.
Another assault by field troops, another failure.
German engineers disembark from the half track, but fail to eliminate the US paras with their flame thrower.
The US command directs his men like a surgeon wielding a scalpel from the vineyard.
The nose closes around the Germans.
Their are Americans everywhere.
Assaulting Americans take out the 251.
A small token victory occurs when these Fallschirmjager assault some Paras and win.
Its too little too late, the German start pulling back.
Some escape, but for some there is nowhere to run.
After five turns of the Germans taking it on the chin the Germans called it. The Germans had terrible dice rolls and a unorganized response to the American attack. Even though they had the town the Germans just couldn't hold on. We laughed the it was probably because of the field troops. We played format season two and it definitely came into play as the flame thrower failed to his the US paras when they bailed from the half track. Even though it was lopsided in favor the the Americans it was still a great night of bolt action.
