A bad day for paratroopers (Battle I)

(Miguel and me played a breakthrough scenario with Miguel´s 101st airborne as defenders)

(The deployment; a view. Miguel held a light tank platoon in reserves and ambushed with a rifle platoon)

(The german advances towards their objective. The StuG G have crossed the river by the bridge.)

(I passed a lot of armour checks with the side armour of my StuG, while the Stuarts of Miguel were lost one by one. The airborne infantry assaulted one StuG, but after, they were hit 12 times and failed... eight save throws and their platoon morale check! German victory 6-1)

Ranger´s Battle Royal

(The two new Rangers of Dominaria, Siro and me, met in a Free-for-All scenario in the flooded areas behind Omaha Beach)

(The army list of the German army was:
                                                     HQ (with one Panzerschreck Team and one Sniper Team. The 2-i-C made a Kampfgruppe with 2 teams of each grenadier squad)
                                                     2 Grenadier Platoons (3 Grenadier Squads)
                                                      1 Grenadier Pioneer Platoon (2 Pioneer Squads + Supply Wagon)
                                                       1 Grenadier Anti-Tank Gun Platoon (2 7.5cm PaK40)
                                                       1 Grenadier Heavy Artillery Battery (4 15cm sFH18 Guns)
                                                       1 Grenadier Assault Gun Platoon (2 StuG G)
                                                        1 SS Panzer Platoon (3 StuG G)
                                                     1 Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoon (2 Panzergrenadier Squads)
                                                                                                                                                1500 pts.)

(The army list of the U.S. 4th Division was:
                                                                  HQ Company (with 2 bazookas)
                                                                  Rifle Platoon (A) 2 Squads
                                                                  Rifle Platoon (B) 3 Squads
                                                                  HMG Platoon (Attached to Rifle (A)) 1 Section
                                                                  Mortar Platoon - 3 Sections
                                                                  A.T.G. Platoon - 3 Sections
                                                                  Engineer Weapons Squad
                                                                  F.A.B.- 1 Section
                                                                  Assault Gun Platoon - 3 Shermans 105mm
                                                                  Tank Destroyer (Towed) - 1 section
                                                                  A.A. - 1 section
                                                                  Independent Tank Platoon - 3M4A1 Shermans
                                                                                                                                                   1500 pts.)

(The artilleries were situated one in front of the other)
-"Give me four 15cm guns again and I´ll return to war"- Ex-nazi Hauptmann Georg Witze to his grandsons when he was eighty years old.

(Bad Luck for the SS Stug G, one of it explodes after a hit of an antitank gun. The platoons of the left german flank are pinned down by mortar fire)

-"First we softened the germans with some distant fire. Then it was time for hand to hand"- Sergeant Mckincey of the 4th Infantry Division in a post-war interview.

(The U.S. general hides his recce jeeps and 105mm Shermans)

(And then deploys the Antitank guns and flanks by the flooded side, killing the artillery observer)
-"If you have a protected flank, you have a protected flank. Ask Von Clausewitz"- Oberst Kristoff von Struffen of 275 Infanteriedivision


(The AA platoon advanced coverd by the pioneers)

-"That U.S. AA platoon... that U.S. AA platoon... I knew it would cause us problems. For ya boy with ball!"- Ex-nazi Hauptmann Georg Witze to his grandsons when he was eighty years old.

(The Panzer Lehr Platoon lost its half-tracks under mortar fire)



(The U.S. artillery fires a smoke screen to the german observer, but, with the staff, the germans repeat its shoot several times. Finally the german bombshells destroyed the U.S. self-propelled guns in turn six)

-"Where was I... Yes! Give me four 15cm guns again and I´ll return to war! Aho!Aho!Aho!"- Ex-nazi Hauptmann Georg Witze to his grandsons when he was eighty years old.

(The AA platoon kills the whole grenadier platoon in the farm)

-"I know we have the best armament. But sometimes I realize the yankees have all their armament everywhere"- Oberst Kristoff von Struffen of the 275 Infanteriedivision

(With two shermans bogged down, the command tank did flee the remnants of the Panzergrenadier Lehr Platoon)

(And the brave infantry of the 4th assaulted successfully the SS Panzers)
-"My riflemen were the best! These SS were a cowardly pigs"- Sergeant Mckincey of the 4th Infantry Division in a post-war interview.

(But the Grenadiers finished the job the Panzergrenadiers were unable)
-"Ah!, the old and faithful infantry"- Oberst Kristoff Von Struffen of 275 Infanteriedivision

(The hit of the sniper pinned down the rifle platoon, under fire from the Grenadier Rifle/MG. The U.S. infantry had to give ground)

-"What do I prefer, MG or sniper fire? With their MGs the germans put a bullet in my chest that near killed me. But this damned sniper hit me in the ass!"- Sergeant Mckincey of the 4th Infantry Division in a post-war interview

(Direct Fire from the Grenadier Assault Guns and the 15cm survivor Gun sent hell two Shermans. The command Sherman held against overhelming numbers)

-"I knew that we were only a distraction. But, hell, I didn´t know was what a distraction was so dangerous"- Lt. Hal

(Last team standing. Another failed Motivation check failed: sole survivor)

(The A.A. Platoon eliminites the last resistance and takes the objective)

-"If the Panzer Lehr and the SS run away, I don´t know why the Grenadiers must stay"- Oberst Kristoff Von Struffen of 275 Infanteriedivision

A crossroad just outside

(We played a Dust up mission in a Normandy crossroad. The attacker airborne infantry choose to deploy on the hills that dominated the countryside)

(101st had a 2 squads platoon, but they had attached 4 LMGs and 2 bazooka teams of the HQ, making a big platoon to defend the objectives)

"Capt. Hollenbeck of the Baker Company didn´t expect too much german opposition near Carentan. Some hills were perfect to control the countryside. The orders were to control the crossroad, so he sent some of his men in a roundabout to his right flank"







(Germans deploys 2 Fusilier platoons in the table, and the artillery in gun pits)

(The german artillery didn´t well through the battle, it only made one smoke screen to the U.S. mortars)

(The U.S. light anti-tank guns look for enemies in the dangerous wood)

("Apocalyse" Héctor was the German General of the 352 Infanteriedivision)

"Some of his men were exhausted, so they didn´t obey the orders to dug in"
(All the platoons in the hills dug in, except the rifle infantry, who failed 4 skills tests. In the 5th turn they finally dug in)








"He saw some germans running far away, and ordered mortars to fire"

(One of the fusilier platoons march to meet the reserves under U.S. mortar fire)

(Recce Jeeps arrive as reserves and try to kill the guns, but fail. Then they received fire from the infantry MGs and direct shoots from the artillery, who killed the last two!)

(The airborne sniper was a nasty headache to the infantry platoon)

(Siro awaits for reserves)

(The German infantry stands in front of the enemy. Only three teams of the both sides were less than 40cm. apart)

(The Super Sixth arrives!)

(The arrival of the U.S. reserves in the German flank. The artillery suffered 75mm fire from the shermans)

(The reserve infantry assaults the farm...)

(But is pinned down and shooted in the next turn. Only the command team survived)

(The german reserves finally reach the table)

(The fire of the StuG G didn´t hit the shermans, which with their assault captured the objective. In the bottom photo we see the Lt. Flannagan, who passed his sole survivor check. U.S. victory 5-2)

(Fraternitazion like this will be heavily punished by the high command)

"When Lt. Flannagan finally met Cpt. Hollenbeck, Hollenbeck said: Easy victory. One sergeant of the Baker had to hold the Lt. No one could hold the curses of his mouth)

Hit and Destroy!

 (We played two pincer mission joined in two tables with four objectives. The allied forces would win by holding two of these objectives"

"Air observer reporting to base, first units of 4th Infantry Division just have crossed the Atlantic Wall. No strong infantry defences awaiting, but a lot of bunkers, nests, minefields and barbed-wire entanglements. I see a german artillery battery in the outside of the town. The town itself is occupied by a german infantry platoon and 3 5cm Pak38 Guns"

 


"I see our men from Screaming Eagles coming out the woods at the other side of the town. They go forward leveraging all coverages"








"Good shoot! Blast has shaken my plane! Only two artillery guns left"

(Miguel was supposed to have to take the german artillery with the airborne. But the naval guns did the job!.
Really, the naval guns unbalaced the game, as Carlos and me didn´t have AA to send the air observer to hell.

"I see now the recce jeeps going forward to the german defences. They must stop in front of the barbed-wire and wait for the shermans. They look for a hole in the german lines of fire. Infantry is advancing at truscott-trot. The bullets of the german bunker´s HMGs whistle around them. One hidden HMG nest have catched the jeeps under its fire. Three jeeps explode, but the fourth, bravely, waits until the shermans destroy the barbed wire entanglement and crosses the minefield. Go, 4th, go!


 (One of the most funny moments of the battle for mine was when Siro failed three saves from his recce jeps. But it changes to his side when the surviving jeep passed the platoon morale check, and in the next turns crossed the minefield and went towards one of the objectives of the other table)

"The men of the 101st come under fire of the german guns, but they are covered wisely from their own mortars firing a smoke screen. They advance and fire. They need more help. Yes!. Good mapping coordinates! The fire of our battleship has hit in the middle of the germans. I must wait the smoke disipates. Not too much damage, but the germans are all frightened, looking for any hole for hide."

"The tanks have breakthrough from a hole in the german defences... but they stop in front of a minefield. The crew don´t want to cross! Only 

(The smoke screen from the mortars covers the advance of the infantry towards the objectives)

one brave Sherman cross unharmed towards our 
 objective. The 4th advances, but the fire of his men isn´t enough strong in front of the german infantry strongpoints. The german HMG and 5cm guns bunkers and nests make a butchery in our men. Jesush, I can´t look..."

 

 (The assault company lost two platoon under german HMG and 5cm guns fire in his approach)


 "The brave 101st continues advancing, but now, some unexpected german defences arrive and assault the airborne infantry. The bold U.S. men recovers and counterattack, and the germans give ground. With the boost of the fight, and aided by the artillery of the naval guns in a crucial strike, the airborne assault the german guns towards their objective, but they receive heavy fire from two 
 german platoons and must retire."

(All the germans platoons are pinned down, but the assault of the 101st is driven back)





   
"The survivor recce jeep of the 4th drives fastly to contact the 101st. The 4th infantry is ready to assault the german wiederstandnest. Yes, I´ve heard this german name in the radio. Oh, Oh! I must hold back to refuel..." So, we don´t know the history´s final...

(With the 4th infantry breaching through one flank and ready to assault, but with the awaiting of german resereves, we have to stop game because of hour. Dominaria have to close sometime!)