7th Armoured Division vs German Grenadiers in Fighting Withdrawal

Sean wanted to try out his 7th Armored Division list again, so I whipped up a grenadier list and we went to town. We rolled up a Fighting Withdrawal.


7th ARMOURED DIVISION
HQ Cromwells + Sherman ARV
4x Full Combat Platoons
Rifle Platoon (Tyne and Tees)
Carriers

GERMAN GRENADIERS
HQ + fausts + Schreck team + Mortars
3 Full Gren Platoons w/ Fausts
HMGs
Pak 40s (3)
3x Stug IV
4x Marder III M
4x Panzerwerfers w/ extra crew


Since Sean is a tank company, my grenadiers were automatically the defenders.


The German side of the board. Pak 40s are in ambush. The defender's objective is on the left just between the 2 woods. The two attacker's objectives are on the road to the right of the T, and between the two woods in the center. Marders and Stugs are deployed in the center. HMGs and grenadiers to the left, and Grenadiers to the center and right.


The German right. Panzerwerfers and HQ Mortars on the right.


Cromwells prepare to roll out.


The center section of the British armour prepares to race forward!


Alright boys, advance!


The British armour races forward!


On the German right, cromwells are already in their deployment zone on turn 1!


Cromwells must brave the fire of the Marders across the open ground.


An HMG team is knocked out by a cromwell's machine gun.


One Marder falls to the british.


Nebelwerfers range in on the British, but do no damage.


The Marder return fire, knocking out 2 cromwells and bailing the firefly. Despite being reluctant, Sean has no problem making motivation checks for nearly broken platoons this game!


The objective is in sight!


The British are swarming the Germans!


Stugs come under fire.


The Marders are annihilated.


The left objective is threatened.


The Stugs are destroyed! Two platoons down for the Germans.


Nebelwerfers fire a smoke barrage, grenadiers assault and knock out one cromwell, but are then pushed back!


Charge! The British come in full force.


British rifles prepare to assault the German HQ mortars.


The Mortars are knocked out by the Tommies.


The cromwells succesfully assault the German grenadiers, sending them fleeing from the objective!


The HMGs are withdrawn. Sean now clearly holds the objective.


Then comes the Pak 40 ambush! One cromwell platoon is gutted, leaving only the Firefly. Who passes his motivation check to stick around!


Nebelwerfers again fire on the massed British armour, but do no damage.


In Sean's previous shooting step, he knocked out one Grenadier stand. Steven foolishly forgot about this in the excitement on the left flank, and did not move back to the objective. Top of turn 5, Sean held an objective winning the game.

Steven's Closing thoughts: wow! Those guys are fast. 6-1- even being reluctant Sean couldn't fail a motivation check! I, on the other hand, failed every check I made it seems like!

Congratulations to Sean, he solidly outplayed me here, and deserves the 6-1.

British 7th Armoured vs. German Panzers

British

HQ- 2 Cromwells
1 Sherman ARV ( Cromwell Model)

Combat Platoons-
4x- 3 Cromwells, 1 Firefly VC

Support Options-
1 Tyne and Tees Infantry Platoon
1 Universal Carrier Patrol (Recce)

German

HQ- 2 Panzer IVs

Combat Platoons-
3x- 4 Panzer IV platoons( 1 Captured Sherman)

Support Platoons-
1- Puma Patrol(Recce)
1- 2 Flakpanzer 38ts
1- Scout patrol with Kubelwagons (Recce)

We decided to test our skills in a flat out Battle Royale. Free for All, ladies and gents! I won the die roll, so my Cromwells were on the attack.



Ville De Rese, calm before the storm.

Cromwell Platoon rolls onto the western road, next to the Tyne and Tees
The Desert Rats are pushing the western edges of town. They must hold General Kreiger and his disabled Phantom II.
German Scouts race around the eastern forest in their Kubelwagons.
The northeast German lines. Panzer Ivs and a captured Sherman holding the road. Pumas speed through the streets to meet the Tommies.

Monsieur Dubois' fields suffer under Panzer tracks to the southeast.

Flakpanzers roll past a downed Jerry truck.

British Carriers speed over a hill to engage the German Scouts, that have fallen into the cover of the woods.

A closer look at those German scouts. Assault Rifle teams! Amazing paint job on their camo scheme. Excellent job Steven!

Through the clearing 2nd Platoon lines up shots on the German line. Three Cromwells and a Firefly throwing lead around, like cricket balls. Major Berry holds back to assess the situation.

1st platoon is making a move for the southeast fields. Not wanting to hamper their movement, the firefly sits back and lines up semi-indirect shots on the Panzers.

Steven's Pumas fill in behind the building on the northeast corner of town.

3rd Platoon is making its way to engage the enemy, through the town. Firefly sets down to throw shots across the board.

4th platoon engages the scouts. They break off but have to take one round of shooting. This results in a cloud of smoke, and first blood.

With only one valid target, the Firefly destroys a Panzer IV at long range! This is the beginning of some amazing kills, by the Fireflies. They are the the backbone and anchor of this list.

Another Panzer brews up, thanks to 2nd Platoons Firefly.

3rd Platoon prepares to engage the Panzers and Sherman on the northeast front. They hit the woods and crater the hill, but fail to hit platoon.

The northeast Germans return fire. Their barrels line up perfectly. They hit every Cromwell in sight. One Cromwell bounces the hit, another is bailed, the platoon leader and 2iC both brew up. The chain of command is broken. With the lack of leadership, 3rd platoon flounders.

Realizing they are no match for the Flakpanzers, the carriers retreat behind the western woods. The chase is on!

4th Platoon is tired of waiting! They us their speed to get into point blank range! They manage to bail a Panzer, but that is the limit of their advance.

Meanwhile, on the southern flank, Another panzer bites the dust and 1st platoon loses its command and two teams are bailed. The situation is getting grave.

1st and 2nd platoons break through the woods to engage. They form a Napoleononic firing line. How many times have the seasoned 7th, thrown themselves into the fire like this?

The British line sees minimal success in destroying the 2iC.

The Germans return fire is brutal! Brew ups, bail outs, and hits overall. The line is crumbling! HOLD!!

Company Command and a surviving Cromwell decide to get the hell out of dodge. They have seen enough battles. Let someone else die for King and Country.

2nd Platoon makes a bold move to advance and try for shots on the side armor of the Panzer IVs. It is the kind of daring that has marked the Desert Rats. There Firefly crew lays down suppressive fire for its advancing team.

The north flank is in chaos with both enemies, circling and shooting at side armor.

" Let's light them up, Chaps!" The carriers engage the Pumas as they themselves are engaged by Flakpanzers!

The Panzers lay into the remaining Cromwells. The Scouts rush from the woods and assault. The platoon has had it. With nothing left to support, except the burning remains of comrades, the Firefly retreats.

Tired of sitting out. The Carriers take out two Pumas and then breakthrough and machine gun the German scouts. They decimate the platoon.

Having performed over and above expected, the surviving carrier heads to the rear.

The Firefly from 3rd Platoon has finally lined up a shot on a Panzer. From across the fields, nearly out of range, he fires a volley. His target goes up in smoke.

The Southern front has broken for the British!. Panzers make their way through the woodland. One bogs down, but the platoon leader is nearly to the objective. The Tyne ad Tees move out to assault! Here come the Tommies!

The Tyne and Tees are thrown back by defensive. The Germans spread out on the objective. The rest speed down the road, victorious!

The sun sets on Ville De Rese. The town is still lit up with burning hulls. Monsieur Dubois inspects his ruined crops, from his window. The British retreat to reorganize. The Germans take up defensive positions. As a commander I learned the merits of mobility, but the draw backs of open terrain and Reluctant veterans. Steven played flawless. Winning 5-2. Another battle behind us, but war rages on!

Subaltern Sean O'Hara