This Thursday I decided it would be time to baptise my new British late war platoon (1st time use = always loose), so Angus and Peter agreed bravely to join me in the mud and attack my veteran British platoon with two German platoons using "Muddy CoC", a mix of two well known TFL games.
Intending the scenario being more unfair and draconic than the conditions of the peace of Brest-Littovsk, I gave them one stormtrooper platoon (veteran) and one normal platoon that was classed as green unfairly. Also they suffer under the availability of an array of support units, including an A7V, a Granatenwerfer, a 75mm gun, a Flamethrower team, a HMG and a anti-tank gun team classed as regular. With so much choice I would throw them into mind-numbing indecisiveness, surely!
Barrages and artillery support were out for both as the Germans had knocked out the British and blocking what was left of them. It was the beginning of the Michael offensive in spring 1918, the first trench had fallen and a British veteran platoon was ordered to keep the second long enough (until 10PM club end) for the rest of the division to fall back behind the lines ... a new MarkV would be coming "soon" in exchange for no available artillery support ... go lads!
The Germans started the turn and in no time they had most of their toys on the table, or trenches. My shooting was abysmal and then Angus rolled a double six (get another phase) 3 or 4 times consecutive!!!! Before I could mutter jolly gosh the krauts were in front of my barbed wire.
Then I decided to concentrate my two Lewis and the HMG on the oncoming Stormtroopers and at the same time ordered a counter attack of my riflemen in the supply trench against the oncoming German Greenies from the east. With terrible consequences: only my jun. leader survived half dead and one man!! While the Germans squad were annihilated to the last man.
But again the enemy units and dices outnumbered me and slowly the shock and losses were towering up. That was when Lotti (my A7V that I knew could be a pain in the posterior, IF reaching the middle of the dead ground) started to make her presence felt by raking my men. Gaps appeared, one Lewis nest after the other dropped dead ... But then the Mark V appeared which stunned the huns long enough, probably being used only the Mark IV from former games... to divert "Lotti‘s" attention ...
And then, thank god, it was 10PM ... and they lost the war, ups, I meant the shameful scenario conditions, next time I should give them 3 platoons ... or more tanks ... but that will be another entirely different war ...
The terrain was from the club, the tanks, the British, the Stormtroopers and the support units were from myself (Great War and Renegade Miniatures and Trenchworx and Warlord Games) while the "greeny" German platoon was sponsored by Angus.
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| Half of the Stormtroopers and the support units for the Germans off table ... |
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| Initial set up ... the Germans are filling the trench ... |
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| The "Green" flank attacks with support from "Lotti" |
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| The Stormtrooper are advancing ... |
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| The British platoon awaits the onslaught in their positions |
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| The British using a supply trench for a shock attack killing one squad in the process |
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| and are holding the line |
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| too late at the end the Mark V was sent in aiming directly at the A7V |
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| The Germans gaining ground ... an uneasy prospect |
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| Lotti and Mark are giving each a fire fight |
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| The Stormtrooper are getting grilled by the Lewis and the HMG |
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| There the first Germans are in the trenches and kill the LMG positions |
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| Lotti hits the Mark |
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| Dead man‘s hill |
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| The German attack |
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| Stormtroopers hop from crater to crater |
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| The Germans breaching the line and the colour supply of the photograph |
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| Last counter attack ... |
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| ... hold the line until 10PM ... that was when we decide for a victorious retreat ... |
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| ... and more Germans are coming fresh from the East ... |
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| Better fall back to the third line before the Krupp starts belching again ... |
