"The Regiment will advance.."

The Regiment had been ordered to probe what Div HQ believed was an empty Norman landscape despite Intel's belief that veteran German panzer-grenadiers had occupied forward positions across the axis of advance. The Regiment was advancing, troops moving tentatively across fields and through farmsteads shrouded in early morning mist.

"One zero this is one zero alpha, over".. whispered voices.

"One zero over", more hushed tones.

"One zero alpha. We have movement in the tree line." The chatter of MG42 fire was clearly audible over the radio channel before the pressel switch was clicked off.

The point sections of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were probing cautiously towards their objectives when fire broke out on 3 Battalion's front. Men dived for cover as 105mm rounds fell on their positions. The advancing Vickers platoons attached to 3 Battalion were early casualties. 2 Battalion continued it's advance through the village of Le Chat, it's first objective of the day, with the squadron of Churchill VIIs crawling reassuringly behind the forward troops.

1 Battalion had advanced to the heights on the left flank where it took up reserve positions.

The battle field seen from the British right, the British advancing from left to right.

Elite Panzer Grenadiers advanced onto 2 Battalion's objective unseen by the lead 2 Battalion platoons. The battalion deployed in depth with it's reserve company seen on the feature at the top of the photo.

The British Regiment had deployed for it's advance in three battalion groups. 1st Battalion at the top of the photo has already reached it's reserve position. Each battalion has a front line, and a reserve line, all very WW1 ish.

3 Battalion approaches it's objective, a small wooded hill, already occupied by those elite Panzer Grenadiers unknown to the British lead platoons.

2 Battalion's right flank company deploys in it's initial position, having reached its first 'phase line' in its attack, coming under fire from German infantry in the outskirts of the village sitting across it's front.

The main portion of 2 Battalion deploys around its objective of 'Le Chat', it's Churchill Squadron in support.

A second panzer Grenadier battalion  crosses a river line advancing on 2 Battalion's main position.

The lead elements of 3 Battalion on the British right come under fire from the previously undetected German elites, and simultaneously 105mm rounds crash amongst the British troops.

1 Battalion sitting in its reserve position on the high ground on the British left, watching with surprise as a German armoured force enters on the British flank, directly to its front.

The StuG IIIs and JgdPz IVs are supported by dismounted infantry.

The 3 Battalion commander order 9 Company to send two platoons right flanking in order to outflank the German position. However the German commander had anticipated just such a move and brought his battalion reserve forward to counter the move.

And suddenly the whole world fell apart as a Battalion Nebelwerfer strike hits 2 Battalion's forward position.

British counter battery assets (a battery of 5.5" guns) finally located the German 105mm battalion, and soon their fire had eliminated the entire battalion. However the damage had been done.

2 Battalion casualties from the German Nebelwerfer barrage were heavy.

And the forward elements of 2 Battalion were coming under pressure from the German battalion applying pressure to its front.

The flanking armoured force was caught by the AT gun screen of 6 pounders and 17 pdrs. One platoon of StuG IIIs was eliminated and another forced to close down and halt. The JgdPz IVs were forced to pull back by the 17pdr AT guns firing at long range.

British artillery had been in high demand across the entire division, and so the 25pdr regiment attached to the infantry regiment was late in lending its support to the regiment. However once engaged the entire regiment brought its fire down on the dismounted infantry, stripping two full companies from the German flank attack.

A second Nebelwerfer strike hits 2 Battalion and panic hits its ranks.

Meanwhile 1 Battalion was hit with heavy fire from the Battalion's flak units. Two platoons of Quad 20mm flak vehicles were taking a heavy toll, stripping the supporting AT gun batteries from the battalion in short order.

1 Battalion had started to take heavy casualties.

The Churchill squadron had been caught in the wrong position and was forced to manouvre to try and counter the armoured threat on its exposed left. I had assumed that 1 Battalion, deployed in reserve, would be able to contain any flank threat, but this was proving difficult. My position was in jeopardy because I had relied on 1 Battalion to protect the left flank, and had failed to deploy 2 Battalion to be able to respond to a flank threat itself.

In addition the 17pdr company attached to 2 Battalion was positioned in anticipation of a German armoured thrust through the centre. Two of the three batteries were able to provide support to the flank against the flank attack, but the third battery was forced to manouvre to try and get into a useful firing position.

2 Battalion was close to a morale check, with 3 battalion not far behind. The Britsh troops had received a severe bloody nose, a result of poor planning and inadequate support.

Overall a great game, but a few lessons for me on list composition and deployment.

The game was played using the 6mm Ros Heroics vehicles and figures from Keith's collect (German) and my own (British). The game was developed using Keith's scenario generation system, and became an advance to contact using defend lists.

My own defend list was proved to need some development, in particular because I had no adequate Option A prepared to add to my defending force.

Toe to toe with the panzers ...

The 7th Armoured Division will advance ... ominous words in Normandy 1944. Four of us got together on Friday night for what for me was the first Spearhead game in 6mm for  a "loooong" time.

Andrew and I met Keith and Nick in a game set in NW Europe in 1944. The armies were organised using Keith's Scenario Generation system played using our collections of (mostly) Ros & Heroics models.

The meeting turned out to be an encounter battle, specifically an Advance to Contact. It might perhaps be thought of as a German spoiling attack against a British armoured thrust.
The British force was taken form an armoured division OOB. I chose to take the motorised infantry, with the recce regiment of Cromwells attached in support. There was plenty of artillery support (two regiments of 25pdrs, and two of 5.5" guns allocated from Corps for counter battery work. The RAF was also active with multiple flights of Typhoons allocated in support of the British, coordinated by two separate AGCs. This was a big push for the British.

The initial German deployment saw a battalion deployed on the German left, supported by two platoons of Tiger 1s

The recce regiment was also supported by three squadrons of M10 Achilles providing AT protection.

The Tigers were lurking menacingly, in this case in the outskirts of a small town.

The British right advanced and adopted a defensive position to secure that flank while the main thrust was launched on their left.

A battalion 6pdr unit prepares to deploy on the edge of a small copse.

The Achilles take up a position in over watch to protect the British right

The British left flank attach gets under way

Having felt that they had a measure of the British attack, the German command launched their armoured reserve, protected by three flak platoons - an Ostwind platoon, and two platoons of Quad 20mm flak.

One of the British AGCs called in a strike of Typhoons against the German right, determined to winkle out the Jaddpanzer IVs and Stugs. Meanwhile several concentrated stonks from an entire regiment of 25pdrs was beginning to have an effect on the waiting German infantry. The British counter battery artillery had also been active, locating and eliminating some of the German 1200 mortars.

The other British AGC spotted the arrival of the German armoured reserve and called in another flight of Typhoons (fairy battles in masquerading..) The first attack was driven off by the heavy flak umbrella.

At this stage the German command also ordered it's left flank battalion to attack the British right. The troops move.

The German armour reserve in the centre now lost contact with its AA umbrella as it crossed a river (the entire formation was seriously disrupted), and the Typhoons struck again, destroying a platoon of PakwIVs.

The German armoured reserve also now came under fire from the Achilles, and the battalion had now taken serious casualties. In addition the German battalion on the right was finally forced to withdraw having taken over 50% losses.

At this stage we called the game (it was late).

What a fantastic reintroduction....

'A HotT Winter's day 2013'

Last weekend it was time for the 2013 'A HotT Winter's day" Hordes of the Things tournament. Various things meant we played with very much diminished numbers this year - four of us to be precise. Life is like that - it has a habit of getting in the way. However diminished numbers didn't mean diminished fun and enthusiasm, there were simply fewer people with whom to share the fun. So here's a brief account of my three games.

Game 1 and Major General Carruthers took the field against a remarkable worthy opponent in the form of Dr Who, and elements of 'The Church', commanded by Nick. Nick opted to field the Dr as a sneaker, a brave decision given the difficulty that seems to surround this troop type. My VSF army included several of my newly painted Riders (Mounted Infantry).

The Tardis, the Dr's Stronghold

 Nick deployed several shooters to counter my Behemoth (Steam Robot) and Riders as they advanced to threaten his flank.

My airboat swooped into the rear of his army.

'River Song', Nick's hero (I'm old fashioned, shouldn't this be 'Heroine'??) decided to neutralise the threat of the airboat and so guard his army's rear.

Meanwhile a tussle developed in the centre between Carruthers himself, and the Dr.

Nick's shooters on his flank drove off one unit of riders, and stood against the behemoth and the other unit.

Suddenly the behemoth was gone too.. ouch.

The airboat had previously broken off from  'River Song'. Carruthers decided to get stuck in, aided by the air boat.

The Dr 'sneaked' through and attacked Carruthers' artillery - we both forgot that the artillery would ignore any negative outcome against it.. since the Dr was a sneaker.

The Dr died (OMG I killed the Dr), and the game went to Carruthers.

Next game I took an Undead army with two magicians - a risky choice but one that paid off.

There were beasts (zombie dogs) ..

against Kevin's army of.. well, weird creatures. Very innovative use of 'stuff' that Kevin had found in 'one of those boxes'. Nice work, Kevin!!!

Things didn't go the way of the 'weird creatures', and the Undead took line honours.

My third game was against Gordon's Danish army.. loved the 'lego' stronghold.

Again I decided to field the Undead.

Gordon's behemoth (a dense spear block) took on the beasts supported by his magician.

In the centre my Blades (Grim Reapers) faced off against more spear, with the Undead magicians sending waves of coruscating (sorry, couldn't help myself.. had to fit the word in there somewhere) magic across the battlefield.

The beasts destroyed the behemoth ..

And everyone ended up lock  din combat in the centre.

But the Undead again took line honours ....

Slightly embarrassing I have to say when you win the tournament that you organise... oh well... damned fine games, really enjoyable day of HotT games.