On the beaches of Kent

So, after some intials forrays, it's time to let the dogs of war slip and for the Germans to storm the beaches of Kent.

For this, Terry and I, agreed that we would not pay the point costs of the German assault barges and the 1000points could be spent on troops to raid the cost. So with this in mind, I brought with me six 10 man squads, a couple of MMG's. A flameflower for any pesky bunkers we might find. A single Brandenburg Assault squad with as many SMG's as they can carry all led by an officer.

British Men doing thier duty, defending the country

The obejective, for the Germans was to get a foothold, and if possible, get of the board. The latter was a tough job, but with as many squads as I can take, I might be in with a change.

Terry deployed a few Home Guad squards, backed up with a Northover projecter and a Smith Gun on the coast line, with a Anti Tank Gun and a MMG hidden in the depths of the English countryside.

The naval guns let rip, and a prepartory bombardment hit the English defenders before turn 1. All units took a variety of pin markers, with the Northover projector taking a casulty.

Turn 1:
With the first dice being pulled, (it did help I had 15 dice in the bag), the first German barge arrived and began to lower the ramps. Spotting the enemy the Northover Projecteror opened fire, but missed the bulky ship. Shouts of not being able to hit a barn door were heard floating over the English coastline.

The invasion happens

Meanwhile, on the German left flank, a looted barge, from the Dunkirk debacle, crashed into the shore. All the while, Terry took the opportunnity to rally some of his pin markers off, except for a Home Guard Squad that decided to go down instead.

With the first turn, nearly over, two boats mortered in between the bulky barges, and disembarked a Banrdenburg squad, a flamethrower and the commander, leading the assault from the front.

Turn 2:
Again, the first dice was mine, and I ran forward the first German squad(known now on as R1(from now on I'll designate the squad as L or R for which side of the battlefield, and 1,2, or 3, for the order they came in on)), on the right flank, landed on English soil. Terry opened fire with his Smith Gun, hitting the boat and causing a might three pin makers.

Anyone know where Butlins is?

Meanwhile, a squad (known as L1) jumped to shore, and wipped out the Northover projector from the battlefield. In the centre of the battlefield, Terry's Homeguard squad rallied and killed one of the Brandenburg squad, charging up the centre.

Meanwhile, at the rear, Terry's reinforcements began to arrive. Several squads of the BEF finest arrived bringing with them a squad of the Navy's finest. Worse, for the Germans, they were backed up by a Hornet tank, rumbling it's way through the English countryside. Bristling with five machine guns, this was quite a terryifying prospect, as well as being mentally added to the list of models I want to get.

The final act of the turn, was for me to remove all of the pin markers, that the barge on my right had picked up. It felt very weird rallying a boat, but it had picked up four pin markers which would carry on to the squads about to disembark, so it was the right move to make.

Turn 3:

Caught drinking tea.

Again, I recieve the first dice of the turn, and I move R1 forward, taking out the Smith Gun out. The two biggest threats to my invasion barges had been removed. In the centre of the board, the Brandenburg Assault squad move forward, and reduce the Home Guard squad, that had dare to wound it in the previous turn, to one man who decided to stay put.

Terry, in response, advanced the Hornet forward. That was the plan, but overcome by the Carbon Monoxide fumes, the driver slipped into reverse and moved away from the enemy.

On the left, Squad L1 moved forward, and reduced the nearby Home Guard squad by two men. The Home Guard were resolute and stayed put, kowing that there was a squad of the Nave finest nearby. Meanwhile, the Flamethrower, spying the enemy commander standing watching his men drinking tea (Terry's officer's assistant was modelled drinking a cuppa) and opened fire, incinerating the two men.

The Home Guard squad, horrified by seeing thier officer turned to ashes, fired at Squad R1, and killed a man.

The coastal front was now a lot opening, the Germans had a foothold on the beaches as squads R2 and L2 jumped out of the boats and advanced forward as the BEF scrambled forward to stop them.

Turn 4:

Nearly made it

Squad R1, seeing the enemy rushing through the undergrowth, opened fire and killed four men. The flamethrower, ran forward, and opened fire wipping out the recently arrived BEF squad, on the left flank.

That would have been the plan, but boyed with thier success the flamethrower failed to notice the MMG inside the pill box, sitting on Ambush, and were cut down in a hail of bullets. Terry had a MMG mounted on a quad bike contracption, which I can't remember the name of. It opened fire, and took out two more of the Brandeburg assault squad.

On the left flank, Squad L1 took out three more men of the Home Guard squad they were facing, but then came under fire from the Navy squad, that had now arrived in. They wethered a large number of hits, but were still there.

The Hornet slipped off backwards once again, much to my relief. However, the BEF squad, then added fire to L1, taking out 3 more men. In response Squad L2, charged forward, and killed three of the Navy squad.

Terry's Anti Tank Gun, had spent the previous three turns trying to hit the Barn Door shapped Barge, but had decided to shoot at Squad R1, killing a man. The Light Mortor, finally finding a decent firing spot, hit the recently arrived Squad R3 but missed the moving target.

The turn, came to an end, as in the centre of the board, the lone Home Guard surviour, assaulted the German commander, and killed his assisstant, before being killed in return.

Things were starting to look bleak as all seven of my squads were now on English soil.

Turn 5:

The remainder of SquadL1 charged forward, hoping to wipe out the Navy squad. I knew this was a sucide mission, as it was a seven on four match up. It could be a glorious moment, until I rolled my dice, and killed 1. The squad was duly wipped out, and Terry retreated his Navy squad into nearby cover.

Squad L2 came under heavy fire, and elected to spend the turn, down, causing them to lose only one man, which was annoyingly, the man with the LMG. The Brandenburg squad, over in the middle, advanced on the Quadbike MMG, and caused one hit, doing no damage.

Over, on the right the BEF squad charge the damaged Squad R1, and killed two men. Impressivly, Squad R1 fought back, and wipped out the BEF squad in combat. Meanwhile, the quadbike then wipes out the Brandenburg squad, causing the surviours to flee back to the coast.

The Hornet finally moved forward, and the driver gunned the engines, hoping to make up for lost ground. Meanwhile the final units disembark from the boats, and a MMG arrive on either side of the boats (Being LMMG and RMMG respectivley)

The Navy squad and the MMG opened fire on targets, but were unable to wound anyone.

Time for the final turn.

Turn 6:
As the final turn began, it was clear that a German win was the likely outcome, could Terry stall the German advance, or would the Germans push forward.

L3 advancing under a hail of fire.

The LMMG opened fire on the navy, and failed to kill anyone. The final advancing BEF squad, move towards the centre, but fail to damage L3, who elect to go down.

Squad R3 charge, and wipe out, the quad bike. The key to killing vehicles, is charging them with a full squad. Meanwhile, the BEF MMG takes out three of Squad R1, causing them to flee.

The Hornet moved forward again, and much to Terry's pleasure, it opened fire as L2, who went down, but still lost two men who were not quick enough. The Navy squad added to the fire, and killed two more of L2, who remained strong.

The rest of my squads advanced forward, and after three and a half hours, the game came to an end.

The final score,

Terry: 8 David 22

So, I win by 14 victory points, and take 10 campaign points. Terry, meanwhile get's a further 3 campaign points for stopping my forces from getting of the board.

Terry was unucky with his dice rolls for the Hornet. The 5 mmg's would have paid a heavy toll on my forces. He was also, unlucky to lose both of his artillery pieces quite early on in the game. It could have been a different story, if they kept adding pin markers to the barges, which would have been passed on to the disembarking boats.

If I were to play this game again, I would think about taking some infantry squads in Hanomags, to get them off the board quicker. Now, all I need to think about is how to defend the English coast.

Operation Sea Lion: Scenario One - the rematch

So, time for the rematch. 

After a week of pondering about how I was going to take the British HQ, I decided to go for a different force to the one that Terry used last week. I took two assault squads, one 5 man and the other 6. Similarly to Terry, they were all armed with SMGs, but also carrying a little explosive powder as well. Unlike the Saboteurs, they need a 6+ to destroy the HQ, but one or two extra chances is good.

A very pretty table to play on.

They were backed up by two saboteurs squads, and an infiltrator dressed in his best English Uniform and home knitted scarf, he’d be sent off infiltrating into the Kent countryside, and if need be, he would have a chance to explode the HQ as well.

I didn’t have much of a game plan, going into the battle, but seeing Terry deploy his forces on to the table helped me. I was facing two Home Guard Units, and a MMG. I was going to send my two squads to deal with the Home Guard, and hope that my infiltrators could sneak past the MMG and blow up the HQ.

Turn 1:

I pulled out the early dice, and my boats came to shore, two squads disembarked on my left flank, and headed up the boat, hoping to get in and disrupt the inexperienced Home Guard. 

Terry, had wisely put one of his squads onto ambush, but how does this resolve with the night fighting rules, which, dictate how far you can see in any given moment. After a gentlemanly discussion, we decided to allow it, but to interpret the rules, thusly.

A unit can go on over watch, when a unit moves into line of sight, it rolls 2D6, as per the night fighting rules. If they can see the unit, they can shoot, if not they just imagined the sound of someone walking on the beach. 

Survivng, for the moment

However, Terry was able to see, and put a pin marker on one of my units. However, worse was to happen. Activating his squad in the model, he opened fire, and my five man squad disappeared in a hail of bullets. Things were not looking to good.

However, on the right side the Infiltration agent had slipped in, unnoticed by the MMG team, and then the officer and one of the Saboteur squads crept forward and opened fire, causing two hit markers and two wounds. Terry, somehow passed his test, and it was left for my final saboteur squad to run up the beach, as a man ran to the phone box to ring for reinforcements.

The Germans are here. 

Turn 2:

With a roll of a six, the sun burst over the beaches of Kent, revealing to the stoic British defenders, the forces of the Germans infront of them. 

Pulling the first dice, Terry elected to open fire with the MMG on the infiltrating Germans, however a failed order later, the MMG went down. Only to be caught in a hail of bullets from the German Officer.

The six man squad on the left, in an act of retribution, and to bring them closer to the objective, moved towards the ten man squad in the centre, and opened fire with their SMG’s, killing 5 men. The squad, being new to this soldering, bottled their order test and fled. Leaving a big hole in the middle of Terry’s centre. 

However, the squad on the right, though diminished from fire in the previous turn, opened fire on the six man squad, and killed one of them. 

Meanwhile, on the right flank the infiltratrors headed towards the objective. As the turn came to a close, the first of Terry’s reinforcement’s came on to the board, and a single squad made their way to defend the beach. 

Turn 3: 

In a clever move, I was going to charge my five man squad into Terry’s remaining Home Guard unit, wipe them out in combat. Then I’d use their free move to bring them into touch with the objective and blow it up in the next turn.

It would have been fantastic, until I failed the order roll on a double 6. FUBAR, my battle plan was ruined and the squad ran off to paddle in the sea. 

Meanwhile on the right flank, Terry’s dice came out allowing him to advance his squad forward with the aim to wipe them off the face of the earth. However, combining the squad going down, and being a small unit, Terry was only able to put a single hit marker on, they both lived.

Boyed on by this success, the other saboteur squad charged forward, and made it into contact with the HQ. This was a game winning move.

Or it would have been if it were not for the home guard squad who charged in and wiped them out in comat.

The game was pretty much over by this point, but as turn 3, the infiltrator, dressed in his nice English Uniform and his scarf, disappeared into the undergrowth and into the English Country side, only stopping to salute the British Officer running to the front line. 

Hum... these English holidays' are no fun.

Turn 4: 

Terry, took the initive this turn, and the Saboteur squad holded up between the fortificatons were quickly mowen down by the English Regualrs in a round of combat. The German Commander, who was just contemplating which boat was quicker to get to was then cut down by the Home Guard unit.

Meanwhile, Terry’s final squad finally came onto the field to find out what all this fuss was about

My final squad, decided that escape was a better part of valour and with a final shout of “we’ll be back” disappeared back into the channel.

Final Score

Terry: 8 vicotry points David: 2 Victory points.

This was a remarkably quick game, over within an hour and a half, and fair play to Terry, the dice were in his favour and he fully deserves the 3 campaign points he took. 

There were two moments, that defined the battle., Firstly, my losing the squad in the middle of the table, on turn 1. That had a major impact on the battle. Secondly, failing my order test and FUBARing, with my other squad, who ran back to the boats. If it wasn’t for these two, I could have won this game.

At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.

You’ll notice that the Infiltration Agent crept off into the undergrowth at the end of turn 3, Terry and I decided, that this would be a good idea to add an additional thematic element to the campaign 

We'll be back

and so this whole raid was actually a roose, to get him into England, and we agreed that in one of our future games, he’ll make a reappearance on the German side. 

If I remember him.

Next week, Hitler’s forces descended upon the beaches.