Von Luck-Turn 5-The Church on the Flank

We played our 5th turn in the Von Luck campaign this past Saturday, this is the 4th table of 5 and I had yet to gain a victory. I withdrew from the 1st table immediately as hardly any paratroopers had shown up from their drop points and lost table 2 and 3. I was able to initiate a Naval Bombardment at the beginning of Turn 3, so this was our 5th turn but really 3rd game. Mike decided to bring in his 1st platoon again and I had a completely new platoon which was for this scenario only.

Situation Post Turn 4
Platoon 1: Brits 9 dead, 3 missing for next game
Platoon 1: Germans 1 dead, 1 missing for next game

Brits: CO -1, MO -1, PLO Happy

Germans: CO +5, MO +8 PLO Affable

British Paratroopers (FM 11)

Fresh Paratrooper Platoon

3 Supports

2" Mortar Team
Entrenchment

German Panzergrenadiers (FM 11)

#1 Panzergrenadier Platoon (-2 men)
14 Supports

Adjutant
SL

FO

Lorraine Schlepper

So on to the game:

The table from the British end

Patrol Markers and JOP's

Mike brought on the Schleper, an FO as well as a SL with a PG squad in the upper right hand corner of the table in the first couple of phases. I held off for quite a bit as he bombardered the church and eventually destroying it. I did bring on two 2" mortar teams to lay down some smoke. They really had a problem with accuracy and even when smoke was laid down Mike would just move it so it could re-aim. Mike also broughton a barrage pretty quickly covering two of my JOP's. I then got sorely tempted by a squad he placed on his right flank and carefully brought on 2 sections one in the churchyard and one behind a hedge. I was able to kll 3 of his men but as things went the creeping barrage started to creep. I had by now lost one of my 2" Mortars to the HE from the Schelper and was startinto take some morale hits........

.........I then foolish brought on my 3rd section to take out the German squad in the open after ending the turn,thus removing the smoke and all markers (but not unfortunately the barrage as Mike had plenty of CoC dice). I was quite unsucessful and coupled with the fact that I forgot that I even had Snipers available until near the end of the game, things started to go downhill. By then the barrage had crept over 2 sections, the church and one building had been destroyed taking the 2 snipers with it and my 3rd section had routed from the 13d6HE the Schlepher puts out. Morale plummetting, it was time to withdraw. In retrospect I really played this one poorly and deserved to lose!

So another British Loss, now really quite hopeless as I have to win 3 games in a row on the last table to prevent the Germans taking Table 5 in 8 turns. This is made all the worse by the lack of clarity in the ruleset in respect to using snipers and open topped Armoured vehicles.

Situation Post Turn 5
Manpower
British Platoon 1: 9 dead
British Platoon 2: na
British Platoon 3:  Intact
German Platoon 1: Germans 1 dead next game
German Platoons 2,3: Intact
Command Status

Brits: CO -1, MO -3, PLO Affable

Germans: CO +7, MO +10 PLO Affable
Effect
Brits: 0 Supports, 0 FM
Germans: +2 Supports, +4 FM, SL 4CI 12"CR