Gembloux Gap-Blitz on Villeroux (5)

We had the next game in our Gembloux Gap campaign last night. The Germans have failed in their first two attempts to take this table, time to win!

Here is a photo of the table which should be well known to you now.

Dice were rolled and the game started:

Germans (FM 10) (3 Schützen Regiment)

Schützen Platoon #2

Supports (22)

IG 18

Jean-Claude

Red Dice

PzII

Sd.Kfz 222

Pregame Barrage

?

?

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French (FM 10) (110e Régiment d'Infanterie)

Infanterie Platoon #2 (less 10 men)

Supports (9)

Canon de 47mm L53 ATG

Pregame Barrage

Squad de Motocyclistes

As usual we played out the Patrol Phase on P-Y's ap. The smaller dots are the JOP's, while the numbered dots are the PM's at their final positions. Again, I really did not accomplish what I set out to do, ie trying to prevent P-Y getting an advanced JOP in the south of the table, you can also see that I completely abandoned the northern approach with my JOP's. I did leave the option open though of deploying in the cornfield. My other main goal was to get the IG in a better position than I had previously. As you can see below I was able to accomplish this.

The Action

These photos were all taken at the end of the game, with the exception of the first.

An early move of course was to try to shut down the forward French JOP, I had a good roll when I deployed my 222 AFV but was just outside of 4", fortunately my pregame barrage prevented French deployment and I was able to shut it down on my next phase.

A big factor in the game was the placement of my IG, this was an excellent placement, but I had to move it there. The squad with it got caught in the open but was able to link up with the IG team to share the shock. The SL placed there helped. the French had set up their ATG at the crossroads and a infantry squad in the White House. I was able to capture the JOP with the 222 and I ended the turn, this dropped the French FM to 9. I was reluctant to ent the PGB but it was worth it. The French could really only deploy to the 2 houses and the surrounding area.

They also placed their VB team in the house next to it. This presented quite a problem to me as every French unit was in hard cover as they had placed the ATG in an entrenchment. Their motorcyclist team was in the entrenchment from the last game.

You can see the infantry squad and the IG team took quite a pounding but were able to stay in place until the end of the game.

I really focused most of my fire using HE coming from the IG team, the PzII and the 5cm mortar team, initially they did not do much but the ability to reduce cover by one started to work. The French FM started to fall, the first unit being the motocyclistes being wiped out with the JL routing. French FM was now down to 6, while I was still at 9.

The French squad started to take some shock.

The French ATG with a nearby SL. The ATG was the 2nd to fall with the team being wiped out  with the JL being killed, I believe this dropped the French FM to 2 or 3.

The PzII delivered the final coup de Grace, taking out the LMG team with the  JL on the 2nd floor of the house, French FM 0. Villeroux has fallen.

I did not forget to advance the 222 AFV, it almost got off the table before the French withdrew.

Butcher's Bill

Germans (platoon 2)

Final FM 9

3 men killed (negated by FM difference)

CO +2

MO 0

Prickly (-1 FM)

French (platoon 2)

Final FM 0

3 men killed

1 dead, 2 missing (10 dead 2 missing next game)

CO +2

MO -5 (-1FM)

Cheerful

 P-Y, I felt was a bit unlucky in this game. I had no problem deploying under his PGB but he had great difficulty. He did however get a few double phases as where I did not get any. It was the shortest game we have played, around 90 minutes but that was OK as we both got to watch the Habs game last night!

Gembloux Gap-Blitz on Villeroux (4)

We had the next game in our Gembloux Gap campaign last night. The Germans had failed in their first attempt to take this table so this was their second go.

Here is a photo of the table.

Dice were rolled and the game started:

Germans (FM 9) (3 Schützen Regiment)

Schützen Platoon #1 (less 9 men)

Supports (20)

IG 18

Jean-Claude

MMG Team

Red Dice

PzII

Stuka

2 Cars

French (FM 8) (110e Régiment d'Infanterie)

Infanterie Platoon #2 (less 10 men)

Supports (9)

Canon de 47mm L53 ATG

Sniper

Squad de Motocyclistes

As usual we played out the Patrol Phase on P-Y's ap. The smaller dots are the JOP's, while the numbered dots are the PM's at their final positions. As should be obvious, I did not play this well as I allowed the French a very advanced JOP in the small forest in the south more than midway up the table.

The Action

The first part of the action was the Stuka attack, it did not do much in respect to the buildings aside from the garage catching fire, thus denying the ability of troops to occupy the building but more importantly sending off a plume of smoke blocking line of sight for at least one turn (it actually remained through out the game despite having 4 game turns). I will let the following photos tell the story.

One of my first moves, once I deployed some covering units to the north was to deploy a car with a LMG team and a JL on the road. This was critical as if I could get within 4" of the French JOP, I would shut it down thus denying the ability of the French to deploy east of the burning building. Unfortunately it was not to be so.

The French initial deployments, a squad in the woods and subsequently  the 45mm ATG. My troops in the north which included a squad as well as an IG were able to initially poor a pile of shock on both. 

I also deployed my PzII to further soften up the French.

Covering units to the north of the road.

I also deployed a MMG team and a squad to cover the west with a SL.

Disaster strikes, I roll 4d6 losing all my overwatch and causing a mortar barrage to fall on my vehicles and an infantry squad. Up until then things were going well but this gave a chance for the French to deploy. It was just not worth the double phase an the CoC dice to me.

As the game progressed I started to lose the plot, I attempted to run my squad in the north across the road when I did not have a double phase, P-Y adroitly deployed is motorcyclist squad in an entrenchment and shot my squad up. I was able to kill 3 of French with an Interrupt but it was just not enough, especially once P-Y deployed another squad on the road and killed 6 of my men and routing the rest including a JL. My FM started to drop.

I had deployed my senior SL in a car, as my troops needed a better command, but unfortunately it was a lousy driver just moving 3" on his first move (I forgot to add the wheeled bonus of 6").

I was finally able kill 7 men in the French squad in the small forest and routed the rest with their JL and SL, the French FM was dropping now as well but P-Y cleverly deferred taking a moral test on the routing SL by using a CoC dice. His force in the large forest in the north was able to rout my SL there, and was threatening the MMG team in the forest. The French FM was 3 and the German FM was 2, I through my 2 CD desperately needing a 4 or 3, I threw a 2 and 6. I withdrew. Another French victory!

Butcher's Bill

Germans (platoon 1)

FM 3

8 men killed including 1 officer

4 dead, 2 missing (10 dead 2 missing in next game)

CO 0

MO -1

Prickly (-1 FM)

French (platoon 2)

FM 2

7 men killed

3 dead, 2 missing (9 dead 2 missing next game)

CO +3 (+1 Support)

MO -3 (-1 FM)

Cheerful

 P-Y played an excellent game and turned what looked like an early German victory into a defeat, so we meet again next Tuesday on the same table for our next session in the Gembloux Gap campaign.

Drive on Minsk-Game 4,Session 4

We finished off Game 4 in our Minsk campaign a couple of weeks ago. Here is the final report for this game. 

As you can see the Germans were successful in this game, so in the next series of sessions we will be seeing a novel terrain.