It's 1310 on 10 April 1943, and another clash of tanks is looming. Earlier this morning the squad climbed Hill 475 (bottom left, in the picture below) and established an Observation Post (OP). They subsequently spotted enemy armor moving north to south near Point 33 (off camera to top center right in the photo below) and reported it. SSG Smith, acting platoon leader for the attached Tank Platoon, led his vehicles north to intercept. At Point 33, SSG Smith and CPL Grunhard engaged three Panzer 4s, knocking out all three of them, but at the cost of CPL Grunhard's vehicle and crew, which won the Silver Star posthumously. Now SSG Smith has moved south, rejoining the other two tanks of his platoon (under SGT Ross and SGT Snow, respectively), and they are moving east to engage a pair of panzers moving west.
The troops are all 6mm (1/285) from GHQ, and I'm using the new "What a Tanker!" rules from Too Fat Lardies. I'm having so much fun, I need to put another order in with GHQ to get some more troops. I'm going to order a couple 76mm turrets for my Shermans, a pack of M-10 Wolverines, a pack of Stug IIIs with skirts, a pack of Marders, a pack of Panthers, and a single Tiger hull and turret (the separate hull and turrets is why I need to order direct from GHQ), and I figure that could actually take me through the whole rest of the war. I suppose I should buy some Pz IVHs with skirts, but might just try and get by with the Pz IVGs I'm using in these games. I played the first two What a Tanker games with my older boy, but he was playing with his little brother so I actually played the next two solo...
Time to make the doughnuts!
SSG Smith has spotted dust clouds to the east and charges straight in (far right)...
His tank (bottom center) acquires Panzer 1 (top center left), halts, and fires! SSG Smith watches the round throw up sand, and decides he'd better button up.
While SGT Snow, surprising in his aggressiveness and impressive in his ability to maneuver, pushes his Sherman up two contour lines to get a better look (bottom right)...
They (bottom left) spot Panzer 2 (top right) and fire. The round misses, but hits close enough to shake up the crew (actually a non-penetrating hit that cost the Germans one Command Dice).
Panzer 2 acquires SGT Snow's tank (top center), then moves left to cover (at bottom of hill at left), and buttons up, while Panzer 1 (bottom center) acquires SSG Smith's Sherman (center top, with SGT Ross's tank behind them) and returns fire. The round hits the Sherman's hull, damaging the running gear (-2 pips of movement and permanent -2 Command Dice)! The Panzer reloads and fires again, but the round ricochets off, though a piece off armor spalls off and hits SSG Smith in the upper back.
With his boss in trouble, SGT Ross pushes his tank up alongside SSG Smith's damaged Sherman (bottom center) and returns fire on Panzer 1 (top center left). The round skips off, severely shaking the crew (temporary -2 Command Dice). SGT Ross's tank reloads...
As Panzer 1 (bottom right) holds position and returns fire, missing SSG Smith's tank (top right) but shocking the crew (temporary -1 Command Dice, bringing SSG Smith's vehicle down to three!). Panzer 2 (left)...
Moves up (bottom center left) and fires on SGT Snow's tank (top center, with SSG Smith and SGT Ross at top right). The round ricochets off, shocking the crew (temporary -2 Command Dice). The panzer reloads.
But SGT Snow's boys (left) hold firm and return fire. The enemy tank is also hit in the hull, damaging the running gear (costing two pips of movement and two Command Dice)!
SSG Smith's crew (bottom left) is too shook up to do anything (down to only 3 CD, they roll crap and can't even return fire, even though they're already acquired, aimed, and loaded), and they can't even move (I think I rolled three 'acquires')... SGT Ross pushes his Sherman forward (just ahead of SSG Smith's vehicle, with SGT Snow's at bottom center) and fires on Panzer 1 (top center, with Panzer 2 just below it), missing.
Panzer 2 (bottom left) fires on SGT Snow's vehicle (top center, with SGT Ross and SSG Smith at top right). The round misses, but shakes up the crew (another actual non-penetrating hit that temporarily takes away a Command Dice).
SGT Snow's boys (bottom center) continue to stand fast, returning fire but missing.
And then moving up (center bottom) as SSG Smith's crew (far left) finally shakes off the cobwebs enough to return fire on Panzer 1 (top right), missing.
Panzer 1 rallies (regains a temporarily lost Command Dice) and moves up (right, from bottom right, which throws off the aim of SSG Smith and SGT Ross, a good idea in these times when everyone is down on Command Dice)!
Panzer 1 continues pushing forward (center top, with Panzer 2 at far left) as it rallies again and reloads.
But SGT Ross pushes his tank to point blank range (center), and fires on Panzer 1 (top center, with Panzer 2 at top right, SSG Smith at bottom left, and SGT Snow at bottom right)...
KA-BOOM!!! Another German tank sent to the boneyard! SGT Ross unbuttons to try and find that other panzer as his crew reloads.
But he (center, with SSG Smith at top center right) can only hear the report of the shot as Panzer 2 (far left) fires again at SGT Ross's vehicle (top left), missing!
SGT Snow pushes his vehicle downhill (bottom center), moving within 100 yards of Panzer 2 (top right, with SGT Ross's vehicle at top left), but his crew can't line up a shot.
And Panzer 2 (center bottom left), all alone (Panzer 1 burring at bottom right) and being surrounded (SGT Snow at top left, SGT Ross at center) sees the writing on the wall. The German tank commander pops smoke...
And heads for home (far right, from left)! SGT Ross's crew got its second kill of the war, SSG Smith got a Purple Heart, and though SGT Snow's crew didn't get a kill, they did a good job of actually getting in the fight (they missed the last fight with 'mechanical problems') and roughing up Panzer 2. Of course, if they're gunnery had been a bit better, maybe Panzer 2 wouldn't have gotten away...
In any case, these actions served, along with several other similar actions further south, to blunt the German counterattack. With that, the battalion would continue pushing north-northeast for another eight days without seeing any resistance stronger than the odd artillery shell. But on 12 April 1943 the squad would see its last fight of the campaign in North Africa, and it was a real bastard.
In any case, these actions served, along with several other similar actions further south, to blunt the German counterattack. With that, the battalion would continue pushing north-northeast for another eight days without seeing any resistance stronger than the odd artillery shell. But on 12 April 1943 the squad would see its last fight of the campaign in North Africa, and it was a real bastard.
V/R,
Jack
Great stuff- I must get round to trying the rules someday.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Pete.
Yeah man, they’re worth a shot! They’re lots of fun, loads of fumbling: you’re lined up and loaded but don’t get a ‘shoot’ dice, you’re in position to get on his flank or rear but don’t get a ‘drive’ dice, or you roll the magical set to move up, acquire, aim, fire, reload, and fire again, but miss both shots! It’s a hoot.
DeleteV/R,
Jack
More good fun. Incidentally, do 5-Core rules support vehicles, or are they purely infantry?
ReplyDeleteJohn,
DeleteAbsolutely 5Core rules have vehicles, but I don't typically use them but for props or to come save my bacon if I'm really getting my butt whooped. I think if you add a tank into a six guys vs four guys fight it's going to have a pretty large impact. In future fights I anticipate playing games where the squad has to escort a tank through closed terrain, up to blast a pillbox, or cover for a crew that's repairing their vehicle, stuff like that, as well as maybe throw in a jeep with MG or halftrack, which essentially is just a mobile MG that rifleman can actually still target the gunner.
V/R,
Jack