Friday 8 November 2013

France 1940: Return to Tagnon (WWII Battlefront Scenario) 6


The Heat of the Battle: 

Feeling the urgent need for additional fire power the French FOO requests immediate divisional artillery support. Again there is a 'one in ten chance' of this friendly fire falling short. Weighing up the probabilities in his (aka my) mind's eye, and given that he (ahem, "I") had already been 'unlucky' with the "artillery falling short" goblin, I felt safe to roll the dice again. The result is plain for all to see (see below):

Note to Self: Didn't I make an earlier 'note to self' about 'not teasing the dice' or 'taunting fate'? Why didn't I read, listen and learn?

The French artillery again hammers 'Friend and Foe' alike in this "one in one hundred" occurrence. "C'est le Guerre!" 


The dazed and wounded 'pause for philosophical reflection' (see below):


It is now time for the French to be on the receiving end of some German divisional artillery (see below):


After all the die rolling "nothing is killed", until the German motorcycle battalion deploys its support company MG34's and two French squads are dropped despite the protective "stone cover" evening the ratio 1:1 of casualties to three platoons/squads each (see below):  


Emboldened by the French losses and seeing "his chance" the German Commander again "rushes" the town via the 'bridge of death' (see below):


The bridge lives up to its name as another three German units die. The German commander is rapidly running out of 'leg' units cable of attacking. Despite some galling losses the French are still holding on in a strong defensive position. Despite all their heroic efforts the Germans have only but one squad holding onto a precarious northern section of the town (see below):


Like so many other times in the French Campaign, the decision hangs in the balance. "If" the French can reorganise and counter-attack, then perhaps the Germans can be evicted from their bridgehead before the contents of the "mysterious Hanomag column" can be deployed.

Which side has the better leaders to take advantage of the situation?

4 comments:

Paul Foster said...

I think history will run its course here Geordie.

Nice barrage markers. Where did they come from?

Service Ration Distribution (Hobby) said...

It sure is exciting stuff. Good on-the-spot reporting. Barrage markers very effective indeed.

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

The barrage marker came with the Battlefront WW2 Rule Set

I may be worth checking out their web-site to see if they are downloadable (see my links section)

PS
Paul you may well be right ;)

Geordie an Exiled FoG said...

Here you go, check this out:

http://www.fireandfury.com/products/desc_bfww2.shtml