At Barries 04/11/08

Maharajah 2008 Quarter Final #4

Jim's 7th Armoured
HQ 2Crom+2AA+Arve 260
3 Crom + 1 Firefly 325
3 Crom + 1 Firefly 325
3 Crom + 1 Firefly 325
Field Batt SP (8 Sextons) 355
Rifles 135
RE, Mech Inf or Rifles 135
3 Stuart 135
1995

Barrie's Grenadiers
HQ +PF+PS 75
Grenadier +PF 165
Grenadier +PF 165
4 Mortar +PK 150
2 HMG +PK 145
3 Pak 97/38 110
4 Tiger 860
4 105's 210
2 Pak 40 120
2000

Jim Attacking in Breakthrough, SteveJ umpiring.

Barrie deployed in the 2 most crowded quarters of the table. Jim chose to deploy in the most open quarter & attack into the cover.
The German deployment had 105s behind the woods on their left, then Grenadiers in the woods, Pak 40s & HMGs out in front. In the other quarter they had Pak 97s near the centre, then Grenadiers & Mortars on ther their right. The dreaded Tigers were in rear centre ready to pounce.
The Brits put their Artillery in the centre, the 2IC's platoon on the left, the heap of tin on the right & both infantry in flank attack.
The Brit over-ran the Paks & HMGs on turn 1. The Tigers moved forward sniping, but at long range across standing corn, rivers or burning tanks it was always 6 to hit. They got the odd hit & they got one Cromwell platoon but the rate of attrition just wasn't fast enough to stop the tide. One platoon of Cromwells doubled to the edge of the wood then over-ran the 105's. The other Tank Platoon plus the Stuarts wore down the Grenadiers - only repeated morale test passes kept them in the game. On the other flank the 2IC platoon worried mortars & Pak 97's into ineffectiveness, then rolled up the Grenadiers - but again good morale throws kept that platoon in the game.
Meanwhile the battle was being decided on the objectives. Both Rifles came on on turn 5, took the rear objective & dived into the fields around it. This forced the Tigers to move over to dispute it. The Sextons then smoked the Tigers while the Honeys grabbed the other objective. 3 Tigers backed out of the smoke to try to blow the Honeys away while the other stayed disputing the objective. They got one Stuart, but the morale dice came up Rats & the Brits held the objective to win the game without killing a single Tiger.

Pic 1: Overview from rear of British start quarter.

Pic 2: The Rifles have taken the rear objective, Cromwell & Stuarts harry the Grenadiers, the Tiger don't know what to shoot.

Pic 3: The Tiger come out of the smoke but can't drive the Stuarts off the centre objective.