1944 Normandy Breakout at Legendary Wargames

Full disclosure, it took me so long to get around to posting this I forgot most of what happened so narrative is brief. However the game itself is such a feast for the eyes I wanted to share the pictures still, your welcome!

I was recently invited to play at Legendary Wargames in Bronte country for the weekend, Rugby got in the way of the Saturday so I went for the second day and took over the advance of about a brigade of American troops.

Slightly confused fighting initially, mainly as I figured out which troops were mine and what I was up against., fabulous terrain and figures as usual.

The Allied objective was to win over the river, gaining points for each bridge and village captured.

I have one battalion of infantry sat in trucks ready to roll when the road is cleared.

My first job is to clear the remnants of a German infantry battalion from the village at table edge. I am pretty merciless with them firing half a dozen tanks, MG's and multiple, infantry companies into each house to finish the job quickly.

These two heavy German tank destroyers take me pretty much all day to get rid of given the disparity in armour and guns with the Shermans. As always lovely models.

These large AT guns also cause some havoc but are a little easier to get rid of with some concentrated fire.

Andy decides he has a cool way to decide on direction of wind for the smoke using a D4, having rolled it he promptly forgets how it works so we chuck a pen in the air instead.

The below picture of John Smith with the majority of both tables gives you an idea of the scale of gaming at Legendary Wargames. My area of operation is the table to the left of John with the village just behind him and the woods just next to him my immediate objectives and my high water mark when I went home.

Two more heavy German tank hunters block the road to the bridge at the near end of the table, Richard and I work together to swamp these with tanks and infantry. Still it takes some doing.

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Even when its raining Bronte country is beautiful. The view from Richards garden where we have a Pie and Beans lunch weather permitting.

Back after lunch and we throw all available units at the two Tank Hunters and supporting infantry company to try break through to the bridge. Its messy but eventually gets the job done.

Released from the village at table edge the rest of my armour and infantry start to push on toward the next village with a bridge.

The German Tank Hunters are happy to wait and pick my Shermans off supported by the heavy AT guns.

The Germans in the village are eventually swamped.

Richard having cleared the village at table edge I launched one battalion of my Brigade down the road and around the edge of the Germans.

Its a bit of a mess in the village with burning vehicles and casualties left right and centre, but we are making progress.

I quickly come under fire from across the river and unload my troops and heavy weapons.

We take casualties but soon I can call in artillery and my mortars are set up and the German defenders are destroyed.

Finally the last of the last of the German gunners are destroyed.

We get aircraft but without a spotter the only thing it see sis an empty truck.

I am finally closing in the German tank destroyers with three companies with Bazookas and three Shermans but even at this range I still needs 6's!

The allies were now making good progress but at a heavy cost. All still to play for but it was time to go home.

A final evening of gaming on the Thursday saw an Allied victory, which I missed unfortunately, still a fabulous day of gaming.

Eastern Front WWII Game AAR

 We haven't played Steve's home grown rules for a while so decided to have another play as he has made a number of amends.

Steve would command a mixed force of Germans defending an East German village, Chris and I would split an attacking Russian force.

The Russians had two companies of infantry a company of SU's and some support weapons. The Germans we would find out as we went along.

I had to get in quick before Chris nabbed the battenburg.

The rules are card driven and not disimilar to the Picquet in terms of activations. As we deploy on table the only Germans we are aware of is the mortar dropping harrassing fire on us, clearly directed by a HQ in one of the buildings but which one?

We push forward and my SU's are nearly half way up the table before they bump into a platoon of Police with Panzerfausts and back off out of range with two points of damage on one of the vehicles.

My return fire from a safe distance puts the platoon almost out of action with three suppression points and taking a base of as casualties. Across the rest of the table the infantry on foot are trying to keep up.

As soon as we are in effective range Steve opens up with a platoon of Panzer Grenadiers from one House and a platoon of Police from another. Chris and I return fire from multiple weapons then get forward to close assault them.

The Police unit surrender and my SU's go back up the hill only to discover  Panzer Grenadier MG and a HQ spotting team.

We are outside the houses but without a close Assault card the best we can do is keep firing in and reducing the numbers of defenders.

My SU's inflict some damage on the MG but then a Hetzer hoves into view and blows both up with one round of firing. Oh dear, things had been going so well!

I missed a couple of card turns with the camera, Chris flushed some Panzer Grenadiers out who beat a hasty retreat in front of his SU's, he then turns the German flank only to find an AT gun waiting and inflicting serious damage on both remaining SU's. 

Discretion being the better part of valour he pulls them into the village which we have just occupied having close assaulted both front houses and captured the remaining defenders.

Unfortunately the Hetzer is re-positioned and hits a further SU as it pulls into town.

I push on, close assaulting the next block of houses with a platoon, unfortunately they fire on me, combined with the Panzer Grenadiers in an adjacant block and push my chaps back.

Having advanced one MG and my HQ I am however starting to cause casualties on the Panzer Grenadiers entrenched on the hill.

We are now also starting to concentrate fire on the Police occupying the next house.

A further close assault from two platoons and the remaining Police are overwhelmed and surrender giving us control of 4 out of 6 buildings.

Meanwhile Chris close assaults the woods on our right flanks and destroys both the company sheltering there and the anti gun dug in on the edge.

With the Germans having only two companies remaining and holding the last two houses and Russian victory is declared. Steve however made us work hard for it.

A fun game thanks Steve, I look forward to our next encounter.