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.