and a game on 28-03-2019
Battle report Mission “Dawn Assault” The siege of Tobruk.
Guy is commanding the British (Armoured Brigade) and I am commanding the DAK Light Division
1 victory point for a destroyed unit and make sure you have a 2 point advantage to win
The troops
Since the DAK have the Afrika Korps Light Division as army list it means everybody needs a transport. I have 2 sections of 10 men which each need a truck and the commander can fit into one of the trucks. As support I bring 2 Light AT Guns each with a heavy field car, 2 Panzer III’s, 1 SdKfz222.
The British Armoured Brigade brings 3 A-10 tanks and 1 Stuart light tank, a Marmon Herrington scout car, 1 infantry section and a Major in a truck, a light AT gun with a universal carrier as tow
Deployment
Preliminary bombardment. Annoying considering that several of our units were hammered and had pin markers that (as intended by the games developers I guess) held down several of our (if I may say so) cunning plans.
Dawn Assault. Visibility is next to nothing, 2D6” when somebody moves +6”, when you shoot +6”, when you are a vehicle +6”, when you are a small unit -6” to give an idea.
Turn 1
The British (Guy) kept two units in reserve and deployed also in front of the village just like their counterparts. Like a small tradition that is developing, we read the dawn assault rules after deployment. So hiding behind bushes to avoid gun shots is completely unnecessary we found out after some good reading.
The village on the far side of the battlefield gave a serious amount of cover for any flanking tank force and therefor was very attractive to the German troops. All infantry sections (British and German) scrambled for the builded area. Tanks were moving the same direction at the edge of the village with a hill and a small forested area as flank cover
Shooting kept to a bear minimum and movement a little bit more free then normal.
Turn 2
The tanks of both platoons squize into the village side and start shooting towards each other. The superiority of the British in materiel nullified by the narrow corridor where the shoot out took place. The most forward Panzer III also succeeded in firing on the British section.
Turn 3
Finally all German vehicles started moving and the Germans actually knocked out the first A10 of the battle. Most shooting was inconclusive and slowly the tanks rolled near. Meanwhile the British infantry nested into a building and started shooting at the advancing German sections. Under cover of darkness the whole German force started to advance.
Turn 4
Start of turn 4 we rolled a 1 and all smoke and dust was blown away by a gust of wind. Which did not mean that the sun came up on the horizon. The fight started well before dawn and all troops were still covered by a shroud of darkness.
The German Veterans assaulted the British section in the building wiping them in the process. The tanks kept an firing in their Mexican stand off, the lonely A10 strengthened by a Stuart tank, still the 2pdrQF AT gun was blocked by the A10 standing between it and the Germans Pz III’s evening the odds for the lucky German commander. The universal carrier picked on one of the Light AT guns after which the SdKfz222 took revenge, knocking out the Carrier with it’s auto cannon.
Turn 5
Daylight!! at last it is daylight!
The Germans press home their attack. The SdKfz222 moved behind the A10 and popped two rounds in the rear off the vehicle blowing the tanks to bits and pieces. The Stuart saw it happening en resentful shot at the recce vehicle easily penetrating it’s armour and so the SdKfz222 also came to it’s end. Both Panzer III’s tried to do the same to the Stuart but in vain.
The German veteran infantry section pressed home their advance and went after the major and his side kicks. The mayor and his transport tried to evade capture by advancing in a different direction covered by the Marmon Herrington. The second German infantry section starts shooting at the 2pdrQF who promptly runs for cover.
The last A10 finally started moving, hurray!
Turn 6
The major is caught up by the Veteran section of the Germans after a command roll of a 12 for the major. The A10 tries to shoot the German infantry, the tanks try to kill each other with no success. The infantry also kills off the 2pdrQF.
Turn 7
Very strange but if I follow the photographs shot then we played 7 turns, without that I remember a roll for it?
The smoke and dust gets blown away a second time and taking advantage the Marmon Herrington finishes the German veteran section off. The A10 tries to shoot a German truck, no success and these choose very wisely to run. The British truck does the same on the edge of the British side and the tanks… again don’t kill a thing… sigh.
Ow both ATguns try to shoot the A10 at point blanc range. One can actually stick it’s barrel between the road wheels of the A10 and… missed both of them…
End of turn 7? Roll off to see of there is a turn 7? Nope so we ended here.
It was a very nice game and Guy and I had a couple off laughs during this game. The now you don’t see me (fire) and now I do see you me was hilarious at times.
Result the Germans score 2 Victory Points and win the game by the smallest of margins possible
Thanks for again a great game!
