"Fur dich, Tommy, ist der Krieg vorbei!"

One of a pair of recent WWII 28mm Bolt Action games we've fought out here in GHQ: this one saw me commanding the British force against Jon who, as the German force commander, had to force a bridge crossing defended by elements of the Home Guard and seize an important communications post ~

The bridge, together with a fording point lower down the river, are defended by the local Home Guard, under the capable{?} command of the ageing and overweight Brig {Capt} Bykleigh, who we last met in the 1920's during the Soviet incursions into Rhanzlistan! The force comprises four small squads supported by a Smith gun. Half the force starts on the table, the remaining entering on a random dice throw each turn, once dice have been allocated to the on table units. To add uncertainty we added an 'end of turn' dice to the mix.

The Home Guard are supported by one Mark VI tank which arrives from off table, like the other Reserves. We classed it as an 8 for purposes of a hit {as we did the German tank}. The picture gives some idea of the dispositions after 4 Turns on the British side of the river.
The German commander, Kapt Weiss, is seen here in deep conversation with his subordinates, while the gun comes into action to support the developing attack.

While the tank, supported by a motorcycle squad, closed on the bridge, the  remaining German infantry moved in a two pronged attack to draw the fire of the defenders from the main thrust. You might just make out the diversionary attack developing in the distance of the following picture ~

The defenders found themselves defending a rather wider front than they had hoped as the enemy squad  you see in the distance moved around their left flank ~

The defenders on the left of the British line were soon hotly engaged in a prolonged firefight with the enemy, sadly having the worst of the exchanges over a number of turns as the accumulating 'Pin' markers only too clearly show ~

Despite heavy fire from the defenders, the German attack made steady progress ~

And soon the two tanks were engaged in a duel to the death which would seal the fate of the bridge defenders or the enemy attackers ~

While the British defenders crumbled under withering fire the tank was finally knocked out by the German gun leaving the bridge open to the enemy, despite two heroic failures on the part of the defenders to assault the tank in a 'death or glory' moment ~

So, Brig Bykleigh, "Fur dich ist der Krieg vorbei!"

The game lasted seventeen turns, a quite remarkable total for our Bolt Action engagements here in GHQ! A tribute to the dogged defence and 'never say die' spirit of the Brits? No, more due to our combined inability to pass Order Tests once the pin markers began to accumulate! The figures are from my small WWII collection, mostly Wargames Foundry and BEF/Warlord, though the Smith gun is from Stronghold. The terrain is from The Last Valley in the main, though Phil made the tiles and the two larger hills for me {See his News From The Front site in the sidebar if you are interested in some for yourself}.The odd vehicles are by Lledo ~ I don't bother with repaints myself ~ and the bridge was an old Airfix kit I recall. Pop back soon for a report on the second engagement we shall fight out tomorrow.