Counter Attack at Soggy Bottom

Phil and I lined up in GHQ this week for a WWII game set in the fictional world of a successful German execution of Operation Zeelowe in 1940. Our game is set some days after the Germans have invaded and pushed northwards. A hastily assembled force under Brigadier Bykleigh mounts a counter attack towards the village of Soggy Bottom held by elements of the Wehrmacht. On the German’s right flank groups of Falskirmjaegers hold Whyte’s Farm and have fortified it to secure the flank from envelopment. They are supported by a number of Panzer 38Ts. In the British force elements of Regular infantry are supported by LDV and a troop of Vickers MkVI tanks. They can also call on a battery of 18lbers off table with an observer located on a prominent hill overlooking the village and farmstead.

The Krauts dig in at Soggy Bottom while the Falskirmjagers
Protect their right flank by occupying the farm buildings.

The British advance with determination to throw back the
Hun!

The Red Lion shall not be taken!

Covered by the 2lb anti-tank  gun and a company of infantry
the Vickers Mk VIs advance towards the enemy centre. 

On the British right flank the old men of the LDV make a
move towards the cover of the field boundary.

Just in time too as a company of the enemy is moving to
flank the British attack.

In the centre a Matilda Mk1 supported by a company of
infantry and a MMG advance to the attack!

With theLDV's progress being somewhat tardy, the enemy
move into the cover of the wood.

Heavy fire from the enemy halts the infantry advance in
support of the tank!

The German centre looks pretty firm by this time with the PAK
drawing a bead on the hesitant Matilda.

The enemy tanks are thrown back when the Panzer II is
knocked out by a lucky shot ~ the first of several I have to say!

With the enemy tanks thrown back unexpectedly the British
tanks advance with infantry support to dislodge the remaining
enemy infantry who are forced back into Soggy Bottom.

The Germans call up their reserves to shore up their left flank.

But its all in vain, mounting casualties have fatally weakened
morale and after three successive turns turns the Germans rout!

A first run out in GHQ for 1940 games with RF2 as the rule set in use rather than our more usual Bolt Action set. The dice gods really helped me along the way in this game, with the tanks five times needing a 6 to hit and then getting a further 6 to knock out the Panzer II and one of the remaining PanzerT38's, while the German Pak could not hit a barn door! The game lasted 10 of the projected 12 turns, so the Germans could consider themselves a tad unlucky to loose, putting up fierce resistance in Soggy Bottom itself and blunting the LDV attack on their left.
Al the figures are from my 28mm WWII collection The infantry are mostly Foundry, supported by Warlord Games and Mutton Chop figures. The tanks are all by Warlord Games and the extra British vehicles are from Lledo. The buildings are the old Conflix range, now becoming available again I read somewhere or other!
Next up here in GHQ should be an AWI game in early June. These run of three Bank Holiday Mondays in six weeks has really scuppered our regular games programme and no mistake! In the meantime,its back to painting the last of the AWI expansion project units, the 45th Foot using venerable Foundry figures.