Cut up up the cut! 1940 Operation Zeelowe ~

For the final game of 2019 here in GHQ I chose a 1940 Operation Zeelowe game, using the basic table layout from the ECW game earlier in the month with added elements to bring it visually into the period. This involved adding the garage, canal and railway line along with hedges, walls, fences and period scatter like the greenhouse, platelayers' hut and pig houses. Added civilians further aid the period 'look' of the table ~

The action sees the British counter attacking the invader across a canal and a railway line. Phil took charge of the British and I was in charge of the Germans, caught out by the surprise counter attack. We used Bolt Action2 for the rules, but set the game limit as 12 turns to accommodate the larger playing area. As is my wont, the battle unfolds through the captioned pictures which follow ~

I sent one of the 38Ts supported by a squad of infantry to delay
Phil at the bridge crossing.

The other 38T I sent out wide to my left, again supported bya
squad of infantry to give flanking fire on the bridge crossing.
Myinfantry gun is in the wrong place! But my 80mm mortar
did splendid service. The spotter is in the abandoned pill box!

Phil's LDV Reccon squad made it over the bridge and into the
wood before my squad was in place. They were a nuisance all
game.

The sniper's spotter acquires his first target.

Von Bikel bites the dust! Bit of a downer that!

Vickers Mk VIc engages and destroys my 38T! What can I say?
The dice certainly didn't run for me there!

With the 38T down the infantry squad withdrew into the cover
of the garage!

At last my anti-tank gun gets into action ad destroys the Vickers
Mk VIc. Sadly the remaining Vickers knocked out my other 38T
on the flank along with my supporting infantry.

Well, Turn 7 and I'm beaten really, so we adjourned for coffee and then a late lunch. Being the 'vile Hun' as usual seems to have affected my post game frame of mind, so I arranged a small scene to finish on...

Finally, a couple of shots of the extras for these games ~

Sheep may safely graze? Or cattle chewing the cud?  A very
pastoral idyll...

Richard Dimblebury reportingfor the BBC?

Next game planned here in GHQ will be on January 8th with Jon. No idea at this stage what we will play, I will have to see where the muse leads me now the year has turned...