Pigyard rumble (US vs Germans bat.rep.)

Hey again,

Last weekend brought something I've been waiting for a long time:

Bolt Action game with fully painted armies!

Yup, although I've been into the hobby since like 1996 or 1997 it's not really often here to find gamers using painted only models (for many reasons).

Especially in something larger than standard skirmish, gang-on-gang games.

But since recently my brother discovered marvellous powers of dipping and wash/drybrush combo, he managed to assemble quite pain in der Arsch German force.

And that's what the post is mostly about:
one more encounter between US boys and German Jungen (my bro claims is's actually democratic opposition in the Reich not those evil bastards we saw in Indiana Jones movie). 

But before:
last week another piece of tarrain was added onto the battlefield: fenced patches.

The general idea was to test using balsa wood and new spray. As you can see fence turned out bit too large but's just fine for gaming purposes (should also be enough to protect precious plants against Jeeps, self-propelled guns and overgrown, mutated pigs). I think I'll make another one, slightly larger but with more narrow planks. 

I wonder if there's any market for such pieces.    

To battle!
So for the game we chose Point defence scenario.
Long story short: German forces were defending 3 key positions, marked on the battlefield with Pfennig coins, for those who forgot what was that:

Germans started on the table edge containing 2-floor ruins and another wrecked building.

US guys were starting on the opposing edge, along the road and some hedges.
In the centre there were some ruined buildings but most important: goddamn trees. 

Here's what mean:

I mentioned about overgrown, mutated pigs, right?

Horrifying result of mad nazi scientists... 

(It is said those creatures were planned to be replacement for artillery tractors, which would save precious fuel during late stage of war).

The forces:

Operation Pig Yard Rumble
American troops behind shrubbery. Well-fed pigs from Peenemünde were were silent witnesses of the upcoming battle.
Date	7 October 1944
Location	Northern France
Result	Draw, objective marked captured by US forces.
Belligerents
USA	Nazi Germany
Officers
First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant
Infantry squads
9x Regular Infantry sq. with 2 BARs 9x Regular Infantry sq. with 2 BARs 8x Regular Engineer sq. with 2 BARs and Flamethrower	7x Heer Grenadier with 2 LMG (vet.) 7x Heer Grenadier with 2 LMG (vet.) 7x Heer Grenadier with 2 ass. rifle 7x Heer Grenadier with 2 ass. rifle
Special squads
Sniper team, with SMGs (vet.) Medic
Artillery and anti-tank
57mm Anti-tank Gun M1 Medium Mortar team Bazooka team	Panzerschreck team
Tanks, SP Guns and Armoured Vehicles
M8 Greyhound M4 Sherman 75mm medium tank	Motorcycle with MMG sidecar Marder III Hetzer, (inexp.)

Turn 1

The battle started with preparatory bombardment: 

Germans set up 5 units, 4 of them were pinned only but low rank officer was less lucky and was hit by stray shrapnel. Another nazi bites the dust...

Remaining German units decided to rally, in order to prepare for advancing Americans.

In the meantime whole US infantry and support weapons entered the battlefield. Soliders used ruins and hedges as cover, mortar and anti-tank gun tried to cover as much area as possible (which was quite difficult task because of those fucking trees...)

I'm afraid I screwed up planning at this stage: af first I wanted to concentrate only on 2 markers, leaving the last one in the building together with it's German guard but then something told me to get there and torch the thing with engineers squad (engineers failed which made them rather useless).

Turn 2

US infantry advanced further forward covering behind tree lines - unfortunately unit in the middle was hit by enemy fire. Another unit tried to hide behind tree logs but as soon as they got there, thery were assaulted by nasty German bike: one solider down.

Engineers rushed forward behind another hedge. Germans opened fire from the building trying catch them in open space but LMG missed. Lucky bastards!

Mortar team tried to provide some protection for advancing soliders with smoke screen, but the wind pushed the smoke back leaving them blind.

As the same time Sherman and Greyhound joined the game:

initially I was hoping to use tank and engineers to destroy enemy occupied building but after missed shot tank moved to the centre, providing MMG fire.

Greyhound arrived from the other side ot table edge trying to reach das Bike with heavy fire but since it was well hidden behind ruins - it's attention was pointed at enemy infantry behind the trees, one or two models down.

Turn 3

German iron fist rolled in: lucky for me both tanks' main cannons missed their targets, but MMG fire messed a bit with my brave soliders. Could've been much worse!

Greyhound decided to provide some cover for troopers nearby (instead of mortar which missed once again...) so it moved full speed forward, just in front of enemy bike: 

sure, there was no fire but German patrol also lost line of sight to my infantry so it turned back and rushed away, to be pain in the ass somewhere else.

Infantry units in the middle exchaned fire which result was several soliders dead on both sides. Meanwhile Panzerschreck team emerged from behind the trees just in front of my Sherman, inflicted pin marker but failed to pierce front armour. Phew! That was close!  

Turn 4

Apparently my lucky star faded away.

Engineers tried to get closer to make proper use of their toys but were caught by ambush fire from the building. 6 men managed to get behind the bunker, but the flamethrower operator got bullet in the head during the race for life. 

The squad has now became totally useless. 

Sherman crew failed morale test in order to send some lead to enemy, so it moved back bit deeper into the trees. But not deep enough to hide from the damn Panzerschreck - single shot from well positioned team ripped the vehicle apart.

Infantry in the middle exchanged some more fire, some models were taken out of action. Those trees was a damn nightmare to cross, next time I'd rather try to simply pass it.

As for good news - Greyhound tried to take out the bike, which used it's special recce rule and moved behind the ruins: my advancing infantry has just avoided nasty MMG fire.
US infantry moved from behind pile of logs and inflicted some more pins on Germans defending marker: they fucked morale check and therefore left the battlefield. 

Turn 5

At this moment I was rather sure I could hope only for a draw:

infantry squad moved closer to catch the marker in the next (last!) turn, while Greyhound sneaked up behind the ruined building to destroy enemy motorbike.

At the same time German tanks opened fire to my infantry but practically no harm was done.

 

Turn 6

It's about 1:30 in the morning. War is hell.

Intantry squad fushed forward capturing objective marker.

Hoping for miracle Greyhound advanced trying to hit Marder, but the attack failed (which cannot be said about enemy vehicle, which's well aimed shot turned my poor M8 into heap of smoking junk).

Some single shots were heard but those were just meaningless now: it was a draw.

Aftermatch:

It was fun.

Painted models on nice looking table look just brill and makes games even more enjoyable. Although I am kinda disappointment with performance of mortar and anti-tank gun.

Using mortar is always lottery - at least some smoke was laid, but that damn cannon didn't manage to take a single shot! Sure, it was scaring away enemy units from getting into corridor in the centre but frankly - for that cost I'd rather prefer using forward air observer.

What else? Flamethrower it veeery powerful bullet magnet, so it was not really wise to let engineers go without any mobile protection.
I am still surprised they were lucky enough to survive all the fire from building...

Hope to paint something more 'till the next match so I can slightly modify the battleforce.

Take care!