D Day Campaign - Day 2, the beach head expands

This weeks report actually covers only a single turn but 2 weeks play. As 21st Panzer vs the 6th Airborne has gone into a third week that will appear in the next blog. Turn 2 saw the US 4th Infantry attacking 709th Infantry at Ravenville and UK 3rd Infantry attacking 716th Infantry at Benoville. 

Benoville

The British attacked in strength with armoured and air support against Germans using a canal to cover one flank. The Brits advanced steadily with their armour leading the way. Their cause was helped by taking out the Pak40s guarding one flank early on. 

Benoville

The British were able to apply steady pressure with their Stuarts especially effective at wedeling out the enemy.   Despite managing to take one of the objectives they were unable to take the second in time.   

Typhoon launches an attack 

So a draw for the British, who will need to attack again next turn. Special mention to the Stuarts who proved highly effective and even bagged a StuG III. 

  Ravenville

The US force was a pretty large one due to the  high proportion of infantry units. The Germans spread across the field whilst the US focused all the armour for an attack on one side with infantry looking to infiltrate the other - classic envelopment! 

Ravenville

The US armoured punch was successful in overwhelming the defenders on the eastern objective. They had a chance but fluffed their overwatch shooting and got swamped. In the west the US advance was slower but the artillery proved deadly to the Germans and blasted them off the objective there.   

With about half the turns used up the US held one objective but crucially had destroyed all the German AT weapons apart from hand-held.  With nothing to stop the US moving at will the Germans withdrew. 

So after 2 turns the US forces are advancing on St Marie Eglise whilst the British must reattack Benoville having stalled there. Orne River remains in German hands meaning 21st Panzer can operate north of there.  

More 21st Panzer

 

As all three of this weeks games are still in progress I've taken a few shots of Roy's 21st Panzer troops. I think they are all Battlefront. 

21st Panzer HQ

21st Panzer, Grenadiers

21st Panzer 20mm AA

21st Panzer rocket artillery 

Panzer IV of 21st Panzer 

21st Panzer 75mm AT

To the shore: the ride of 21st Panzer

We had a number of absences this week due to work, sickness and family duties. So rather than just play one of the campaign games we decided to try out the 21st Panzer Division against the Para's. The 21st Panzer was unique in being the only fully armoured German unit in the vicinity of the landings. It was though equipped with a hotchpotch of converted French armour, mostly well armed but lightly protected.

The British defence was centred on a small village, with a Sherman platoon covering the second objective.  

21st Panzer massed most of its armoured units in the west of the table looking to outflank the Para's. They deployed most of their infantry opposite the British in the hopes of pinning them down. 

 

In the early turns the Germans manoeuvred their armour around the British flank and deployed infantry into a central wood. With the Brits holding fire the Germans reduced the village to rubble while the Panzers heavily mauled some infantry opposite them. Things looked good for the Germans at this point.   

Mid-game the German artillery grew less and less effective with only limited impact on the British AT capability. A really good 2 turns of shooting suddenly took out 50% of the Panzers flanking forces for no losses.

 

So the Para's went from losing badly to a winning position in 2 turns! a fun game and 21st Panzer certainly looks lovely with its wide variety of vehicles.  

 

  

ECW Lobsters

I've been adding a few more cavalry to my ECW armies after quite a long break from any painting for this period. The first units completed are a two squadrons of Lobsters. Haselrig's Lobsters are the most famous unit and probably the only unit that was formed at any strength, but the Kings army may have contained some of these troops. 

Fictional Royalist Cuirassiers 

I've painted one unit with Red sashes and one with orange, giving me the option for a unit for each side. I'm also thinking that these could be used for some of the European wars by mixing the troops up.  

Haselrig's Lobsters

Combined cuirassier regiment

 

D Day Campaign - Day 1; Beach assaults and Orne River II

This week the US and British forces began their attacks on Utah and Sword beaches. The British made a second attempt to capture the Orne River bridge with scattered Para units joining the fight.

Orne River II

The British began this game in possession of the river bridge but needing to capture the canal bridge to secure the whole map square. They had a parachute battalion and some scattered units who would arrive randomly through the game.  

 

Pegasus bridge

The Para's attacked across the bridge, using smoke to cover the attack. They launched several assaults into the bridge defenders but were unable to break through them.  

 

The scattered reinforcements sadly all arrived on the British side of the table and so were unable to outflank the Germans position and exert pressure on them. After a fierce fight the Germans remained in control of the canal bridge with the Brits forced back behind the river again.    

Sword Beach

The British attackers were well supported by a range of "funnies" and beach assault armour. 

Sword beach Queen

Their first couple of waves stormed ashore but suffered casualties in their vital armour, making initial progress slower than they would have liked. Luckily for them the German reinforcements were slow to appear.   

After a significant struggle the British cleared the beach and managed to get some armour in and push towards the beach exits. The game did not go the full 16 turns but was declared a British win as they had made enough progress to likely secure the win had we fought on next week. 

Utah Beach

The US forces lined-up with plentiful infantry and a swarm of DD tanks who might tip the balance if enough made it to shore safely. 

 

Utah beach Uncle

It was mixed fortunes for the US in the first few turns - 5 of the 7 DD's made it ashore but the 1st wave infantry ran into murderous fire and became a bit bogged-down behind the sea wall.  

The arrival of some engineers with the 2nd wave, and some accurate artillery fire, took out the majority of the German infantry in their largest strong point. Shortly afterwards the Americans also managed to clear the second of the German strong points.  

About 10 turns in the US had cleared the beach and front line defences so pushed in land with Rangers and DD's to the fore. By turn 14 they had captured both beach exits and a US victory was declared.    

  

So after 2 moves the Allies were off both beaches but had failed to take the Orne river, allowing 21st Panzer to counter attack the airborne forces.