Major Fawlkes' Flames of War Blog: October 2013

More points, more fun!

Turn two begins, and with it an additional 200pts for players to play with, and the added ability to take support options (Minus Tanks and Air Support). The lists that looked quite similar in the first turn start to divert a little, as players decide on the best option to take for their list. With a couple of the players using lists from the FoW Forces Book, I gave them the opportunity to branch out into one of the more specific books to give more choice. So far no-one has come to me to ask, so we'll see what happens there.

For my own army, I kept the list from turn one and added in a machine-gun platoon and an anti-tank platoon. Now, the AT platoon might not sound like the best option, but in Late-war, the British 6pdr fires 3 shots and with a firepower of 4+, is fairly decent at digging infantry out of holes.

Lorried Rifle Company, Welsh Guards, Market Garden Book (Confident Veteran)

H.Q.

Rifle Company HQ - 40

Combat Platoons

Rifle Platoon, 2 rifle squads - 150

Weapons Platoons

Mortar Platoon, 2 mortar sections - 130

Anti-tank platoon, 2 OQF 6pdrs - 85

Support Platoons

Machine-gun Platoon, 2 machine-gun sections - 140

Total: 695

You'll have to excuse the weak writing from here on. I was in the middle of writing this the day after when I received some bad news, and thus only continued a week later. Also excuse the lack of pictures, I tend to get too into the game to take them. Apologies again.

Taking on the Oberst

My game for this week was against the Axis Commander, Gordon, with his 90. Sardinia Panzergrenadiers. His additions were a pair of 7.5cm leIG18 Infantry Guns, This was similar to his comrade, Iain, who instead took the 15cm Infantry guns.

The mission I can't seem to recall. It might have been No Retreat, but details are sketchy. As the attacker, I placed an objective out in the open near a wood, so that I could probably sweep into the position with infantry, where they could hold it. Gordon placed the other behind a hill, safe in the knowledge that I would have to advance over or around it, meaning he could screen it well.

With the mission having Reserves, Gordon elected to put his two Grenadier Platoons in reserve, while keeping his Mortar, HMG and Infantry Gun platoons on the field to form a formidable defense, and hopefully buy enough time for his Grenadiers to show up and reinforce them.
The mortars and HMGs were positioned behind the hill, covering the advance from the railway station in the middle of the table, while the Infantry Guns were placed in the forest to deter any advance on that objective.

I set my own Mortars behind the hill diagonally opposite his on the table, the machine-gun platoon right in the middle, dug in and safe. My 6pdrs were placed in the forest on my left flank to offer supporting fire to the advancing infantry who set up on either flank.

A quick run through

To simplify this and to let me get onto the next week's games I'll run through the battle quickly.

The first few turns were quiet for the most part, with the Infantry picking their way forward on either flank. The mortars raining destruction down upon no-one as failed rangings and lack of firepower meant casualties were scarce either side. The real meat of the pudding came when the Riflemen on my right flank swept into one of the Infantry Guns, who when trying to fall back to a safe location managed to sink into a ditch in the forest, bogging the gun down and allowing a free assault from the infantry. At the same time, a team from the rifle platoon assaulted the Infantry Gun Observers in the Train Station, hoping to clear them out easily. The riflemen in the forest performed admirably, destroying the gun and pushing the rest of the platoon off the objective; the same couldn't be said of the rifle team, who assaulted, survived the crack of the Observer's rifle and then were useless in assault, not hitting and being destroyed by a guy with a pair of binoculars. This, needless to say, amused Gordon no end as a cheer of triumph went up from the other side of the table. Oh the humanity.

That was a turn-up for the books, but the celebration was short lived as in the next few turns Gordon lost the Infantry Guns and the Mortars and HMGs were wavering under heavy fire from the 6pdrs. The late-war 6pdrs I love, due to the fact they can almost be used as slow firing HMGs. With the loss of the 'No HE' rule, 3 shots per gun and a 4+ Firepower, they make effective medium tank destroyers and semi-decent infantry removal devices.

The Infantry Gun is left to it's fate... in a ditch

The final few turns were no better for Gordon, as even though his two platoons of Grenadiers showed up, they were soon cut apart by combined fire from the HMGs, 6pdrs, and a very tactical assault from the Rifle Platoon in the forest, near the objective.

That git... I should put a price on his head

In the penultimate, and last turns though, he had a small reason for cheer. Turn 5 came round, and determined to remove the Observer Team, my 2iC fixed-bayonet, and died the same way as the first rifle team. And then, just to compound matters, the sneaky Observers took a pot-shot at an HMG team, and killed it! Even though he lost the game, Gordon was still feeling triumphant, and lauded praise onto his Observers.

Result: Allied Win

Location Scored: Continental Hotel

XP: Gordon Hamilton: 2
Myself: 4