Miniature Wargaming with Spudnick: AAR: Bolt Action: U.S. Airborne Versus German Fallschrimjaegers.

After dealing with all of the craziness of Thanksgiving and the Retail Madness I work in, My wife and I finally had a chance to war game, again. We were suppose to meet up with a friend of ours to play some Normandy Firefight. I am suppose to be getting the rules sometime this week, since I agreed that my wife should get them. It was a deal at $3.00. I am not sure how the war gaming world keeps working in her favor, but it does. I can't complain. In either case, our friend got side tracked to play another gamer in Kings of War. I am not sure how I feel about that game yet. It will be something to look into.
So, onto violence! I decided to run with my Fallschrimjaeger while Kalissa ran with her American Paratroopers. We rolled up a scenario for Envelopment. I chose to attack my wife with the idea of using my Fallschrimjaegers like a blunt tool against them. The artillery barrage did little effect to the U.S. Airborne waiting for me. What she had was her normal three 11-man squads, a 1st LT., two bazooka teams, a medium mortar, a medic, two Shermans, and two Fireflies. I went with three 9-man squads with full Panzerfausts, one 2nd Lt. w/ two Soldaten with assault rifles, a medium mortar, a PaK40, a Marder III, two Panzer fours, an 222 armored car, and one lonely medic.

This is the full table. This is one I made for a friend, which will be used in a Bolt Action Tournament at Siege of Augusta 2016. I like gaming where we were, but I really would love for them to rid of that God awful red painted wall!

Lower right corner is a small marsh that slows everyone at half speed with no Run Orders.

First move, I ran up the road with my Armored Car. Due to the rules modification, it was not going to make it off the table with a Run order. I actually had two inches from the other side to get it off the table. It was a great risk and the thing managed to become disabled and then, outright killed. Not a good thing. I figured, if it survived the first turn, it would make it.

A British Sherman V is driving by a disabled German Sd Kfz. 222 Armored Car. They probably made some jokes about German BBQ or something.

Kalissa's line of troops had all of the squads deployed across the board covering all approaches. The British armor was held in reserve just to see what I would do. She had her medic with one squad out the wheat field on fairly open ground. The concerning one for me, was the center one behind a row of buildings placed on an Ambush Order for a good part of the game. They are labeled in green. And then, there was the evil corner where they waited in cover on high ground with an open plowed field. I concentrated my troops mainly in the middle with my anti-tank assets covering the open part of the board.

A Panzer IV was taken out first thing by an incoming Firefly shot. It helps if my Panzer crew hits first.

A PaK40 AT gun moves into position.

I sent my Grey squad to keep Kalissa's Airborne interested along with a Marder III that couldn't hit the ground without gravity!

In the meantime, I run my other squads in support with a Panzer IV through the more built up areas on the board.

Though, it is hard to see up top, the 222 armored car is finished off by a Sherman tank.

With tears in my eyes, I already lost a Panzer IV. It seems that no one seemed surprised considering all of the various "sixes" I would see throughout the game. However, my plan continued. I pressed forward to pressure the left flank through the town. Of course, Kalissa reacted by bringing on a Sherman Firefly to knock out the Panzer IV threat. Along with that, were her two Airborne Bazooka teams to make sure of the job. The Firefly missed, but the Bazooka team got it. On the other side, my medium mortar came into action to range in on the squad in the field. The Marder III still could not hit, nor the PaK40. It was getting scary for the grey squad.

A little surprised to see the Firefly so soon. I am normally flanked by these. The Bazooka's that aim at their armored target.

These guys are just itchin' for action!

The last Panzer IV bites the dust! At first, Kalissa thought it was fine. A newly interested guy was watching our game to ask questions. She actually was thinking of the Panzer IV with a front armor of ten, since I run a lot of Panther Tanks. In a way, it seems like I am a power player based on this. I just don't know where this power is.

After the bad shooting, it takes a hit!

They take only a pin despite fire in near open terrain. They might make it!

After losing all of their armor, the Germans press on. In reality, they probably would have said no to the idea of attacking when the Americans still had armor. But not these guys. I moved them even closer to the American positions. I sent the Lt. and a squad through the corridor of death to spring the ambush, while the other two ran up to the corner troops. Armed with Panzerfausts, one squad knocks out the Firefly. On the otherside, there was not much luck in shooting. The grey squad has tied up a Firefly and a squad to prevent reinforcement to the pressured center. Unfortunately, this means they get to be shot at. The Pak40 fails again, as well as the mortar. Turn 3 and 4 are always the most violent ones.

This picture actually is representing what action happened with the models. The Lt. with a pistol shot a man in the head. It was a first for the pistol-packing man!

A Sherman decides to help out!

The Firefly is knocked out for it's offense against the Fatherland!

Springing the trap! I know I was going to have to get shot on purpose to open up avenues to escape of the board. This was a gamble, since about have of the green squad of Americans were at point blank when I came around the corner. I took the gamble and was amazed I survived. I killed of a bazooka team with a medic, no less! The grey squad of the German, my team, was taking a licking. With machine guns and HE shells, I was surprised they were even alive. Some bad rolling on my wife's part. Lots of bodies in this turn.

Springing the ambush! The Germans send one squad around the bend to get shot at. They tried to use a Panzerfaust, but failed. The Lt. came around as moral support to kill some of the Amis!

The grey squad is taking a beating. And now the red squad of the Americans are giving chase. This also reset my ranging for my medium mortar. Other note: I forgot that a Sherman died from a Panzer IV hit!

Final turns:
The middle squad died horribly! They did, however, take out the last Sherman Tank. At that, the German 2nd Lt. tried to cut an run! They two were shot before reaching the table edge. Both, the medium mortar and PaK40 gun finally hit. The open ground Paratrooper squad takes some casualties after killing off the German grey squad. The PaK40 takes out the Sherman Firefly at a long range, finally. The other side of the push off the table took some major resistance. It took two squads to kill up to half of the yellow squad of the Paratroopers. At that point, I decided to by past them off the table with both squads. I wanted to do the same with my medic, but he was shot with two 'sixes' in the open. All in all, the scores were calculated. My wife scored 16 points. I had 15 points. It turned into a Draw despite all of the violence. Who knew!

The remains of the Germans!

Americans bypass the remains of the German grey squad!

German medium mortar.

There was an Airborne medium mortar that was just as terrible at shot. In this case, Kalissa rolled a six to hit and rolled six hits to kill. Every hit killed!