A Simple Matter of Crossing the Road....

"  Seize the Crossroads" A Bolt Action batrep

What with one thing and another, my chums Richie, Danny and myself hadn't played a game of anything in an age. An opportunity presented itself last week which we seized greedily and we met up for a game of Bolt Action. 

We decided to stick with the Normandy campaign theme of our last few games of Bolt Action but moved the action on a few days on from the initial landings. The scenario was kept simple; seize the crossroads at Quenan Le Purv. With 1800 points per side, Richie brought a strong, predominantly veteran SS Panzer Grenadier kampfgruppe led by Lt Heinz Beenz, supported by an MMG, Nebelwerfer, sniper, Sdkfz 250/9 and a Tiger!! Yipes!! 

Danny and I playing the Allies, split the points; Danny with a troop of RM Commandos backed by a Centaur and a medium mortar with 5 man SMG totting section mounted in a Bren Carrier as a shock force, whilst 13 platoon had a Sherman V, a light mortar and a Machine  Gun Carrier in support. The battlefield ready we once more we set to it....

Smoke drifted across the fields in front of the Glen Darrochs form up point. Since the early hours, they had been moving into position in preparation for the advance towards their objective, the crossroads at Quenan Le Purv. Captain Warwick Hunt checked his watch for the umpteenth time; 10 minutes to bloody H Hour and still no sign  of the promised softening up bombardment. What was keeping those bloody Gunners! Up ahead he could see the still smouldering wrecked house by the crossroads and dead livestock that littered the fields surrounding the crossroads. The Navy had given this place a pounding yesterday evening and here was the ample proof of their accuracy and the devastating power of their shells but still no sign of this mornings, much more necessary planned artillery bombardment "Sir!" his radio operator, Pte Mitchell whispered "battalion HQ just signalled;  our artillery have been allocated elsewhere, we are to proceed as planned. 

"Christ almighty" Hunt muttered and getting to his feet signalled the advance to the forward platoon...

the cross roads at Quenan Le Purv view from the British side

view of the crossroads from the German side

These Tigers are well named thought Lt Beenz too himself. He stood next to the towering bulk of one, the sound of it's idling engine sounded like the deep throated growl of one of those big cats, or sohe imagined. Climbing down from the turret, the tank commander nodded at Beenz "Well, here we are, Herr Leutnant; what is the plan?"
Beenz opened his map case and drew out a map. "The cross road up ahead was in our hands till last night; however we have not heard from gruppe guarding it since. It was heavily shelled by the naval guns at last light. We are to conduct a reconaissance in force to establish if it's still in our hands . If not, we are to take it back; simple as that" The tank commander nodded again and Beenz continued "We will move forward first on a broad front; You and the recce vehicle stick to the left of  the road; the ground is a bit better there for movement and observation; okay, let's get moving before Tommy spots us and spoils our fun"

German support elements move forward

13 Platoon's advance meets some stiff resistance with their supporting
armour getting brewed up just after they cross the start line

On the right flank, 2 and 3 section hope to make best
use of the spare cover to reach the road

Lt Charles "Crusher" Cruikshank tutted aloud. Looking at the burning British tank he remarked to no one in particular "That tank commander in that Sherman should've known better than to charge up like that; pity that, poor bastards." Ahead of him, across the road he could see figures moving about in and around the copse; bloody Jerries! he turned and shouted to his men " 3 section prepare to give covering fire; 1 Section and 2 section advance!!" and watched as his Marines started zig zagging from cover to cover. To his left he could hear the roar of the Centaur's engine as it manouvered forward. Suddenly it's howitzer boomed, sending a shot towards the Germans by the copse..Too his right the medium mortar supporting the Marines also started it's firing and Crusher saw a resulting explosion behind the copse; the mortar boys had obviously hit something.

The Centaur opens fire

..as the Marines move forward

the Glen Darrochs advance continues though with some feeling of trepidation as their only hope of damaging the German armour lies with their Forward Artillery Observer who's efforts come to naught

The Germans armour soon makes its presence felt

with the Tiger running riot among the Glen Darrochs

the armour and panzer grenadiers of Kampfgruppe Beenz
swarmed over the crossroads denying it to the Britiish

...despite the best efforts of the Glen Darrochs other armoured support

they had no option but too pull back...

equally, on the left flank, the Marines efforts had been to little avail. With the Glen Darrochs effectively out of thee battle, the tiger and panzer grenadiers where able to focus on the Marines and their armoured support, the Tiger destroying the Centaur and the panzer grenadiers dismounting from their 251 and wiping out a nearby Commando  section with some stunningly accurate fire (six hits that resulted in six kills!!)

Sgt McTurk, 13 platoons acting platoon commander, considered his platoon, what was left of them. Huddled together in the lee of a stoutly built Norman barn. Almost wo thirds of the platoon were either wounded or dead and those left were shattered, physically and emotionally. those effing Jerries and their bloody Tiger tanks. McTurk burned with the desire for revenge, to once more get to grips with those bloody Krauts. But that desire would avail him nothing if he let his platoon go to pieces in the light of this last battle. "LCpl Kennedy, take one man, et to the CQMS and get what ammo you can; Cpl McGinn, lets get dug in here; I want to men paired off; one man digging, the other cleaning  his weapon....


Well that was excellent fun. In a wee change from our usually crowded table  we had a bit more of an open battlefield and it proved very bloody for the British with some very rash tactical decisions being made and duly punished, particularly my decision to deploy the Sherman in too exposed a position before the Tiger deployed. The Germans were tenacious and Richie obviously had a plan that he stuck too; his Tiger was unstoppable. We even forgot the Tiger Fear rule though that mattered very little both during the game and in the end result.

I had divided mine and Danny's 1800 points into roughly two platoons which meant our efforts were diluted. We could've done more indirect fire support; a medium mortar rather than a Bren Carrier with an MMG on top might have been a better choice but, hey, that MMG totting Bren Carrrier looks way better than a mortar, right?.  Anyway, we'll definately have to adopt a different approach when we next go up against the Boche s they are a tough nut to crack.

Thanks again t Rich and Danny for being such good sports,,

pip pip