Hemmbalken - A Miniatures & Gaming Blog

Behind The Sword

21st Panzer Vs 4th Canadian Armoured

Points - 1750

Allied Force: 4th Canadian Armoured Division under Acting Captain Tim Nuttall

Axis Force: 21st Panzer Division under Hauptman Jonathan Deller

Mission: Hold the Line (Allies defending a German counter attack)

Wanting to get in on the WWPD Operation Overlord Global Campaign we decided to get the Flames of War stuff out onto the gaming table! There was only one problem, we had no beach terrain, landing craft or even a single hemmbalken or czech hedgehog. However we did spot a chance to kill two King Tigers with one APDS round! We are currently two years into a Firestorm Market Garden campaign (yep, it is sometimes a long time between battles and we are playing every single one), and one on the map to do was the German counter attack on Eindhoven. A quick look in Turning Tide showed several villages in the areas behind the Normandy invasion beaches and so came to be our scenario of a localised counter attack of elements of the 21st Panzer Division against an infantry company of 4th Canadian securing the village of Moules-Mariniere-Sur-Mare.

Allied Objective: Hold the line against the German counter attack by keeping Axis forces out of their half of the table from turn six onwards. (Marked rather conveniently by the fold lines in the gaming table as seen above.)

German Objective: Break through into the Allied beachhead by taking either of the objective points. (One located just behind the ruined factory on the left and the other just behind the crossroads in the middle of the village on the right.)

Turn One

A general German advance towards both objectives. Two platoons of infantry back up by a King Tiger tasked with taking the crossroads in the middle of Moules-Mariniere-Sur-Mare set off towards their objective followed by their OIC and 2IC. On the left a platoon of Panzer IVs raced down the road toward the factory objective. In the middle a platoon of 3.7cm AA half track took up positions to cover both lines of advance. The Canadians sat tight in their positions and called in an artillery bombardment on the German infantry.

Turn Two

The Germans continued to advance towards their objectives. The Allied turn saw Tim launch his M10s out of ambush and opening fire on the Panzer IVs coming down the road - and missing every single shot. Another artillery bombardment pinned the German infantry on the right and the Canadian mortars, now in range added their fire causing further losses.

Turn Three

Finally the Germans had a target to shoot at! The Panzer IVs continued their advance, firing at the M10s at they went destroying one of them. In the middle, the AA half tracks moved up and on the right the King Tiger and infantry continued onwards towards the crossroads. The Allied turn saw a platoon of Sherman tanks fresh off the beaches arrive behind the remaining M10. Three of Panzer IVs were taken out in short order. On the right two universal carrier platoons raced out from the town and opened up on the German infantry causing heavy losses in a rather well executed attack.

Bravo Tim....bravo.....

Smoke trails rising from the left flank as the tank battle rages on.

The German 2IC's view of the Universal carriers. The defrocked Priest next to them is used as a Sherman OP for the Sexton platoon.

Turn Four

What remained of the German infantry continued their slog towards Moules-Mariniere-Sur-Mare. The King Tiger took out two universal carriers in short order with the MG42 heavy machine gun platoon adding it's fire to take out two more. The Panzer IVs returned fire on the left taking out the last M10.

Allied turn four saw the Shermans take out the Panzer IVs and more withering fire pouring into the long suffering Panzergrenadiers.

Turn Five

The German infantry finally made it to the outskirts of Moules-Mariniere-Sur-Mare and both decided not to take cover in the buildings due to failed building check rolls. Veterans too. Yeah.....

The King Tiger finished off the universal carriers in a brutal demonstration of overkill and the Nelebwerfer batter ranged in on the Shermans who had just finished off the Panzer IVs managing to knock one of the out.

The Allies having taken out the threat to the factory objective moved the surviving Shermans to the centre and opened fire on the AA half tracks, knocking out two and causing a platoon moral check. Mindful of my losses, I attached my 2IC for the re-roll and watches as the half track reseved off the board at speed with the 2IC running after them. One of the German infantry platoons also broke under the weight of fire coming from the Allied artillery and quite the field.

Turn Six

The German infantry took cover in the building now deemed safe enough to enter. The King Tiger shifted position and opened fire on a platoon of Canadian infantry sheltering in the second line of buildings causing no losses. The Nebelwefers joined in but again caused no losses.

The Allied Shermans assaulted the German infantry in the buildings, wiping them out.

Turn Seven

The German counter attack had been severely mauled and was quickly running out of units with which to operate. The Germans passed their company moral check. The King Tiger was keeping me in the game, now being past turn six and the only German unit up past the half way line. I decided to stay put and them the Allies come to me.

Tim couldn't resist such a prized kill as a King Tiger and the Shermans moved out to meet it. One platoon headed out to assault the MG42 platoon and the other into close contact with the King Tiger. A round of close range shooting into the flank destroy the Tiger and the assault on the MG42s caused them to fall back (half the platoon were out of combat range). All that was left on the German side were the Nebelwerfers and the OIC. I called time. 5-2 to tim, well played mate!

Conclusion

Tim played an excellant match and lost only one platoon the whole game! I narrowly missed out on a purple heart medal! In retrospect I shouldn't have wasted my 2IC on trying to keep one AA half track in the game and used him to reinforce one of the infantry platoons. The King Tiger should probably have been used in the middle and could still have supported the Panzergrenadiers in their assault on the town. But enough ifs and buts! Despite a serious arse kicking a good time was had all round and I look forward the next game!

Anyone interested in the terrain used: Check out Deller Terrain on Facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/DellerTerrain)

I'll leave you with a few shots as taken but the war reporter Hans Leadmann of the battle of Moules-Mariniere-Sur-Mare and it's aftermath.