Crossfire Sunday Last

That is to say, last Sunday. Not to be confused with the Sunday before last Sunday. Though, in isolation from the previous post, I don't suppose you would.

Anyway,

Good afternoon,

Last Sunday, that is to say, the Sunday that has just been, Stan and I got together at his place for an afternoon of Crossfire.

Sweet!

He set the table...

...he does set a nice table...we pulled out some toys without too much regard to points. He took...

• two companies of Early Brit footsloggers, 
• two Cruiser tanks and 
• three missions of strafing from a Hurricane (which he never used), 

while I took...

• one full and one understrength company of infantry, replete with Battalion command elements
• two Panzer IIIGs
• three missions of bombing from a Stuka. Stupid Stuka...

...and away we went.

Theoretically it was an encounter mission, in reality I attacked, Stan defended.

First move, and I roll out down the road. Past the Weeping Angel, and into the ineffectual fire of the 2 Pounder ATG peeking out at the side of the far building. Cute wee thing it was.

It misses, so I roll up PzIIIG # 2.

We were allowing multiple vehicle moves and shooting.

I drop smoke and rush across the open to reach the depression ahead of me.

Alas...two suppressions from the edge of the smoke. Still, it could have been worse.

So, with the advance on my right stalling, I send forward my left.

As does Stan. Well, a platoon, anyway.

Whilst on my right, the MGs behind the forward squad laid down some suppressions of their own. One of which included a Vickers team.

Phew.

One platoon reaches the hill, with covering fire from the MGs in the tanks to front and flank.

One squad immediately gets pinned, another suppressed.

(Red means no fire, Yellow = suppressed, White = pinned - although those markers in front of my Grunzen are just there for ease of access, not piled onto the Germans!)

I land smoke in front of another Vickers team...

...while waiting for air support.

Huzzah! It finally arrives!

And does absolutely nothing! Nothing, I tells ya!

Stupid Stuka.

Seeing as these pop guns (3.7cm) on the Panzers are so poorly rated, Stan rolls forward one of his Cruisers. What's the worse that could happen?

One very lucky reactive fire Panzer shot, that's what!

Huzzah!

And more cause for jubilation was about to ensue - my Stuka turned up for it's second mission.

Huzzah!

Oh come on! Not a thing.

Stupid Stuka.

So I drive forward my tanks to deal with that Vickers gun. And to provide some measure of mobile cover for the infantry.

To which all of the infantry ahead of me...missed all of their reactive fire so they couldn't fire again 'till their next initiative.

Huzzah!

Time to press forward my attack.

Huzzah! That pesky Vickers Gun is gone! Huzzah!

Unfortunately...arghh! Armour to my right!

Stan's Bren Gun Carriers take out a squad, so I pull pack a Panzer, causing a reactive no-fire from the remaining Cruiser tank, in an effort to screen the rest of my Grunzen from the MGs of the Bren Carriers.

Stan's initiative, and the Cruiser fires. Ineffectually. As indeed, it did all game. Mind you, had that blue die, the "to hit" die, been a 4, my Panzer would have been toast.

My 3.7cm Panzer gunfire, however...

Boom! Boom!

(Reminds me of Basil the Fox!)

Another Stuka Stonk...

...that fails to hit anything!

Stupid Stuka.

So, since my advance on the left wasn't going quite as well as I had planned...

...I try for an assault on the right.


...which falls short since one of the assaulting squads is suppressed as it goes in.

Bother.

And in the end, with Stan being able to re-enforce his left by moving another squad over from his right out of line of sight from my boys...well, we left it at that.

Suffice it to say, a failed German advance!

Still, it was great to get the WW2 toys out for a bash, especially to have the tanks and Stuka on the table, so 'twas an afternoon's time well spent. Very well spend indeed.

Thanks Stan.

Nick

Stupid Stuka...