Chouigui

 

This game was played between Keith and I in my conservatory on 8/7/12. Keith and I pretty much evenly supplied kit for both sides

 

1st Battalion 1st Tank Regiment deployed in and around Chouigui, hiding from the Stukas. Mostly matchbox M3's. Blade Force commander's jeep can be seen: SHQ

 

The Derbyshire yeomanry deployed as a back-stop, south of Chouigui. Cromwell Humber MkIV, MMS 15Cwt, Airfix carrier and Hasegawa Daimler.

 

457th Light Artillery Battery in position with an extemporised crew. They were not destined to last long falling victim to a Messerschmitt strafing run early in the battle. Moonlite Modelwerks 3.7" Howitzer.

 

Allied defences north of Chouigui

 

Kampfgruppe Luder moves south. Sensibly the Allied defenders declined to open fire at long range choosing to hide in the olive groves allowing the M3's puny gun a better (but not good) chance of knocking out the Tiger. Altaya Tiger repainted. PzKfw-IIIN is a Matchbox conversion. The anachronistic SdKfz-251/5D is SHQ and the SdKfz-10/4 is S&S.

 

Kampfgruppe Hudel attacks. Matchbox PzKfw-IIIL, MMS PzKfw-IIIJ, Matchbox SdKfz-11 and Airfix Pz_IV F2 masquerading as G's

 

2 Kp 69 Panzergrenadier Regt infiltrates through the olive groves

 

KG Hudel's infantry move forward to scout the village

 

Following the infantry 3 Kompanie 7 Panzer Regiment moves towards Chouigui. This was somewhat rash but time was pressing on and the Germans need to be beyond the village to meet the anticipated British counter attack. Although the M3's proved ineffectual the British 2pdr (just off shot to the left) shot up the Pz-IIIJ from the flank

 

C Coy and HQ 1/1 Armored Battalion retreat from Chouigui past an abandoned Bofors

 

Although some defenders remain they can't stop the German infantry entering Chouigui

 

A Marder's eye view of the advance

 

Unfair fight on the German right flank. However getting close to any tank, even getting close to an M3 in a Tiger, is a risk

 

 

Having dealt with the M3's and the 2pdr KG Hudel move to outflank the village, to be confronted by a 6pdr (Cromwell)

 

The 6pdr proved hopelessly ineffectual and dies under a hail of MG fire. KG Hudel continues to advance. The M3's are on the other side of a ridge to the panzers, you can't see the ridge behind the bush in this pic.

 

Marders follow on behind the Panzers while the Kradschützen mop up the shaken British defenders. The PzBefWg-IIIK is an anachronism substituting for an earlier mark. In the game it was only rated as MG armed. PzBefWg is a Matchbox hull with a Vac-u-Cast turret

 

The Tiger looks like it has broken through on the west flank. However a close range shot to the rear by the M3 would prove the Tiger's undoing

 

The 17/21st Lancers attack to be confronted by KG Hudel

 

17/21st Lancers - Crusader III are Hasegawa, Crusader II are Armourfast, Valentines are for the most part Fujimi, however the 6pdr version is MMS

 

The German attack on the western flank stalls after the demise of the Tiger. The Derbyshire Yeomanry were placed to stop the Pz-IIIN advancing any further

 

C Coy counter attacks the Marders, the Allied commander correctly deciding that Marders having the best gun and the puniest armour made them prime targets. Unfortunately the M3's only see 2" in the groves, the lower PaK-40 sees 6"...

 

17/21st comes off worse in the encounter with KG Hudel. Misplacement of the Lancers' HQ, deprived them of artillery support at a crucial moment. Although only one Crusader burns the rest of B company has run off shaken

 

C Coy 17/21st Lancers move through the Olive groves to outflank KG Hudel

 

C Coy pulls on the the Flank of KG Hudel unfortunately the Germans chose not to move so were halted awaiting C Coy's advance

 

Things go pear shaped for the Brits. However there are only a couple of turns remaining and the Germans need to clear a very wide area of all Commonwealth stands in order to win

 

KG Hudel moves in for the kill. There are only a couple of turns left, and to win the Germans need to mop up the Lancer's HQ and the Yeomanry; the rest of the Lancers having retreated shaken

 

The Yeomanry run for it. However they are still close enough to the road exit to force a draw if the Germans can not kill them.

 

The final encounter between the remains of KG Luder and a Humber of the Yeomanry

 

In the end the German managed to destroy the Humbers and thus gained victory. However it was closer than it looked. If the Brits had delayed the Germans another turn they may well have won the game. Deployment of the Lancers is tricky for the Brits. They want to defend the road exits but the Germans have superior long range guns which forces the Lancer to close with the Germans. It was an excellent game with plenty of manoeuvre, and highly entertaining.

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