Pictures
The game was played at between Keith& I at Keith's house on 17/11/07. Keith was playing the Allies and I was playing the Germans. I provided the terrain and the figures. Vehicles were a mix from Keith's and my collections
PaK-40 (Fujimi) awaits the Allied onslaught. Although successful in turn one it soon succumbed to a hail of artillery and direct HE fire
StuG-75/18(i) (Esci/Italeri) in reserve in Gheno Petini
German rear area - the final defensive line before the Marano River
B Squadron 48th RTR Advances. The nearest Churchill has just fallen fowl of the PaK-40. We didn't have any Mk-IV's so the closest model is actually an Airfix Mk-VII, the furthest models is a Airfix/Matador conversion of a Churchill Mk VIII. The AVRE is the Matchbox/Revel kit. All these from Keith's collection
M10's move up in support of B Squadron. Closest is SHQ furthest is a Britannia Achilles with a barrel swap.
M10 in close-up
AVLB
C Squadron move up the the BUA south of Besangio, the German defenders can be seen in the distance. The Germans held the Allies for a couple of turns but eventually their nerve failed and they fled the village. Airfix Sherman. The Churchill is a right old mix: Airfix hull with Vac-u-Cast hatches, Matchbox AVRE turret with a gun from MMS
10's move up past the burning Churchill once the Allies had dealt with the PaK-40 the Germans had to rely on Panzerfaust and Panzerschreck which are short ranged weapons
StuG redeploys. C squadron looked to be outflanking Besangio
C Squadron. blasts past the infantry in front of Besangio. The Sherman making it to the culvert over the first stream. The EP shell from the StuG isn't very good and failed to penetrate the Shermans front armour. Return fire from the Sherman sent the StuG scuttling to the rear. Luckily for the Germans C Squadron failed it morale check and went shaken. This was just as well as the only defender of the bridge remaining was the single regimental recce stand
Allies assault the first stream. This was the climatic moment of the battle: the Allies trying to kill the German infantry and push an AFV across the stream
The AVRE blew up the unfortunate Panzerschreck stand with its 290mm Petard Mortar
The assault did kill or force off the German infantry. However the M10's paid the price and died. The Allies morale then wobbled and the Churchills retreated. As this was the twilight turn they was no way the Churchills were coming back, no stand can un-pin in the dark
The Panther (Matchbox) finally arrives, after the infantry has defeated the enemy armour on its own
Last act of the game. The German infantry assault the BUA south of Besangio. It was undefended and all the Allied stands close to it were shaken or demoralised
Decisive German victory! When I wrote the scenario I though it would be an Allied push-over but the stringent time limits make it a very challenging game for the Allies to win