Rauray

1/7/44

This game was organised by Ian Armstrong and played at Chris Steadman's house on 10/2/08. The scenario was taken from Mark Piper's site: http://www.worldoptions.com.au/fourpipers/rapid/raurayrf2.pdf, though Ian reckoned that all the British armour was actually reinforcements, so he had them enter on turn 8. The game was played using Rapid Fire 2.

Most of the lit was supplied by Ian, though the Matchbox panthers and the Firefly's were mine

 

Kampfgruppe Hohenstaufen lines up for the attack. Closest pair of Panthers are Ready to Roll with the infernal bases removed, those in the distance are Matchbox

 

Close up of a pair on Panthers. That in the distance is a hybrid, Airfix hull, S&S track units and Vac-U-Cast turret

 

Kampfgruppe Weidinger around Brettevillette. PzKfw-IV are Ready to Roll models. the German plan was for Weidinger (Commanded by Chris) to advance through the fields to the SW of Rauray to directly attack the town while KG Hohenstaufen (commanded by me) used its superior long range firepower to dominate the open spaces in front of the town

 

Stab Kampfgruppe Weidinger. The PaK-38 auf ZgKw 1t is a Milicast model. I'm unsure of the provenance of the Unic.

 

British defenders face KG Weidinger. SHQ Lloyd carrier

 

CO's car from KG Kampfgruppe Hohenstaufen outside Queudeville. The CO spent nearly the entire game in the town using a vantage point to call artillery fire on the British defenders

 

Hohenstaufen advances. The sole British 6pdr manages to piece a Panther's thick hide buy then dies under a volley of 75mm fire

 

KG Hohenstaufen closes with the British infantry. The British infantry seemed to be very low on PIAT's so the Panthers could advance with impunity. Although the Brits were well dug in it was only a mater of time before the German armour killed them all

 

After the British Infantry on the German right was shot up and fled this MMG carrier was left abandoned (SHQ model)

 

Having fough through the hedgerows and routed the defenders KG Weidinger approached the environs of Rauray

 

KG Hohenstaufen drives up the road immediately south of Rauray, British resistance having crumbled

 

KG Hohenstaufen mopping up the last British elements south of Rauray

 

British reinforcements arrive at last. Shermans of 24th Lancers move up behind Rauray. That closest to the camera is an SHQ model. The Firefly IC is a conversion, Airfix hull with a Matchbox turret.

 

KG Weidinger moves to face the British armour. Their flank was no secure as the final British infantry battalion had just surrendered in Rauray

 

Crocodile of  141st RAC burns a German sniper (Airfix model)

 

StuG-IV (SHQ) engages the British

 

First blood to the Germans. Bt this point in the game it was obvious that the British were not going to win. They had lost all of their infantry with the exception of a couple of MMG stands, and the tanks were attacking superior German armour

 

KG Weidinger's PaK front, guarding against a British breakthrough that just wasn't going to happen

 

A crushing German victory. In hindsight the Brits never stood a chance. Three 6pdrs and 3 PIATs vs 12+ German tanks wasn't a fair game. Still I had great fun being a German steamroller and it was nice to let some else run a scenario