Valkensward

(pics from version 1 of the scenario)

The game was played 8/10/06 at my house. I played the Germans and Keith played the Brits. Most of the kit was painted by yours truly except where noted. Note I've altered the OB since this game was played

Artillery of the 10SS Panzer's, demoralised by the constant Typhoon attack. The staff officer of Kampfgruppe Walther attempts to rally the recalcitrant gunners (Fujimi Kubel, Revell leFH-18, SHQ gunners & SHQ SdKfz-11)

XXX Corps starts their long march down Hell's Highway, 3rd Company 2nd Battalion Irish Guards leading

Ambushed. Some of the trainee Fallschirmjäger of Training Regiment Von Hoffman, survived the bombing & shelling to deliver a fatal blow to the flanks of the Guards. Although only the Firefly was killed, and the Germans were fought off, the subsequent morale test caused the Irish to leave the road and go shaken, requiring the intervention of the Battalion HQ to rally them and get them moving forwards. Airfix Shermans and Matchbox/Revell Firefly

PaK-40 of Regiment Von Hoffman watches over the open road. Airfix Pak-40 & crew painted by my opponent Keith.

1st Company hurry after the 3rd, determined to take over the advance from the shaken 3rd. Shermans are Corgi with added stowage. The Firefly was painted by Keith

The way forward. The Shaken 3rd company can be seen in the distance

German reinforcements. 10SS Panzerjäger enter the battle. Their arrival pretty much stalled the British advance. All are supposed to be JgdPz-IV/48 but I didn't quite have the correct models. JgdPz-IV/48 is a Crusader model, the long gunned version are Matchbox

1st Company forge forward to bet attacked by the PaK-40's of Regiment Von Hoffman. German shooting was pretty poor but they didn't manage to take-out the Firefly

M5 carrying the RAF FAC lurks in the woods. Fear of the PaK's and Panzerjäger kept the FAC in the forest which rendered it unable to call the Typhoons.

The 3rd company, now rallied and the 1st move out to face the German Panzerjäger. The overwhelming British artillery have annihilated the dug-in PaK's. Only the fact that the Germans kept their infantry lurking deep in the woods stopped the artillery having a decisive effect. To the west of this advance the Devonshires were making mincemeat of the 6 Luftwaffe Punishment Battalion

Initially the Shermans did well against the tank-hunters. One Jagdpanzer burned while another was forced to scurry back in to the woods. However their luck would not hold

III Abt Regiment Von Hoffman, scared by the hoard of Shermans coming their way break and run past the regimental HQ. However the British didn't have infantry in the right place to exploit this success and the retreat was soon brought under control. (SHQ Horch)

The Guard's Stuarts outflanked the Panzerjäger and made for the end of the table. The SS 10.5cm was all that stood between them and exiting the board. Unfortunately for the Brits the Germans held their nerve and shot really well while the Stuart sprayed the trees ineffectually. The second Stuart subsequently thought discretion was the better part of valour and pulled back shaken.

Once the Shermans had all moved down the highway the Fallschirmjäger came out of hiding and re-manned their foxholes by the road. The move forces the Brits to send back a company of infantry to root them out. The truck is an S&S model

Around 17:30 the British attack fell to pieces. All the British tanks failed their morale and went shaken. Although the Germans were down to a single SP gun by this time there was not enough daylight left for the British to rally and re-launch their attack

2nd Company 2nd Battalion and their Infantry counterparts cower in the woods

On the British flank they were having some success. After defeating the Luftwaffe Punishment Battalion the Devonshires switched from the left to the Right flank. Their 6pdr destroyed the second German SP using APDS (but paid the ultimate price). The troopers stormed the positions of II Abt Regt Von hoffman, killed the remaining PaK-40 crew and put the rest to flight.

II Abt streams past the remaining panzerjäger

The last Sherman. The leading tank of the whole of XXX Corps advance survives as darkness falls. However his morale is none to good!

Ultimately it was a German victory, though it was a close-run and well-fought action. the British have a difficult task to advance in the time given. A little more aggression and bringing up the infantry sooner may have granted them victory though

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