Advance to contact!

 Will popped over today and it proved to be a great opportunity to get some figures on the table for a game or two.

The first game was set in 1944 and saw US and German troops probing forwards in Normandy.  Both sides had 100 point forces and both elected to to have a tank company represented by three tank models.  The US had a couple of infantry platoons, heavy machine guns and mortars, while the Germans simply had the three tanks and four companies of infantry. Rapid Fire rules were used.

The troops would arrive and advance to contact based upon a roll of the dice. 

This was the area of operations, the Bellona river, with its humped backed bridge, dotted woods and fields and several ruined buildings.  The US forces appear from the right and the Germans on the left:

Closer up on the US side, with the river in the background:

Looking down the length of the table from the German end:

The US forces begin to arrive; an infantry company cautiously moves towards a small wood:

Both sides bring their tanks onto the field, with a Panzer IV now sitting astride Bellona bridge.  Then follows an exchange of fire between it and a Sherman along the road.  A second Sherman moves up behind, while another Panzer IV creeps around the wood by the river.

More US troops move cautiously around the hedgerows.

A third Sherman advances to support the US left flank.

The third Sherman attempts to outflank the Panzer IVs by the bridge.

The two Panzer IVs strike it lucky and one of the Shermans on the road is destroyed. US mortars deploy near one of the buildings and a Bazooka team attempts to sneak towards the Bridge.  Unfortunatel the Bazooka team is knocked out shortly after.

A wider view of the field, showing large numbers of German infantry closing in on the Bellona river, while the US infantry occupy a building supported by the third US tank.  In the background a Stug III has crept around behind the bridge to engage the second Sherman on the road.  The Panzer IV on the bridge withdraws after being damaged.

German panzer grenadiers line the hedge and fire at the US troops in the building.

With the Stug III covering the approach to the bridge, the two Panzer IVs swing around to engage Sherman 3. Meanwhile two more companies of Germans rapidly advance towards the bridge.

The Stug III destroys the second Sherman on the road by the bridge.  The US attempt tp mask the two Panzer IVs with smoke, but they move to a new position and engage Sherman 3, causing some damage and forcing it to withdraw. The german tanks and infantry pour fire onto the building and the US infantry follow Sherman 3 reawards.

The Germans now dominate the river preventing any further forward movement by the US forces.

Supported by the Stug III masses of German infantry pour over the bridge outflanking the US troops, who now concede defeat.

It was a major victory for the Germans.  The Rapid Fire rules worked well and Will and I are now getting the hang of them without constantly referring to the rule book.  Most enjoyable.