From The City From The Plough... To Normandy.

[Harry Faversham]

There's plenty more to come, narrative's going right up to D+30!

[MABO]

There's plenty more to come, narrative's going right up to D+30!

I am looking forward!

[Harry Faversham]

Just fought through D+6, the action took me by surprise, even playing solo!

[Harry Faversham]

D+6

British

4 Infantry Platoons (A Company 8th Rifle Brigade)

1 Sherman tank (East Riding Yeomanry)

1 FOO (A Battery 'Chestnut Troop' RHA)

Germans

4 Infantry Platoons

1 Stug

1 88mm Gun

D+6 A strong column of British troops are pushing inland having found a weak link in the German defences, a small Jerry blocking force astride the road. A fast and vigorous assault will allow A Company 8th Rifle Brigade to break the enemy's front line...









As always the German response is swift and decisive. A strong right flanking counter attack comes in almost immediately their road block begins taking fire!





The Rifle Brigade launches an all out assault up the road, leaving a small rearguard to hold off the Jerry flanking attack.





The Rifles' attached RHA FOO once again proving decisive in pinning, then halting the German Infantry.



The German blocking force starts to take heavy casualties as their anti-tank gun takes a round of HE from the Yeomanry's Sherman... a short lived triumph as a Stug takes a swift revenge!







The smoke from the fires aboard the unfortunate Yeomanry Sherman provides a perfect cover, blocking the Stug from effectively engaging the fast moving Riflemen. A Company 8th Rifle Brigade break through the German blocking line and continue their swift advance up the road!





But what of the gallant rearguard?



Seeing masses of German Infantry closing in on his rearguard, Major Harry Wilson takes his FOO and assumes personal command of the desperate stand.



Major Wilson paces the road behind his men as they pour fire into the enemy, holding them at bay till their ammunition is exhausted. The Major orders his FOO to wreck his radio and his men to lay down their weapons. Relieved German Infantry emerge from the hedgerows to take their surrender...





As night closes in on D+6 the exhausted Germans fail to keep an effective guard in their prisoners. Major Wilson* and his Riflemen, make a skillful escape and are able to move up the road and rejoin their comrades!

*For gallantry shown in leading both the rearguard, and their subsequent escape from captivity, the immediate award of the Military Cross is made to Major Harry Wilson O.C. A Company 8th Rifle Brigade.

[Minuteman]

More fast and furious action from Normandy. Another great scenario, and as played out all very believable. Pleased to see Major Harry Wilson getting a well-deserved MC.

However...'Jerry' is putting up one hell of a fight here. As I always suspected (as a 10 year old), those early Airfix models with their long, high velocity gun barrels (Tiger, Panther, Stug III, 88mm) were always going to outgun the puny short barrels of the Airfix Sherman, Churchill, 6pdr and 25pdr !! These D+ scenarios seem to be proving my youthful assumptions to be right.

But at this rate, by D+30 the Germans will have prevailed and the Brits will be back in Dover...those that manage to survive the ravages of the StugIII and its accompanying infantry !!

[Ochoin]

You always play wargames I'd like to be part of.

Well done, Harry.

donald

[Harry Faversham]

Thanks chaps, most appreciated, D+7 will give Tommy Atkins the chance to pay Jerry back with a flank attack of their own!

[Harry Faversham]

As I always suspected (as a 10 year old), those early Airfix models with their long, high velocity gun barrels (Tiger, Panther, Stug III, 88mm) were always going to outgun the puny short barrels of the Airfix Sherman, Churchill, 6pdr and 25pdr !! These D+ scenarios seem to be proving my youthful assumptions to be right.

As a kid I was the 'big 'un', as such I got first dibs at the Airfix models we were bought. I was, of course the British, or kid getting lumbered with the Germans. Then (as a 12 year old) 'proper' wargames were discovered courtesy of Charles Grant and 'Battle'... I quickly discovered my Shermans, Crusaders and Churchills were about as much use as a chocolate fireguard when facing Jerry's bjg cats. In a shameful display of treachery and sibling bullying/gaslighting I swopped sides and our kid got stuck with the British.
He tearfully invoked the Geneva Convention, by grassing me up to Granny, who clipped me around the earhole telling me to play nicely, and gave my brother back his Tigers and Panthers...
I've spent the last 50 years trying to get the top side of Airfix Tigers and Panthers, to be honest, without a great deal of sucksess!

[Minuteman]

Ah, the Fortunes of War, Harry

Still, your tale reminds me that my own younger kid brother, who used to 'play under duress' with my Airfix 1/32 figures (he wasn't allowed near my 1/76 stuff), liked the WW2 German Infantry set so much that when a kindly old Aunt asked him at the tender age of 5 "What do you want to be when you grow up..?" he answered...

"I want to be a German !".

Nothing at all wrong with that, and he is still trying to track down an authentic German steel helmet to put on his head/mantlepiece....and he's 45 years older now.