Supplies dropped on the Siegfried Line March 1945

This scenario I lifted from the Osprey Publishing Duel Sherman Firefly vs Tiger with a sprinkling of Alternative Bolt Action Missions #1 NUTS from www.boltaction.net I had a group of 51st Highland Division with elements of the 7th Armored Brigade. The objective of the game was to capture and hold 4 objectives of supplies.

 The 7th Armored advance towards two objectives. A Scottish regiment with a 6pdr Anti-Tank gun give covering fire.

An SS division moves forward, having heard that the RAF mis-dropped supplies and they are now in No Man's Land. Nebelwefer, an armored car with 75mm gun, Panzer IV, and a Tiger. An SS Panzergrenadier battalion with a Hanamog 251 

 The Hanamog with a Panzer III in support move forward to catch up to the Recce.

The first casualty is the scout car, falling a foul of grenades!

Then a Tiger is taken out by a Firefly

Shermans then move out to engage the Panzers

A Panzer IV is then taken out by a 6pdr Anti-Tank gun, while a Jagtiger attempts to range in on other British tanks. The Nebelwefer then begins to lay in on the advancing British tanks.

SS Panzergrenadiers then make a charge into one of the objective markers to capture the supplies, while engaging the Scottish infantry. The Firefly is pinned by a Tiger.

 The Hanamog ignores the jeep, to engage the Scottish regiment to it's front.

 On the British left flank, another thrust towards an objective to capture the petrol. A Churchill keeps to the rear to see how the Panzers react.

Chaos erupts in the Scottish and German lines as both sides trade anti-tank fire. A British truck fall victim to a Panzerfaust, while an SS Panzergrenadier battalion rushes forward to capture an objective on their right flank.

 This then results in a prolonged firefight over control over the centre of the battlefield. Objectives are bitterly fought over.

A Panzer III falls victim to the Firefly, while it searches for another prey.

However, it is then taken out by the stalking Tiger.

An RAF observer plane flies over the battlefield to ascertain what the situation is. With many of the British AFVs taken out, there is much radio silence. 

The Germans perform a pincer movement to capture the objective in the centre.

The Germans also hit the Scottish right flank, but are finding the Highlanders tough to push off.

The Nebelwefer silences the 6pdr Anti-Tank gun, and also destroys the Universal Carrier as its tow, and also inflicting horrendous casualties on the Highlanders. 

The Panzers reach the petrol! Is Victory in sight for the Germans?

A sole British officer, seeing how desperate the situation is, calls in an artillery strike right on his own position, hoping to destroy the Panzers, or the fuel.

The resulting barrage does indeed take out a Tiger, a Jagpanzer but also results in the officer receiving a posthumous VC for his actions.

A final RAF flyover shows the fule depot in German hands, however, the Highlanders maintained control of 3 of the objective markers, meaning they win the Battle.

This was a fun action to play, and having read some Bolt Action rules on Anti-tank guns more closely, the guns did a better job than usual. 

I hope to equip my Anti-Tank batteries with Achilles and to get some additional Fireflys. The Germans, I will look into getting them some Panthers and some 88mm guns!

Painting up the 21st Panzer Division

 I gave a lick of desert yellow on Ian's Panzer III, Kubelwagen, Kettlegrad, Hanamog 251 and a Nebelwefer. I put some basic Iron Cross decals on the Panzer III and the Hanamog 251.

3/27/2019 update

Having gotten the Battlefield Europe book, this division lists that their armor was used French gear so they will now be getting a Char B1 and Ft 17. 

The infantry have been based on the Matchbox German Infantry set. Originally I had 2 sets, but I traded 1 for several sets from a Canadian Naval Veteran

The ft-17 is now a part of the 21st Panzer Division as part of a Atlantic Wall reservists division the Barbie will be built very shortly

Hold until relieved: Clearing the Reichswald February 1945

I had been itching to do another Bolt Action game with Ian again. Also, I wanted to see how an Armor only game would go. 

 Aerial recce shows the German advance on the Canadian positions. 4th Canadian Armored Division with elements of Canadian 3rd Division and 2nd Canadian Armored Brigade. The objective for the Germans is to advance any units where the German marker are. The Canadians are to try and deny this objective. The Canadian units were made up of 8th Canadian Brigade mounted in Universal carriers with 3rd Anti-Tank, Royal Canadian Artillery in support. The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa also had their machine-gun jeep.

The Germans are made up of a Panzer IV regiment, a Tiger regiment, a Panzer III company, a captured T-34/85 regiment of the 2nd SS. In support was a Nebelwefer, and a 75mm Infantry gun. Also, a battalion of Panzergrenadiers mounted in Hanamogs.

 Daddy vs Ian, My new RA beret  with RA cap badge. I need to find Ian a German army field cap.

 German tank commander's view of the battlefield.

 Canadian Recce Regiment holds the left of the line. 

One Sherman is toast! Eat Nebelwefer rockets!

See Daddy, they blew up!

And more rockets pound the Canadian positions.

German armor advances towards the town.

My Firefly just took out the Nebelwefer!

And my Shermans run forward. The 6pdr gun just took out a Panzer IV, and the Sherman hit a Tiger in the arse, but caused only a small fire, which the crew put out.

 Not only Canadian but German Panzer III get burnt up, as well as a few Hanamogs. All the German tanks turned to take out the Canadian Shermans. My Churchill had engaged the T-34/85 causing some minor damage. Before it could engage, the Churchill then withdrew to the rear of the village.

 The last Canadian armor goes up. The German HQ Hanamog knocks out the Dailmer Armored Car. The sharp eyed commander sees Canadian infantry fall back. Also, having gotten fired upon by the Firefly hiding in an alley, 

What the heck?! How did he do it again!? All my armor are now in that fireball! Unknown to me, Ian had sacrificed his Kubelwagen crew to recrew his Nebelwefer, which rained rockets into the rear of the village, taking out my armor!

 The last offensive act the Canadians did was to advance and throw grenades at the 75mm gun taking out all the crew.

It was a close game, Ian really enjoyed it, and he also liked out now fire and smoke, made from cotton balls dipped in Burnt Orange paint. 

Fury - International Trailer - At Cinemas October 22

 Still haven't seen this yet, but I figure it might show some good tank stuff from the war. Though, as it's Hollywood, I'll consult my Osprey books such as the Duel series to check the facts

German Envelopment on Canadians Kapelsche Veer, Rhineland, January, 1945

I finally got Ian to play a game of Bolt Action with me, by limiting the force we both have to about 1200 points.

Canadian troops
8th Canadian Infantry Brigade:
Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, 11 figures with a Universal Carrier armed with 3 bren guns
North Shore New Brunswick Regiment, 7 figures

A German division with armor and artillery support move to push back the Canadian 8th Brigade from their position on the Rhine.

 Canadians entrenched with a Sherman and 6pdr gun in support.

Queens Own Rifles and a Scout car await the German attack

The German's get a preliminary bombardment, immobilising the Sherman, raining hot iron on the French-Canadiens taking cover behind the tank, while the other units suffer minor casualties.

The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa take hits

The Queens Own Rifles prepare to advance.

The Germans make a mounted charge towards the Canadian position

Whereby the Queen's Own advance to contact

The PIATs take out tank, the 6pdr was hit by the German's Nebelwefer, the Panzer III with Panzergrenadiers were all taken out.

German Engineers walk up to a woods and sets fire to them to create a smoke screen on the Canadian position.

 The Queen's Own Rifles tries to hold onto the wood while being pressed by the Hanamog and Panzergrenadiers.

 Two German regiments move up using the burning forest as warmth.

The Panzergrenadiers let loose with all they have

resulting in Ian removing the Canadians to his front. The Universal Carrier died under a rain of grenades. 

German artillery moves up to pour fire onto the remaining Canadians, but are taken out by a German regiment. 

Germany saved for another day.

Top Secret: Canadians vs Germans January 1945

 The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders begin thier advance to capture the German rations. This was a 1200 point vs 1200 point game. 

The Germans take up positions in the village on the German border.

The German artillery spotter and MG42 team take up position in the roof of the watchtower.

While the rest of the garrison holds some trenches, supported by a 75mm infantry gun, a Hanamog 251 and a Kubelwagen with an MG42 and Panzercretch

The Highlanders begin to race up

While the Germans tuck in to turn them into porridge.

The Anti-Tank tow gets knocked out, imobilizing the 6pdr for the rest of the game.

While the gun grew gets ripped apart by heavy machine-gun fire.

The Hanamog moves up adding twin machine-gun fire

pinning down the mortar.

as a German eagle flies over the town, we see a Fort Garry Horse Sherman dueling with a Panzer III, which has been able to imobilize the tank.

A sneaky Canadian major runs up a back alley to try and hit the objective

while the German spotter notes him and sends a Kettlekrad to head him off.

the Kubelwagen moves up opening fire on the mortar taking it out. The Germans were able to hit their objective first. The armor was taken out, and the Candians getting removed. 

Another German victory.