FOW Late war Hasty attack 2000 pts

Hasty Attack 2000 pts

Tonight's game saw us using the new edition of the FOW Rules (Vol 3). We decided to try the Hasty assault mission as it was one we haven't tried before. I had picked two forces to choose from on the night, one was my SS Panzer Grenadier company and the other was a Panzer Lehr mechanised company, i rolled a die to see which one id be using and rolled the panzer Lehr. I was up against my dads British Infantry company. With my company been mechanised i was the attacker. We had a deadline time which allowed approx 2hrs game play. I started the game with my 15cm NW rocket launchers, Panthers, Pumas and Anti aircraft (SP) on table with heavy mortars and Panzer IV and 3 Panzergrenadier Lehr platoons in reserve. The British started with a  mortar platoon, 25pdr battery, Rifle platoon, HMG platoon deployed with 2 17 pdrs in immediate ambush. Off table was a Sherman and Crocodile platoon, a recce unit of Humbers and x 2 Rifle platoons. The British also had Air Support. Here is some pictures and comments of how the game unfolded.......

The British left flank, an objective had been on the hill but this is the one i removed before the game started.

Under the cover of a barrage of rockets the Panther A and Anti Aircraft (SP) roll out towards the objective on the British right flank.

British HMG's guard the central objective (wrecked car) Inside the building are piat teams from the HMG's and Mortar platoons.

The Panther A platoon pushes on ever closer to the objective just off screen, progress is slowed by the knowledge there are typhoons hogging the sky (i was perhaps a little to cautious as i tried to stay within 2" of the woods and buildings so the planes couldn't just auto range in on me, in the new rules teams in the open are auto ranged in on!) Fire was exchanged between the Panthers and the 17 pdrs on the hill, the Panthers knocked out a British Gun .

The Pumas had moved into position to stop the HMG's going to ground. I managed to pass my skill test to reveal the HMGs with the first recce team, this allowed the other two to open fire on the platoon.
Also the first of my reserves arrived which i choose a Panzergrenadier Half-track platoon, these came on down the road heading towards the centre objective.

The British 17 pdr returns fire and knocks out my Platoon command Panther who quickly remounts one of the remaining Panthers from the platoon. Also my Anti Aircraft half-track takes a direct hit from a mortar knocking it out.

As my Panzer IV platoon arrives from the reserve on the right flank they are welcomed by 2 Typhoon planes, despite auto ranging in on the target the Typhoons send there rockets way off target much to my relief!

The Panzergrenadier platoon came under heavy fire from the piat teams in the building, having destroyed a couple of the half-tracks i had to make a motivation test, i failed this and the remaining half-tracks headed off to the rear, the unit became pinned down just short of the objective which was still guarded by a somewhat depleting HMG platoon.
Also the piats managed to bail out a Puma.

British reserves finally arrive  from reserve and my Dad opts for his Crocodile platoon, hoping they will arrive on the right flank to head off my Panther tanks from the objective with their flame throwing, unlucky for my Dad they arrive on the left flank! (ha ha)
However they waste no time in opening fire on my Panzer IV platoon destroying the lead tank with a side armour shot.

The Panthers finally clear the objective after dispatching the final 17 pdr and assaulting the mortars in the wood, the mortars fall back from the combat leaving the Panthers in control of the objective, the British are guaranteed a platoon to arrive from reserve but where would they arrive? If they come on the right flank the game could be over in my following turn if the mortars failed to unpin and re-contest the objective.

In the centre i had all but finished off the HMG platoon, however i couldn't unpin my Panzergrenadier platoon so i couldn't contest the objective as i was still a few inches short of it! Just off screen right side another unit of Panzergrenadiers joined in the assault on the centre objective.

A BIG ROLL for the British and my dad came up trumps. Two reserves arrived in the centre, my dad brought on his Sherman platoon and a rifle platoon. The Sherman's and firefly managed to knock out one Panther and bail the other. I failed my platoon morale, however as my C-C was in command distance, i passed the re roll he granted me so the Panther platoon held its ground. My Pumas dashed around top give some support to the Panther who managed to remount his tank. Some combined shooting saw two Sherman's destroyed but not enough for a morale check. The Panther storm trooped out of the line of sight of the Firefly on the hill

The second Panzergrenadier unit assaulted into the rifle platoon who had started to make there way to the centre objective, however the assault was repelled due to defencive fire. The HMG platoon where finally destroyed however with objective right in front of them unguarded my first Pannzergrenadier unit decided they preferred to stay hiding with their heads down and they remained pinned (their platoon leader has some explaining to do later!)

Having arrived earlier in the battle my Heavy mortars had set up position near my objective. The had played there part in destroying the dug in HMG platoon and keeping them pinned down to weaken their fire power throughout the game

A view from the British side of the table, the panzer grenadier platoon who failed in their assault failed to unpin so they dug in to give themselves some protection, the other grenadier platoon was now down to 2 stands after taking a bombardment from the 25 pdrs so they remained pinned, i think i was not destined to take the wrecked car objective.

Mean while else where my Panzer IV tanks got in a position where they could get a flank shot into a crocodile as their front armour is to thick for my Panzer's to penetrate, i managed to destroy one of these behemoths much to my delight. In return the other crocodile emptied his flame trailer over my Panzer IV but only managed to bail one out and stopped the other from defencive firing.

Another shot of how close my German troops are to the objective but time is about to run out and victory has faded away..

In the final British turn the Pumas take a a shot from the Sherman's losing one of their numbers and the Panther is bailed from the rifle platoon piat team who sneaks a side armour shot. My Panther failed its morale test but the near by C-C urged him back into his tank and passed the re roll. However the objective was now strongly contested

Time was up and the British had held their objectives and had won the day!
Conclusion
Well that was a hard fought game, i was so close to winning with my Panthers taking the objective only for the British cavalry to turn up where they were needed. Also the reluctance of my Panzergrenadiers to un-pin proved costly as the objective was there for the taking, (i knew i should have used my SS company lol) maybe if id pushed a little faster with the Panthers id have taking the objective sooner but the threat of the 17 pdrs and the typhoons hampered my advance. The British fought hard and stood their ground when required and eventually the reserves found their way to the battlefield to strengthen their  hold on the objectives. The new rules from the 3rd edition rule book played out well and both me and my dad felt they improved the game play although the crocodiles flame throwers are alot less effective against tanks now much to my dads dismay and my joy!!