Posted on 04 August 2013 at 00:46:08 GMT As t'other half is away on family hols, I got a solo game of BKCII in, using some figures I'm hoping to sell in a week or two. So something of a last hurrah for them!
The 1st Kingstanding Dragoons had been charged with leading a Divisional push to exploit the German retreat post Falaise and seize a road junction and small town vital to further advances through the Low COuntries and into Germany proper. A full strength Armoured Regt., three Squadrons of Cromwells with Challenger support and an attached Motor Company for house clearance, with two full Regts. of 25 pdr SPGs, a 5.5" Battery for CB fire and on call Typhoons from 2 TAF should make short work of Jerry...
Against them was a scratch Kampfgruppe of an understrength and demoralised Grenadier Abteilung directly supporting a Company of Hetzers (a little artistic license there, should be Stugs or Marders but it's the last time I'm likely to get the Hetzers on table under my own command!) occupied the low ridges and buildings on the road junction, whilst an understrength company of JagdPanthers held the exposed German left flank.
British command mostly proved its historical self, with a lot of start-stop-buggered if I'm being first into that gap-I say my radio seems to be duff-wheeeeeeeeeeeeee we're off-christ its full of bloody 88's!-STOP-HIDE!
The Hetzers did sterling service, even when one platoon was forced to try and work to a flank and attack, but their limited firing arcs were the eventual death of them as C Squadron worked on their flank and did for them with a little lucky help from the Royal Artillery.
They held up two thirds of the Brits for five turns before succumbing, but the real turning point was on the other flank where the JagdPanthers initially looked like they would dominate proceedings. Arty, TacAir and tank gun fire succeeded in little more than suppressing one or the other platoon for four turns, whilst their own (immensely scary) six dice plus one for half range did for a Cromwell and Challenger and suppressed enough else to stop the advance cold.
Only on turn four did the deadlock break - the Motor Company has spent turns 1 & 2 stationary on the board edge due to bad command, then on turn three got enough command rolls to position on the flanks of the JagdPanthers... as the JP's were too busy shooting the mass of Cromwells (and out of arc...) they were ideally positioned for the crucial turn four "I say chaps, lets clear those bloody Huns out the trees, what-what, tally-ho, never ask a cavalryman to do the dirty work, hey!" flank assault. Two sets of decent command rolls later and both JagdPanthers were smoking wrecks, and the Motor boys had exploited then charged on over running the KampfGruppe HQ, the AA support AND the desperately repositioning 50mm AA gun and opening up the whole flank for an armoured over run.
Panzerfaust fire from the German infantry in the town proper was too little too late and KampfGruppe 2IC called for smoke from his remaining battery (one having been stonked by the 5.5" guns after four turns of CB fire! Kept it suppressed for the crucial turns but only came good right at the end) and retired.
Next stop, the Rhine!
So, good fun game, even solo. I try to put "both hats" on, and plan independently which seems to work out ok with BKCs inevitable friction from command rolls and ops fire.
German "Big Cats" are f*cking scary, very hard to kill and very hard hitting. However, that five or ten points down for restricted arc on TDs is a very subtle debit - the Hetzers and the JP's both suffered horribly in the end for it. Arguably it's what did for both lots.
Counter Battery - worth it. Probably worth more than I gave the Brits, as although one 5.5" is enough to keep an enemy battery suppressed it's not enough to reliably kill it.
Armour heavy forces - technically the Brits weren't a legit force; they only had three infantry stands (plus a Carrier Platoon bought as Recce) for 3000 points. Still, it's a vaguely historical force structure so... and as I'd got the Germans heavy on AT I figured it'd be burning Cromwells all over.
TacAir - bad command rolls meant it didn't achieve much, and when it did arrive one Tif isn't enough. If you're using it, use it in flocks. Same with arty, although against AFVs or infantry in trenches and buildings you're always up against it. With two six dice SPG batteries the Brits were actually ok - called in pretty much ever turn, knocked up the odd hit that tipped the balance and got the occasional useful suppression.
Cromwells & Challengers. Well, they ain't Tigers. Still, en masse they're serviceable enough, and can really crank on the speed when you get the rolls. Sadly the Challengers are too big to hide, and of three Brit casualties two were Challengers. They're just scary enough to make them an instant fire magnet...
The Motor boys done good. With a little help from duff TD fire arcs and some back up from 2TAF they broke the German wing and rolled up to the centre, freeing up two Cromwell Squadrons to sweep across and butcher the two remaining Hetzer platoons. Somewhat lucky dice rolling - they fluffed any movement for long enough not to be shoot at, then made good enough rolls to position ideally, then made excellent rolls to be in at bayonet (AT grenade ?!) point. Still, if the German arty wasn't suppressed, and the TacAir hadn't come in, or A Squadron hadn't sacrificed the Challenger troop whilst providing covering fire...
Anyway, I'm rambling - was a good enjoyable game, and the Germans lasted longer than I thought they would. Pregame I envisioned two probable outcomes - 1/ lots and lots and lots of burning Cromwells as they got brewed up closing. 2/ Germans over run and surrendering in a couple of turns as they failed to stop the tea fuelled horde.
I was pleasantly surprised to have neither, and instead get some back and forth and desperate times for both sides! |