Friday, October 5, 2018

Blitzkrieg Holland 1944

Today Richard and I used Blitzkrieg Commander on a breakout scenario in Holland 1944.  I was the allies and my task was to capture the town, exit units or break the German morale. All models, terrain are Richard's.

 Things got off to a bad start when my right wing armour force suffered a command blunder.
This immediately put the Allies behind schedule.
(There are only 12 turns in this scenario)

 End of the first turn and and the second tank force and the infantry are still to make an entry,
due to the roadblock caused by the first tank force's blunder.
Imagined radio traffic: "Blue leader, after you"  "Red Leader, oh no, after you sir"
"Blue Leader, no I insist, age before beauty"

 But second turn things get moving with a vengeance,
 as the right wing armour gets to make a double move.

 Things get better when the Germans suffer a command blunder, going into a momentary retreat.

 End of the second turn and the left flank armour is advancing.
The off road area is plodder and not suitable for armour.

 The right flank has run into a dug in Pak 40.

 Call in the RAF which took out one enemy antitank nest.

 But oh dear, a second call resulted in a monumental blunder...

 Friendly fire takes out four allied units.

 End of the third turn and the left flank has advanced a bit further.

 But the right flank does nothing. 
It is in an understandable state of shock.
(Note: not the rules, just how the command rolls turned out)

 Fourth turn and the left flank has engaged the enemy, or rather vice a versa.

 While fourth turn on the right sees the allies trying to clear the Pak 40.

 The mortars prove useful.

 Pak 40 cleared, although the toll in armour has been very, very high.

 The cause of much of the allied armout loss.
However allied infantry in their halftracks have been able to speed past.

 But on the left things are bogged down.

 Another successful airstrike.

 Right wing troops still yet to exit.

 Germans still hold the town.

Left wing waiting for a miracle.

The allies had lost over half their strength, but passed their morale test.  The next turn the Germans had also dropped below their half strength mark, but failed their morale test.  Allied victory of sorts.

I must say this about every game Blitzkrieg Commander I play: the arbitrary and abstract nature seems odd, but it produces results that seem right.

4 comments:

  1. That first photo looks straight out of Patton!
    A most interesting game with more than its fair share of 'events', as you intimate. Great photos and report Mark.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks James. The troops are all painted as for the Polish Armoured Division, so no Patton.

      Delete
  2. Impressive armoured force. Something about the game reminded me of Terry Wise. Did you ever get to read his Introduction to Battle Gaming book?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, it was a lot of quality gear to play with.

      While I'm familiar with Terence Wise and have at least his Battle for Wargamers World War II Tunisia booklet, I don't know his Battle Gaming book (although it is advertised on the inside back cover of the Tunisia publication. Cost is one pound 25p.) But the pictures in the Battle Gaming book are not dissimilar I'm guessing based on a favourable comparison with the pictures from this game, although scale is 1/76th classic Airfix.

      Delete