AAR 3RTR vs FJ - No Retreat - Firestorm in the City

Myself and Winner got together for some FoW for Cameron's Firestorm Caen Campaign. We agreed that we wanted something a little more interesting than British Para's vs FJ's, so I bust out the 3RTR from overlord.

We each put together a 1500 point list and rolled to see which Beach I'd be hitting - we got Gold beach - I opted for the actual firestorm troops, where as Winner opted for the extra Points.

The lists were

Col Cox's 3RTR (CT)
HQ - 2 Shermans (CV)
Platoon 1 - 3 Shermans with AA.50cal and 1 Firefly (CV)
Platoon 2 - 3 Shermans with AA.50cal and 1 Firefly (CV)
Platoon 3 - 3 Stuarts (CV)
Platoon 4 - 2 Crusader AA (CV)
Platoon 5 - Breaching group with 2 AVRE sections (CT)
Platoon 6 - 4 25pdrs (CT)
AoP
Firestorm Troops
Platoon 1 - Rifle Platoon - 7 Rifle/Mg, PIAT, Light mortar (CV)
Platoon 2 - 2 Shermans with AA.50cal and 1 Firefly (CT)

Herr Winners FJ
HQ - 2 Panzerschreks
Platoon 1 - Full FJ platoon
Platoon 2 - Short FJ platoon
Platoon 3 - 3 Pak 40's
Platoon 4 - 4 Heavy Mortars
Platoon 5 - 4 10.5cm Artillery
Platoon 6 - 3 SS Marders
Platoon 7 - 2 Luftwaffe Flak 88's with extra crew

Set Up

Winner as the defender chose the village to defend, nominating one of the building in the center of his deployment area as the objective, I placed one objective to the front and left (as the attacker charges) of Winners objective.

He made a small Kampfgruppe with his 2IC to get up to 8 platoons so h could deploy 4 on the field, he chose to deploy the FJ's on the objective I placed and in a line running most of the board, whilst, the Flak 88's were on his rear edge and his Pak 40's in ambush.

I deployed the 'green tide' across the board, shermans opposite the objective I placed and the infantry and crusaders in the lee of the hill - the stuarts moved up the road in their recce move.

Turn 1

The allied armour force moved up towards the village, despite moving full tilt (the infantry even doubled) only a few of the shermans were in range of the FJ's leading to no damage being caused, meanwhile the 25Pdr's dropped smoke on the Flak 88's.

Dave dropped him ambush and at the same time, had his artillery arrive from reserve. Despite winners long range fire on the Shermas 2 saved, and one glanced (though bailed him) whilst the 4 shot penetrated the sherman.

Turn 2

The Bailed sherman failed to remount, the infantry and crusaders continued to advance on the left. Worried by the Pak 40's the shermans opened up at long range - but only killed one Pak 40 - the Flak 88's continued to live under the smoke.

No reserves this time. The Pak 40's again opened fire, this time on the breaching group, destroying 2 and bailing 2 - thankfully the paltoon passed it's motivation test. The artillery dug in and hit the infantry and crusaders, but failed to kill any teams.

Turn 3

Once again no shermans decided to remount, however the fire from the remaining ones was more effective removing the remaining Pak 40's - once again the FLak 88's lived under smoke...

Winner received his Marders from reserve and moved them towards the crusader AA which was sneaking round the side, Winner's artillery did a repeat bombardment, destroying another crab, but the platoon again passed it's morale test.

Turn 4

Once again the ability for the Shermans to remount seemed negligible, Whilst some fired at the Flak 88's they failed to damage them, but one managed to remove an artillery piece.

The rest of winners force arrived from reserve. Winner's artillery managed to remove one of the crusaders, whilst the flak 88's killed the commander, who tahnkfully survived thanks to his warrior save.

Turn 5 

The crusader AA opened up on the Marders killing one, bailing one, the 25 pdrs finished him off, the Shermans managed to remove the 88's as well.Whilst the stuarts moved to reinforce the crusaders position.

Daves Forces removed the final crusader AA, whilst his FJ's attempted to assault the Stuarts - the fight lasted 3 rounds, with the commanders faust issing every time, eventually Dave withdrew after three rounds

Turn 6

The cruaders broke into Daves backfield killing the heavy mortars, whilst the shermans started to move to the flank too, the AOP rolled a yahtzee of threes trying to range in. on the last Marder.

Dave turned his artillery and marders on the Stuarts killing them.

With the Shermans and infantry about to breach the wall and a couple of platoons close to breaking we called it an Allied victory - 4-3

Closing thoughts

I remembered a tactic I got taught playing rugby, 'don't aim for the person, aim for the spaces' I should have done this send more shermans round the flank, would have made a much easier game, trying to remove the FJ infantry was pointless!

Winner misplaced his Flaks but otherwise lacked any real cutting edge after his ambush died.

Once again it reminded me just how much fun having forces from the same set of books is, it was a real laugh to play this game and looking forward to further exploiting the allied break out!