Op Epsom at Ulster Wargames Society

Club meeting and I partook in a WW2 game run by Phil and son Adam. 

Game was loosely based around opening of OP Epsom in Normandy with elements of 12th SS HJ facing units of 15th Scottish.

Game played using Phils home brew rules (armour rules used old WRG set as basis) and his excellent 20mm kit and terrain.

Adam and I (and for a period Dave Pentland) commanded the HJ defenders with a mix of Recce and PzGr units. 

Brits were led by Leslie with Paddy, John and Chris.

Ubermensch had 2 PzIV and a Stug the rest of our 'Panzers' being a variety of armoured cars (Pumas and Sd234/4) and half-tracks (Sd250, Sd250/9 and Sd250/10 and a Sd251/22) with a couple of Hotchkiss with Pak40 on loan from 21st Pz and support from a battery of 105mm.

Numerous Jocks had usual mix of infantry with Shermans and Fireflies in support (and a bunch of Churchills which never made table much to Phils chagrin as he had just finished painting them previous evening) with copious support from several 25pdr batteries.

Both sides would lose when half there 'heavy' armour (anything sporting a gun of 50mm or over) was ko'd.

Fun fast playing game but once lowly German AFVs were spotted or deployed they did not last long as pretty weak in old armour thickness department and one of the Hotchkiss succumbed to a stray artillery round hitting open compartment.

With Huns having lost 5 of their 10 eligible AFV they retired, Jocks had lost a couple of Tanks but not sure they even had enough of their big stuff on table for Huns to succeed.

Hun right flank defended by PzGr with Jocks advancing 

Left flank defended by SS Recce (the numbered red dots are hidden German locations)

Centre sector of HJ line with a revealed Hotchkiss lurking behind building

Action hotting up on right with PzGr entrenched on wooded rise and a PzIV hunting a Firefly

Paddy advancing with some armour on Jock right

Leslie, Phil, John and Chris working out some artillery stonks

Hotchkiss has just taken out a Stuart on road (this was Hotchkiss later ko'd by artillery)

Second Hotchkiss under Daves command about to duel with an Achilles (and lose)

Footnote: Phil had the excellent Steel Inferno book with him which I had to refer to as I could not recall the British tactic of spearheading their advance with unloaded trucks and kamikaze drivers to draw fire/reveal defenders and we unsurprisingly failed to find any such reference maybe its in a newer edition ?

This was variously termed, a brilliant Ruse de Guerre, utter gamemanship or of containing a strong whiff of Gorgonzola depending on point of view :-)

The truck 'spearhead' on Jock left with Firefly support (this was later ko'd by Adams PzIV)

Much kudos to Phil and Adam for putting on a fun eye catching game

Also at Club was another Team Yankee and a Dead Mans Hand game but I did not get to see/capture any of the action in these.