Panzer Grenadier Deluxe - Operation Greenline multiplayer game

Game of PzGr today at Mr Ps with his excellent 20mm kit (loads of newly painted British Inf being blooded) and first outing for the gang, Mr P, John, Le Duc, Stephen and I in of course ages.

Stephen had set up a scenario based on Operation Greenline around Hill 112 Normandy on 15th July 1944, with Mr P and John as defending SS and Le Duc and I as British with Stephen taking command of our reserves.

Germans being hidden meant Brits had to advance knowing they would be ambushed and take hits but we did have weight of numbers.

Germans had two Pak40s in Ambush Camouflage positions (which means they remain unseen even after firing) and these proved to be major nuisances.

I eventually managed to charge the one facing me on right with Infantry but took ages and a lot of effort to identify its likely position and deal with it ! 

Whilst the PAKs firing at long range killed very little they did inflict several Suppression and Disengages (fall backs) and once the Tigers appeared the British Tanks suffered knock outs.

The highwater mark on my flank was taking of Bon Repos objective with support of some reserve Infantry but I lost 2 of my 3 AFVs with a Churchill Crocodile a lonely damaged survivor.

On left flank Le Duc had same problem with an unseen Pak 40 and then was faced with four PzIVHs, but Stephens Shermans (including 2 Fireflies) gave him good support. 

At games end British Infantry were pressing on Esquay the second objective but with some fresh and still hidden Hun Inf units hard to say if assault would have been successful ?

So we called it a draw as one objective held each.

With bulk of 6 Infantry Companies plus support Platoons, 5 Anti -Tank units, around 20 Tanks and several Artillery/Smoke Missions this was a fairly big game but thankfully Stephen and I have decent grasp of them between us so able to keep game flowing reasonably well.

Great game with a set of rules I always enjoy for WW2 tactical games which flowed pretty well considering not having used them for ages and so much kit onboard, 

Overview of table from Brit right with objectives of Bon Repos in foreground and Esquay in distance. 

British have deployed starting forces. Huns all out of sight 

My initial advance on right (Le Duc took extreme left and reserves under Stephen would appear in centre on turn 3+)

Le Duc's Churchills supporting Infantry

Nasty Pak43 appears in central dug-in position

Brits taking Suppression hits 

Reserve Sherman Troops arrive in center (and 1 brewed by 88) 

More reserve Shermans arrive in support of Le Ducs Churchills (and a 17pdr) as Infantry advance through cornfields

Tiger appears in center

My Infantry approach Bon Repos

Bon Repos has now fallen to British but slopes of 112 beyond still well defended

Stephen advances in strength in center

Close Support Churchill (95mm) and an M10 have been brewed by a second Tiger

Shermans taking losses

Bon Repos now in British possession

Brit Artillery caused several hits on concentration of Grenadiers 

Tigers dominate center (although ended up Damaged both to lucky double 6 rolls)

Panzer Grenadier Deluxe - St Nicholas Farm scenario - solo play concluded

Completed solo play through with a narrow British victory after taking St Nicholas Farm.

A couple of devastating Artillery stonks on the farm decimated the defenders and once British took possession just not enough Germans left to wrest control back.

British did take a good few infantry casualties especially from German MMGs (MG42) but the PAK40 had no effect as British tanks never came into its line of sight.

Shermans did give effective support fire to their Infantry

All in all a fun game with these flavoursome WW2 rules.

Really looking forward Mr Browns new 'O Group' set which appear to be faster playing without being too simplistic.

Having played this and a couple of Rapid Fire Reloaded games in solo mode during current lock down phase here in NI it does highlight the difficulty in many regards playing WW2 solo.

Hard to play without properly hidden units, which are very much 'meat and veg' of a WW2 game (I mean I just knew where that Pak40 was) and despite my using several attack/defence and set up plans (I then diced for selection) it is still harder to ignore the '100ft General' aspect in this period than in horse and musket or ancients.

Still good way to learn or refresh knowledge of a set of rules.

A bunch of variable quality photos as I messed around with settings on camera apps on phone and iPad.

Panzer Grenadier Deluxe - St Nicholas Farm scenario - solo play

Whilst awaiting the new 'O Group' rules to be published I thought I would have a bash with my current favourite WW2 rules by same author (Dave Brown).

Set up the small introductory scenario from main rules 'St Nicholas Farm' based around actions of Duke of Wellingtons Infantry late June 1944 against  KG Krause of 12th SS, part of the preliminary attacks to establish jumping off points for Op Epsom.

Scenario based on a 5' x 4' table with St Nicholas farm and orchard itself and another smaller farm, the rest of the terrain is placed by both sides comprising a mix of enclosed fields (4), low rises (2) and woods (4) with hedges lining most but not all of the roads.

Nothing really defined as such so I just placed as I deemed reasonable.

British attackers have 5 Infantry Platoons a Support Platoon (2" Mortar and a Vickers MMG) backed by a Squadron of Shermans and a Forward Observer for 2 off-board missions with a Bren armed Daimler Dingo as Recce element. A Battlegroup HQ and 2 Company HQs round out the force

German in defence have 3 Infantry Platoons, a Support Platoon (2 MMG and 2 Panzerschreck) and a PAK40 with a Kampfgruppe HQ and a single Company HQ as command element.

Only played opening turn (of 14) and no casualties as yet.

A 'hidden' PzShk fired on the Recce Dingo but missed and was forced back suppressed (has since rallied) by fire from supporting Sherman.

The Dingo did manage to spot a German Platoon hidden in St Nicholas Farm (sure to be target of British Artillery)

Some desultory fire by Germans in other farm.

Overview of table with St Nicholas Farm at top

British plow forward (green markers denote Platoons/units not yet spotted)

Dingo pushes ahead

Germans defend St Nicholas Farm and orchard

And have possession of other farm

Overview shots at end of first turn