Da ich Lockdown bedingt im Dezember einmal Zeit hatte,
konnten Sven und ich uns zu unserem Endspiel im Jahr 2020 treffen.
Na und diesmal hatte ich auch meine Briten dabei, die mittlerweile spielbereit mit reichlichen Optionen, den Maltisch verlassen hatten.
Auch diesmal wieder ein Normandie Setting mit einem kleinen Gehöft in der Spielfeldmitte und ein paar weiteren Häuschen, an der Spielfeldkante.
Na und diesmal hatte ich auch meine Briten dabei, die mittlerweile spielbereit mit reichlichen Optionen, den Maltisch verlassen hatten.
Auch diesmal wieder ein Normandie Setting mit einem kleinen Gehöft in der Spielfeldmitte und ein paar weiteren Häuschen, an der Spielfeldkante.
Sven hatte überall seine sehr schön gestalteten Marker und
Geländestücke verteilt.
Das besondere Highlight war diesmal die gerade
fertig gestellte PAK, die, gut getarnt, den Weg meiner Panzer bedrohen sollte.
Ich setzte diesmal auf schwere Einheiten.
Meine Panzerdivision umfasste einen Achilles Panzerjäger, einen Cromwell Platoon, also 2 Cromwell Panzer und einen Sherman Firefly, einen Cromwell als Forward HQ, dazu noch Bren Carrier, ein paar LKW, einen Tankwagen und einen Humber IV als Spähpanzer.
Zunächst stellten wir die Scouts auf.
In meinem Fall ein Bren Carrier, der Humber und ein Scharfschütze.
Sven hatte zwei Halbketten platziert.
Dann kamen meine ersten Panzer.
Sven ließ sich nicht lumpen und rollte mit seinen Panzer IV vor.
Seine anderen Einheiten lauerten.
Na und dann war das noch etwas hinter einer Hecke.
Sehen Sie das?
Ich muss gestehen, ich sah es auch nicht.
Svens neue PAK war einfach genial getarnt und verschmolz mit der angrenzenden Hecke.
Dann sah ich noch etwas Infanterie, aber sonst nichts.
Nicht nur ich, sondern auch mein Achilles waren kurze Zeit in Confusion.
Sven hatte einen Panzer IV hinter die Hauswand, den anderen
hinter die Scheune, gefahren.
Plötzlich hagelte es Geschosse und zwei meiner Fahrzeuge waren gepinned.
Dann spielte er eine Air Attack aus, die aber, wie gewohnt, gar nicht zum tragen kam.
Meine Infanterie sicherte den rechten Flügel.
Dann platzierte ich noch meine 6pdr PAK.
Die Panzer standen jetzt in einem Halbkreis, um sich gegenseitig zu decken.
PAK und Infanterie wurden im nachfolgenden Mörsergefecht gepinned. Gleiches Schicksal ereilte einen meiner Cromwells.
Dann traf es meinen Achilles. Die verdeckt schießenden Panzer IV schossen sich wohl langsam ein.
Mein Sherman Firefly wurde von Svens Panther vernichtet.
Dann traf es auch den Cromwell, der schon vorher gepinned worden war.
So sah das in der Übersicht aus.
Meine Mörser schossen übrigens wieder so schlecht, wie in allen unseren Spielen.
Hier noch mal ein paar weitere Bilder von oben.
Mittlerweile war Svens dritter Panzer IV nach vorne gefahren und bedrohte meinen linken Flügel.
Der dort stehende Kommandeurs Cromwell wurde gepinned.
Meine Kommandoeinheit und ein Infanterietrupp flüchteten
hinter die Hecken.
Dann tauchte ein weiterer Panzer auf.
Nachdem ich am rechten Flügel die Pins weggespielt hatte, brach ich mit meiner Infanterie aus der Hecke und stürmte nach vorne.
Keine gute Idee, wie es sich herausstellen sollte.
Der sie begleitende Cromwell wurde als erstes zusammengeschossen.
Der sie begleitende Cromwell wurde als erstes zusammengeschossen.
Zumindest konnte ich im Nachgang eine Halbkette ausschalten.
Die PAK war immer noch nicht zu sehen. Aber sie hatte bereits gut getroffen.
Am linken Flügel belauerten sich die Panzer.
Der geschickt aufgestellte Panther verhinderte es, dass ich zum Cromwell durchbrechen konnte.
Hier einmal die Situation am linken Flügel aus der Vogelperspektive.
Am anderen Ende des Schlachtfeldes wurden jetzt meine Infanterietrupps dezimiert.
Dann flog der nächste Cromwell in die Luft.
Mit Schrecken sah meine Infanterie, und der letzte verbliebene Cromwell, dass sich der Panther nach vorne schob.
Am rechten Flügel war derweil alles platt. Der Rest meiner zwei Infanterietrupps mit der gepinnten Panzerabwehrkanone.
Das war es dann auch. Ich hatte keine Chance mehr das Blatt
zu wenden, denn auch am linken Flügel brachen die Panzer durch.
Was soll man zu diesem Spiel noch schreiben.
Trotz starker Einheiten gelang es mir nicht in irgendeiner Form Druck aufzubauen. Die hinter Hauswänden gut getarnt stehenden Panzer und die hervorragende deutsche PAK waren zu stark.
Zeitweise wirkte es wie ein Tontaubenschießen.
Meine Panzer standen viel zu oft im Freien, und wieder einmal hatten meine Infanterie und meine Mörser nichts bewirkt. Kein Wunder, wenn man so etwas würfelt (kein Fake).
Wenn unsere BG Spiele in 2021 so weitergehen, bringe ich wohl in 2022 ein humoreskes Buch raus mit dem Titel „33 Fehler, die Sie bei Battlegroup unbedingt vermeiden sollten. Von einem Dummie für Dummies“.
Das könnte echt ein Erfolg werden.
Zumindest ein größerer
Erfolg als meine Spiele.
Since I had time because of the lockdown here in Germany in
December, Sven and I could meet for our final in 2020.
Well, this time I also had my Brits with me, who had now left the drawing table, ready to play with plenty of options.
This time again a Normandy setting with a small homestead in the middle of the playing field and a few more houses on the edge of the playing field.
Sven had distributed his beautifully designed markers and terrain pieces everywhere, and the special highlight this time was the just finished PAK, which, well camouflaged, was supposed to threaten the path of my tanks.
This time I bet on heavy units.
My tank division consisted of an Achilles tank destroyer, a Cromwell platoon, i.e. 2 Cromwell tanks and a Sherman Firefly, a Cromwell as Forward HQ, plus Bren Carrier, a couple of trucks, a tank truck and a Humber IV as a reconnaissance tank.
First, we set up the scouts.
In my case, a Bren Carrier, the Humber, and a sniper.
Sven had placed two half-tracks.
Then my first tanks came.
Sven rolled forward with his Panzer IV.
Well and then, was there something behind a hedge?
Do you see that?
I have to admit, I didn't see it either.
Sven's new PAK was simply ingeniously camouflaged and merged with the adjacent hedge
Then I saw some more infantry, but nothing else.
Not only I myself, but also my Achilles were confused for a short time.
Sven had driven a Panzer IV behind the house wall, the other behind the barn.
Suddenly there was a hail of grenades and two of my vehicles were pinned.
Then Sven played an Air Attack, which, as usual, did not work.
My infantry secured the right wing.
Then I placed my 6pdr PAK to support the flank.
The tanks were now in a semicircle to cover each other.
PAK and infantry were pinned in the mortar battle that followed. The same fate befell one of my Cromwells.
Then it hit my Achilles. The Panzer IVs, which were shooting undercover, probably shot themselves in slowly.
My Sherman Firefly was destroyed by Sven's Panther.
Then it hit the Cromwell, who had been pinned earlier.
This is what it looked like in the overview.
By the way, my mortars shot again as badly as in all of our former games.
Here are a few more pictures from above.
In the meantime Sven's third Panzer IV had moved forward and threatened my left wing.
The HQ Cromwell standing there has been pinned.
My command and an infantry squad fled behind the hedges.
Then another tank appeared.
After playing away the pins on the right wing, I broke out of the hedge with my infantry and charged forward.
Not a good idea as it should turn out.
The Cromwell tank accompanying them was the first to be shot.
At least I was able to switch off a half-track afterwards.
The PAK was still out of sight. But it had already hit well.
The tanks watched each other on the left wing.
The skillfully positioned Panther prevented me from breaking through to the Cromwell.
Here is the situation on the left wing from a bird's eye view.
At the other end of the battlefield, my infantry squads were now being decimated.
Then the next Cromwell blew up.
It was with horror that my infantry, and the last remaining Cromwell, saw that the Panther was pushing forward.
Meanwhile everything was horrible on the right wing. The rest of my two infantry squads with the pinned anti-tank gun.
That's it. I didn't have a chance to turn the tide.
What else can you write about this game.
Despite strong units, I was unable to build up any pressure in any way. The well-camouflaged tanks behind house walls and the excellent German PAK were too strong.
At times it looked like clay pigeon shooting.
My tanks were out in the open far too often, and once again my infantry and mortars had done nothing. No wonder if you roll something like this (not a fake).
If our BG games continue like this in 2021, I will probably bring out a humorous book in 2022 with the title “33 mistakes you should definitely avoid at Battlegroup. From a fool for fools”.
That could be a real success. At least a bigger success than the games I play.
Well, this time I also had my Brits with me, who had now left the drawing table, ready to play with plenty of options.
This time again a Normandy setting with a small homestead in the middle of the playing field and a few more houses on the edge of the playing field.
Sven had distributed his beautifully designed markers and terrain pieces everywhere, and the special highlight this time was the just finished PAK, which, well camouflaged, was supposed to threaten the path of my tanks.
This time I bet on heavy units.
My tank division consisted of an Achilles tank destroyer, a Cromwell platoon, i.e. 2 Cromwell tanks and a Sherman Firefly, a Cromwell as Forward HQ, plus Bren Carrier, a couple of trucks, a tank truck and a Humber IV as a reconnaissance tank.
First, we set up the scouts.
In my case, a Bren Carrier, the Humber, and a sniper.
Sven had placed two half-tracks.
Then my first tanks came.
Sven rolled forward with his Panzer IV.
Well and then, was there something behind a hedge?
Do you see that?
I have to admit, I didn't see it either.
Sven's new PAK was simply ingeniously camouflaged and merged with the adjacent hedge
Then I saw some more infantry, but nothing else.
Not only I myself, but also my Achilles were confused for a short time.
Sven had driven a Panzer IV behind the house wall, the other behind the barn.
Suddenly there was a hail of grenades and two of my vehicles were pinned.
Then Sven played an Air Attack, which, as usual, did not work.
My infantry secured the right wing.
Then I placed my 6pdr PAK to support the flank.
The tanks were now in a semicircle to cover each other.
PAK and infantry were pinned in the mortar battle that followed. The same fate befell one of my Cromwells.
Then it hit my Achilles. The Panzer IVs, which were shooting undercover, probably shot themselves in slowly.
My Sherman Firefly was destroyed by Sven's Panther.
Then it hit the Cromwell, who had been pinned earlier.
This is what it looked like in the overview.
By the way, my mortars shot again as badly as in all of our former games.
Here are a few more pictures from above.
In the meantime Sven's third Panzer IV had moved forward and threatened my left wing.
The HQ Cromwell standing there has been pinned.
My command and an infantry squad fled behind the hedges.
Then another tank appeared.
After playing away the pins on the right wing, I broke out of the hedge with my infantry and charged forward.
Not a good idea as it should turn out.
The Cromwell tank accompanying them was the first to be shot.
At least I was able to switch off a half-track afterwards.
The PAK was still out of sight. But it had already hit well.
The tanks watched each other on the left wing.
The skillfully positioned Panther prevented me from breaking through to the Cromwell.
Here is the situation on the left wing from a bird's eye view.
At the other end of the battlefield, my infantry squads were now being decimated.
Then the next Cromwell blew up.
It was with horror that my infantry, and the last remaining Cromwell, saw that the Panther was pushing forward.
Meanwhile everything was horrible on the right wing. The rest of my two infantry squads with the pinned anti-tank gun.
That's it. I didn't have a chance to turn the tide.
What else can you write about this game.
Despite strong units, I was unable to build up any pressure in any way. The well-camouflaged tanks behind house walls and the excellent German PAK were too strong.
At times it looked like clay pigeon shooting.
My tanks were out in the open far too often, and once again my infantry and mortars had done nothing. No wonder if you roll something like this (not a fake).
If our BG games continue like this in 2021, I will probably bring out a humorous book in 2022 with the title “33 mistakes you should definitely avoid at Battlegroup. From a fool for fools”.
That could be a real success. At least a bigger success than the games I play.
