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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part III: June 11th-12th

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The Invasion So Far…

In our last after action report, we went through three days of action. We also had our first storm turn playing havoc on Allied supplies and reinforcements, but overall the British moved closer to Caen provoking a lot of punch and counter-punch near that city. The Omaha sector was pretty thinly held and the US 1st Infantry division along with the US 29th Infantry basically chewed up the defenders and split the area open with the 1st Division probing deeper beyond Bayeux, the 29th Heading west to link up with Utah beach and the recently landed 2nd Infantry Division pushing southwest towards St. Lo.

As for Utah, the terrain has made the road for Valognes and the ultimate prize of Cherbourg a lot harder going for the 101st Airborne, 2nd Armored and 9th Infantry divisions. Along the south, the 4th Infantry and 82nd Airborne divisions ran up against stubborn German paratroopers at Carentan; a vital piece of real estate necessary for linking up the American beach heads.

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King Louis, Prince Conti, Marshal De Saxe (or, “Neurosis, Petulance, Brilliance and Debauche”): Running the Biggest Dog on the Continent – French Strategy in Clash of Sovereigns

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Here is a first collection of thoughts on French strategy in COS. I hope to write at least one article on strategy for each Power, and may get to a second if I just skip sleeping for the next year. Er, so, don’t hold your breath on that….

To start with a one-line look over the shoulder at Clash of Monarchs (COM) before we move on: The French are fun to play in COS; I repeat, for the benefit of all COM players [lifting megaphone] THE FRENCH ARE FUNNNNNNN TO PLAYYYYYY IN COSSSSSSSS. Who’da thunk it? A mere ten years later, the French are falling all over themselves in the Seven Years War, as a running comedy (Clermont as your CIC, anybody? :)).  In COS, the French are RUNNING THE GAME. Yeah, baby – francophiles rejoice! The French have got big teeth, and the French are the THREAT.

How so? Let us count the ways… 

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Tank Duel Scenario 2: Hold the High Ground – Round 7

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The Commander can only watch as the T-34/76 comes to a sudden stop, mud spraying.  Get out of there! But it is too late – the Panther’s gun barrel settles in, aimed at the T-34/76. He isn’t sure what came first, the sound of the shot or the explosion as the T-34/76’s hatches blow clean off and the turret is lifted up! Incredulously, two men crawl out and drop to the ground next to the destroyed tank.

This attack is falling apart. 

A shell whistles past his head, and another explosion rocks the earth, throwing dirt and debris into the gully where he and his men are desperately searching for better cover. Looking at the T-34/85, he sees that the turret is blown off the hull – there isn’t much left. There’s no way anyone survived that.

“I think the PZ IV went into those woods over there” the gunner shouts above the din, pointing to the right. Looking back to the battlefield, he is unable to see the PZ IV. 

Behind him, the SU-100 manages to find a small depression in the field, only the superstructure is visible. He sees the SU-100’s cannon adjust, taking aim at the Panther! Fire! Fire!!!

A T-34/76 and T-34/85 appear further to the rear, additional meat for the meat grinder. How much more of this can we take?

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part II: June 8th-10th

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The Invasion So Far…

In our last after action report, I introduced Normandy ’44 and discussed the initial invasion plus airdrops. I sprinkled in a little commentary on game mechanics while reporting on the action. I intend to continue this format for the rest of the series. Last time we had just witnessed the failure of the 21st Panzer Division to bottle up the allies at Sword Beach in an attempt to seal them off and throw them back into the sea. To the west, Omaha was very successful rather than the near run thing it was historically and the US Army successfully linked up with the US paratroopers at Utah beach.

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Apocalypse Road: The Essendarium – Part 11, The Final Chapter

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Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin’ go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

I like smoke and lightning
Heavy metal thunder
Racin’ with the wind
And the feelin’ that I’m under
Yeah Darlin’ go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature’s child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way
Yeah Darlin’ go make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space

Like a true nature’s child
We were born, born to be wild
We can climb so high
I never wanna die

Born to be wild
Born to be wild

Song: Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf, 1968
Written by Mars Bonfire
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Tank Duel Scenario 2: Hold the High Ground – Round 6

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Smoke drifts from the hull where the round impacted, but the Commander doesn’t see any flames – hopefully they can get the fire out quickly. 

Across the battlefield, the Commander sees the Stug moving into a flanking position, it won’t be long until he stops and aims at our weaker side armor! We need to find a better position. The PZ IV turret is rotating, scanning the battlefield and looking for targets. Thankfully he hasn’t appeared to focus in on any of his tanks. 

His tanks… are just sitting there!

“Move it everyone! Move! Don’t just sit th….”

The words are drowned out by another impact that rocks the SU-100, almost throwing the Commander out of his hatch. Something knocks his headset off, he flinches well after the shrapnel nearly took his head off. Battered and dazed, he slowly looks around to see smoke coming out of another hole in the hull, this time on the driver’s side.

Where did that come from? The Panther!!!!

 “Status!”

“Driver wounded, still on Fire – we have to get out of here!”

The Commander pauses for what feels like minutes though he knows it is only a few seconds. Assessing the situation, it isn’t good. We are on fire, the Panther has us in its sights, the Stug is about to flank us and I don’t know if we can even move…

“Bail out, bail out!”

The crew bails out, dragging the wounded driver out with them. The Commander jumps down, and leads his rattled crew deeper into the gully, looking for better cover and a spot where he can watch the battle.

He notices the T-34/76 finally moving, attempting to flank the Panther! But the Panther notices the T-34/76 and rotates to keep its front armor and gun facing the T-34/76! That is an incredible crew… The T-34/76 is still searching for cover, while the T-34/85 just sits there. What are they doing? The Commander notices the Stug stopping and zeroing in on the T-34/85…”Move!!! Move!!!” but his shouts are useless. If only he had a radio.

Behind him, his loader shouts that another SU-100 is moving forward to shore up this side of the battlefield. They need the help, the Germans are threatening to capture the High ground and gain control of this battlefield…

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Normandy ’44 Campaign AAR Part I: June 6th-7th

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Introduction

When I moved to a new home last year I appropriated a small room for my gaming collection. Slowly but surely I put together some bookcases, moved a small desk and eventually acquired a combination table-bookcase so I could set up games long-term. Everything was ready, so all I needed was to pick a game to play. I could have gone for one of many in my collection, but I wanted to try out one game in particular that had caught my eye for some time. That game was Normandy ’44.