The Brits attempt to cross the Bogen in Turn 6. Well, five of them do. Not long after Sergeant Venison’s half squad commences a daring dash across the rail bridge, they start taking fire from their ten o’clock. A party of Volksgrenadiers ambling southward on the road beneath the castle, has spotted the bid and seems determined to scupper it.
Fortunately for Venison, swashbuckling Captain Hood, who is monitoring developments from a sprucy knoll circa 18, 4, 3, decides to weigh in.
Accurate cross-river fire from three Lee-Enfield rifles drops one of the Germans and encourages the other seven to leave the road.
The ‘signallers’ also attempt to deter/deplete the bridge-crossers. However, their efforts are relatively short-lived. Supported by fire from the Allied halftrack, Lieutenant Merry’s HQ team, the other half-squad, and the advancing Daimler AC, Venison’s band manages to get across the Bogen unscathed.
A few seconds after Venison and his men vault over the parapet and drop onto the relative safety of the mossy slope SE of the bridge, one of the units providing covering fire sights a second threat in the signal box. Showered with splinters and broken glass, that threat – a Panzerschreck team – shows no interest in engaging either of the two Allied AFVs in its eye-line. In fact, just before the turn ends it makes an abortive attempt at retreating.
The news from the Schloss this sixty was a trifle worrying. Early in the turn Corporal Whitehand, the US Panzerschreckist, watched a Panzer IV (?) enter the battlefield near Nottingheim station, and a little later he noticed previously unseen uniformed figures in two locations close to the inn.
The situation at the start of Turn 7…
Venison’s half-squad is very close to one of the spots IDed as a foxhole location by the US POWs, but has yet to discover any excavations. The signallers appear thoroughly suppressed and should (along with Venison’s half-squad?) find themselves under artillery bombardment 26 seconds into Turn 7.
The Churchill and Archer are approaching the railway cutting.
Near the road bridge, the scout car and Marian’s squads will need to advance a little further in order to get eyes on the dug-in tank and 88 position. If Greenwood, Much, and Forester all move another ‘square’ eastward, that should do it. Heavily encumbered, Marian’s mortar team is still a hundred metres from its destination.
Turn 7 orders here, please. Commenters are cordially invited to suggest moves for the following eight unit groups (First come, first served. A maximum of one unit group per commenter. I’ll try to execute the turn as quickly as possible after all orders are in.)
(See screenshots for unit locations)
****anyone****
– Merry’s men (Lieutenant Merry + Sergeant Venison’s rifle squad + Corporal Fletcher’s M5A1 halftrack)
– Marian’s men (Lieutenant Marian + 3 x rifle squads + PIAT team + 3 inch mortar team)
– Sergeant Bowman’s Archer TD
– Corporal Much’s Humber scout car
****subscribers only****
– Captain Hood (Six-man company HQ + arty spotter Lieutenant Tuck)
– Sergeant Scarlet’s Daimler armoured car
– Sergeant Johns’ Churchill VIII
– Captain Dale’s party (Six POWs armed with pilfered rifles and pistols) + Corporal Whitehand’s team (Two POWs armed with a pilfered Panzerschreck)
Please start all order comments with ‘ORDER’ and any later revision comments with ‘REVISED ORDER’. This will help me distinguish firm instructions from suggestions and advice.
ORDER:
– Greenwood and Forester to move the one square to the east so they can see what’s going on.
– Marian himself to go to 34,3,5 (that other hilltop a bit south of Mulch) so he can spot for the mortar.
– Mortar team can stop and deploy (since they can hit anywhere on the map it matters less where they are deployed)
ORDER: Much and his scout car to move forward (east) far enough to get a view over the river. I think it’ll require a move to 42, 1, 4. I guess they should be somewhat cautious and ready to reverse should that tank turn out to exist, and be awake.
ORDER:
Dale and his heroes to finish up their victory cigarettes and move to the top floor, north-facing windows. See if there might be any other malingerers looking for a hot lead shower.
Whitehand to keep an eye on the burgeoning ranks of armour, as per usual. As they wait, they can debate the exact number of angry houses you need to call it “an angry village”.
ORDER:
Sergeant Johns’ Churchill VIII – Continue Fast Move to 1, 3, 4. Then Hunt to 2, 1, 4. Its howitzer can dismantle the signal box next turn unless we wish to occupy it.
Sergeant Bowman’s Archer TD – Cancel previous move orders. Instead Fast Move to 10, 1, 3. Then Reverse to 10, 2, 3. From here we should be able to engage any AFV’s heading for the rail bridge.
ORDER: Sgt Venison’s advanced fireteam
CAUTIOUS MOVE south-east 10-20 metres across the slope maintaining altitude to the tip of the notch; remain in defilade and keep NE facing. I think they’d end up in [3,3,2]
Woops, forgot to send orders last round, apologies!
A tip if I may.
When scouting with infantry it’s usually beneficial to use split squads. That way you double the number of units scouting, it also reduces the potential for casualties if fired upon as there are fewer members to hit.
Tim, would you know what’s the anticipated duration of the imminent barrage?
Once the 25-pounder barrage gets started it will continue until a Comment Commander halts it or the battery runs out of ammo. As the battery fires 12 rounds a turn and starts with 120, it has sufficient ammo for ten turns of firing.
I’m not sure quite how widely spread the barrage will be. If at the end of Turn 7 it’s turning out to be equally bothersome for Venison’s team as for any foxhole lurkers Hood can call it off.
100 metre radius is my feeling, based on what Tim has written in this and previous turns. It was when the target point was by the signalbox, I think, that Tim warned it might hit the rail bridge or even the western bank.
My instinct is to call off the nearby strike – I may be under the misapprehension that a big one is meant to start in the middle of the map at the beginning of Turn 8.
It’s all a little too quiet in here. Are we at a point where the rail bridge crossing will go ahead without any further input? Anyone need me to order around some other units?
I believe the Armoured Car will be free this turn, the previous commander mentioned they will be away for a while. Not sure its worth crossing the bridge as the artillery barrage is due this turn.
Some thoughts for this turn.
Rail bridge- we could manoeuvre the western infantry to prepare for an assault on the remaining fox hole and signal box during the following turn – immediately after halting the artillery barrage!
The Churchill Mk.VIII should arrive during this turn- its howitzer will make short work of the signal box if required.
Road bridge- we could send more of the infantry south to cross the rail bridge, thereby enabling an eventual flanking attack on the eastern end of the road bridge. I doubt a frontal attack on its own will work.