Volkssturm militiamen biding their time in camouflaged foxholes close to the rail bridge espy an irresistible target early in Turn 7. Unfortunately for Sergeant Venison, the target in question is him and his bank-traversing half-team.
Turn 7 starts promisingly enough for the Comment Commanders. The enemy Panzerschreck team in the bullet-riddled signal box suddenly remembers it has an urgent appointment in Nottingheim and legs it eastward. Not long after, the other occupant of the lever cottage – a unit tentatively IDed as an ‘infantry squad’ – follows suit.
Fairly confident that the box no longer poses a threat and aware that a ‘friendly’ bombardment is less than a minute away, vanguarding Venison and his companions begin putting additional distance between themselves and the aim point of the stonk. They’ve barely commenced their manoeuvre, when MP 40s begin chattering nearby.
On another day, the Brits’ calm return fire and accurately hurled Mills bombs would have quickly silenced the party of keen but green ‘old men and boys’ across the road. On this occasion the Germans give as good as they get. By the time the clock stops, although the Volkssturm unit appears to have been reduced to four men, it’s out of LoS of all other Allied units, and Venison has lost his Sten gunner and one of his riflemen.
Tuck’s arty bombardment starts a few seconds before the end of the sixty. Judging from the impact locations of the first few rounds, next turn Venison has as much chance of being harmed by the incoming shells, as he has of being helped by them.
Elsewhere this turn…
Whitehand spotted movement below his window. Apparently heading southward, the squad of Volksgrenadiers halted shortly after entering the woods.
Dale inspected the bullet-riddled corpses of an LMG team and surveyed a segment of terrain that – last time he checked – hosted a dug-in tank, a deployed ‘88’, and a halftrack. The fact that the Captain didn’t spot any of these threats in Turn 7 doesn’t mean they aren’t still in situ. Given a little longer, assuming they haven’t moved, he should notice them.
Having edged a little closer to the river bank, hopefully Greenwood’s squad will also spot the dug-in tank next turn.
LoS obstructions mean Forester’s squad probably isn’t going to notice the angry house or AA gun anytime soon. However, from its new position, it does have a pretty good view of the road to Nottingheim.
Corporal Much failed to carry out his recon order to the letter due to a – take your pick – GM gaffe or bout of nerves. While the scout car did drive towards the Bogen this turn, it spotted nowt and reversed back to its start position on reaching its destination.
Hood spent much of Turn 7 trading lead with the Volksgrenadiers across the river. Neither side sustained casualties during the exchange.
The situation at the start of Turn 8:
Turn 8 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.