Apart from a couple of bursts of sketchy MP 40 fire in the first ten seconds of the turn, the flow of violence is all one way in Bounce the Bogen’s thirty-third instalment. As British and American forces surge towards the village, the handful of enemy units that haven’t surrendered or ceased to exist, scamper for the eastern map edge.
Vengeful Venison ensures the German platoon leader’s last glimpse of life on Earth is a wood ant scaling a mossy pine cone.
Improbably, the nearby Sicherung ‘squad’…
…reaches the forlorn ruins of the Eichhörnchenhaus before being eliminated.
Circa T+40, realising the game is up, Colonel Scholz, the commander tasked with stopping the Allies at the Bogen, leaps into a waiting Kubelwagen Type 8* and attempts to flee Nottingheim. Unfortunately for him, his departure is spotted by the gunner of the approaching M5A1.
* The ‘8’ sported experimental octagonal wheels.
As Lieutenant Tuck ends the sixty with just four arty rounds remaining, the Archer’s meagre supply of HE is now exhausted, and – concerned about friendly fire – Sergeant Pyle’s gunner is no longer pounding the 14,3,5 foxholes, Turn 34 promises to be considerably quieter than its predecessor.
Turn 34 orders here, please. Commenters are cordially invited to suggest moves for the following seven unit groups. First come, first served. Order execution is usually Monday morning at 0700 GMT.
(See screenshots for unit locations)
– Captain Hood’s party (Hood’s HQ (1 man), Sergeant Venison’s rifle squad (2 men, low ammo), Forester’s squad (1 man), Sergeant Greenwood’s squad (6 men, split) + Corporal Fletcher’s M5A1 halftrack)
– Lieutenant Marian’s men (Marian’s HQ (4 men) + Sergeant Sherwood’s rifle squad (10 men) + PIAT team (embarked) + 3 inch mortar team)
– Sergeant Bowman’s Archer TD
– Sergeant Johns’ Churchill VIII
– Sergeant Pyle’s Sherman
– Lieutenant Costner’s platoon (Costner (2) Olander (12), Carlson (4), + bazooka man(1))
– 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: Capt. Hood
ORDER: Sgt. Venison
ORDER: Sgt. Forester
MOVE to eastern edge of pines in [22, 1, 1]
Enjoy the view / get a brew going / spark up / stuff moss in their ears / debate the benefits of ‘Contrology’ versus fluid beef
{Captain Hood is of the “I bend so I don’t break” school}
ORDER: Sergeant Johns’ Churchill VIII
If possible, point turret northwestwards.
Change destination of REVERSE move to road at [16, 3, 1], crossing the concourse and passing between the buildings.
ROTATE body and turret to look northwest up the road.
ORDER: Greenwood ‘A’
ORDER: Greenwood ‘B’
(The aim is for them to reunify as a unit, if they haven’t already)
MOVE FAST east to get down the slope.
MOVE CAUTIOUSLY east to peek round the NE corner of the building in [14, 5, 5]
ORDER: Cpl. Spencer’s vehicleless crew
MOVE FAST to outside wall of building in [15, 2, 3]
I suspect it’s a barn, but if it’s possible to look vaguely northeast out of that building, enter it and do so.
Otherwise MOVE FAST to enter the building at [15, 2, 2] and CAUTIOUSLY peep out of the windows to the northest.
ORDER: Sgt. Scarlet’s vehicleless crew
MOVE CAUTIOUSLY north into [15, 3-4, 1]
(Forgot to account for the village buildings being swivelled)
REVISED ORDER: Greenwood ‘A’ & Greenwood ‘B’
… peek round the NORTHERNMOST corner of the building in [14, 5, 5]
ORDERS: Lt Costner’s Platoon:-
Costner – RUN to 23, 4, 1.
Lincoln – No further orders.
Carlson – Complete last move. Then MOVE to 23, 4, 1.
Olander – See HT orders.
Shanley – RUN to 23, 4, 1. Then RUN to 15, 4, 4. FACE SE.
ORDER: Pyle’s Sherman – FAST MOVE to 23, 2, 2. FACE SE.
ORDERS: Dale’s Party:-
Dale – RUN to 15, 1, 4. Then RUN to 15, 3, 4.
Whitehand – Complete MOVE to 21, 1, 2. FACE S. HIDE.
ORDER: Bowman’s Archer – REVERSE to 23, 2, 1.
ORDER: Tuck 25pdr – FIRE remaining rounds @KW.8 circa 16, 2, 3.
ORDER: Fletcher’s HT:-
FAST MOVE along road to16, 3, 1. FACE N.
DISEMBARK Olander to 8, 3, 5. Top Floor Face N.
DISEMBARK Piat team to 8, 4, 5. Face E.
ORDERS: Marian’s Platoon:-
Marian – RUN to 15, 2, 3.
Sherwood – Team ‘A’ @14, 3, 5. RUN to 15,1, 4. RUN to 15, 3, 4
top floor. Face SE.
– Team ‘B’ RUN to 15, 2, 3 then onto 15, 4, 3. Face SE.
@Tim
Was anything found in [14, 3, 5] other than a hastily scribbled note in German saying “IOU 1 foxhole, signed Milo Minderbinder”?
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@SunderLad
Did you wish to cede command of any of the units in the woods west of the village?
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I’m expecting Corporal Fletcher’s halftrack to win MVP:
– saved Lt. Merry’s bacon in the foxholes east of the bridge
– stopped enemy movement out of the woods south of the castle
– helped persuade the 75mm crew in the village to disengage
– prevented Scholz from absconding with the Golden Squirrel Combination Nutcracker, Bottle-Opener and Dirndl Unlacer {a prized possession of Mad Prince Ludwig I’m led to believe}
How about a very favourable swap – Lieutenant Marian’s men (Marian’s HQ (4 men) + Sergeant Sherwood’s rifle squad (10 men), for the keys to the Churchill?
Seeing as I was planning on changing the Churchill’s route to instead reverse across the concourse, between the buildings and onto the road; Hell, no!
Turn 34 is not going to pass by without some bombast if I can help it.
(There’s always a chance some wet blanket will log-in before Sunday and issue more conventional orders. Like a square.)
Apart from an empty tin of Pervitin pills and a traumatised squirrel, the foxholes at 14,3,5 were empty.
B E E F _ _ P R O D U C T _ _ N E W S
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I didn’t understand the headline at first and assumed it was from an inter-war expedition, but it’s from the successful 1953 ascent of Everest that an unconsumed tin of beef dripping has been auctioned.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy030n9z3gjo
(That cow has seen things).