Defense of the Crossroads

After the American and German forces clashed at the crossroads weeks before over a stranded German officer and the vital intelligence he carried, the American 82nd secured the ruined village and fortified against an inevitable German counter attack. Dug in on the western edge of the crossroads, the Paratroopers receive additional armor and infantry support.

 Initial Deployments. Americans dig in to the west of the main road, while German advanced forces creep into place on the far side of the fields.

 Paratroopers hold the right flank, using the hedgerows as a firing position.

 A .30 caliber team help anchor the American right.

 The American center. Air Observer and mortar take the high ground in the upper floors of the ruin. A bazooka team sets up in the wall facing the crossroads. The 2nd Lt. sets up his HQ in the main floor of the ruin, defended by another squad of Paratroopers. In the next ruin the Paratroopers set up their Anti-tank gun and a Glider marksman and his spotter take up position at the corner of the ruin.

 A unit of Glidermen hold the American left, hunkering down in the forest.

 German Sniper team(Foreground) and Air Observer(far red die) spy on the American positions.

 Unknown to the 82nd, German artillery had zeroed in on the crossroads in preparation for the counter attack and as it fell directly on target. American forces were forced to dive for cover and when all was said and done, only the 2nd Lt's. Aide had succumbed to the barrage.

German Forces are quick to push up into the fields opposite the American positions, moving as fast as they can to get into as much cover as they can before the effects of the Artillery Barrage wear off. The first shot from the American Anti-Tank gun demolishes one of the German kubelwagons in the northern field. The paratrooper squad in the center ruins returns fire on a five man unit of regulars, cutting three of them down in one volley. In the southern field, the US air observer tosses smoke onto the Panther and the Glider bazooka team knocks out a German half-track, killing the German captain in the process and forces the SS squad to disembark.

 The Paratrooper bazooka teams comes in from reserves on the American right. The German air observer designates the American mortar team as its target, that could spell trouble for the paratroopers when or if it arrives.

 The Sherman shakes off the effects of the artillery and advances into the open, taking a shot at the panther and missing.

 Glider squad on the left hunkers down in ambush, hoping to hold the left as long as they can.

  On turn two, the first American fighter comes howling in, machine guns chattering, but unfortunately it doesn't have the armament nessecary to slow the panther down and flies off after a single pass.

 Reloading quickly, the gun crew re-targeted and knocked out another German half-track.

 The German Panther pushed up against the American right, obliterating the .30 cal team in a blizzard of shots, but quickly found itself under fire from both bazooka teams. The team on the right flank misses, but a shot from the center punches through the Panther's side armor and knocks it out.

 The US right add supporting fire into the nearest German units, hoping to keep some heads down.

 SS Fanatics advance up along the burning Panther, hoping to close the distance to the US lines.

 Sherman pushes up the road with all immediate threats gone, using its machine guns to drive off a five man Heer unit that was pushing up on the US HQ.

The US left trade shots with the remaining Germans, trading pins for another of the Heer squad in the northern field.

 Turn three sees a unit of Glidermen outflanking to reinforce the US right.

 The Sherman and Paratroopers push across the main road. Time to push the Germans back to their lines.

 The US observer directs another air strike onto the German SS unit.

 The US marksman trades another shot with his German counterpart and the remaining Heer soldier flees in one of the remaining kubelwagons.

  Turn 4 and the Luftwaffe finally arrive on the scene, but the Stuka mistakes the US smoke marker for its own target and makes his attack run against the SS unit. More pin markers, but no casualties as the plan howls on past.

 Paratroopers advance towards the southern field and the German 2nd Lt flees north in hopes of escape. The US Gun crew takes over for the sniper and fires on the German sniper with an HE shell, killing both him and his spotter and clearing the way for the Jeep to cross into the field.

 Surprised by a unit of German regulars, the Glider squad suffers half casualties from a point blank volley.

 Pinned by overwhelming firepower the SS come under fire from the second US plane to grace the skies. Firing into the signal smoke at will, only one SS soldier is taken out, but the Germans are forced to keep their heads down.

 The Glidermen on the right return fire on the Heer unit facing them.

 The two remaining kubelwagons gather at the south field, hoping to consolidate their numbers.

 The US left flank starts to reposition, with the paratroopers charging through the hedges to strike down the fleeing German officer.

 Assaulted by the Heer infantry, the Glidermen hold their ground and see off the Germans to a man, losing only a couple in return.

 One kubelwagon with observer on board attempts a last push for the US center, but is ambushed by the nearest paratrooper squad and the weight of fire cripples the engine and puts yet another German vehicle out of commission.

 German forces, whittled down to a single vehicle and trooper, concede the battle and flee in the wake of the other units that had run from the field, hoping to outpace the Americans who would undoubtedly follow up this success to punch deeper into the German lines. US victory.

German units destroyed or routed. 12 dice earned out of 16.

Battle of the Crossroads

Recently I've been getting into the 28mm skirmish game, Bolt Action which I still need to post up proper pictures of my army as of the moment, but for now I'll be posting up pictures from last night's midnight battle against Josh.

I'm playing my US Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne and Josh is playing a mix of Heer and SS infantry forces. Both forces are 1000 points and we played the 'Top Secret' mission, with the goal of capturing a piece of vital intel in the center of the board and retreating off of our board end before the end of the game to win.

 Initial table setup. A small European village with a crossroads and a couple of fields. US table edge is closest to the camera, German forces deploying from the far end.

 Table at the end of Turn 1. Both sides have advanced on from their table edges and taken up initial positions.

 Glider rifle troops advance into the forest on the US right, pushing up to secure the right side of the road.

 US Paratrooper squad advances up the road under cover from a 57mm anti-tank gun. Anti-tank gun fires and fails to range in on the german halftrack.

 Second Paratrooper squad and the support jeep move through the field on the US left flank.

 US Left with the jeep, a light mortar team, paratrooper squad, the 2nd LT and a bazooka team.

 German forces advance up the road, deploying behind hedges. A machine gun team deploying into the upper ruins and becomes the target of the US artillery barrage. (Marked by the red die)

 Table at the end of turn 2. Both forces continue to advance. German forces are forced to split around the target zone for the artillery.

 US .30caliber machine gun team moves up the right flank.

 US tank gun fires down the road, but fails to hit the half track for a second time as it veers into the hedges.

End of turn 3. US left flank advances to the far end of the field. The .50 in the jeep and the paratrooper squad on the road fire on the kubelwagon as it cuts in front of them, putting pin markers on it.

 German forces falter in their advance. The US mortar fires smoke into the road in front of the German lines.

 End of turn 3, Amercians break through the left hand field and push into the ruins. More fire is poured into the kubelwagon, knocking it out of the game and pinning the machine gun team in it. German artillery strike coordinates are radioed in on the ruins on the US corner of the crossroads. (Black die)

 

 US left flank advance.

 German lines trying to re-form to confront the American advance.

 End of Turn 4. US glidermen advance into the field, laying down fire on German forces in the next field.  US artillery barrage came down at the beginning of the turn, landing on target and pinning German forces in a 12" bubble around the ruins.

 US left flank, paratroopers moving up into the ruins,  laying down fire on the German Heer units that are advancing on the objective at the crossroads.

 US right flank, US glidermen return fire on the Heer unit in the next field.

 Paratroopers in the ruins take fire in return, getting pinned but suffering no casualties.

 

 

 US forward observer rushes towards the Intel officer(objective), firing and placing a pin on the advancing Heer infantry with his pistol.

 Start of turn 5 the German artillery barrage comes in, but there was a miscommunication and the barrage falls amongst the German infantry on the other side of the crossroads, pinning down the infantry.

 End of turn 5 the US paratroopers push fully into the ruins, trading fire with German infantry forces as they grab the objective. US forward observer is killed in an assault.

 The 57mm fires down the road again, knocking out the German halftrack hiding amongst the hedges.

 Glidermen push forwards and wipe out the German Heer unit they had been trading fire with.

 End of Turn 6 and the game.

 Glidermen and the machine gun team finish off the pinned German machine gun that had been hunkering behind the burning kubelwagon.

 

 

 US left advances and pours fire into the German's with the Intel officer.

The game ended at the end of Turn 6 and brought the game to a draw as neither team was able to retreat off the table with the intel.

Even with the German's holding the intel at the end of the game, the US have fully wiped out five units of German's and only lost one of their own in return. Moral victory for both sides.