Sgt. Steiner's End of Year Bash...2016

As with last year's Marlburian epic, a report on another end of year special at chez Steiner, with the two Steves and Richard.

Now this time we had Canadians & Polish vs dug in Germans during Totalize II in 1944, with the excellent Field of Battle WWII. An epic two day battle (game time) against fanatics (I mean the German divisions of course, not the players...I think).

'Get on with it!'

So we had Polish and Canadian units straddling the main road to Falaise, with the objective of securing the road at the far end. It sounds easy doesn't it?

Truth be told, there were some significantly worrying pieces of armour  in the woods and dug in along the ridgeline.

'You do see the enemy tanks, don't you sir?'

 Poles on the startline.

Canadians on the right flank.

 Lines of nice armour are great, but there's an 88 !

 Jabos - fairly ineffective on the day. It must have been cloudy.

 Cratering  from a bombing raid. It was ineffective too... we were sensing a pattern from the dice :(

 On the morning of the second day, the Germans awoke to find an Allied attack on the way in.
These woods were meant to be our hold and delay action, but claimed more and more units in a pivotal battle within a larger action.

 ...as the Canadians tried to turn the flank on the right and secure the road in the centre, but it was proving tougher than envisioned.

 Another afternoon of fighting, and the Canadians/Polish, despite having the edge on artillery and airpower, were finding the German dug in positions too tough to crack...and the operation was over as Allied morale dwindled and ebbed away.

 

'It's the Allied players on the phone. They're wondering if we can avoid rolling any dice this turn and let them win.'


Great game and hospitality as usual chez Steiner. Of course, the game has me thinking not only about more Field of Battle WWII, perhaps in 20mm again, but also how it might work for Cold War / WWIII ...