Bolt Action: Seize the crossroads!

Last night we played a game of Bolt Action with my mechanized SS facing against the armoured might of Herkko's US 2nd armoured. This was our first "real" tank war game and we decided to fight the "Bastogne" scenario, where the Germans were holding a crucial crossroads which the Americans had to capture. I started with an infantry unit, panzerschreck team and a HMG team holding the crossroads with two more mechanized squads, a lieutenant, a Wespe and two Panzer IVs in reserve. The Americans had two infantry squads, a bazooka team, .30 cal machine gun, lieutenant and four Shermans, of which half were in reserve.

The crossroads from the American deployment zone

Heavily armed Germans are ready to meet the attackers

US infantry jump-off point

US armour take up flanking positions

German panzers enter from reserve and open fire on the American tanks

Detroit steel is no match for accurately placed 75mm rounds: score 1 - 0 for the Germans!

Wespe races to take up positions at the crossroads and scores a glancing hit on one of the Shermans

Panzerschreck team redeploys across the street

SS Panzergrenadiers race to the rescue in hanomags

The Yankee horde advances cautiously

German infatry deploys

An unfair match-up: SdKfz 251/10 going head-to-head with an "easy eight" Sherman

US infantry prepare to assault the town - only to be pinned down by massive small arms fire

More Shermans enter the fray. One Panzer IV takes a direct hit and detonates, the other Panzer takes a glancing hit which spooks the crew into retreating behind some cover.

The Wespe is easy pray to the American bazooka

SS-infantry reserves bolster the front. Panzerfausts primed!

One of the Shermans advances dangerously close. Close-range panzerfausts and panzerschreck fire fails to destroy it but leaves the crew bailed out.

The remaining Panzer IV returns to the fight. Triple six and scratch another Sherman!

What a beautiful sight!

Tank-hunters creep up to the Shermans. It's amazing how you can miss at this range!

In the end, the game went to the Germans. The American ran out of time and men in trying to assault the strong German position and with some lucky fire the Panzers worsted the Shermans. There was one point where the Americans were ready to assault the village, but at that crucial point the US infantry refused to follow orders. The mission was definitely not easy for them and, retrospectively, they should have had a few more men or some support in order to flush out the heavily fortified SS-veterans.

Whilst we were playing our late-war game, an early war battle between Germans and French was being fought on the neighbouring table. Here are a few pics but a more detailed description can be found on my friend's blog.