And then, we went to the beaches!

D-Day landings

Thursday the 7th Feb 2012

This Thursday we ventured to 1944, And the D-day landings. This game was huge, and a lot of fun.

American G-Is storming up the beaches.

A Birds eye view.

A Report sent back to the allied command, the day after D-Day.

t was an epic struggle; the unbiased umpire (playing on the German side) awarded a narrow victory to the forces of right and good (Allies). 

As you looked from the sea, the allied right flank was secured by the manful storming of the beaches by GI Dai "Hollywood" Smith against a Ukranian "Volunteer" defence force commanded by John "I didn't know they were going to be behind me" Gallagher. John also had to contend with my paras sneaking up behind him; between Dai and I we managed to destroy John's company to a man, and Dai held the objective. Ken "can I come on yet" Butt made a last minute dash for glory with his Stugs, and managed to destroy three para Tetrarchs, but at the cost of four Stugs, so was a case of too little too late for the German left flank. 

I cant account for the other sectors so well, suffice to say that Pete "88mm" Fisher and his defending Germans were sat in the centre ground surrounded by a ring of destroyed and burning allied armour, mostly belonging to Dave "whay do may tanks keep sinking" Lowrie. Pete seemed to be enjoying himself though!

At the other end of the battlefield a beachhead was formed by the determined efforts of Navy Mike "I've got a battleship and I'm not afraid to use it" Edwards, and Ian "this bloody sand is soft" Jones. The beachhead was formed despite the best efforts of Mike "it's a ridge" Baldwin and his small force of Stugs. Giac "call me Wittmann" Scarano, arrived fashionably late to the battlefield with his Tiger force and proceeded to cut a swathe through the allied armour, but I think the damage had already been done by the allies.

Great game, a real spectacle, excellent terrain, both the club's and Mike's!

So, in the gaming trilogy of The Longest Day, that's two down with both being narrow allied victories. I have to say that Pete was very sporting in his analysis of defeat in the first game during conversation on Thursday. I think the last game in the trilogy is 21st Panzer's counterattack on Pegasus Bridge, so opportunity for all you boys preparing para and commando companies to give them an outing!

Also, I believe mike is planning the next trilogy around the allied breakout and operation Cobra, so maybe time to dust of the Lehr or buy that US light armoured company that is so alluring! I hope there is going to be some bocage!

A report sent back to German High Command, the day after D-Day

Postenreportenfuhrer reported,

Having exactly forecast both the exact place and timing of the allied backstossen (back stab), the fuhrer lured the Amis into a skilfully laid trap. Although the ost secktor communications bunker had been treacherously destroyed by red devils, the brave 353 regiment was ready and waiting. By skilfully lying low and covering themselves with shattered debris ,our spandaus took a heavy toll of the nervous forces of the degenenerate races.

On the western end, obersturmbaumfuhrer Gallacher fought like a caged bear. His plan to die to the last man was carried out in full. Bunkengecleaner Peter surrounded himself in glory by cutting a swathe through the ami cardboard tanks. In the West, slave labourers had deliberately built their oversized defences in the wrong place. Here the allied tanks and infantry hid awaiting the small but perfectly formed tigerstossenkiller jac giac Zooprano. The graduate of der brigendenhitlerjugendgestella took out three ami zugs in two turns. At the same time, a perfectly coordinated stug batterie, commanded by die alte fritz ken" die grossenbadensmella' , careered into the reich history books , with a perfectly orchestrated counterattack. Burning tanks and a dead para were strewn all through the flooded fields!

The allied claims of victory will be dashed at the bridge of oustereim as the gallant 21 panzer division is already revving their supercharged engines on their heavily armoured wunder weapons.

Über und out

Michel baldwinnem.

Juli 1944

 Four German company commanders were shotten in an unrelated incident!