The Battle of Vacqueville

Sandwiching Historicon, I played an IABSM WW2 battle with my British company...using the Vacqueville scenario from the latest (Summer'14) Too Fat Lardies special. Made a few minor adjustments to match my forces, but stayed true as best I could.

My company with attached FO and machinegun team (plus three tanks coming on later) faced a German force of five squads, sniper team, AT team, MG-42 team, and an anti-tank gun. They were defending along the boccage and in the town with a squad in reserve on each side.

Casualties at the end for the Germans: twenty-one men retreated including the AT team, but they abandoned the AT gun. Thirty-five men lost including both leaders and the machinegun team.

British: nineteen men lost: four KIA, ten WIA, five RTD.

The view from the German end

1st Platoon runs into the German outpost (after avoiding a minefield)

3rd Platoon moves to the left as 2nd comes up in support

1st Platoon takes some casualties but forces back the 1st line

2nd Platoon covers the MG-42 in smoke and prepares to attack

Only to get tangled up and forces back...but they did make the MG-42 displace

Time for a second charge

MG-42 covered by 2in mortar smoke...hope the ammo holds out

2nd Platoon comes up under the CO's command and places fire on the area around the crossroads

Tanks waiting on word that the road is clear

3rd platoon gets stuck in...killing the snipers, overrunning the MG-42 in the house, and pouring fire into the last house

2nd Platoon makes the last push up the hedgerows

MG-42 does not see the section coming in from their right

Still waiting...

Close range firefight gets ugly...Brits win when they bring up the machinegun at close range

1st and 3rd platoons mass on the farm

Farm is captured (and the artillery called off...almost some friendly fire)

German's rout from the field

Despite such a nice position, the gun emplacement is untenable...the crew head for the rear

Katzenstein