Time for another lockdown game of I Ain’t Been Shot, Mum against K, Daughter #1’s boyfriend, trapped with us for the duration.
I used scenario #3 from the Defence of Calais scenario pack: 3RTR at Hames-Boucres. I would take the Brits, K would play the Germans.
The game begins as a squadron of British tanks (a Squadron HQ of an A9 and an A10; two troops of three A13s each; a troop of three MkVIb light tanks; and a couple of recon Dingos) headed in column along a sunken road towards the village of Hames-Boucres (a few miles from Calais) with orders to deal with a few "rogue enemy tanks" that had apparently been spotted roaming around the countryside.
The tabletop at the start of the game: Brits enter from the windmill end
Ahead of them is a crossroads and, as they approach, the lead British tank (a MkVI) spots three Panzer IVs coming in down the road from the left, two Panzer IIs coming in down the road from the right, and some unconfirmed German troops under Blinds heading down the road straight in front of them.
Another view of the start position
You might have noticed that there are a couple of groups of people on the crossroads itself. These are civilian refugees about to get caught in the crossfire. They would cause both sides, but particularly the British, problems throughout the game: it being not the done thing to shoot or drive through non-combatants.
Refugees, apparently from Vietnam. Well, it is near Calais…
The Action Begins
The Germans were the first to react to the situation. Their Panzer IVs moved up to the hedgeline and opened fire on the British tanks advancing down the road. The lead British tank had already entered the sunken part of the road, so the Germans targeted the third Mark VI and, with a couple of solid hits, knocked it out.
The other two British light tanks scattered, heading towards where the Panzer IIs were coming in from the right. Meanwhile, #1 Troop moved to the hedgerow on their left, aiming to take up a flank position on the Panzer IVs. Up ahead, the British tankers could see a mass of trucks and lorries heading their way. So much for the “few rogue tanks”!
Two of the Panzer IVs were quickly destroyed for no loss, but one of the other Mark VIs was hit by a fluke shot from a Panzer II’s 20mm autocannon and exploded!
At this point, the British #2 troop arrived, and headed forward as fast as possible, seeking to get into a position where they could BESA the enemy infantry before the German foot could get properly positioned.
One German anti-tank gun had had a chance to get forward and set up in the edge of the woods by the crossroads, but neither side was, at this point, prepared to shoot through the refugees on the road.
The final Panzer IV succumbed to fire from a A13 Cruiser, but the delay in dealing with them had now given the Germans time to deploy a second and third anti-tank gun just behind the road cutting the battlefield in two.
The second gun, also near the crossroads, was crewed by sterner chaps than the initial piece: they opened fire on the British Cruisers on the road straight through the refugees who had been running backwards and forwards between the two sides.
This display of heartlessness inspired the crew of the first gun, helped by the company commander arriving to encourage them into action: they also opened fire down the road. The British tanks, still reluctant to shoot through the civilians, could only suffer and take casualties!
With German anti-tank guns now firmly in possession of the crossroads and no infantry available to winkle them out, the British had no choice but to retire back towards Calais. The day belonged to Jerry!
Aftermath
This was K’s second game of IABSM and his first win. He was very pleased with how he’d done: using his tanks to delay the superior numbers of British armour getting forward whilst his anti-tank guns got into position…at which point it was effectively “game over” for 3RTR!
I last played this scenario ten years ago: umpiring at a Lardy games day using curtains as a cloth as I’d left my mat at home. It has really stood the test of time: we played it out in about two hours, also making it ideal for a club night encounter.
What did strike me, as I re-read the background info I’d provided when I wrote the Defence of Calais pack, was how badly the British mis-managed the early part of the Calais campaign. Politics aside, it is one long tale of unpreparedness and confusion…making it all the more remarkable that this Friday we’re celebrating the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Robert Avery