Finally – after long waiting – last Sunday we put some of our new toys on the table and we played with the I Ain’t Been Shot Mum rules an introductory scenario from the supplement The Defence Of Calais by Robert Avery. We choose this small scenario because we thought that it would be a great start for our mates Bill and…Bill who had only theoretical experience of the game so far. Four guys on the same table and everybody had to command something. John was commanding the German Panzers and the two…Bills were commanding the British. When the game started I was typically with the German side. However after a couple of turns I found myself more with an umpire’s role than my original role. No complain about that!

The Background to the Battle

Les Attaques, France. May 1940. 1400hrs.

Les Attaques is about 7 kilometres south-west of the town of Calais. It was of high strategic importance, containing two possible stop-points in the bridge over the Canal de Calais and a narrow crossroads immediately afterwards.

About 50 men of the 1st Searchlights were furthest from Calais, dug in in the small village of Les Attaques. They had been assigned to the outer perimeter of Calais’ defences with some Boys anti-tank rifles and a handful of Bren guns. At about 2pm their position was approached by three enemy light tanks. They managed to get a foothold over the canal bridge, but were then driven off by the concentrated fire of Barr’s men.

The scenario’s map and our table:

The Battle

Vaggelis