After about 11 months, finally organized another IABSM game with my buddies from Vermont Historical Gamers Group: scenario i from Skirmish Elite book series, Falaise Firestorm. St Eugenie, Normandy, August 1944.

Dave Goodwin and Elroy Davis commanded one platoon of Germans along with two Panzer IVs plus two halftracks, one with short 75mm gun and one with long 75mm gun. Brent Coulthard commanded the Americans, with three M-4s, one M-8 armored car, two towed 3-inch AT guns and two platoons of infantry.

The US had to try and get at least three armored vehicles or AT guns off the board edge with large orchard.

IABSM rules used, supplemented by use of TFL's Command Cards plus my tweak of adding two extra Big Men joker cards to increase likelihood of Big Man activation.

Start of game, view from American lines who have to exit armored vehicles off the far edge.

Scenario map.

View from American left towards German positions in the far houses.

View from American right. The Americans need to reach the far orchard along the Board edge.

Shermans press the German center.

A halftrack with a Pak 40 tried to ambush the Shermans and got some hits but the Sherman's armor held up.

The first Panzer IV pops out but is also unable to take out the Shermans.

The lead Sherman retreats behind the white farmhouse to avoid the first Panzer IV but a second Panzer IV shoots from the orchard and brews it up.

The lead Sherman burns fiercely. Flame and smoke courtesy of Bud's Blast Markers.

American infantry on the right flank fire on Germans behind the central house.

German infantry take cover from the American behind the central house while the first Panzer IV moves from behind the barn to a different orchard to trade shots with a second Sherman.

American 3-inch AT guns deploy and fire on the Panzers and survive return HE fire.

End of battle. The Germans still hold the middle orchards but two Shermans and a full platoon of infantry at the top of the photo are beginning to flank the German left.

Dan Albrecht