The latest remote viewing and text game was from the IABSM rule book. Scenario 4, A Canadian VC. This game is based on the August 19, 1944 Canadian advance into St Lambert where the Allies are trying to plug the Falaise Gap.

Normandy games look nice but with terrain like this you really have to send a lot of pics to convey the tight confines of views available. I did adjust the basic map a bit to add more buildings and some walls. Really one of the best scenarios I've played/run. We had four players scattered around Atlanta area and in Florida.

This was an easy one to set up...

…since it was based on the Canadian VC game in the IABSM rules. I did adjust the basic map a bit to add more buildings and some walls. The Canadian entry edge is to the left(north) and the German entry site was the road at the SE corner.

German reinforcement edge

Germans had to hold off the Allies and prevent them from capturing the main crossroads. Grenadiers (Martin) had two 2-section platoons, one with a panzerschrek and one with a panzerfaust per section. The 3rd Zug had a section and an MMG team and two panzerfausts. The armor was a zug of two PzIVHs and a zug of a Tiger and a Panther.

South West Corner

Looking north towards St Lambert

St Lambert sur Dives from the west

This game is based on the August 19, 1944 Canadian advance into St Lambert where the Allies are trying to plug the Falaise Gap

Canadian infantry has 2 platoons of 3 sections each and a Company HQ of Maj Ivan Martin (Level III). Lt Gil Armour (III) has the 1st platoon and CSM G Mitchell (II) the 2nd. Jess was the infantry CO and Sheridan the armor. There were 2 troops of Shermans in support. Maj Dave Currie (III) and Capt John Redden (II) were the leaders.

View from the East

Looking west into town

Starting panzer zug

The Germans had a choice of what they could begin with on the table. Martin (panzer player) and William (infantry player) were the Germans They each could begin the game with one of their understrength zugs. William elected to have the Tiger and Panther and Martin started with one of the 2 gruppe zugs up overlooking the NE bridge.

Panther moves up to cover the eastern road

It can cover the bridge from here.

Germans guarding the bridge

Martin put the zug of Feldwebel Klaus Siebowicz up front to slow down the 'Tommies'. They were in the hard cover of the farm houses and had a good view of the stream.

Shermans move up

The Firefly of Currie is in the back.

Grenadiers move back a bit

Their previous location was smoked after they opened fire on the Canadians

Shermans spread out

2 M4s move next to the stream as Currie hangs back The other cards are both blinds.

Early overview

Panther moved up along the road that the Canadians were coming in on. Tiger went up the other road. The 2nd Canadian infantry platoon moved to the left to cross the stream.

Bad start for the panzers

A very lucky hit from a M4 takes out the Panther early. It had fired and missed only to then get hit and fail its robustness roll.

M4s dominating the table

Besides getting the devastating hit on the Mk V they were also shooting in their ground pounders. The 2" mortar was doing a decent job of putting smoke down too.

Canadians getting ready to assault the first buildings

Action by the bridge

Mitchell's platoon crosses the stream

Overwhelming Siebowicz's zug. The 2nd troop is behind the trees getting ready to follow up Mitchell.

HE on the buildings

No threatening panzers in sight so the Shermans plaster the farmhouse with Siebowicz.

Lots of small arms fire

It wasn't all 1 sided as Lt Armour goes down. But the German platoon really wants to pull back.

Siebowicz's survivors fall back

And the Canadians take the first German positions

Currie's troop crosses the Dives

Canadians head up the left flank

The troop under Redden has crossed the Dives also and is still under blinds.

German reinforcements are slow to arrive. One zug under Schrfuhrer Richard Ziegler has come on table only.

Siebowicz gets no respite

The Germans attempt to regroup in the next farmhouse up the road, but the M4s shell that buildings also putting and end to their combat effectiveness for the game. The Panther continues to burn outside the building.

Currie moves up again

The blinds at the top are the Tiger and a dummy blind

More panzers

Finally! William's 2nd panzer zug finally gets into action. They attempt to engage the advancing infantry coming up through the orchards on their right. The Tiger has just hit the center M4 of Currie's troop.

Maj Martin pushes hard on the left

Not sure of where the Jerries are actually except for the PzIVs

Fire from the orchard in the center

The PzIVs and fire from the center stalls the advance.

Tiger scores

The Panzers really were not on their game in this outing. The blind up front is the panzerschreck team of Ziegel

Shermans and PzIV exchange shots

The panzer closest to the intersection took a mobility hit.

M4 knocked out

But the Sherman was hit and abandoned shortly after.

Maj Martin gets the troops ready for the next advance

Pz IVs covering the east flank

Panzers on the path and grenadiers in the orchard

A gruppe from the 2nd Zug moved into the orchard to cover the right flank It didn't stay there long.

Smoke round sets a house on fire

Random event catches a building on fire next to the grenadiers

Close co operation

Jess and Sheridan did a really good job coordinating their actions. Which is even more admirable since they were in separate homes and at the mercy of my messaging and interpretation of their moves

Mitchell's men closing in on the PzIVs

Germans on Main street

Tiger up front and the 2 sections under Ziegel in the buildings. They pulled back from the orchard after taking a great deal of fire from several sections.

Currie's demise

No VC for this Major. The panzerschreck team was spotted before it could get off a round and took 2 shock. They still fired and hit causing the Firefly to explode.

Panzers dealing with the infantry

The 2 Mk IVs were the only German units left on the east side of the table and had to respond to the Canadians moving across the road towards the center and south. They also knew that there were PIATs around.

The last Germans arrive

The 3rd infantry zug was just a gruppe and an MMG team and pzfst. It really could've been used earlier, but the cards just weren't coming up for the Germans.

Sprint across the road

The 1 platoon under Maj Martin moved into the center of the table drawing fire from the MkIVs and grenadiers that had moved towards the crossroads.

Remaining M4 has angle on the PzIVs

And the Yellow house that the 3rd zug just moved up to.

Closing in on the crossroads

The blind at the bottom is the 3rd zug

Surprising the Tiger

Using the Heroic Leader card, Maj Martin makes an attack on the Tiger. The tank CO is killed but the MkVI backed out as quick as possible. Close to duplicating the historic feat by Gil Armour but not quite.

3rd Zug moves into the yellow house

This unit took a long time to make it on the table. Martin had moved the survivors of the 2nd Zug back to occupy the house in the crossroad and the building to the north of it. leaderless Tiger had backed up to cover the main road and escape the aggressive Canadian infantry.

PIAT fires

And does hit but causes no damage.

More retrograde panzer movement

One of the MkIVs pulled back after having a PIAT round rattle it. The 2nd troop of Capt Redden has also worked it way around the eastern side of the long orchard and has a view of the yellow house.

2nd platoon moves around the eastern side

The PIAT team suffered a shock point in return when the took another shot at a PzIV.

Can the Germans hold?

Canadians moving around their southern flank. The 3rd zug in the yellow house is a section and a MMG team only. It is under fire from the M4s.

Capt Redden's troop

Last stand for the Germans

PzIVs taking fire from front and right

Lots of hits on this panzer

It had already taken some engine/mobility damage and now was struck by a M4 from 2 Troop.

2nd platoon moves closer

These veteran men moved up, covered by a 2" mortar, the PIAT, and the M4s

Smoke on the crossroads

This leaves the Tiger and the 3rd zug in the yellow house isolated. Meanwhile the 1st pla is moving up through the orchard under cover of smoke and a burning house. Jess and Sheridan did a nice job of coordinating their movements.

Noose tightening on the defenders

Teaming up on the Tiger

The 2 troop moves up to fire on the yellow house and chase the leaderless Tiger back into the smoke.

Germans pull back again

We called it at this point. Smoke was covering the crossroads so the Canadians could move up to close assault the defenders who were suffering from HE fire.

Final tally was 2 German sections down to 1 action only and the 3rd zug had taken 4 casualties (out of 13). The 1st zug was wiped out. 1 Pz IV and a Panther KO'ed. The leaderless Tiger had damage to its gunsights.

The Canadians lost Maj Currie and 2 M4s and his Firefly. Lt Armour was down and his platoon lost 10 of 28. Mitchell's pla was down 11 of 28. The 2nd troop had taken 1 hit to a M4's track only.

This is one of the best scenarios I've run and could've gone either way.

Mark Luther