Flames of War game

Last Saturday a group of dedicated wargamers got together at a secret venue in Ellesmere Port to play Flames of War.  Six players, each 2000 points of Late War Normandy lists.  On the Allies right was Aiden with a British Infantry Company, in the centre Dennis with a mixed US armour/infantry list and lots of artillery and on the left Dave with a British armoured squadron.  Squared up against this allied might was Phil on the German right with lots of Jagdtigers (Normandy!!!???), Rick with a PzIV armoured kampfgruppe and myself on the left of the line with an SS panzergrenadier company.

Dennis, the allies "El Supremo" briefs Dave on his defensive tactics - hide and, if he spots you, run - he is facing Jagdtigers after all.  Meanwhile, Rick, aka Guderian, takes an oblique aerial shot from his Storch.  View looking across the table, Germans deploying on the right, allies on the left.

 Aiden, feeling a bit isolated, and ganged up on, on the allies right.

 The might of a Panzergrenadier company supported by PzIVs, 88s and a 105mm battery, ready to start to contest the ruins on the German left.

 The rear area of the Pzgrenadiers with a mortar platoon and 75mm IG section.

 A nice solid firebase with a grenadier platoon hunkered down in the ruins, flanked by dug in 88s.

 The objective farm sited along the boundary between my Pzgrenadiers and Ricks panzers, scene of some early attempts at coup-de-main by Aidens recce carriers.

 The scene of my first successful close assault by a Gepanzert platoon, two of Ricks recce armoured cars lifted Aidens defenders gone to ground status allowing the Sdkfz 251s to eliminate them and take the objective.

 The village on Aiden's flank with Dennis, the scene of Ricks wild PzIV ride and the furthest German advance of the day.

Unfortunately, in the heat of battle I neglected to take a more comprehensive set of photos.  My Pzgrenadiers and Ricks Pzs ganged up on Aiden, significantly wearing down his forces.  On the German right, Phils Jagdtigers advanced slowly on Dave's troops, surrounding themselves with burning Stuarts and Shermans.  However, their advance was too slowand Dave's dogged resistance meant his sector scored highest for the allies.  In the centre, Dennis's US artillery park was spectacularly ineffective, although his armour slugged it out with Ricks panzers, effectively neutralising both armoured forces.  Dennis cleverly held the village objectives and infiltrated infantry through to contest German held objectives, thereby cutting a lot of victory points off the German total.  On the German left, Rick and I held our objectives and took one of the ruined town objectives from Aiden, but his recce carriers kept the objective contested so no points there.  Overall, the allies won a victory in terms of objectives held and contested, although at the cost of the loss of both British flank forces and a significant portion of the US armour in the centre.  The German centre lost a lot of PzIVs and I lost my only PzIV troop (the first outing for my PSC PzIVs so no surprise at the poor first showing), but Phil's Jagdtigers were almost unharmed (loss of a Wirblwind section and one Jagdtiger only).

All in all a really fun game.  After playing several games of FoW, I'm finally beginning to see the nuances and subtleties of the game.  Still not sure how close to WW2 it is but it does give a fun game and the feel of the game is getting better for me.  Thanks to all involved, especially Aiden for the scenario, Rick for the scenery and inviting me, and Phil for the venue.

Thanks to you too for looking.