Chain of Command Scenario - Defend an objective....

Sunday night saw my first outing for the newly reorganised German Battlegroup for use within Too Fat Lardies latest rules - Chain of Command.

They were facing off against an elite British Paratroop force under the veteran CoC commander Major "give me a one" Deacon..... somewhere in Northern France.

We thought we would give Scenario 6 - "Attack an Objective" a go with my hard pressed Germans taking the role of defender, I have to hold out in the top right farm complex until the end of the game no small ask against the Red Berets...

The patrol phase was a disaster, two of my counters were locked down one move out by the British forcing my remaining patrol markers to be set only a short distance from the main objective. The Para's jump off points gave them control of the foremost farm over looking the T junction.

I order 1st Platoon to dig in barricading the farm complex and being placed on over watch to cover the approach to the farm, however the para's field craft kept their casualties to a minimum, the para's were soon returning fire keeping the defenders heads down.

 

More para's advance towards the objective skirting the hedge row and the farm complex.

 

My MG34 opens up on the advancing para's forcing them into the farm buildings whilst British casualties are only a single figure I had managed to force them into a defensive posture even though the Brits were making great use of covering fire suppressing many of the defenders firing positions. 

I needed a way of forcing the Para's from the farm, fortunately I had saved my support points for one major counter stroke from my rear most jump off point I activate my ace in the hole - a Pz IV H.

HE shells start to land on the Para's defending the farm......  I must be honest I am feeling rather smug.....

The Brits had a similar plan and in response to my armour, on rolls a Sherman to counter my panzer, it fires and misses, I return fire and boom....

So good I had to photograph it twice - sorry Ade.....

The armour exchange was a minor distraction and the Para's press home their attack advancing through the corn field, my MG was forced to keep their heads down due to covering fire from the farm and with only one window on the northern side of the farm I could do little to slow the para's advance. 

I even cashed in a CoC dice to launch an ambush but the para's field craft protected them from significant casualties.

Believe it or not this was still turn one, smoke from the para's 2" mortar was making targeting difficult, but the British could not see a way to force there way into the complex not with a PZIV wandering about, we agreed to call it a night......

German victory.....

And to think we never got past turn one....