More Flames of War. This time it is the 29th Armd Recce Bde (Cdn) South Alberta Regiment led by Major David Currie VC facing off against German panzer grenadiers in Holland. This was a delayed reserves game which means you don't get to start with all of your forces on the battlefield.
The Canadians started by pushing up their Stuarts to identify the German axis of advance. They could only see a few units of infantry dug in and zug of Stug IIIs. Back in his Command tank Maj Currie identified 2 key objectives one of which would have to be taken to allow the Canadian advance to continue.
As he planned his advanced, the RCA deployed two sections of their land mattress rocket batteries. Assisted by the recce Stuarts these soon ranged in on some dug in German infantry. The affect was awesome with the German infantry being forced to abandon their defensive position.
Meanwhile Canadian Shermans and supported by fireflies and M10s began their advance. The stugs took a toll but we're soon knocked out.
Things were looking grim for the Germans but the timely arrival of a platoon of 3 - yes 3! - Tiger Is quickly tilted the scales.
However, Major Currie didn't win the VC for lack of aggression. The Canadians decided to leave a troop of tasks and some Stuarts in their left to hopefully delay the tigers while the bulk of their force swung right to aid the tigers and take the objective.
The arrival of Canadian reinforcements at the right time and place in the form of a platoon of infantry mounted in RAM APCs and a troop of tanks added real punch to the right flanking.
The Canadian were in for a fight. The Germans were dug on the objective and despite repeated assaults by the Canadians backed up by an absolutely massive amount of mg fire from RAM APCs, Stuarts, and Shermans the grenadiers seemed rooted to the ground.
A Stuart rushed one of the dug in AT guns and managed to take it out before brewing up.
At this critical juncture, the platoon of Tigers burst over the hill and engaged the Canadians. While several tanks, apcs, and spgs were brewed in the smoke and confusion the tigers missed hitting the firefly. This firefly proceeded to knock out 2 of the tigers.
The Cdn infantry took this opportunity to launch another assault on the objective and despite being targeted by the tigers mgs managed to avoid serious damage only to fall prey to the stout hearted grenadiers who once again force them back.
The grenadiers had suffered heavy casualties in fitting if so many assaults and even they have their breaking point. The lone survivor tiger decided it was time to quit the field and the grenadiers stream off behind them. The kampgruppe comd stayed on the object and paid the price.
The battle was a very close one. It was the first time I have been able to best a force with tigers in it. Destroying two has made my day. The only thing missing was bags of smoke and a hot meal on the objective.
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