FOW1 - Capture Le BonBon 1944

US M5A1 Stuart tank of the 4th Armored Division (VIII Corps) advances.
Link

"Operation Cobra has begun, the US Troops have punched a hole in the German lines.  A mixed US force has penetrated through the breech, the cry goes up, capture the strategic village of 'Le BonBon'..."


A US force of 110 point led by 'The Spav'

Armored Rifle Company HQ
2 x small Armored Rifle Platoons
1 x Armored Rifle Mortar M4 Platoon(3)

105mm Artillery Battery (off table)
2 x Thunderbolt Fighter Bombers
1 x Anti-Air T28 Platoon
1 x Cavalry Recon Platoon

Tank Company HQ
1 x M5 Stuart Platoon (5)
2 x M4 Sherman Platoons (4)
1 x M4 Sherman Assault Gun Platoon (2)

US set-up

 German Force 92 Points, yours truly!

Panzergrenadier Company HQ
2 x small PzG Platoons
1 x 8cm Mortar Platoon (2)
1 x 7.5cm Pak 40 Platoon (2)
1 x 20mm AA Platoon (2)
1 x 7.5cm Infantry Gun Platoon (2)

1 x 105 Artillery Battery (off table)
1 x Sdkfz 251 AA(2)
1 x Me109 Fighter Bomber
1 x Scout Recon Platoon

1 Tank Company HQ
1 x PzIV Platoon (3)
1 x Hetzer (2)

Set-up anywhere south of the line

Lovely Le BonBon, flattened by US artillery....

Dig in Lads!!

The PzG platoons were placed in the ruins.

Tank Destroyers covering the main road.

Yes, I did... D'Oh!

Smack in the middle.

The Panzer IV's were placed to the East of the village

Turn One  - CCHHAARRGGE!!!

Spav went for a broad advance.

The Cavalry Recon & Stuarts were sent along the right flank

Good shooting, a PzG section is destroyed.

The Yanks lay a smoke screen to hinder the Panzer IV's.

German Artillery Bails out some Half-tracks.

German Half-tracks take out a Jeep.

TURN TWO
One US Platoon heads for the village.

The Stuarts engage the Germans

The other Platoon hugs the Bocage..

Looking good for the Yanks!!!

A Half-track is destroyed

Another PzG section is destroyed.

Here come the Luftwaffe!!!!

Attack!!!

Line up those lovely guns!!

OOohhh!!!
You know that moment when ALL your die rolls come through...
Spav is 'GURNING' as German Artillery hit home.

The 'noble' Art of 'Gurning' to all non-Brits...

'Do Whart?'
Just 2 'Bail Outs' from the bombs...

The first of many Shermans is knocked out.

The German Half-tracks take out a Greyhound.

The US right flank.

The US centre.

The US left flank.

TURN THREE
Finally Spav gets his Thunderbolts.... 

The Stuarts race after the retreating German Half-tracks.

The German guns are in sight...

The attack on 'Le BonBon' is going well.

I'm do not like the look of the Sherman 105mm's.... 

Lots of firepower this round for the Yanks.

The German Recon Platoon is knocked out.

Another PzG section is killed.

AAarrghh!
Two Panzer IV's are knocked out.

The German turn, the US Tanks go Boom!

I manage to knock out one of those pesky 105's...

More Shermans brew up!

TURN FOUR
Return of the Thunderbolts!!!!

I know where they are heading!!!

A Sherman Platoon captures the bridge.

One of the Rifle Platoons attacks.

The weight of German firepower is too much.

One of the infantry guns is bombarded.

The German PzG Anti-tank weapons came through!!

Not Good for the Yanks...

TURN FIVE
The US Morale rolls are appalling...

FULL REVERSE!!!!!

"Where are you going fellas???"

Spav's last hope!!
A one for his 'un-pin' roll..
With that he throws in the towel.

The Germans hold Le BonBon.

The Panzergrenadiers were really good.

"OUR TROOPS DID WHHAAAARTT?"

 A brutal game, Spav laments that his Fighter-bombers did not arrive earlier.  I put it down to his overall poor die rolls.  Dug-in Infantry are very hard to dislodge in FOW & Team Yankee though.  More FOW games ahead!

FOW - Late War German Support

More Pics of our Flames of War Late Germans,  This time, support elements.  Along with German Tanks, we have enough forces to field a few companies.  

81mm Mortars

20mm Anti-Aircraft Guns

Super... Pak 40 7.5cm Anti-Tank guns

Mobile Anti-Air in the form of Sdkfz-7/1 20mm Quads.

The quirky 7.5cm infantry Guns.

FOW - Later War German Panzer Grenadiers

Late War German Panzer Grenadier Company

 Another period of history, but far more important another figure scale.   I live in Middlesbrough, in the mighty North East of blighty.  For far, far, far too long I have overlooked Pendraken Miniatures  based in the 'Boro'.  No more though!

For one reason or another, I have never took the plunge.  Anyway after falling in love with 'Team Yankee', then Flames of War' was not going to be far behind.  Essentially the same rules & Battlefront is a superb Games Company.  Though for me personally, I don't like the look in 15mm.   As you know 6mm is the scale we play for 'Team Yankee'.   A while ago I picked up some 10mm Tanks & Infantry, which I was going to use for Epic 40K Imperial Guard conversions.  Indeed, I started & some of the 'Panther' hulls had rocket launchers & plasma cannons glued to them.  HERESY! I hear some cry out...lol!  Anyway I started going through them a few months ago & then 'wargamers inspiration' struck, the result, ANOTHER PROJECT!!

The 10mm stuff was Late War Yanks & Germans, unknown to me then, a variety of manufacturers as well.  So Late War Western Front WW2 (no more Soviet tanks please) it would be, from D-DAY to the end of the War.   The biggest problem I encountered after that was, WHY are the '10mm' figures out there all different sizes?   After much 'mulling' & 'aaarrring', I settled for Pendraken as they are middle of the road & they are just around the corner!!!   If you do not know the size issue, Skytrex 10mm are the smallest, right up to much bigger 10-12mm Lancer Minis. Loads of others in between?  The SUPERB MadAxeMAn covers this dilemma on his website, link here MADAXEMAN   & a big thank to him for helping me out!

Anyway, I am obsessed again.  We all love WW2, we all spent hours moving Airfix & Matchbox stuff around the table many moons ago!  now, queue the WW2 DVD's, dozens of books, Audible Audiobooks etc.

As it stands, I started collecting these before the 'Lockdown', we have had a few games.  I am behind in posts & battle reports...  Spav was over the moon, WW2 is a favourite period of his.  Not that he does any painting.... meeiiooww!!



The bog standard German Panzer Grenadier Company from the Battlefront D-Day book consists of 2-3 platoons with a Company HQ.  All these are Pendaken figures, they are lovely & a joy to paint.

2 platoons, each painted with slightly different uniforms to aid in recognition.

Number 3 Platoon, grey uniforms.

First Platoon, seven Mg42 Sections each armed with a Panzerfaust.
Plus two optional Panzerschrek teams.

Ze Germans up close.

3rd Platoon, five Mg sections & two Panzerschrek teams.

Company HQ
Two SMG teams.
(the Kettenkrad is from a 10mm Me262 kit)

Super, Smashing, Lovely!!!!