Club Night 19th March

Another Flames of War but this time something a bit different. 1944, Italy and 2,500 points of Germans against British across hilly terrain broken by a couple of rivers. I joined Mike fighting a strategic withdrawal with the Germans. We deployed our 3 grenadier platoons, 1 around each objective. The left was reinforced with a platoon of Panzer IV's, the centre under the watchful eye of the C-in-C, a pair of 88s and a Tiger, and the right under the 2-in-C with some additional PAK guns.
Against this the British armoured company massed against our left with a small infantry force in the centre.
The British proceeded to use their advantage in Artillery to pound our centre and destroy the 88s, while all we could reply with was some desultory mortar fire against their infantry. Their tanks shelled the grenadiers around the left objective before advancing past the destroyed remains of the British recce platoon.

The weight of fire from the Shermans destroyed some of the Panzer, and the others withdrew, followed by the support platoons as the Germans endeavoured to keep the main combat platoons fighting for as long as possible. Although battered the left held long enough for the centre to withdraw, before joining them in retreating from the battle field.

The British infantry harassed the withdrawal, but had been delayed enough by the mortar fire earlier they could not close quick enough to cause problems. The only position left that was relevant was on the German right, behind a river and still heavily defended by an infantry platoon. The Germans had been pushed, but not hard enough and had delayed the British long enough to establish another defensive line and withdraw before the advance.