28mm WWII BOLT ACTION BIG WEEKEND GAME

I was away at the weekend at Old Manor House hotel at Lundin Links in Fife for a large scale 28mm WWII Bolt Action game.  Over the 2 days 10 gamers attended from our AB1 group, largely members of the SESWC.  The games for the weekend were set during the Operation Husky the allied invasion of Sicily in July 1943.

Scout car calling up artillery support

On the first day we played 3 of 4 scenarios – a river crossing, supply dump, Gela airfield and a night mountain attack.  John Glass and Ian Carter devised all the scenarios.  Each of us put in the field  a reinforced Bolt Action platoon of 750 points - mine was a Canadian force of an infantry platoon supported by a Sherman and a Humber armoured car. 

My barge falls short - a bad moment

In my first game against Jack Glanville’s Germans things were going well until my artillery barrage fell short and hit 5 of my 8 units.  In my second game Angus Konstam and I managed to defeat Ian Carter’s Germans who had the thankless task of holding defences around Gela airfield.  My third game against Dave Imrie proved to be a hard fought draw.

Germans defending the impressive bunker

On the Sunday we played a single large game based on a German force retreating towards Messina with US, British and Canadian troops attempting to cut off their retreat.  As well as our original force from the day which was now motorised  and we could field extra heavy equipment as reserves.

Vital bridge on road to Messina hit by allied airstrike

Shermans withdrawing from German fire

Things at first went well with the allied attack on my flank but my leading Sherman suffered pins and retired for 3 moves.  An Italian airstrike then further pinned my forces and only after much reorganisation did the advance get underway again.  In the end the overall weekend was judged an Axis victory as they had destroyed more of our units and we had deployed more of our reserves.

Shermans regrouping in cover

 

It was an enjoyable weekend.  The Old Manor at Lundin Links is a good venue and we will be back in the spring next year for an 18^th century Imagination weekend. 

All my photos with descriptions at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157637058529345/