28mm BOLT ACTION: NORMANDY OPERATION OVERLORD - THE BREAKOUT

On Thursday I went to Hugh Wilson’s to finish of our big 8 player WWII Normandy 1944 Bolt Action game.  Last week’s game ended with the beach defences and the farm both cleared of German defenders and the heroic Polish paras still holding most of the village despite attacks by the German reinforcements – squads of inexperienced infantry supported by 2 Somua S35 tanks from a training unit.  Here is a link to the first report:
http://blenheimtoberlin.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/28mm-bolt-action-normandy-operation.html

Allied airpower over Normandy

For this week’s game Colin Jack gave the Allies a further wave of landing craft carrying 2 Cromwells, a M10 Wolverine and 3 transports with infantry squads.  The Germans received a steady trickle of reinforcements including 2 H35 tanks, an AA Halftrack, a PAK40 ATG and various infantry units.  Luckily for the allies it was assumed that the beach obstacles and minefields had been cleared and carpet roadway laid down which allowed the 4^th wave to get rapidly of the beaches and join in the struggle for the village and the main highway. 

The 4th wave gets ashore.....

Milly the only surviving M4 Sherman from the 1^st wave supported the paras in the village by engaging in an evening long fire-fight with a S35 along the village high street.  The German infantry captured part of the village but could not evict the Poles.  This struggle was eventually settled when Milly supported by more arriving armoured knocked out 3 of the German French trophy tanks around the village.  

Milly engaging the S35 - some truly bad shooting!

A long armoured battle also took place along the highway between the StugIV and the Cromwells supported by the M10.  The STUG knocked out the M10 but was then immobilised and flank shot by the Cromwells.   An RAF typhoon made a dramatic and photogenic but entirely ineffective sortie over the table.

Cromwell in action along the highway against the STUG IV

At the end of the evening the game was declared an Allied victory as the Germans had little left to stop the allies exiting the table.  It has been a very enjoyable 3 evening game.  Once again thanks to Suzanne Wilson for the catering on the evening…..and allowing Hugh to keep a beach in the sitting room for 4 weeks…..

All my more photos with descriptions at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bill26048/sets/72157640344590565/

Bart has also put a report on his blog at

http://asienieboje.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/d-day-2.html

Another shot of the very dramatic Typhoon - great for the newsreels