The Loose Association of Wargamers

It's been a while since I've posted a WW2 scenario on the blog, so I thought I'd finish off this one, which has been sitting 75% finished on my hard drive for the past 15 years.

The scenario covers a surprisingly little-known battle on the eastern flank of Operation BLUECOAT in early August 1944. With the 'crust' of the defending German infantry division starting to break, the 7th Armoured Division was ordered to exploit the breach. On 3rd August, the Cromwell tanks of 5 RTR were ordered to spearhead the next phase of the advance, seeking to secure key high ground overlooking the road-hub town of Aunay-sur-Odon. However, Kampfgruppe 'Paetsch' of the 10th SS had orders to stop them.

This is quite a large scenario, with roughly one armoured regiment/battalion and one infantry battalion per side, plus support, plus a rather large investment required in hedgerows (this is Normandy, after all)! However, there are two smaller and rather more manageable 'vignette' scenarios included.

Check it out on the blog...

http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2024/08/31/ ... rkest-day/

Now that is a properly good well researched scenario...

Alas beyond my means but an entertaining read.

Cap duly doffed.

bangorstu wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2024 9:10 pm Now that is a properly good well researched scenario...

Alas beyond my means but an entertaining read.

Cap duly doffed.

Thanks Stu!

Yeah, it's not exactly a clubnight game...

Excellent work on the background and resulting scenario, Mark, and I loved seeing the photos of Cromwells on a table. Now off you go and play the scenario so I can read the AAR.

Neillands has a good look at the "Desert Veteran" divisions in his book on Normandy, if you haven't seen it. Thanks for the tip on Mark U's book, too. They have copies at Barne's in Melbourne- order placed.

Spanner wrote: ↑Sun Sep 01, 2024 1:37 am Excellent work on the background and resulting scenario, Mark, and I loved seeing the photos of Cromwells on a table. Now off you go and play the scenario so I can read the AAR.

Neillands has a good look at the "Desert Veteran" divisions in his book on Normandy, if you haven't seen it. Thanks for the tip on Mark U's book, too. They have copies at Barne's in Melbourne- order placed.

Cheers Spanners! Sadly it might be a while before I can get this one on the table, but it's certainly one I want to have a go at.

Check out the 'Tankies' tv series as well, if you can get it on that side of the globe (I expect that the BBC blocks my link to any ISP outside the UK).

I just tried to find it, mate, but BBC iPlayer doesn't work outside the UK. I may try later, using a VPN, but they may be onto that trick.

Spanner wrote: ↑Sun Sep 01, 2024 2:37 am I just tried to find it, mate, but BBC iPlayer doesn't work outside the UK. I may try later, using a VPN, but they may be onto that trick.

I thought that might be the case.

Cool looking game.


Willz.

Yep, very cool. And a gorgeous map.

E

Thanks fellas! The game photos are from two previous games (The Grimbosq Bridgehead and Operation ALAN: The Battle of 's-Hertogenbosch), but I used them to illustrate the scenario, as they've got the same mix of troops and kit.

Re the map; I asked people if they'd rather have a simplified map, but the general consensus was that they'd rather have a detailed map and then do any simplification themselves. As it is, I've already removed about one-third of the field boundaries.