Brit Tanks vs. Panzers

This was a solo game I played in order to brush up on the rules and take my new Panthers out for a spin. And to try out WWPD's Battle Report generator. As the British forces close in on the Rhine a local German Panzer commander has managed to scrape together a force of Panzer IV's supported by 3 Panzers and two reconnisance armoured cars. Launching a counterattack into the advancing British tanks he manages to catch them without artillery or air support and the result of the battle will be decided tank to tank.

German Panzers 2 HQ Panzer IV 4 Panver IV 4 Panzer IV 3 Panthers 2 8-rads

British 11th Armoured 2 Shermans 3 Shermans, 1 Firefly 3 Shermans, 1 Firefly 4 M10c 17pdrs 3 Daimlers -2 Daimler Dingos -2 Sawed off Daimlers

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

UNITS IN RESERVE
German Panzers	British 11th Armoured

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

German Panzers: The German plan is to hold with the Panthers in the South while massing the 2 Panzer IV platoons in the North to take the British objective. British 11th Armoured: The British plan is to avoid the Panthers by attacking in the North while leaving a unit of Shermans to guard the south.

TURN 1

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Panzers	British 11th Armoured 1 M10c Bailed

TURN 1 SUMMARY

German Panzers: The German commander shows an uncanny ability to read the Allied commanders mind and decides to switch the Axis of attack to the south and using the Panthers more aggresively. The middle Panzer IV's move up to behind the church. British 11th Armoured: The Brits decide to stick with the plan of attacking in the north while defending in the south. An M10 bogs moving in the concealing riverbank and shooting is ineffective.

TURN 2

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Panzers s. Panzer IVs 4 Killed 1 Bailed n. Panzer IVs 1 Killed	British 11th Armoured 1 M10c Killed s. Shermans 1 Killed 2 Bailed n. Shermans 1 Killed 3 Bailed

TURN 2 SUMMARY

German Panzers: The Panthers and Pz IV's chew up the Shermans in the south. While one Panther takes side shots at Shermans in the center, killing one and bailing one. In the north and M10 is killed and two Shermans bailed. British 11th Armoured: Most tanks remount except Firefly and the bogged sherman and M10 stay bogged. Central Shermans charge forward and focus fire with south Shermans to drop central Pz IV's to one bailed out who passes morale. The M10's snipe a Pz IV in the north.

TURN 3

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Panzers s. Panzers Destroyed	British 11th Armoured 1 M10c Killed s. Shermans 1 Killed n. Shermans Destroyed

TURN 3 SUMMARY

German Panzers: Panthers and south Pz IVs continue to fire at the central shermans forcing them to flee. British 11th Armoured: The Daimlers charge forward to try and get side shots on the Pz IVs and bail one. While the weight of German fire is starting to take it's toll on the tanks and with their return fire the M10s manage to kill only one Panzer IV.

TURN 4

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
German Panzers s. Panzers Destroyed	British 11th Armoured 1 M10c Killed s. Shermans 1 Destroyed n. Shermans Destroyed Daimlers Destroyed

TURN 4 SUMMARY

German Panzers: Panthers advance while Panzer IVs focus on the Daimlers. British 11th Armoured: Reduced to 3 M10s and some Dingos the British decide to withdraw.

The Britsh armour list with its armoured cars was sub-optimal for facing German tanks especially the big cats. It did help me brush up on the rules though. And by stacking the odds in the Germans favour I was able to avoid the almost inevitable disappointment when a new unit (the Panthers) always seems to die right away without doing anything.

Generated by WWPD's BatRepper Software.

Ok I added the pictures unfortunately they are out of order and not embedded in the report but maybe you can use it as a puzzle and try and figure out the course of events. I'll try and get the formatting worked out for next time.