WWII: adding to the collection

I know that sometime in the distant past I was happy to have finished my WWII 1940 "project in a box" but surprise of surprises...I'm moving onto a second box. Thus, it is soon to become a "project in two boxes." Damn, but I have no self-control. "Oooh, shiny! Must have 'em!"

And I put the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of Vidal and Martin. Perhaps blame is not quite the right word here. In the case of Vidal, he needs only show me a new toy or expose me to a new rule set or gaming genre and I inevitably get hooked. Martin Jensen (he of WGG Distribution), on the other hand has had a more direct and focused effect on my ability to withstand the "must buy the shiny new toy" syndrome. At Hotlead last weekend, his silky sales technique forced (yes, forced) me to purchase (entirely against my will) an entire Polish infantry platoon of Warlord Games figures. And then what does he do? He comes with Vidal on Monday to the Bramptonia Gaming Palace with his bright wit and easy smile to play what? WWII, of course! Oh, I see their evil and cunning plan. Don't think that I can't see what's going on here. Laugh and joke while we play and all the time planting the seed of WWII collecting firmly again in my psyche! (OK, I won't mention that two weeks earlier at Cold Wars I  bought an entire British 1940 platoon from Crusader Miniatures)

And so, on to the Monday WWII game. Vidal commanded a reinforced platoon of German motorized infantry tasked with capturing and holding a key bridge from Martin's French force. Martin commanded a standard French infantry platoon with some armour support (assuming you categorize FT-17s as armour support). Rather than bore anyone with a lengthy AAR, I've included a couple of photos from the game below. 

  

German infantry and armour advance in the face of fierce French resistance. 

Crusader figures and AGNM Pz 38(t).

 

A French S-35 faces down a German Pz 38(t) and a StugIIIC in the distance. Surprisingly, despite quite a few armour hits, not a single AFV was destroyed in this game.

Vehicles from AGNM.

The game ended in a French victory since they still held the bridge as night approached (actually, the doorbell rang and the pizza arrived, thus ending the game). Highlights of the game? German pioneers  completely clearing two houses filled with French troops in a single turn! That flammenwerfer is a nasty piece of equipment. And Martins' skillful use of terrain and resources to conduct a true defence in depth. He was able to disengage a portion of his first line (that part that hadn't been fired by the flammenwerfer) and withdraw to a second defensive line while the Germans were reorganizing after their initial attacks. It's not often I see a true defence in depth on the gaming table. Gamers tend to hold pieces of ground stubbornly without much thought to multiple lines of defence. 

Thanks Vidal and Martin for great game! Martin is off home to Saudi Arabia later this month. Stay safe!