Falaise Gap - Flames of War Battle Report

Some eye-candy of a late-war Flames of War game I played in on Saturday.  The scenario was based around the Falaise Gap with the Americans (James) and British (David) attacking the flanks of the German retreat on the two side tables, looking to break though to the main big table and claim victory by securing the objectives on the road.  On the big table Phil’s Germans were supposed to be providing a rearguard against Red’s horde of Cromwells streaming down the road trying to overtake them.  Me and Laurent were defending the flanks, Laurent against the Americans, me against the Brits.  Approximately 11,500pts a side.

Sadly the scenario didn’t work out as well as I had hoped, with the Allied flank attacks being far too cautious and slow to make the main table, and Red’s armour coming up against a nasty combination of Phil’s Konigstigers and dug in infantry and making no headway at all in 5 turns.  A few twists to the rules, such as reducing the Germans AA power and points totals, and me remembering to force the German retreat more, would have made it work I feel, another time perhaps.  Victory to the Germans overall.

The British Armour (Red) musters for the assault on the Germans rearguard.

Th German rearguard - 6 Konigstigers in total.

Full setup, Yanks attacking the far flank, with Brits the near.

The German 'rear areas', consisting mostly of my troops who did little to nothing all game. 

The German rearguard again, complete with heavy artillery.

Reds Brits with some American support.

The American support gets caught on the road and decimated.

American artillery, unfortunately held back just too far to make a difference.

James tanks looking for an edge against Laurents Panzer III's and Tigers.

Davids Brits coming out on top against my small rearguard on the flank, although a shortlived victory thanks to counterattacking German armour soon afterwards.

Allied airpower - 3 strikes a turns wasn't enough due to the heavy concentration of AA guns in the German rearguard.