This scenario was played against Tony Langston over 3 x 5 turn sessions for the 15 turn game. It represents a British two battalion attack on the towns of Mouen & Bas de Mouen held by the youths of the 12th SS Hitlerjugend. The Germans have the fantical morale of 9/8 but are heavily outnumbered and seriuosly out-OBA'd with a frightening line up of British artillery. The British have no AFV's but for an Achillies and some Bren Gun Carriers. There is also an array of strong air support in which they have a 1 in 3 chance of getting each turn. The VC's asked both sides to clear different areas of enemy within 3 hexes of the target hex. This looks difficult for both on paper and so a bloody scenario was expected. The British succesfully obtained smoke before scenario start. The Germans didn't.

The British kicked off with their Worcestershire (hereafter Worcs) battalion advancing in the direction of the Germans right flank. They appeared to be trying to get a foot into Bas de Mouen. Over the first 5 turns the Worcs suffered 7 RIF steps trying to make their way over this ground and also their Achillies platoon. The Worcs did make it into the perimeter of Bas de Mouen and actually engaged and got an early advantage over an enemy Panther platoon. However, it soon received some GREN support and this turned the tables on the attacking British and led to some of those casualties. For their part, the Germans suffered 3 step losses, all GRENs in turn 3. Two were OBA'd to a pulp and one was knocked off in an assault.

In turns 6-10, the Worcs initially held out but in turns 7 & 8 started to lose men again. German combined tank and infantry assaults and the German OBA (which there wasn't much of) being responsible for inflicting 7 more British step losses in these middle 5 turns. The British Somerset battalion arrived as reinforcements and their arrival did alleviate the pressure on the Worcs Bttn. However, only 1 German GREN was taken out in reply and that was from an OBA shot. By turn 10, the Somersets with the use of smoke were making great ground against the German left flank and toward Mouen. This began stretching the thin German line making their task all the harder. However, it seemed as if the remainder of the Worcs regt were doomed as its survivors were hemmed in on the edge of the board (row 27**) and were coming under heavy attack as the 12th SS tried to clear the area.

In the final 5 turns, the British made sure the men of the reinforcing Somerset battalion kept pushing from the left. They did well, getting into Mouen and drawing off Germans that could have been used elsewhere. But the progress was slow whilst meanwhile, the remaining Worcs Bttn was being crushed. The Germans launched a risky attack into the main Worcs stronghold on the far right and luck favoured the attackers, using tanks and ENG as they finally kept reducing resistance. Casualties for the British in these last 5 turns were high, suffering another 12 steps. But it was all to no avail for both sides really. Despite the Worcs being decimated (losing 22 steps of troops and 5 officers), the Somersets had made sure to get into areas of Mouen to deny a German victory. The Germans too made sure to keep enough troops near to the British target hex to deny them victory as well but suffered 7 steps themselves in these last 5 turns. The board was basically a massed battle in and around Mouen and Bas de Mouen. Candy & Milk they say the 12th SS received as rations? Well it gave them some fanaticism in their attacks in this one, albeit not enough to earn a win, but certainly enough to administer a bloody nose.

At game end, the result was a draw. The RAF might look at themselves and wonder why they never turned up to blow away German armour. British (step) losses were 24 FOOT, 4 Leaders, 2 AFV, 2 APC. Total 28 steps. German suffered 10 FOOT, 2 Leader, 1 APC. Total 11 steps.

I give this a '3' rating. I can see most games ending in a draw due to the German morale and the British numbers and firepower. Maybe if the RAF show up more, it might be more favourable to the British, taking out enemy AFV's.