This scenario was played as a team event by my gaming group. I act as moderator and facilitator for each game, and I do not participate directly as a player. My listing of “winning” is based on the PG HQ site cannot support a neutral role in AARs.

This is the last scenario in the four year campaign in the gaming group, so I went with one a little larger with plenty of neat toys. The Brits got a Firefly and an ARVE, while the Germans had three Panthers, a nebelwerfer, 10 halftracks, and 13(!) engineers. The British had to defend all the town hexes across two boards, while the Germans had to take them; each town was awarded victory points based on which board it was on, and casualties also counted as victory points (tanks double).

The British set-up was not very good. The town closest to the German entry area on the British left was defended by nothing stronger than rifle platoons, giving the Germans time to set up and organize before going in for the kill. The good British tanks were behind the town, unable to assist in defense, and due to a hill in the middle of the board, unable to defend against any Germans choosing to flank the British right. Further behind the town was a small village defended with unimpressive anti-tank guns and flanked by dug in Shermans on either side.

The Germans came on methodically, set up an artillery park, organized their massive wave of SS engineers with SS HMGs and grenadiers and several halftracks for the town approach. The Panthers entered the center of the board, and the German Army engineers and HMG came on the British right. The Brits failed to respond to having their Shermans in primary range of the Panthers, and on turn 2 nine of twelve Sherman steps went up in flames. The Firefly couldn't see around the hill, and was unable to support them. Heavy German arty weakened several British defensive points, which was compounded by direct fire. Finally the assaults went in. German halftracks got pummeled, but German infantry forces, supported by long range Panther AT fire, crushed the British defenders on the British left.

Even the much weaker German army units successfully pushed into the British towns on the right, especially once the Panthers were freed up to lend more support. The Panthers were everywhere, and the British had no answer to them. Only the dead Firefly unit had firepower that could equal the German armor. It was a total rout.

The Germans eventually held half the town hexes at the cost of six German steps (five halftracks) and 54 (14 tanks steps doubled) British steps. And they did so using only nine of 22 available turns. We called the massacre here. The Germans had superior infantry combat power, superior armor (if fewer units), superior artillery, and no time pressure. While a more robust British defense could have certainly delayed the advance and inflicted more casualties, I don't know how the British could really hold. The players felt powerless to do anything of value.

We read the real life summary, which indicated the only way the Brits stopped the Germans was with their 25lbers and rocket armed Typhoons. Of course, this scenario included neither of those two potent British weapons. Even the Germans agreed the scenario would have been more fun if only aircraft were included. It just really wasn't a battle without them. Lame force defending against a well-armed foe who has all the time in the world, and the defenders not having the critically important weapons they had in real life, earns this scenario a 2. Wickedly one sided. A real disappointment for the last scenario in the four year campaign.