Played solo in three longish sessions, this scenario has a large British battle group attacking a German defensive line. A good mix of units make this a most interesting scenario. In my game the Brits pushed up the middle of the board with their main force of RIF and WPN units, there was a small diversionary attack on the right flank, with another large force on the left flank containing most of the British "Funnies". The British armour was not fully committed until the various A/T guns had been located and dealt with. The German had also kept the STUGS in reserve along with a single GREN company but otherwise were in hedgehog defense around the main objectives. The attack started brightly with the dreaded 88's located and destroyed by Navel OBDA and the first town falling to the diversionary attack, and the second falling after a stiff fight to the main attack. However the German defense stiffened and soon accurate MG and small arms fire were taking a heavy toll of the Tommies. The British commander decided to throw in his Sherman platoons to stiffen the attack, the STUG's though soon responded and in the ensuing tank duel destroyed 9 steps of Shermans for the loss of just 1 step of STUG's, a 75 A/T gun also took out more Shermans and with excellent MTR fire the diversionary attack was stopped in its traks and sent reeling back to its start line. After 3 hours the British attack had been halted. The Brits though regrouped and launched further attacks, in these attacks the Brit flamethrower tanks excelled and pushed deep into the German lines, the AVRE tanks also proved their worth in the heavy street to street fighting on board 58, the STUG,s now had to move from their prepared dugout and were picked off one by one by the few surviving Shermans, the last STUG step being destroyed on the last turn by the only successful Typhoon attack of the day. At the end of the game I could not tell who had won until I added up all the VC which in fact resulted in a major German victory. Those heavy RIF losses (35 steps) were the difference. *An excellent scenario, in fact almost a 5, love to play this one FtF though I suspect with hidden units and our house rule of A/T guns also being hidden it would be even a harder task for the good guys.**

I enjoyed this scenario for the massive wave of Tommies I got to lead in battle. I guess what would be an entire infantry brigade with almost a battalion of tank support were pushing out of their Normandy beachhead on June 6. Facing them were about two battalions of Germans with minimal armor support. The Germans were grouped in reinforced-company-sized strongpoints centered on towns and hilltops, with extensive minefields protecting their flanks and intended to channel the British into an artillery and AT kill zone.

The British led off with 3 battalions of infantry and most of their tanks, with the balance of their forces arriving as reinforcements later in the game. Two battalions, supported by Shermans, a Crab platoon, and two platoons of Crocodiles assaulted the west side of the German position, while another battalion with an AVRE pushed into the eastern half. The Crabs were immediately shot up by a hidden AT gun as they tried to flail a path through one belt of mines. The following Shermans, noting the relatively sparse mines, plowed ahead, losing a step but getting beyond the minefield and turning to take the AT gun position. Crocodiles took out a MG nest and opened a hole for the infantry to flank the German's western strongpoint, which crumbled under steady assaults over the next hour.

In the east, the AVRE platoon and some infantry cleared one small town while a company of their fellows cleared another. The British surged up a hill and got a look at the next line of German defense, a large town well-covered by AT guns on high ground behind it. The reinforcements began arriving, so the British formed up for an assault on the eastern town.

British naval gunfire and airstrikes were devastating, with an abundance of Tempest fighter bombers delivering deadly attacks against key German units. While British casualties were not insignificant, the Germans were getting swept away.

The final hours of the engagement saw the British clearing out the west, and along with the advancing reinforcements, driving a two-pronged attack at the German center that finished them off. I called the game as the British had a substantial victory point margin with nothing standing between them and more points. A smashing victory.