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In minute 13 Randy is trying to save his last useable Crusader. He backs it away from the sights of one of Leto's hulldown Pz IIIJs, and comes about as close to leaving the map as I've ever seen. Actually it's hard to believe the AI didn't have something to do with that. It's just way too close to the edge!!



To the North, it looks like RD is going to save one of his two surviving trucks - it is about to go off the map. But the other one didn't make it after taking a hail of small arms fire.



On the high plains, Leto rearranges his PzIIIJ(Late)s to face the South where RD has two Stuarts and a Grant exchanging fire. He pivots his weaker IIIJs with the 50mm turrets towards the East. Leto seems content to keep these beasts in their hulldown nest there.



In Leto's holding town, Randy's large infantry force has located a MG42 and begins firing on him. He becomes routed and starts running out of the trees. But Leto's AT gun has still not been seen - it is only a sound contact where it is. This team keeps getting rear penetrations on Randy's Stuart on the far ridge and could eventually disable or destroy it if they aren' dealt with soon.



Has Red Devil checked out of this match and just started hitting "go"? Look - his 25 pdr continues to area fire Leto's AT gun, even though the gun is already dead and the 25 pdr has only AP shells left.



Leto comments on the current situation:

"The tally appears to be 1 mortar, 1 gun, 2 Marders and 1 green panzer III for a GD crusader, 1 dead crusader, and 3 Stuarts blown to bits…. Pretty even. But I hold the high ground, and I have breached his “speedbump” line, although with a sloppy bit of plotting by myself… and was rewarded justly for it. I’ll send the MK III busting loose up to the British held small flag to complete the double penetration move…, one nut short… the other two panzers will be kept near the british speed bump flag to help clear out the Brits from out of FT range (I believe he left the same kind of setup as I did, ATR, sniper, a couple of Vickers and perhaps one squad of infantry to defend the speedbump flag)… the ATR should be dealt with this turn, I have an MG team and a PG team up taking down his Vickers (I think) that has been softened up by shelling from my tanks, and I will be rushing the other team and the HQ to the large building currently occupied by the Germans to begin clearing the town. Once I have cleared out the speed bump flag, I have 2 panzer III’s for spare duty and reinforcements, so I will try to make haste without making waste there.

The loss of my AT gun on the hill may embolden Sir Dev to move on my base camp flag. I suspect that he will be cautious and move up his infantry, so I am doing the same. That will most certainly induce a rock paper scissors affair where I am certain he will send his grant in to begin shelling my troops, and that is when I will spring my attack on the Grant, a la 6-1. I doubt very much he will move anything into the range of my two ambush guns anytime soon."

Randy is sure playing it dangerous with that crusader, all it has to do is spot something it doesn't like and its off the map forever. Ive lost tanks off the map sticking a lot further away from the edge of the map than that before.

I think that RD is starting to see the writing on the wall. With that gun only area firing AP ammo, it is sometimes easy to miss as there is not the big HE sound effects to remind a person.

Leto puts cover arcs on his Marders and keeps them pointed towards the East. Three of them are packed close together. A 3" Mortar strike would break up this party quite nicely, and Randy has two of them, but here is where he misses his trucks. Both of his 3" mortar teams are still walking at a snail's pace to the action, at least 200 meters from any HQ.



Leto directs four of his PzIIIJs to area fire Randy's large infantry force that is trying to make it down the cliffs into the German holding town. The panzers are happily pounding away and Randy has no answer for it. Fortunatley for the Brits the "rough" terrain helps reduce the damage.



At the Oasis, Randy's British platoon holds their collective breath as the first of Leto's IIIJ(Short)s comes into LOS of them from the South. One of Randy's six trucks escaped off the map but the other five have been destroyed, and it doesn't look good for the remaining infantry, as they are now surrounded with no British help in sight.



To the South, Randy's large infantry force continues to carefully feel its way towards Leto's German setup zone. They are taking some minor small arms fire from the town.



Randy has stopped his 25 pdr ATG from area firing this turn. He continues to move his infantry forward, but none of his remaining AFVs have moved. Randy's Crusader is still doing its balancing act at the edge of the map - it hasn't moved. Leto backed his PzIIIJ(Late)s out of the long range duel they were engaged in after no results - perhaps wanting to conserve ammo for better kill opportunities.

RANDY: "sorry for delays work is killing me this week"
PETE: "No worries. Work sucks."

A little Leto entertainment sent in while waiting for a file from Red Devil....

"I include for your illustration, three screenshots of the coming action.

Turn 15a shows a bit of anxiety on my part. There is no need to let this British sore fester. I have a clear opportunity to take this flag now without any chance of reinforcements, so I would be silly not to. One of the green panzers is already on scene and I suspect that knickers are beginning to get a bit damp. With my panzertruppen on one end, and the three panzers on the other, I have very little hope for these brave British soldiers of holding out long… unless of course, they have a secret weapon… like the funniest joke ever concocted translated into German or something.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhmnOpoGAPw

Actually, I don’t even think the killer joke will help these poor sods.

Turn 15b shows the British advancing on the German speedbump. I’ll need to move up at least one panzer III to keep the Brits at bay or they will surge across the plain like diarhea running down a hill on a hot day in Calcutta.

Turn 15c presents an overview of the potential battle yet to come. My intuition tells me that Randy will not commit his tanks, correctly assessing that I have AT assets in place. The worry now is that he will be able to detect the AT screen with a movement of his infantry through those positions. This should be interesting.
Cheers!"

Fly, spider, trap springs to mind!

Red Devil's two Southern Stuarts get LOS to Leto's area firing Panzer IIIs in the distance, and actually have a penetration - but it does no damage.



Leto's tanks are alerted and then return fire. They get two penetrations on RD's stuart on the right. The commander is killed but the vehicle still backs out of trouble.



This prompts a comment from Randy: "ever notice how a 50mm hole looks in one's chest... well past sucking chest wound category"

Leto seems to misinterpret the comment: "I was under the impression that 50mm shells just bounced off the typical Tommy trooper… a side effect of living too close to a Guinness factory or something. British tanks now on the other hand…"

Meanwhile to the Southwest Randy gets his last good crusader away from the edge of the map, but just as the minute ends it moves into the sights of a waiting PzIIIJ....

We start with Leto's Marder platoon on the west side of the high plains. They've been in a cushy position for practically the whole battle so far - so much so that Leto orders one of them to turn around and area fire Red Devil's Vickers MG team near the British holding town. But another of RD's Vickers teams starts firing into the Marders arse. The troubled Marder begins to pivot back to face the new threat...



And as he makes it part way around Red Devil's 6 Pdr opens up from the far cliffs - The commander is killed and the vehicle has been gun damaged! You can look up what the German crewmember shouts but it is not nice...



Last minute we saw RD's last good Crusader move into LOS of Leto's waiting PzIIIJ (Late) - the panzer fires and gets a penetration - but no effect. The Crusader is able to move forward and pop some smoke.



The impotence of the IIIJ's 50mm gun really shows during this minute. Not only has Randy's Crusader been hit the second time with no effect, but this Stuart's turret was penetrated three times this minute, with only the commander being killed. Oh for some 75mm!



Leto has exchanged so much lead with RD's AFVs to the South that he is starting to feel the need to conserve on his AP ammo - here he puts a short cover arc on one of his "tiny tigers" which has only 9 rounds left...



Up at the Oasis, Randy's Brits are getting shelled with no way to respond - and it doesn't look like it's going to get any better. Two more PzIIIJ(Short)s are on their way up the road to join the HE party.



RADIO CHATTER:

RANDY: "come on out from behind your cover there :)"

PETE: "Picture a large castle with several snide and surly French Leto’s perched on the battlements. You approach them, call them cowards and issue a challenge for them to come out from behind their battlements…You are informed that your mother was a hamster, and your father smells like elderberries. Next, a large cow is catapulted at you. : )"

LMAO!! loved the 'Swiss cheese' mod
Also enjoying the radio chatter between Randy and Leto. The 'French Leto' infantry on the castle battlements had me in stiches!

And never turn your back on an angry MG team!

This minute starts with Red Devil trying to move his last good Crusader to safety. South didn't work - West didn't work - how about East? This time he tries backing it to the East - perhaps there will be a safe spot there. Errrrr...nope...nope...maybe not.....Leto's IIIJ(Late) pounces on him...



Leto's infantry are gradually infiltrating into RD's holding town - so much so that the flag has now switched to German. But a British FT team still has something to say about it and blasts Leto's LMG team in a nearby house. It is a small victory - I'm sure RD was hoping to bag an enemy tank with the team. Now they have been exposed and will gunned down soon.



Other than infantry creeping forward a few meters there is not much else to report this time.

Radio Chatter:

PETE: "I see the lone british flammenwerfer stands alone… anything you’d like written on his hastily assembled cross? : ) BTW, I have this distinct feeling that your whole base area is lined with guns right above the ridge… sheesh!"

RANDY: "was a great spot to move to until you blew all of them up..."

PETE: "I hope you realize that I have to now open up a can of whoopenzee arsen on your tommies holding the small flag in the north."