RNL vs Jobu88 QBME [Jobu88 - keep out!]

[RNL Tiger]

Tank retaliates against sniper

The Panzer IV retaliates against the sniper at what he believes is his position but he is wide of the actual location – notice all the shell damage at the edge of the woods.

[RNL Tiger]

Meanwhile at the left flag two more squads seem to be there, so it looks like there is a platoon of Axis infantry advancing to the flag. I simply leave my infantry forces in place and tighten their cover arcs to ambush in the open spaces. Notice how my tank on the right has bogged, hopefully he will be free soon. Also, on the right you can see the sniper is waiting in the village.

[RNL Tiger]

At the right flag the squads have rallied and I push them forward a little further. As one of the squads crosses a little open ground they are shaken by machine gun fire but make it to their position. I can see two more Axis squads advancing towards this flag and I set cover arcs to cover the open ground to the hut where the flag is. It seems unlikely that the Axis infantry will swing around to where my infantry are, unless there is an attempt to wipe out the Allied infantry here. Possible but unlikely.

[RNL Tiger]

Spot of Maxim spoils ambush

One of the Axis squad spots my Maxim arriving on scene, so I decide that I need to open fire now or risk my Maxim being routed by the Axis forces. In the ensuing fire-fight the Axis infantry are forced to retreat; one is already running and it is not long before the other two run away as well.

[RNL Tiger]

Evaluation of current situation

Jobu88 is being wily. He has left his two tanks overlooking the right flag and probed both flags with some infantry. The bulk of his forces have still not entered the fray and I suspect that he is now massing his forces to take out what he perceives as the weaker flag. I would guess that he thinks that is the right flag because I had not occupied it before my troops were stopped in their tracks.

In the last game we played I had put my panthers on the hill [https://www.theblitz.club/message_boards...?tid=43557] and in retrospect I see that as a mistake. This time I have kept my armour back a little and hopefully out of sight but at this stage I have no idea if he knows where they are.

There are two key questions for me now:
1. Do I try and exploit the retreat of the Axis infantry at the left flag by advancing a squad or two into the pine to hopefully eliminate them whilst they are in disarray
2. Do I start to move the tanks to the right in anticipation of a strong attack there or wait until that engagement actually starts

[RNL Tiger]

BTW the tank is no longer bogged - so that is some good news...

[RNL Tiger]

Allied Infantry chase Axis infantry

The Allied infantry move forward to exploit their advantage and to push the Axis infantry out of the woods.

[RNL Tiger]

Meanwhile the Axis infantry have been making a flanking manoeuvre at the right flag, which fortunately I had spotted. That couple with another tank firing at my infantry has convinced me that it is time to get over there in some force. So rather than hunt the platoon of T34 tanks over to the right I rush them over and just in time as there are more Axis forces there than I realized. The bad news is that a couple of schrecks are accompanying the infantry, the good news is that they miss on the first couple of shots as the tanks rush in but then get a penetration…

[RNL Tiger]

Rushing the tanks over was a little risky because it was entirely possible that enemy tanks could pop up and clobber the T34s in the side but it seemed like a risk worth taking for two reasons: 1) LOS and targeting is not easy against fast moving tanks, when there are so many keyholes made by the village houses 2) No obvious ambush points that could target the T34s in transit or at their destination.

The risk was worth taking because it looks like Jobu88 is feinting against the left flag and will hit the right flag with everything else. If that is right then my T34s are in the wrong place and they need to get into the fight before the infantry are wiped out in detail. I still haven’t seen where all his forces are but it looks like there is a company of infantry on the right along with at least three tanks.

[RNL Tiger]

Tanks strike back

The schrecks don’t get another chance and are blasted by the tanks, three of them are eliminated. In the background the Axis are advancing and blasting at the right flag and the Allied infantry wilt in front of the concerted onslaught.