How to lose 3 companies in 3 turns!

Last Wednesday (21st Feb 07) there was a multi-player Flames of War game between two allied companies and three German companies. I took an Aufklarungs Schwadron of 6 platoons. Because the Germans outnumbered the Allies, the Germans set up using the Delayed Reserves rules – ie only half our platoons started on table.

As I only had one Objective to protect, I deployed on the table a dismounted Aufklarungs platoon, a Rocket Launcher Battery and a two Marder IIs, which were all around the objective. I was attacked by a whole British Rifle Company, which had 3 Churchills and two Universal Carrier Platoons, one with MMG and one with 0.5 MG.

Despite three turns of trying, I could not get the Aufklarungs platoon dug in, rolling ones and twos. The British tanks and scout carriers took out the Marders with some jammy rolls of fives and sixes, then stood off and machine gunned my non-dug-in infantry. By turn 3 I moved my CinC up to join the platoon for the inevitable moral tests. Sure enough, on turn 3 I lost the base required for a platoon test, and rolled a one for moral. Luckily the CinC was there and I re-rolled the moral test – another one. The Platoon and CinC vanished. With two out of the three platoons on the table gone, it was time for a company moral test, but without the CinC it was an automatic failure. My whole Schwadron had disappeared, and as it was a multi-company fight, all the other German companies lost as well.

Well done to Andy for forcing the fight before my reserves had time to arrive. And sorry to the other players for the early finish to what would otherwise have been a closely fought game!