6mm Moderns- A French holding action in Southern Germany

Last weekend I managed no less than two 6mm Moderns games. I forgot my camera for the first game, but it was a victory to the US. The USMC's official write up is here. The US Army correspondents didn't make it to the battlefield apparently, but the USMC guys got a good write up done.

As for the second game, Adam and I had a quick 1500 point each throw down, to try out a new mission that had been boiling around in my brain for the last wee while.

I was running part of the French 6th Light Division, which was tasked with holding the line in Southern Germany. The initial defensive line was covered by Armoured Cars and infantry.

The Armoured Cars in a wood

The Company of Foreign Legion defending the line of advance over the bridges.

The Soviet advance was quick and bloody- the armoured cars and infantry were immediatly assailed from the air by two Hind-D attack aircraft, the Man Portable missile in the Foreign Legion company was unable to draw line of sight onto the helicopters, meaning they could rake the armoured cars with ATGM, rocket pods and their nose mounted heavy cannon. Needless to say, the armour of the AMX-10RC was insufficient to stand up to such a heavy bombardment, their only saving grace came from the concealment from the woods.

With them distracted looking up, the Guards Motor Rifle Company advanced in line ahead of them, seeking to push the river crossing in their amphibious vehicles.

One AMX-10RC was still composed enough to fire, dutifully destroying an enemy vehicle with the 90mm gun. However, one destroyed from a company with 10 vehicles was never going to slow the Russians down, as they pushed forward to the river's edge.

The Foreign Legion sought to more securely capture the bridgehead, to deny quick access to the other side for the enemy heavy T-72 tanks.

However by pushing forward they opened themselves up to return fire from the T-72, which was ruthless in the extreme. The few survivors pulled back into the cornfield to await reinforcements.

The Chasseurs were set to reinforce the pickets of defenders, but they were too far away to influence the battle immediatly.

The Soviets claimed initiative, quickly sending their Motor Rifle Company over the river, to destroy the last of the AMX-10RC.

It was at this time that the first formation of AMX-30B2 tanks arrived from their staging area, immediatly put in to battle. They opened fire on the enemy Recon BMPs, destroying them outright.

But return fire was quick in coming from the enemy T-72, who could now push themselves over the bridge, opening up on the lightly armoured French vehicles with their heavy main guns. The Hind-D rolled in on them as well, losing one of their number to a Roland SAM, but when the smoke cleared, there were only three remaining AMX-30 in the company.

The Second company of AMX-30 rolled on behind the first, firing their cannon at the T-72, causing no less than five of the heavy soviet tanks to erupt into a ball of flame. The remaining two tanks moved behind the cover of the bridge to protect themselves.

The final French reserve arrived in the form of three VAB Mephisto ATGM launchers, which immediatly engaged the large Motor Rifle Company, registering further hits on the company.

But it was not long before the weight of Soviet Air Power began to toll, the Su-24 aircraft rolled in onto the lead company of AMX-30B2, destroying them outright, the Hind-D rolled in onto the second company causing a full half of their number to be destroyed. The remaining T-72 engaged the remaining company with their cannon, destroying even more. The remanents of the foreign legion were mopped up by the Motor Rifle Company, and the three VAB Mephisto, all that was left attempted to stem the advance, but the damage was done. The Soviets had claimed the bridgehead, and with enough numbers to force their advantage.

Smoking wrecks, but a captured road through...

This was a cool game. It was a chance for us to try out a new Attacker/Defender style of mission, which really made the game interesting. My garrisons tried to hold off the whole soviet army, before the AMX-30s could come on to save the day. As it was, it was too little, too piecemeal and they got picked off as they arrived. Credit has to go to Adam for totally smashing me with his Air Support!

I do not miss the Crocodile.....

Another game friday, where I will flesh these rules out a bit more. I need to paint my Masters army, plus have a lot more 6mm that I want to do. And need to write reports and do the work thing.

Busy!

Also, 40,000 people have looked at this blog (or one person has 40,000 times), so thanks very much for reading, I hope you have found something you liked!

CP