Gaming: BATTLE REPORT: Operation Red Hawk - Agent extraction (Part 2)

Picture: The British make it through the hail of bullets and after some bitter hand to hand secure the Agent!

So the battle hung in the balance - could the Germans beat off the grizzled British veterans? Needless to say the surviving British - with assault weapons -  made short work of the German command and seized the agent.

 Picture: the close combat was bloody, but brief!

Picture: Ring of steel around the Agent

At this stage there was no need to panic. The Germans still had plenty of men to counter attack and they had a protective corridor to make the extraction. However, having suffered a pin from the sniper the previously ambushing German unit subsequently needed an order test and promptly failed! Wesselands testimony does suggest that the Germans weren't able to initially react and given the situation at the time it is not difficult to justify why. At this time in 1944 it is likely that the experience of the German troops is very mixed and it is not unreasonable to assume some confusion in the German ranks that the experienced British paras were able to make the most of the situation!

The German well worked plan now looked on the brink of collapse as in the confusion the para unit whisked the agent away. The Daimler and sniper then came around to support the escape [Author note - the Germans now had no weapons to destroy it so their best bet was to now ignore it!].

Picture: The British make for the cover of their own lines with armoured support! Watched on by the now panic stricken Germans!

The Germans only hope was to mount an all out charge and hope the dice gods favored them - the ambush the Germans found themselves a fair distance away from the agent. The Kubelwagon managed to unleash a hail of bullets, but with farm walls and hedges in the way they were spent against the French stone work. The Daimler then in response made short work of the Kubelwagon. The sniper took out the LMG in the 'un-panicked' German squad - greatly reducing the squads fire power - Lieutenant Slade's command unit then moved in - like the brave heroes or madmen they are - to block the same unit to prevent them assaulting the escaping British. 

Picture: BOOM! The Kubelwagon goes up in smoke!

Picture: Escape to victory!

The Germans had one hope left and that was the squad that had lost its LMG to fire on and destroy the 4 man British team that was escaping. Their shooting was poor, but still managed 2 kills - forcing the British to take a moral test. This was the German chance clinging on by a thread. Up stood the British commander and with total assurance rolled double 1. The German efforts were in vain. Next out was a British order die and the agent was whisked away to safety.

Picture: Panic? What panic! - double 1 rolled by the paras! (in fairness is was a very, very, very slim hope the Germans were holding onto as the Brits needed 10 or less on 2D6!)

"My boys were under heavy fire from the enemy, but they needed to get our man out of there. The Germans knew it to! and had moved up units to stop them. Not today old bean I said to myself and me and my batman strolled off to head them off. Sten gun at the hip I blasted a magazine into them. Jones had already moved the Daimler around to deal with their pesky machine gun car. Huzzah I cried at the shot and strolled forward with British swagger to meet Jerry. Not having the stomach for British steal and guts they slunk back out into the forests beyond the village. Not a bad days hunting at all"

 - Memoirs of Lieutenant Henry Slade, British Commander

Picture: Despite the German chase the British get out safely (Author note - keen eyed readers will note in the background Lieutenant Slade's charge against the onrushing Germans!)

Result: British decisive victory

Picture: Not all lives lost in vain - the documents secured on the agent were the German order of battle - this should give the Brits an advantage in the fighting ahead or are these simply 'paper' battalions that no longer exist?

Picture: Lieutenant Bauman, the German commander, despite being wounded managed to escape the furious British attack - having lost his last two battles my only thinking is that being a member of the DAK he is used to desert tactics and struggling to adapt to the battlefields of Northern France!