Crete Campaign Game Eight - Probing Pervolia (again)

Following on from the earlier attempt to dislodge Dave's FJs from Pervolia, my brave Aussies have regrouped, reinforced and mounted a second attack!

Here's Pervolia, eerily silent as the forces muster for battle.  

On this picture I've placed markers showing the approximate locations of our Jump Off Points. Allies blue, Germans red. I'd attempted to push along the flank through the buildings and gardens because that would afford the best cover. But Dave was quick to push his patrol markers forward.

My supports were a Matilda, two extra sections, a Vickers MMG and Stavros the elderly sniper (let's hope he's not been at the homebrew plum brandy this time!).

Dave chose the LG40 (Grrr!), a 50mm mortar and an Adjutant.

The Australians kick off by deploying a Matilda, but with Jerry lurking out of sight, the commander puts the gunner in overwatch.

Perhaps my comment about lurking has stung Dave into action. The FJs deploy in the house with a balcony, the cart-house and along the high walled lane. So that's already four MG34's ready to welcome the Aussies.

Right! The Aussies begin what I hoped would be an aggressive attack, en-masse. Two sections get ready to storm through the gardens of the walled house, joined by their Platoon Sergeant.

Typically the command dice chose this point to play a few games with me! However, the attack must go in, so those mad Aussies went for it, and crikey did they throw themselves forwards. One section decided to go pell mell and rolled three 6s for movement.

With their blood up and the scent of a quick victory in their nostrils one section hurls themselves in to combat with the FJs. We agreed that the Australians should be rated as Aggressive... The ensuing combat was sheer carnage! Both sides were wiped out to a man and both sides lost precious morale points. However, I've lost a whole section whilst Dave has lost only one team from his number 3 squad.

Given the gap made by the first section's brave attack, number 2 section hurry to get around Jerry's flank.

Meanwhile the rest of the platoon are sent forward. The command dice meant that the first attack went in without the kind of support I would have preferred, but what is it they say about plans and enemy contact?

Wait! What devilish trick is this by the beastly Hun! Where did all those MG34s come from? Oh dear. The corporal pops through the gate and jumps back quick as a flash as Jerry lights up the road with concentrated MG fire. Phew! That was close.

An example of my Command Dice. Three fives are not entirely unhelpful, but when you've men under fire you could really use a couple of 3s.

The constant chatter of (mainly German) MG fire rings out across the village but any further Allied casualties are fairly light so far. Two more sections have come forwards. At this point the Ministry of Information remind Orange Dave that grenades posted through windows can really spoil the day of troops within said buildings.

Hats off to the 2" mortar chaps! The tank has rolled forwards to support the beleaguered infantry, so Dave has deployed the pesky LG40. But that little mortar has plopped the smoke right in their eye. Take that Jerry! The Vehicle gunner sprays the buildings with MG fire to keep the FJs heads down whilst the rest of the platoon go forwards.

With my left flank quite crowded I decided to bring on the remaining chaps (a section, the Lt and the Vickers) on the right flank. Stavros appeared too (out of shot) and his aim initially seemed quite good, but clearly the plum brandy got to him! The Vickers blasted away at the German light mortar in the vineyard, eventually send them packing and knocking off more German morale.

Drat! A Turn end lifts the smoke and Dave's LG40 team can't load and fire quickly enough. 

Boom! The shot strikes home and the engine is jammed in overdrive.

Thereafter there was a game of cat and mouse as the high-revving tank tried to evade the LG40 team. Another shot struck but ricocheted harmlessly off the tank's thick armour.

By this point in the game Dave has decided to take the attack to my lads rather than wait in the buildings. This seemed a bit mad at first, but buildings (with relatively few windows) mean restricted arcs of fire. In the aerial pic below you can see an FJ squad by the large, dark tree and they are holding their own against the remnants of two Aussie sections. Plus there are FJs upstairs in the big building!

This developed in to a close range firefight, with plenty of grenades thrown. Both sides had perilously low morale but we fought on to the absolute end. The last gasp saw both sides on just one point of morale. Those brave Aussies simply would not give up the attack, and the equally fearsome FJs would not give up Pervolia. A final heave by Jerry saw the MG34s carry the day and Allied morale fell to 0.

Wow! What a belter of a game. A real slugging match. The early turns were quite dispiriting for the Aussies but things soon heated up. It really could have gone either way. Only a miracle now can save Crete from being firmly in Jerry's grasp.

Thanks again to Dave for trekking here and being a splendid opponent 😎