Bolt Action returns.

Bolt Action was once a very popular game system in our club, but over time, other systems took its place. The arrival of version two and the departure of some longtime players only cemented this trend. I think I played version one again at some point, but then we shifted our focus back to other games. Now that version three has arrived, Gordon is trying to reintroduce it to our tables. 

The timing is perfect, as Jimmy has just finished his German Fallschirmjäger, giving us a great opportunity to dust off my First Polish Armoured Division. Tim has joined with his British forces. What you see on the table is a 1500 point game. The table itself is a creation of Gordon's, with a small addition from me.

SCENARIO: Gordon Smith
UMPIRING: Gordon Smith

SCENERY: Gordon Smith, Bartek Żynda

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant, Jimmy, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

BRITISH

(Tim)

First Lieutenant + 2 Infantry

Veteran Infantry Squad (NCO with submachine, 2  submachines, 3  rifles, 2 LMG (2 crew))

Regular Infantry Squad (NCO with submachine, 5 rifles, 1 LMG (2 crew)

Comando Section (NCO with submachine, 4 submachines)

Medium Mortar Team with Spotter

Sniper Team

M5 Halftrack (Pintle HMG)

Bren Carrier (Forward LMG, pintle LMG)

POLES

(Bartek)

Platoon Commander with SMG

1st Engineer Squad (NCO with submachine, 7 rifles, LMG team (2 crew))

2nd Engineer Squad (NCO with submachine, 7 rifles, LMG team (2 crew))

Flamethrower Team

Platoon Commander with pistol

1st Light Mortar Team

2nd Light Mortar Team

Medium Mortar Team with a Spotter

Medium Machine Gun Team

Sherman V (75mm)

GERMANS

(Ben, Jimmy)

Platoon Commander with SMG + 2 Infantry

1st Veteran Fallschirmjäger Squad (NCO with submachine, 5 rifles, 2 x LMG team (2 crew))

2nd Veteran Fallschirmjäger Squad (NCO with submachine, 5 rifles, 2 x LMG team (2 crew))

3rd Veteran Fallschirmjäger Squad (NCO with submachine, 5 rifles, 2 x LMG team (2 crew))

5 x Heavy Mortar Team with Spotter

2. The Game.

I was frankly surprised by the situation and the positioning of the German forces in the city. I had expected at least some of them to be stationed there, with the remainder arriving as reinforcements. Instead, all the forces were strategically positioned throughout the city. Additionally, our entry points were clearly visible to German observers, almost as if we were exposed in a frying pan, due to the presence of numerous heavy mortars.

Under normal circumstances, our forces would have retreated to safer positions, and the artillery and air forces would have been assigned to "prepare" the city for an attack. However, we had no option for that, and soon our units were under accurate German mortar fire. The situation became quite dire, especially for my troops.

We then changed our tactics and started targeting the mortar observers. This approach proved effective, and we soon succeeded in silencing the first mortar. My Sherman tank played a crucial role in this effort. However, the Germans quickly adapted and found a way to counter our strategy. Ben hit our tank with a mortar shell, destroying it. Our situation was now critical, but Gordon agreed to deploy an additional Sherman V tank to support us.

It was a game-changer. The Germans, concentrated on their tanks, lost sight of our infantry, which had successfully rallied and advanced toward their positions. The only thing that caught the Germans off guard was my flamethrower, which had unexpectedly positioned itself near their lines. It managed to incinerate another observer, along with the entire building he was in. Now, my units had a clear path to the German mortar positions.

Tim successfully broke through the German lines and entered the city, forcing the Germans to withdraw. This led to an unexpected victory for the British-Polish forces. The presence of an additional tank played a significant role in this outcome.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720329928163/