Operation Market Larden and the Battle for Lardsdorf

 

Last Saturday I was privileged to attend the Operation Market Larden games day hosted by the Wyvern Wargames Club in Bishampton near Evesham. There was a good selection of excellently presented games using TooFat Lardies rules - both released and under development - covering the Russo-Japanese War, WW2 (both company and platoon level), Arthurian Britain, the Napoleonic Wars, the Wild West and Diesel Punk air combat, in addition to my latest playtests of IABNM. There were about 30 attendees and a good time was had by all, so hopefully it will become a regular event. Thanks again to the Wyvern lads for a well-organised day, and some great cupcakes.

 

I ran 2 games, this first was the battle for a village appropriately named 'Lardsdorf' defended by a company of West German Panzergrenadiers who had dismounted from their M113s and swapped a platoon for a pair of Leopards. They could also call upon some helicopters lurking off-table.

The attacking force was a Soviet BTR Motor Rifle Company supported by a platoon of T64BVs.

 

The quiet before the storm. A view of the table from the south, the Soviets will enter from the east (right):



 

And from the north:

 A close-up of Lardsdorf (In the rush to escape the approaching red horde someone forgot his Porsche):

The attack is preceded by an artillery bombardment and a smokescreen:

Soviet forces move on blinds to outflank Lardsdorf from the north:

West German forces stay hidden waiting for a glimpse of a target:

A Soviet platoon is spotted making thrust for the northern edge of the village:

West Germans prepare for to repel the attack:

As the smokescreen thins the Soviet platoon runs into an ambush.....

.....and quickly sustains casualties. All three BTRs are destroyed and the infantry are either killed or put to flight. The first Big Man casualty of the day is suffered:

The Soviet artillery observer sees the fighting at the edge of the town and calls for support:

A second platoon dismounts and attempts to roll up the defenders outside the village. Some good shooting wipes out one West German section quickly and the rest of the platoon falls back to the village:

A BO105P spots a BTR in the open and destroys it with a HOT:

The Soviet commander sends in his tanks:

Which is what the West German tank commander is waiting for:

Firing from hull down a T64 is hit and knocked out. The Leopards also account for the BTRs that survived the helicopter attack. A standoff develops as the remaining T64s dare not advance into the sights of the Leopards:

With the attack faltering in the north, the Soviets attempt a move to the south:

Spotting the danger, the Leopards move to deal with the threat:

One tank is a bit slow to move....

and the Soviet tanks see a chance.....

...that they take:

The Soviet tanks advance on the village pouring high explosive into the village as they go taking advantage of their stabilised guns to offset their movement:

The Soviet move to the south is recognised as the remaining 2 platoons:

The remaining Leopard drives through the village to provide some extra firepower:

The Soviet third and support platoons dismount using a wood for cover from the defenders in Lardsdorf....

....and advance through the wood:

The West Germans take up new positions along the south side of the village:

The T64s get to the village....

where one receives a nasty surprise.....

...from the Leopard:

The Leopard quickly turns round and heads back through Lardsdorf.

With a perfect display of driving and shooting it is thrown around 2 corners and claims a third T64:

The remaining T64 draws a bead on the Leopard's side along the street and takes it out:

The fighting is getting desperate as the result is in the balance and a West German section throws itself at the Soviet tank to no avail:

The West Germans need help and get it. A BO105P spots the T64.....

......and delivers a HOT into its side. The reactive armour saves the tank from being destroyed but it loses its main armament and shakes the crew:

At this point we called an end to the fighting. The Germans held the village although they'd lost their tanks and most of one infantry platoon. Thanks to Noddy and Elton for ably commanding the 2 sides and making it an exciting and hard-fought game.