D+2, Normandy, France, June 1944. Elements of 6 British Airborne hold a key small farmstead IVO river crossing on a small tributary of the Orne River. 21st Pz Div forces continue efforts to try breakthrough their lines and attack towards the Allied Beachheads.

A reinforced British Parachute Pl w/ Pl HQ, three sections armed with SMGs, Bren Guns, rifles and (seemingly endless amounts of grenades and ammunition) along with support from a 3” mortar, Vickers MG team, sniper pair and a PIAT hold the position with dominating fields of fire.

Neatly, but nevertheless deeply dug into the adjoining farmhouse orchard the Para 3” mortar would prove a decisive asset. Clearly Cpl Barnes and his crew had bedded in well, rapidly ranged in the approaching German PzGrenadiers, pinning them heavily and inflicting heavy losses.

German forces incl. several elements of the Pz-Aufklarüngs-Abteilung, heavily armed PzGrenadier sections with MG42s, sniper team and two light armoured cars - an Sdkfz 222 and Sdkfz 223. Lacking heavier armament and knowing time was against them, speed and audacity were the key!

A strong German assault on the right flank spearhead by two Grenadier sections with the Pl Comd initially made good ground, but ran into sustained, highly accurate British rifle and Bren gun fire inflicting losses, driving them to ground and halting their advance (dead!) cold.

A British Parachute section deployed in support of the 3” mortar in the orchard, advanced forward taking the fight to the Germans. Occupying a forward ditchline for the advantage of heavy cover, then allied to their sustained, rapid small arms fire brutally halted the Germans.

With the right flank block, German focus swapped to the main lane, pushing armour forward. But with it highly canalised by the stout Normandy Bocage, it was quickly and brutally knocked out by plunging Vickers MG fire from the farmhouse attic and the pugnacious Cpl Jones’s PIAT!

From the carnage of the lane way, a lone PzGrenadier section did (briefly) seize their objective (stone bridge) before coming under another hail of ferocious British rifle fire from all sides, which ultimately wiped them out, firmly securing the position for 6th Airborne forces.

With the bridge secure, a British Parachute section which had aggressively push forward on the German left made it to the lane way, virtually annihilating the remaining German elements caught now from all sides and struggling to resist with rapidly diminishing firepower and men.

In the end, the German attack was not only blocked, it was annihilated. Caught by limited axis of advance for their heavier weapons, pinned early by accurate British mortar fire & then hard hit by ferocious rifle, grenade & close assaults, in truth it struggled to even get going.

And that’s it! A cracking game, fantastic to proof the Zoom set up. Table worked great, though force structures probably need some tweaking - AAR will probably last the night (as always!). Brilliant to just roll some dice and looking forward to playing some more!