Nuts! Normandy Campaign Mission 04 - Attack on Ferme de Champignons de St Jean

After the second successful reconnaissance mission of the campaign, our plucky platoon of Tyneside Scottish has been ordered to fight through a small series of buildings around a mushroom farm to re-start the battalion's advance.  Again, this mission is carried out in full platoon strength, the order of battle being broady similar to that in the first, unsuccessful attack. German defenders, as ever, would be generated by the Nuts! rules according to the luck of the dice

The Mission:

 

The battlefield area.  A stream bisects some farmland, overlooked by a hill.

And from a slightly different angle

The British Platoon decides to push left, trying to avoid the buildings as much as possible.  The majority of the platoon are positioned to give fire support to cover the advance or withdrawal of 1 Section, as required.

A slightly more close-up shot of the same

1 Sect traverses the field...

And makes it! They cautiously approach the building (top-left) when they are alerted to a German section defending the hill.  Luckily, they have got the drop on the Germans and fire first.  The German MG42 is quickly silenced before it can retaliate and the German section is effectively pinned in its positions.

And the view from the Germans on the hill back towards the British.

The Bren gun on the flank of the British Pl adds its fire from the flank onto the German section too.

Where the hell did that building come from !?!?  One of the quirks of Nuts! is that you can occasionally generate another building, on the basis that it was hidden just out of view and so unknown to the friendly force commander.  Such a thing happened here.  A German section opens up, luckily with little effect.

1 section advances but spots Germand in the bigger building.  Again, the British get the drop on their opponents and SMG fire wounds a German.

Another angle

Accurate fire from the British allowed the to manoeuvre in safetly and they are now lining a new hedge (left of photo).  The British temporarily silence a German machinegunner in the taller building top-left.

After a fierce exchange of fire and a further couple of casualties on both sides, a German section breaks and runs for it!

A second German squad breaks after the Brits manage to get a grenade into the building - three Germans immediately fall seriously wounded, including the Gefreiter.

From the British side.

Concentrated fire from the British heavy weapons kills two more Germans and breaks the final German section.  The British complete their advance across the table without further incident.

Game Notes:
A strong British victory this, partly from good fortune in twice getting the drop on German defenders, partly from being able to bring superior firepower to each individual firefight, despite being roughly the same size overall.  German losses were 3 KIA, 6 WIA against 3 WIA amongst the British (all in the exchange of fire when the British were lining the hedgerow).
There is a definite advantage in gameplay as you get more and more familiarity with the reaction and firing tables, it really speeds up the battles.  There is a fair bit of dice-rolling in these platoon sized battles, but nothing too onerous.  I had to make up the effect of the 2" mortar firing HE on the building, as the rules as written don't feature mortars but this was pretty easy to do.  The building suddenly turning up was a surprise, but it didn't jar too much - sometimes you do just notice a building once you have gone past it! Anyway, the rules continue to give an admirable game. I'm getting more used to using the multiple-based figures as just giving a good approximation of location, and then working from a section card to determine outcomes.  If you have been following the campaign, you will notice the much quicker and stronger generation of German enemies in this "attack" mission in comparison to the "patrol" missions.
British Campaign Morale is at 6, Investment Level is at 4.
German Campaign Morale is at 1, Investment Level is at 2,

As previously, the set up is:2'x2' board, the terrain homemade, the figures are mainly from Baccus 6mm, with some from GHQ and Adler too, buildings from Leven Miniatures and Baccus..  Obviously the rules are Nuts! Final Edition.