Battle Report: The Treasures of War
Western France, September 1944. British Army engage Wehrmacht forces in the small village of Cordonbleau. The British Objective is to recover priceless art stolen from the Louvre. The German Objective: Destroy the British ammunition depot and delay their advance toward the German border.
As dawn broke over the rolling fields of western France, the countryside erupted with the distant rattle of gunfire. Both sides advanced cautiously in a cat-and-mouse game across hedgerows, stone walls, and sunken lanes. British and German machine gunners set up on overwatch, scanning the distant terrain for movement. The tension was thick, each side probing for a weakness.
The British armored cars, their engines growling, pushed forward but were shockingly ineffective, their autocannon rounds pinging harmlessly off stone barns and plowed fields. In contrast, the German 20mm Flak gun roared to life, its tracer rounds cutting through the haze. Within moments, the British Vickers machine gun nest that had anchored the left flank was shredded under a hail of fire. Smoke rose from the cratered position as the flank began to buckle. 
The PIAT team creep towards the German position
Meanwhile, a British PIAT team crept closer to a farmhouse where German snipers had taken up position in the attic. Each movement was cautious, deliberate with the crack of rifle fire overhead a reminder of the danger lurking in the rafters. They sprung from their hiding spot and fired a shell into the farm house killing the sniper team.
The Germans seized the initiative. A platoon of infantry, supported by grenadiers and machine gunners, surged forward along the left flank. Their boots pounded the earth as they stormed over a low ridge, firing wildly as they went. British riflemen from the farmhouses raked them with rifle and Bren fire, cutting down several, but still the Germans came on, driven by orders and desperation.
The British, meanwhile, hesitated in the woods on the right flank, unwilling to break cover and face the German machine gun that guarded the center. The hesitation proved costly the enemy seized ground, and the British line began to fray under pressure.
The Germans surge down the left flank
As the Germans crested the trench line, the British mortar crew adjusted their sights. A thump echoed across the field — then another. The second shell landed squarely in the midst of the advancing Germans. The explosion tore through the assaulting squad, wiping them out to a man. The cheers from the British positions were short-lived, but morale surged the line had held, at least for the moment.
At the right side of the field, Captain Heinrich Battonberg, a British officer of dubious heritage, saw an opportunity. Grabbing his Sten gun, he charged forward, firing from the hip into the enemy line. The German Leutnant Otto Von Uberschnitznel's attendant fell, clutching his chest. The two leaders locked eyes and opened up with their submachine guns. Bullets tore through the air. When the echoes faded, Battonberg lay still in the mud, his Sten fallen beside him. Uberschnitznel, wounded but standing, gave a grim nod to his fallen foe before rallying his men again.
The British mortar roared once more, and another direct hit ripped into the German position, scattering the survivors and leaving smoldering wreckage in its wake. Both sides, bloodied and exhausted, began to pull back.
The Germans claim the trench only to be instantly wiped out by mortar fire.
The stolen art remained in German hands secured in the back of a halftrack rumbling toward the rear. The British ammunition depot still stood untouched, though its defenders had paid dearly for it. The British had held the line — barely — but as dusk settled, it was clear they had come off worse, their wounded filling the woods and trenches where the day’s battle had begun.
A cracking game of bolt action and the first game of 3rd edition for my opponent (who commanded the British forces). The mission we played was demolition with a meeting engagement though neither side was able to destroy the opponents base. Before the game started we decided to add a second victory point mission (1 point for every 2 enemy units destroyed) in the case of tie breakers and it ended with a German victory by 1 point! A great game and I was reminded how easy it is to get new people into playing the game with the simple rules of the game, especially when compared to more granular games like Kill Team which my opponent and I also play together.
Looking forward to many more games in the future (and hopefully I remember to take more photos!) and a small update about some terrain I'm making soon!
Signing out,
Chewie
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