Chain of Command 1940 Germans v British

Jerry is running a CoC game at a Lard day later this year and wanted to try it out. The setting is 1940 with the Germans attempting to cross a canal against British and French resistance. As the game is designed for four players there is quite a lot of support options so a good chance to get more kit on the table!

The canal can be crossed either at the bridge or for infantry via some sunken barges and a lock gate in the distance:

Wasting no time a Panzer III and an infantry section deploy by the road:

Another section deploys by the bridge itself:

In the distance a French infantry section can be seen on the hill:

A third German infantry section arrives together with the platoon mortar:

The British counter with a 2pdr AT gun, their mortar team and some engineers. However, the AT gun team is shot to bits by the waiting German infantry after missing it's shot at the Panzer III:

First casualties for the Germans as they exchange fire with the distant French on the hill:

A British infantry section joins in the firefight:

The Germans respond with an additional Panzer II and the advance of the Panzer III:

A powerful French Souma tank arrives to take on the Panzers

German infantry move out of cover to advance on the bridge:

They make it to the cover of the canal bank. Meanwhile the Panzer III and Souma exchange generally ineffective shots:

The Panzer II also moves up:

The Souma holds it's ground:

The British mortar crew have done a very poor job with their smoke rounds failing totally to obscure the Panzer II's line of sight to the British infantry. The final German section has deployed in the fields to the left of the Panzer II:

The British deploy a Vickers MMG to try to cut down the exposed German infantry but remarkably accurate German fire wipes out the crew in short order:

The Germans make a dash for the canal bank hoping to cross the sunken barges. Casualties and shock pin the section though:

The British mortar continues to lay down smoke, mostly ineffectively:

More misplaced smoke rounds:

The Panzer III continues it's advance, trading shots all the time with the Souma. The Panzers driver has been killed, both tanks have survived several hits but fight on:

Finally it all becomes too much for the Souma crew who bail out after yet another hit from the Panzer:

With one last literal throw of the dice the British ambush the Panzer III with a Boy's AT rifle. The rifle hits but has no effect on the tank. Return fire from the German section wipes out the AT rifle team reducing British morale to zero and forcing them to withdraw:

A game where careful German preparation before each forward move paid off, every time Jerry deployed something to slow the Germans down the Germans had plenty of extra troops deployed to retaliate. The British mortar team were spectacularly ineffective being unable to put smoke down where it was needed and the Souma, which greatly out-classed the Panzer III, also performed poorly.

The canal and bridge looked great and I'm sure the participants at Jerry's game will greatly enjoy it, looking forward to hearing how it goes!