During the first part of 1941, Allied forces had been defeated in Greece and many had retreated to Crete. In their haste, the allies had been forced to leave much of their heavy equipment behind, leaving them lightly armed for the inevitable German assault. On the night of 20 May, the Germans unleashed their ambitious plan, Operation MERCURY, attacking Crete from the air with paratroopers and gliders. Concentrating on four locations, the Germans were largely rebuffed. However, at Maleme the Axis managed to take control of a vital airfield and began to fly in much needed reinforcements. Commonwealth soldiers retreated to the southern part of Crete and the town of Chania became a key position for the men assigned to fight the rearguard action. Australian and New Zealand forces lined up along Tsikalarion Road, awaiting the advancing elite German Infantry. This road had been christened "42nd Street" by British engineers earlier in the week.
Attacker: German (Bataillon I, Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 141, Gebirgs-Division 5)
Nice game. Lots of smoke and banzai charge get the advantage for the Anzac at the start, but then losing smoke on all mortars before turn 4 stopped their progression and they took a heavy hit trying to assault with no smoke protection. A sniper hit on turn 5 against the lone german inside the southern walled farm was the decisive event to allow the ANZAC to get control of the 10th building at the last minute. Lots of fun for a narrow defeat.
2022-01-15
(D) Andy Bagley
vs
Craig Benn
German win
As the data suggests, this one probably favours the Germans slightly. I was happy with my plan as the ANZACs though, sending a couple of squads to take and hold the southern buildings while my main attack approached the main village area from the north and east. The dice gods didn't agree with me though; I couldn't get an ambush, lost two CCs where the odds were in my favour, and repeatedly failed MCs with my 8-morale squads. I also couldn't try the Banzai option because all my leaders were scurrying round trying to rally brokies! In the end the Germans outnumbered me and were counterattacking, so I threw in the towel at the start of Allied turn 4.
2021-12-31
(A) Dan Best
vs
Kermit Mullins
German win
2021-12-31
(D) Kermit Mullins
vs
Dan Best
German win
Germans quickly established control of the village. My ANZACS struggled to get into position from the east. My northern group entered and banzai charged to take a building for 6 total taken by the ANZACS before I conceded on Turn 5. Tough game for the ANZACS in my opinion.
2021-10-07
(D) Andy Beaton
vs
Bruce Stevenson
ANZAC win
Won as the ANZACS wiht good dice and a boatload of sneaky Australian bonus features, (extra smoke, stealth, H to H) while the Germans were hobbled by the inability to conceal at the start. The German player found it frustrating.
2021-09-12
(A) S. Slunt
vs
Brad Hunter
German win
Pretty close game. The diligent use of the Banzai Charges and smoke almost game me a victory. I think it is only slightly pro German.
2021-09-07
(A) Vilis Pavulans
vs
Matias Dahlbäck
German win
A huge mistake again on my part, not reading the scenario card properly. Was very surprised when the ANZAC reinforcements came in from the north and then the germans took a few nasty hits and I was ready to concede but in that defaitistic spirit the germans stopped skulking and just fired in their own turn to awesome prevail. Killing and braking a third of the ANZAC force and completely knocking the wind out of the southern flankmaking a counter attack possible. In the north a banzai charge was conducted which looked pretty successful until the big ANZAC stack ran into a measly 4FP resid and broke. Fun little scenario!
2021-06-25
(D) Ian Morris
vs
Martin Mayers
German win
Narrowly lost as the ANZACs, couldn’t get a Smoke round to save my life. Banzai attacks were effective.
2021-06-18
(D) Dmitry Klyuykov
vs
Fedor Grachev
ANZAC win
Bloody hand-to-hand battle till the last Close Combat phase of the game.
2021-05-16
(A) Eric Topp
vs
Ron Fedoriw
German win
Unfortunately for Ron, two of the NZ MTR ran out of Smoke on turn 3. Without the Hindrance DRM, the Kiwis took heavy losses so Ron conceded.
2021-05-14
(D) Andy Goldin
vs
Mike Johnston
ANZAC win
A nicely balanced and fast-playing scenario. An MMG rate tear and a sniper wrecked the ANZAC platoon attempting to flank my right, which was subsequently surrounded and eliminated for failure to rout. Mike's efforts in the center and on my left (where he entered his reinforcements) made good progress. However his assault on my center was rebuffed with losses in CC. At that point he no longer had sufficient strength to take my position and conceded. Mike neglected to use the SSR which enabled him to make a Banzai charge but am not sure it would have made much of a difference.
2021-04-24
(D) Chuck Dye
vs
DD
German win
2021-04-20
(D) Eric Topp
vs
Mark Smith
ANZAC win
The Kiwis were able to Smoke the German MG positions allowing their bayonet charge to move in close to the VC buildings. The F3 building fell on turn 4 but the Kiwis rolled boxcars with a 3-1 -1 H-t-H CC versus the German squad in J3. Luckily for the boys from the shaky isles, the Germans couldn't score a try either and after extra time on German turn 5 NZ won the test match (this rugby metaphor will bewilder readers in the US).
2021-04-17
(A) Rich Weiley
vs
Dave Longworth
ANZAC win
My fire was ineffective in the first game turn, net result was I generated a hero for the New Zealanders. Faced with overwhelming strength I was forced to give up the three stone buildings east of the road (NE of the crossroads)and managed to lose a squad during the withdrawal. Pretty much up hill from there although I did manage a late flurry of good shots in the penultimate turn which at leas meant he had to fight for the final buildings. He got into CC in the last turn in the final three buildings that I held. He only needed one and in the event he successfully ambushed me in all three and wiped out the defenders in each case without loss.
2021-04-16
(A) Eric Partizan Eric
vs
ANZAC win
2021-04-10
(D) Neal Ulen
vs
Scott
German win
Like almost all small, short scenarios this one can be decided by a few bad die rolls from which you can never recover. I suspect there's a good/balanced scenario here, but I never got the chance to find out. My ANZAC got no traction and only managed to capture 2 buildings because I couldn't pass a MC to save my life, and the game isn't long enough to ever recover. It's over very quickly. Threw in the towel on turn 3.
2021-04-02
(D) Paul Works
vs
John Garlic
German win
John set up his defense in the buildings on the west/far side of the street. He put a HS in the forward buildings. On my first turn I moved up to take several of the eastern buildings and be in position to make an attack on Turn 2. On Turn 2, John repositioned slightly, but generally held his positions. On my half of Turn 2, I got smoke from my two mortars and I attacked into the second row of the eastern buildings to capture them. A mild breeze arrived on Turn 2 that, at first glace, seemed to be useful to me - but as it turned out was not useful and probably a hindrance. The wind blew the smoke back toward my positions. On Turn 3, John put a leader in the street to hinder my movement. He also placed 16FP of troops + a 9-1 leader in the forward building. I got my 2 squads + 9-1 leader adjacent to his large stack and was able to break two of his squads in the rear. Unfortunately, he rallied one immediately on game Turn 4. At the end of his Turn 4, he had 6 squads in/around the three buildings on the north-east side of the crossroad - right where I had to go. On my Turn 4, some of my smoke dissipated, and even though I got another smoke into his 16FP hex; the lack of additional smoke ended up being bad for me. I took a 24+7 vs. his large stack and a 12+3 against his stack in the rear. No effect on both shots. He came back with a 16+2, rolling two 3s and one 4 in ROF succession. This broke/KIA'd my large stack and put me in a tough spot. I should have done a banzai charge on Turn 4... On his Turn 5, I failed to rally my 9-1 and remnant troops and failed on another squad rally as well. Tthe drifting smoke came into play against me here. He was able to get through my defensive fire and into one of the east side of the street buildings and also put my 9-1 under DM again (ouch). On my Turn 5, I had 7 total buildings (needing 10). I did a banzai charge on the south and got 2 full squads through massive FP into the building on the south-west side of the crossroad. I ran my other troops into the teeth of his FP and had a chance to get adjacent to at least force some CCs. He took a 4-1 FPP shot and broke a critical squad in my last movement. In Advancing Fire I broke his squad in the south-west building and took that one (8 buildings). I then went into CC with a squad and leader in the "re-taken' building (good chance of success there) and then put an 8-0 leader into CC with his large stack in the building that had me some many problems. Had to win that cc to win (very unlikely!). And it did not work; in neither of those CCs did I get kills. I do agree with the prior AAR on this one. Sort of small that an quickly get away from either side with a few DRs. Fun though. Very well played by John!
2021-03-31
(D) Dave Mareske
vs
Dennis Dowd
ANZAC win
Consolation game in the March Madness Virtual Tournament found the Germans picking off allied leaders with their sniper, but had trouble making MCs, while the allied side did well in CC. By the end of allied turn five they had 11 buildings and the axis were not able to take two buildings back. Good game Dennis.
2021-01-14
(A) Richard Jenulis
vs
Tim Brieaddy
German win
Winter Offensive 2021
2020-01-26
(A) David Shannon
vs
Peter
German win
CanCon 2020 playtest version (called 42nd Street Boys in this iteration). Can't remember my opponents surname sadly, but he was a nice chap. German MG's took too heavy a toll on charging ANZAC's was the crux of it.