Bolt Action - Game Report 25

Meeting Engagement – Operation Margarethe March 1944

Introduction

For the next Bolt Action tourney at Entoyment I decided that I was going to field a German force. I managed to build and paint it relatively quickly. I made one big mistake. I didn’t read the fine print of Michael’s invite for the competition. This tourney was going to be for armoured platoons; I was effectively taking a knife to a gun fight with my force!!

First game was against Dave’s Hungarians where I was going to get a rude awakening of what it meant by armoured platoons.

Situation

High Command had ordered the occupation of Hungary because of concerns that the Hungarian leadership were about to conclude a separate peace with the allies. Sources from within Hungary reported that some army units were supporting the current Hungarian leadership and would resist the occupation. KG Von Wittak was formed to lead the advance and bring these rebels to heal.

Enemy Forces

The Hungarian rebels were equipped with a platoon of 43M Zrínyi assault guns and supporting infantry.

Friendly Forces

The advance guard of KG Von Wittak consisted on a PZ IVG, an infantry platoon of 3 sections, a squad armed with assault rifles mounted in a SdKfz 251/1 halftrack, a sniper and an artillery observer.

Mission

KG Von Wittak is to advance and engage the rebels, and then to liberate Budapest.

Post Mission Report

The advance guard moved swiftly forward with the intention of seizing the dominating ground. The PzIV moved to provide overwatch from the left flank as the sniper moved to provide fire from the rough ground.

The platoon commander ordered his sections forward. He decided to keep the mounted troops in reserve. The threat from the assault guns meant that manoeuvring the half-track would be a challenge.

The Hungarian infantry advanced rapidly to seize the key terrain. They were well supported by the assault guns which destroyed the German sections with HE fire.

Once the forward sections had been destroyed there was only limited progress that could be made. The fire from the PZIV failed to destroy any of the assault guns.

Outcome

A significant loss for the Germans.