Villers-Bocage Rapid Fire Wargame in 20mm

I’ve been wanting for some time to wargame the events in the afternoon at Villers Bocage, which I’ve always felt would need a more detailed street plan than the fab Normandy Battlegames scenario offers, so gets ny first shot at it, I’d welcome your thoughts. I want to be able to game Wittmans moving around, and then the a Brit ambush of his tanks. I’d welcome your insights on this set up!

The plan unfolded as per the Rapid Fire scenario form their Normandy Battlegames Guide. The British armour entered on a pre determined route which they could not veer from until fired upon...Villers Bocage... next stage. Well what a surprise. The Tiger killed the Firefly, rather easily as it turned out. The lead Pz IV picked, unfairly, on a half track, and the second Pz IV killed the Sherman OP. This is going badly.

Ranville Wargames 20mm from Normandy Battlegames Rapid Fire Rules

Another lockdown game, this time the excellent Ranville scenario from the Rapid Fire Fast Play World War Two Rules. This scenario is explained in the Normandy Battlegames book and covers the efforts of British airborne troops to defend Ranville, and hence the approach to the Orne river bridge, and Pegasus Bridge from 21sr Panzer Division,

It makes for quite a visual spectacle, a little unusual as 21st Panzer Division were mainly equipped with stolen French vehicles and armour, obtained after the 1940 fall of France!

The set up of the game looks very impressive.

Then it’s time to get the deployment of the Paras organised. For this scenario they occupy three of the relatively schematic villages.

Then the Germans start to appear, and it begins to look scary! The paras are going to need those RoyalNavy observers up in the church tower to bring down naval gunfire support from the channel, where a ship lies just off the D-Day beaches ready to fire! 

This proved to be a tough encounter, and the arrival of the naval support fire proved to be critical for the lightly armed Paras! Great game!