OP ''Paddywack'' Pt 2

With the game underway, I found myself able to have one Section of the Platoon up covering the crossroad Border point, I also moved my armour up to support the section and kept one tank in reserve.
Phil starting at the end of the table moving his TD's and Para's up the main road in order to get to the Crossroad quickly.

My other two Sections had to start at the end as well, and I moved them up the road into the village to cover each flank of the Section of Irish, while my HQ Section with the PIAT moved to the rear of the Crossroad Section in order to meet any threat that the Churchill's could not deal with and act as my reserve.

First Blood to Phil, his TD's maneuvered each side of the Crossroads and at stand off range wacked my Churchill's in a one sided duel.Bad dice on my end meant that I had no reply and I started to get a funny feeling in the base of my stomach.

My second Churchill stonked, also during this period Phil took out my Brengun team perched up in a building covering the Crossroad...This was quite unlike Phil, usually he pushes in one direction in an all out maximum drive, this lets me attack his flanks and mop up the point from the rear. It has always been this way since my only loss to him in 1987, I was confident I could hold the infantry at the crossroad, but bad dice on my part and smart calculated moves from Phil were eating away my grasp on the situation.

Phil was feeling confident by now and although he could not move any vehicles into my side due to a burning Tank at the entrance of the crossroads, he carried out sniping from his TD's and Armoured Car's. After one particular successful foray he unleashed the Union Jack and flew it from one of his Cars...Cocky blighter!

After wearing down one of my Sections on the right flank he sent over two Sections of Para's over a wall, my three remaining Lee Enfield armed Irish in this sector managed to hold there own, and for a moment I thought he was going to retreat back to the Northern side of the Border, but in a surprising bit of backbone he continued his assault forcing my troops back to another alley.

I then moved my HQ Element to the other flank, as the position in front was becoming hopeless. I reasoned that if I started to attempt to take out the armour from the opposite flank, this would distract his focus on my crumbling defence of the eastern area of the town...I was starting to clutch at straws.

Phil seeing me move my reserve forced his last Section of Para's through the wall and moved them to the base of my centre Section, ant thought he had of advancing any further here was dulled by a Brengun team covering the street. A glimmer of hope started to shine on the Irish side and we called it a night with the plan to come back to the game the next night.

Final moves tomorrow...