Train Raid

Today at Adler Hobby we play tested Gordon's train raid Flames of War scenario that he'll be putting on at the upcoming Huzzah! convention. This is an interesting scenario where a small raiding force of reconnaissance units attack some strategic points near the railway and then try to escape off the table. The attackers in this scenario are 8 small platoons of German armored cars. The defenders are a Polish armored train with it's accompanying assault infantry and light tanks and two platoons each of Polish cavalry and Polish tankettes.  The trick is to destroy the objectives and escape before the larger defending force destroys you....smash and grab at its finest.

Fellow escalation league participant Matt and I played the role of the convention goers manning the German armored cars. Gordon played the defending Poles. Initially Matt and I were successful in destroying two objectives each as well as putting some early hits on one platoon of Polish cavalry. Subsequent turns proved deadly for me with the loss of one of my platoons from fire from an ambushing platoon of Polish tankettes and losses elsewhere from the armored train's heavy guns. Matt took some losses, but was able to double time most of his attacking platoons to a safe distance and eventually off the board scoring two of the possible five victory points. I continued assaulting the remaining victory point with my light recon platoon while limping towards the exit with my other platoon. Eventually this limping platoon was stopped by a freshly arrived Polish cavalry platoon that succeeded in bailing out the sole surviving armored car with rifle fire! End result was a major loss by the Germans due to a couple of very effective ambushes by arriving Polish reserves. Interesting scenario and lots of fun. The Huzzah attendees should look for this game, particularly those looking to get a taste of Flames of War early war.