Hedgerow Hell

This is an AAR for a IABSM battle fought over my new hedgerows. A British company with some support must attack through the bocage to threaten the flank of a defending German battalion.

The British have:
HQ w/ scout section
3 x infantry platoons
2 x Churchills (they can be called forward once a path through the hedgerows is identified)
2 x MGs (called forward once the enemy main line is identified)
FO w/ battery of 25lb guns (4 salvos)

The Germans:
2 x infantry platoons
1 x sniper
2 x MG-42s
2 x AT teams
1 x 75mm AT Gun w/ halftrack
1 x armored car
The Germans have outpost teams forward in each platoon area. The entire force is hesitant (must pull back the closest unit to the enemy on that card).

The British objectives were to clear a path for the tanks through the hedgerows, take the orchard, the central hill, and the church. This would place them on the flank of the enemy battalion and force the Germans to retreat.

The British accomplished all objectives but suffered heavy casualties to one platoon. The German's withdrew about 30 men, 1 MG-42,  and the AT gun. They lost the armored car, and 38 men.

British Casualties: 8 KIA, 5 H-WIA, 4 L-WIA
HQ: 2 H-WIA (scouts)
1st: 1 KIA, 1 H-WIA
2nd: 6 KIA, 1 H-WIA, 2 L-WIA
3rd: 1 KIA, 2 H-WIA, 2 L-WIA

4 new replacements showed up and have gone to 1st and 3rd platoons to keep them full strength. 2nd platoon is down 9 men (2 were sent to the HQ scout section) and reorganized as 2 sections. Next battle reinforcement roll will be d8.

Lots of ground to cover.

Suspected sniper and MG in the church tower.

Looks like at AT gun position.

The orchard on the left flank.

1st contact with a German outpost.

Cut them down with a two-squad attack.

A squad in the center is not so lucky...5 men down in an ambush.

Sniper fire from the church hits two men coming through the gate. The medic will get to them later and get them back in action.

Revenge...1st platoon gets the ambushers in a crossfire.

While 3rd platoon runs into more trouble, losing 4 men when they try to storm the next hedgerow.

Starting to lay down smoke with the 2in mortars when 1st platoon encounters a MG-42.

And the FO identifies fire coming from the steeple.

Tanks start to move up...traveling quickly through the scouted territory.

Bounding overwatch gains the British some ground in the center once the MG-42 starts to get flanked.

1st platoon aggressively attacks on the left, unhinging the German line.

The Germans start to pull back as casualties mount.

1st platoon prepares for the last push.

3rd platoon rushes the church under cover of artillery, smoke, and machinegun fire.

A section ambushes the armored car as it tries to retreat, and the tanks reach the last hedgerow.

A section flushes the armored car from the orchard and takes up a defensive position.