Bolt Action Battle Report American Airborne vs German SS 1000 points

15th March 2026 Dylan vs Martin

The US Airborne deployed in a nice steady battle line across the battlefield. The Germans decided to keep a Stug and Sdkfz 222 in reserve. Only a couple of squads with SS to hold back the tidal wave of US Airborne coming their way and taking advantage of cover to duck behind a low wall or a couple of abandoned houses.

Then it began….. Both sides manoeuvring and exchanging fire with pins being dropped here and there on infantry units both sides, but nothing too serious. There was a general advance from the Airborne with a couple of US Airborne HMG Teams manoeuvred into better firing positions, and the Germans started to think it might have been useful to have their armour come on in Turn 1 with the rest of their comrades... Too late now.

A German infantry squad moved into one of the houses and started firing at the advancing US Airborne to their front, causing a pin but nothing else. Return fire from a couple of the Airborne squads caused some casualties and a pin. Here was the start of “Dice Gods Abandoned Me” (DGAM) effect for the Germans. US Hits were converted to kills and German saves were already being failed, even in hard cover!

With a clanking of tracks the Stug made an appearance stage left! The intention to mow down the US Airborne closest to them, at point blank range. Canon fire and machine guns opened up causing a devastating hit and killing off half the Airborne squad! Hah! Zer surprise counterattack ist gut ja? And yet... with the screeching of tyres the Sdkfz 222 also made an appearance to take out one of the US bazooka teams... Bad case of DGAM struck ... Had the German ammo had been tampered with in the factory? Return fire by the Bazooka team made short work of the Armoured Car in response! Nothing wrong with Yankee ammo!!!!

Elsewhere the US Airborne infantry advance shooting like cowboys (or Gangsters in the case of the Thompson SMG squad) all the way, but striking home, one of SS Squads shot so often that it soon racked up 7 pins and 3 casualties. (Damn those Dice Gods! Even hiding behind hard stone walls and going down wasn't helping to save the SS troopers.

Needing to rally, as a minus 7 on an order seemed impractical, the SS Squad suffered from more DGAM manifested in the form of Double 6 – a royal FUBAR …… ooops don’t ever curse the Dice Gods!

The Stug continued to try to make an impact on the left flank, with some success against the Airborne infantry, but failed to kill the Bazooka Team completely….The man holding the Pipe was clearly the luckiest man on the battlefield.

As the US Airborne continued to advance, the Thompson SMG squad advanced and fired to eliminate the mega pinned SS squad. They had been chased by the SS command team, who failed to stymie their advance and subsequently were shot to pieces in the open by the joint fire of HMG and infantry teams.

A 2nd bazooka team made an appearance running across the battlefield. The Stug was hit in the side and sub-quality Schurzen let it through and it was knocked out. Pretty much game over considering the butchers bill included the remaining SS Infantry Squad and a Mortar Team.

Essentially, the US advance was unstoppable, and eventually over ran the German positions in “Band of Brothers” style. Luck played its part, (Note to self ….Small sacrifice to appease to the Dice Gods) but the boldness of the US Tactics won the day! Those tough US Airborne troops showed the SS how it’s done!

It was a good game and fun to play... lots of learning.

Photos

Credit

Photos and report written by Martin Cawthra and published on the Leeds Night Owls website with permission.