Somewhere on the Eastern Front, Summer 1944

 

A battalion of German infantry have the dubious honour of defending a small Russian town from the advancing Russians. They have a anti-tank company and an artillery battalion in support.

 

German Forces:

CO

HQ

FAO

8 Infantry

2 MG

1 81mm Mortar

1 120mm Mortar

1 PaK 40 (organic to battalion)

3 PaK 40 (Anti-tank company)

2 105mm howitzers (off board)

 

Defences:

40cm Trenches

2 Marked Minefields

80cm Wire

 

1000 points, breakpoint 8

 

They are split into 2 groups:

CO, 4 infantry, 2 MG, both mortars and 2 of the PaK 40s

HQ, 4 infantry, and the other 2 PaK 40s

 

Assaulting them would be elements of a Mechanised Corps: One infantry battalion and an armoured brigade, plus supporting elements.

 

Russian Forces:

CO

HQ

FAO

FAC

1 Recce (White Scout Car)

1 Recce (BA-64)

9 Infantry

3 SMG

3 MG

1 81mm Mortar

1 45mm Anti-tank Gun

1 75mm Infantry Gun

1 Combat Engineer

9 T34/76 (late)

1 PT-34 Mineroller

3 76mm field guns (off board)

1 IL-2 Sturmovik (rockets)

10 Trucks

 

2160 points, breakpoint 15

 

The 3 SMG were attached to the T34 battalion (as tank-riders) and the PT-76 was attached to the infantry. The CO was in command of the infantry. The 9 infantry and 3 MG were in 6 trucks (2 apiece), with the other support and the engineers in one truck each. The White Scout Car was with the infantry, and the BA-64 with the armour.

 

As I was playing solo, I forewent any scheduled artillery or air attacks (as I knew where the defenders were!) I also used the (new) visibility rules, whereby dug-in foot troops can't be seen (and therefore shot at) unless they fire, move or the enemy come within 5cm. I applied this to the PaK 40s as well, as I think they fall under the small to medium sized guns category. I also tried out the optional(?) rule for CWC whereby dug-in/entrenched units can't be knocked out by fire; they need to be assaulted. The trenches did not block LOS/LOF.

 

MAP

Here's a rough map of the table. It wasn't quite a full as this - the top half especially has got a bit distorted, but you'll get the overall idea of where things were.

PICTURES

Firslty, I apologise for the lask of paint on most of the buildings, and the incomplete Russain troops. I had intended to get everything painted before doing a bat-rep, but was itching to play (and post) a game.....Secondly, the camera I was using has been damaged (dropped by my 3 yo), and so some photos the focus is a bit out, and the flash seems to be struggling a bit in some of them as well.

 

Initial Set-up

View from the Russian side. Note that the Russian units didn't start the game lined up like the Grand National - I just needed some where handy to put them! The T34 HQ starts on the road,and the CO is just to the right of the right hand corn-field.

 

German set-up

 

German right flank: note the ZIS-3 76mm ATG masquerading as a 75mm PaK 40...

 

German centre: FAO is in the church tower (he's the black blob in the distance).

 

Russian centre. The SMG units are riding on the three black T34s (WGS models). The painted T34s are WTM/Takara.

 

Russian right flank. The CO is in the middle.

 

German left flank

 

Russian off-board support

 

Turn 1 - Russians

The CO gets off to a flying start by rolling a command bonus! The infantry went whizzing forwards up the right flank and moved passed the orchard and first wood, and moved on to the fields and second wood. The mortar platoon deployed behind the orchard (and were promptly forgotten for the rest of the game - oops!). Unfortunately, the order to debus never arrived.....The tank brigade moved cautiously up the centre on the road and rail line (HQ only got one order off). The FAO and FAC set up camp in the wooded hill on the left flank.

 

 

Infantry battalion makes good progress

 

Tank brigade advances along the road and railway.                    FAC and FAO set up shop.

 

Turn 1 - Germans

The German FAO was really on the ball to start with.He managed to call in fire on the Russian trucks, and when the smoke cleared, the Russians has lost a company of infantry (3 INF and 1 MG), the IG and the ATG! The rest of the defence remained quite, letting the Russians come closer....

 

This is gonna hurt....

 

...and it does!

 

Breakpoints: Russians 6/15, Germans 0/8

 

Turn 2 - Russians

The T34's continue their advance up the road, and come under flanking fire from the 2 ATG in the woods on the German left. 1 KO'd T34 later....The FAO and FAC fail to contact anybody. The infantry decide that now is a good time to get out of the trucks, but then stop for a borsch eating contest....

 

One T34 down.The black dice on the HQ indicates +1CV from the recce unit.

 

Turn 2 - Germans

The FAO now rested on his laurels, and sipped a cold German lager (lazy git). The recce failed to spot the approaching enemy armour, despite it being a nice sunny day...the CO got the two mortar platoons to engage the White Scout Car, but all that did was make the paint work a bit dirtier.

 

Breakpoints: Russians 7/15, Germans 0/8

 

Turn 3 - Russians

Both recce units manage to communicate the presence of enemy units to their respective HQs (I decided that recce could spot hidden units out to 20cm, as this is their job!) The FAO was still having difficulty with his new radio, but the FAC managed to rustle up a flight of IL-2s, who duly attacked one of the PaK 40s in the woods, got 1 hit, and failed to suppress it (mumble mumble ...useless glory boys... etc etc). The CO gets the infantry to move to the edge of the woods, and orders the mortar to engage the PAK 40 as well, with little effect. These Germans must have dug some good earthworks!

 

One company from the tank brigade engage the PaK 40s and knock one out, but opportunity fire suppresses one platoon.

 

Infantry preparing for the attack. The black lump on the left is my scratch built PT-76 (see WIP)

 

Tank brigade spreads out.

 

Turn 3 - Germans

The recce finally figure out where the Russians are, and inform this to the HQ. The FAO tried to drop a smoke screen on the tank brigade, but the request was denied due to a communications misunderstanding. The HQ uses the info form the recce to good effect, and gets a command bonuses on the first roll. The 2 ATG under his command open up on the advancing T34s, but fail to make a significant impact. Return opportunity fire silences one of the guns. The Germans have now lost have their long range ATG capability.....

 

Breakpoints: Russians 7/15, Germans 2/8

 

Turn 4 - Russians

The recce once again did their job (and continued to do so fopr the rest of the game). The FAO was still fiddling with various knobs and switches, but couldn't get through to the artillery. The FAC got the IL-2's to have a go at the other PaK 40 is the woods, and this time they did a little better - 2 hits, no suppression. Practise makes perfect....The T34s stay where they, suspicious of the apparent lack of defenders (the only enemy they are aware of is the Pak 40's). The infantry trudge out of the woods towards the right hand end of the German trenches, taking some suppressive fire in the process (one infantry platoon). The PT-76 knock out the PaK 40 in the woods.

 

 

Dakka dakka dakka, whoosh! (Gun and rocket noises are complusory :D)

 

Mexican stand-off, without the Mexicans...

 

Turn 4 - Germans

The recce informs the HQ of the pause in the advance of the T34s. The FAO has a heated discussion over the radio with the commander of the artillery battalion about the lask of smoke projectiles. The PaK 40 in the town opens up on the Russian armour, but achieves little, and the return opportunity fire forces the crews to take cover. The CO orders the mortars to engage one of the Russian MG platoons, but it has little effect.

 

Breakpoints: Russians 7/15, Germans 3/8

 

Turn 5 - Russians

The FAO finally makes contact with the artillery, but even though his information is good, the salvo falls on empty fields (useless drunken gunners...mumble mumble). The IL-2s have gone back to base to re-arm and refuel. The tank-riding SMG dismount, and the follow the tanks forward. The entire left hand company of tanks is suppressed by Panzerfoust and Panzersheck fire! They have found the Germans! On the right flank, the PT-76 clears a path through the minefield, and two platoons of T34s follow them through the hole. The infantry advance cautiously, their supporting MGs suppressing the German MG.

 

 

So that's where they're hiding...German infantry manage to hold up the T34 advance.

 

Path cleared through the mines.

 

Things not going well for the Germans as the Russian infantry threaten to roll their right flank.

 

Turn 5 - Germans

The proximity of the Russian armour unnerves the recce and they fail to communicate anything of value to the HQ. The FAO gets a FDF call from the trench line, and calls down a stonk on the advancing Russian peasants. They survive it, bu t not unscathed - 2 platoons suppressed and two other units took hits. However, this is suffient, as the CO combines the efforts of the mortars and infantry to KO 2 Russian infantry platoons, the engineers and teh PT-76. Combined arms at its best!

 

 

Accurate final defence fire by the German gunners...

 

... which achieves its aim of halting the advance.

 

Breakpoints: Russians 11/15, Germans 3/8

 

Turn 6 - Russians

The FAO and FAC give up trying to get through to their respective units, and start swapping war stories and drinking vodka instead. The T34s suppress the German infantry, which opens the way for the SMG platoons to charge forward. However, the German recce open up on the advancing Russians, and manage to suppress two of them as they go in. This really helps out in the ensuing melee. 2 of the 3 Russian SMG units are beaten off, and while the 3rd unit defeats the defending Germans, they are unable to capitalise on their success as they are suppressed (I figured that suppresed units couldn't consolidate). The left-most SMG falls back into the suppressed T34 behind it - disaster! Both units are KO'd as a result.

 

Huzzah! Za Rhodina!

 

Run away! Run away!

 

Turn 6 - Germans

The  recce sends an urgent report about the state of affairs through to HQ. The FAO finaly gets his smoke, and to make amends for earlier failures, the German gunners drop it alsmost where the FAO wanted it (command bonus halves the deviation!) - right on top of the T34 brigade. Unfortunaley some of it drifts over the German positions as well, which may make life difficult next turn. The remaining PaK 40 tries in vain to KO a T34, and is itself KO'd by return op fire. The CO continues his good form, but getting the trench line and mortars to KO 2 more infantry platoons and an MG platoon. This pushes the Russians over their break point.

 

 

The Russian infantry assault gets mowed down by combined armed fire.

 

German Virtual Smoke (TM) I have lost my bag of cotton wool, so had to improvise....

 

Breakpoints: Russians 16/15, Germans 4/8

 

Turn 7 - Russians

The Russian CO remains commited to the attack (passed the BP check!), but higher command call it off, as there are other more important attacks takingplace elsewhere (and it was gone midnight at this point....)

 

Conclusions

1) Hidden dug-in infantry are diffucultto shift, as they should be. I though it was going to be a Russian walk-over, but not being able to a) see the defenders to shoot at them, and b) having to assault them to get rid of them makes them a tough propostion.

2) The Russians would have been better off with 2 infantry battalions and fewer tanks (maybe 3x ISU-152), but I only have 1 battalion based up, so not an otion at this stage!

3) Russian artillery and air support either needs to be scheduled, or have a dedicated recce unit working with the FAO/FAC. A CV of 6 makes it difficult to get support when you really want it.

4) The German defences could have been better set-up. Having the minefields in front of the trenches was a bit redundant - they would have been better placed in front of the open space to the left of the town, with the infantry behind them. The ATG company would have been better employed as a unit, rather than spiltting them up.

5) I still forget to move HQs! In the heat of battle, this can make a big difference, as your cunning plan will fall to pieces if the HQs are too far away to make it happen.

 

Overall a good game, although playing solo isn't as enjoyable (for me) as playing anotherperson. Solo play has its place however, and I will try to get more games in, and investigate ways of randomising things a bit more.