Preamble.
A simple mission. Kill the bad guys, Get off the board.
The Soviets elect for a layered defense, the red disks are setup boundaries the blue in the distance are exit hexes. The rough terrain at top provides clear field of fire and lots of protection for the Soviets. ATG’s upfront, and Tanks in the rear.
In the far top right a reserve sits waiting for word.
These ATG 76.2mm killers are actually not well setup as the hedge blocks LOS. …
Turn 1
The Soviets hope that forward positioning will protect the main force and allow us to drive the Germans in one direction to start with, while taking a more than a few Tanks with them.
The 45mm ATG of the Soviet army are Green units, shoved into to place and not yet fully trained. The high speed approach of the Panzer 38’s shakes the men.
All of the 45’s miss. Range and movement mitigate the firepower of the units! Who knew that IIG’s rolling hot were so hard to hit…Lesson # 1 learned!
2 xT26’s do not make the same mistake and take out one of the Pzrs in an over watch fire
Turn 2
We shamefacedly put the German infantry on the board… ahem.
Nice shooting Tex.
Germans take initiative. They Fire first. ….rolling 100 then 99. REALLY.. FFs.
A GP fire knocks out two ATG on hill 3:12 in subsequent fire from Pzr IIIG’s.
The 45’s miss again. One of the T26’s snags a track hit on a IIIG.
Turn 3
The light tanks storm up Hill 3.12 and take out the company squad., one receives a suppression closing in.
KG Schroder press forward on a narrow front. Feeling very constrained by map edge and cover.
Turn 4
IIIG is KO in the woods by the T26’s hiding in the rough terrain center of map.
Smoke billows from another IIIG. The T-26 gunners are earning their keep today.
A German Tank platoon circles around Hill 3.12 to try and obtain flanking shots, know the range will be a problem.
The Pzr IVE’s follow.
Turn 5
An entire platoon lights up one tank in the rough – send it first a track hit then damaging it and finally killing the T26, the rough terrain proves problematic.
5 other shots all miss. Salvoes scream thru the air. The battle devolves into a static shootout.
Losses mount on both sides
Turn 6
The KG is stymied. They are advancing too slowly. Will they meet their objective timetable?
German veterans recover their elan!
Knocking out 1 Tank in the rough, and the ATG on hill 4.19.
Finally the Rough is cleared! 4 T26 tanks smolder….
A Quick shooting IIIF pts 2 penetrating shots on a T 26.
All fail to damage. !!!! COME ON!
IIIG’s dial in range and vectors and pound away also.
Another KO. Several more penetrations but no damage.
The Soviets fire back at the Germans attempting to flank past.
Turn 7
A huge mess. Germans are bailed up behind cover. Wrecks strewn everywhere. Losses feel REALLY high. On the Soviet side the ATG losses impact command and the final knock out of a full platoon of tanks in the rough also impacts command for the Company commander. Whose balance of forces are now too spread out to command effectively. The ATG’s have just one command a turn, spread across the three stacks.
The Germans are still operationally sound, with enough command points to move….if they dare. Why did I not use smoke I hear you ask….? A good question, you ask there!!
German platoons inch forward and the Soviets rush forces to block the gap where they perceive the German’s to be headed.
Turn 8
The Germans rally for a push! Spending the turn getting into position.
Turn 9
The weight of numbers will hopefully carry us through. While the Soviets are stymied by command points they lack and bad shooting angles.
Turn 10
More damage and losses.
Making the hide and seek fun for all!
Possibly too late the Germans get their halftracks on a road and now that the hedge row is cleared (we played it wrong but stayed consistent), they ready to race to the map edge.
Turn 11
Too little too late. By the end of turn 12 the units are just a few hexes shy of the exit. The win is expensive for the Soviets this time. But they are used the attrition.
