The Objective:
The Germans must get a tank and 8 infantry past the crossroads in good order. If they take half losses doing so then it is a Pyrrhic victory. The Russians must prevent this but if they lose half their forces it is a Pyrrhic victory. The game was intended to last 12 turns.
The Forces:
German: 1 short Recon Battalion, 1 Panzer Grenadier battalion, Panzer Coy of 3 Pz IV, Panzer Coy of 3 Panther, Wespe battalion, Engineer Coy (all from my own collection)
Russian: 1 Infantry Regt of only 2 battalions, Enginner Coy, 1 Tank brigade of 6 T-34 and 2 KV-1. He also a choice of 1 battalion of 76mm field guns (Putinovs) or AT coy (1 ZIS-2, 1 ZIS-3) or a KV-2 (which was chosen) (largely from Lewis' collection but a few of my own to make up the numbers)
The Commanders;
German: Myself
Russian: Lewis with Rick acting as his Commisar.
The Ground.
From Dubrovno.
Russians deployed. We would be both using hidden deployment through cards.
And then the Germans arrive.
The idea was that the German forces would arrive at set times whilst from turn 3 the Russians would have to dice for them.
I sent two dummy markers down the road to draw some attention, the AC coy down my right with the Recce infantry heading to the woods on my left. HQ and the support hung back near the road. I was hoping to about to spot the Russians before they spotted me but my Recce boys didn't see a thing until shot by an AT gun.
It missed. I did find the Russian infantry in the woods.
The infantry debus and move up with support from the recently arrived Pz IV's. The AT gun in the woods missed everything before direct fire HE deals with most of the resistance.
The Russians hang on however and the engagement on the hill is inconclusive though the 20mm on the Armoured cars do take out the AT gun. The AC coy then by passes the position and runs into the first of the tank reinforcement.
5 turns down and the advance has slowed. Pz IVs peel off the road to deal with the Russian armour in an effort to push on. The AC company tries to out flank the tanks and begin clearing the town or supporting mortars which are begining to take a toll on the arriving Grenadiers. But both survivors take heavy damage, fail their morale and surrender.
German Gunnery is abismal and both tanks survive unscathed. To add insult to injury the KV-2 reveals itself and destorys one tank.
The German amour is now pinned and duking it out with yet more arriving T-34s (my opponent had good reinforcement roles). The Panzer Grenadiers are forming up for an assault on the hill which has taken vitually no damage from indirect fire (I rolled lots of 1's) and any direct fire HE is now fighting Russian tanks or has been driven off by small arms fire.
The Engineers do however clear the forest using the SdKfz 251/16.
Finally being let have his head by his commisar, the Russian commander tells the tanks to charge forward. Just as well as the defence on the hill is finally broken.
The exchange does not favour the Germans and is brutal (I have come to hate the number 2 as much as the number 1)
By now the Panthers have arrived but their shooting is almost as bad as the Pz IVs.
The Pz IIIs from Regt Command have better luck and destroy two tanks but none of the Russian companys (3 take checks) pause at all. A flanking coy of T-34s is seen off by a SdKfz 251/10 as the "Doorknocker" did more damage than the nearby Pak 40 with side shot. Final positions.
Pyrrhic victory to the Red Star. 75% of the infantry, 50% of the mortars, all the guns and 1/3 of the tanks are casualties. The Germans have lost the AC coy, half the engineers, two coys of infantry, a couple of half tracks but nearly all their tanks with only a badly damaged Panther and a Pz III remaining. Well played to Lewis.
If I was doing this again I'd think I'd make the scenario a little longer (15 turns) or allow the Russians only one infantry battalion intially with the other arriving turn 1 and leaving the rest as is. Still a fun and interesting game even if I did lose.
!