I arranged to host a Battle Group game so that I could try out my force I was taking to the Battle Group Campaign weekend which was on the following weekend in October 2015. Dickie and Pete opted to command the Soviets and Gaz and myself took charge of the Germans. I was always going to be German as this the team I will be on for the campaign.
I forgot to take the brief with me that had been sent out for the campaign weekend which had amendments to the attack/counter attack scenario so I ran it just as it said in the rule book.
Situation Report
The Germans have broken through the main lines and lead by their reconnaissance forces are driving forward. The Soviet reserves now counter attack.
Terrain
The tables formed a rough 6x4ft game area
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| Table layout. The distant cotton wool smoke are the Soviet objectives and the German objectives can be seen in the foreground. |
Deployment
Recon forces deploy anywhere on their side of the table apart from 10" from the middle. The middle being a line diagonal across the table in the book, but I made it a line long edge to long edge.
Objectives
The Germans placed 2 objectives on their base line. The Soviets placed theirs on a hill and woods which were level with each other either side of the road approx. 1 ft in from their table edge.
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| A German base line objective |
Special Rules
Dice for optional KV2, but we decided to play it anyway regardless of the score.
Turn 1 recon
Turn 2 D6 units
Forces
Germans Panzer Division kampfgruppe
Battle Rating (BR) 36
Total points 447
Officers 4
Scouts 3
Forward HQ:
SdKfz 265 Pz Befehlswagen r (SO,AS,U)
Infantry:
Schutzen platoon (O, MS) with AT grenades and 80mm mortar
Tanks:
3 x PzII F (O)
3 x PzIII H (O)
Recon:
2 x veteran snipers
1 x SdKfz 222 (S,MS)
Special Units
1 x 88mm with transport
Additional Fire Support:
Off table fire support request 4+
All regulars except the snipers
The Soviet list was put together by my friend Guy
Soviets
Battle Rating (BR) 36
Total points 450
Officers n/a
Scouts 1
Forward HQ:
Command plus jeep (MS)
Infantry:
2 x Reserve Motor Rifle platoon with Maxim MG
Tanks:
5 x T26
1 x T34
Artillery
FAO in jeep
120mm mortar battery
45 L46 AT gun battery with horse tow
Recon:
1 x veteran sniper and spotter
All inexperienced except the snipers.
The Game
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| The Soviet objectives marked by coloured smoke |
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| German objectives |
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| German recce arrive and win the recce phase of the game by out numbering the Soviet recce forces |
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| German main force arrives and speed up the board |
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| German sniper hiding in a barn |
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| The Soviets damage the barn hiding one of the German snipers |
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| The Soviet recon team can be seen on the hill admiring their first and only turn 1 T34 arriving and speeding up the road. The Soviet command dice was appalling. |
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| The German command roll is much better |
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| 88 on the right of the picture being towed to the hill |
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| Panzer IIs advance lead by the SdKfz 265 Pz Befehlswagen on the road |
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| The 88 dominates the German left so the T34 goes right, just by the cottage |
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| The Soviets still rolling low for units bring on a KV2 and AT gun |
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| A few turns later and the German infantry have arrived and made it to the main line accompanied by Panzer IIIs. |
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| Looking great and hitting nothing |
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| A single tank blocking the German advance |
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| German artillery pin the Soviet AT gun marked by white smoke |
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| The remains of the AT gun battery moving in to position. About now we discover how little ammo the KV2 has! booo |
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| The KV2 may have limited ammo but it pins the 88 first time |
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| The PanzerIIs are not has hidden as they thought and the T34 kills 2. |
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| After multiple shots the German sniper is pinned |
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| More German infantry arrive, and casualties begin to mount as seen by the red dice beside the units |
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| The 88 is unpinned and takes as shot at the T26's on the road |
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| In the mean time the unpinned sniper attempts to sneak towards a Soviet objective |
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| I confess there was a stand in T26 |
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| The Soviet advance |
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| The 88 makes a kill |
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| The Soviet infantry finally make an appearance. The Soviet command dice hadn't got any better |
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| The T26's get their revenge and kill the 88. Lesson learnt 88mm's are shot magnets |
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| A very bloody turn. The Panzer III's in the centre finally knock out the T34, but one of them has been pinned. The lone Panzer II managed to pin an advancing T26 |
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| The chit drawn for the loss of the 88mm saw the Germans successfully bring a Stuka which pins the Soviet sniper and a T26 on the road. |
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| Embolded by their Panzers success the German infantry in the centre break cover form the woods and advance. |
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| The last German squad jogs down the road to reach the main battle line prior to a general advance. |
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| Time runs out and we look at how many Battle Ratings we've gained. The Soviets have 16 |
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| The Germans 9. A German win it is! Good omens for the campaign weekend |
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