9th Panzer Division on the Road to Dunkirk

A Headless Body Production

Flames of War After Action Report: Leichte Panzerkompanie vs Compagnie de Combat.

Location: Steve’s Game Room
Game: Flames of War, Early War 1600 points
Mission: Dustup
Players: Phil Gardocki, Leichte Panzerkompanie (defender)
              Steve Turn, French Compagnie de Combat (attacker)

The Forces: 3rd Leichte Panzerkompanie Kompanie, 1st Abteilung, 33rd Panzer Regiment, 9th Panzer Division  (defender) 6 Zugs containing 3 Panzerbefehlswagens, a recovery vehicle, 4 Pz I’s, 10 Pz IIc’s, 4 Pz IIIe’s, 9 Kradschutzen teams (6 MG’s, Mortar, Light AT, and Leader)

Compagnie de Combat (attacker) 8 platoons containing 10 H-35’s, 3 R-35’s, 3 Panhard’s, 4 Laffly’s, 8 infantry teams, and 4 75mm towed guns.

Scenario:  Following the French Retreat along the Route des Estuaires, near the border town of Ghyvelde.

The Board: The quiet town of border town Ghyvelde, where French forces have pulled out of to avoid civilian casualties.  But they continue to control access to the Route des Estuaires leading to Dunkirk.

The 9th Panzer is hot off on their heels though, as leading elements clash with the yet unprepared defenses.

The South East corner of the board.  The Germans will deploy in this corner, the French in the North West near the wood.

German Deployment.  Kradschutzen interleaved with Panzer III's.  Panzer II's are hidden behind the Chateau.  (Why I don't know.)  The burning half-track is an objective.

A Peloton of French H 35's are deployed unseen behind a small knoll.  Fast firing 75's standing by, with Infantry hiding in the woods.

May 24th, 1940.  The Panzerbefehlswagen pulled up to a chateau and stopped.  Kapitän Klaus Krinkle of the 3rd Kompanie, 1st Abteilung, 33rd Panzer Regiment, 9th Panzer Division, climbed out of his tank, walking carefully to avoid cramping his legs.  It had been a long ride.  The 9th Panzer had swept all resistance before it so far.  But even if they only faced Dutch and Belgian forces it was enough.  After two weeks of driving, the panzers were beginning to see a lot of wear.  A few impromptu depots have been established to park those that were already mechanically disabled, their crews already eying up the nearby taverns for celebrations.  Krinkle didn't blame them but the core French army hadn't been defeated yet.  And while they were not willing to fight in their own towns, they were ready to deny this road to the 9th Panzer.

He walked into the house and nodded to the frightened family huddled in the corner.  This low lying area had a high water table, preventing the construction of basements for them to shelter in.  He gave them a polite nod and a reassuring wave.  The husband glared back at him.  These people were of hardy stock, as this town was near the front lines of the last war for four years.  This time, win or lose, it will be different.  The German plan did not allow for a draw.  

Klaus left the family and went up the stairs.  He Surveyed the nearby terrain.  Burning off in the distance was one of 10th Schutzen's half-tracks.  A twin to the half-track he passed on his way into Ghyvelde.  As indicators of enemy presence goes, this rates a level of high assurance.  He opened his case and pulled out the Zeiss binoculars.  So, cannons at the ready, with 3, no, 4, no, 7 tanks.  He studied the deployment and noted the French Artillerymen were just breaking out their shovels, Ah an opportunity!  

He bounded down the stairs, pausing to offer a polite, and sincere, "Aufedersein" to the cowering family before dashing to his panzer and it's most valuable piece of equipment, the radio.  

"Schutlz! von Waffen!" he yelled, "I have assignments for you."

He turned his gaze to a nearby Panzer II, he shouted, "You too, Leutnant Friedenswächter, get those panzers moving."

Reconnaissance Move.

With the rules for the Dust Up mission, the first side to finish deployment adds a one to the die to see who gets to move first.  The Germans only had 6 platoons, and so finished first, while the French rolled a 1, so it didn't matter what the Germans rolled.  They would move first.

The Kradschutzen take off during the Reconnaissance Move, heading for the flanks of the yet to be dug in French 75's.

Turn 1:
Moving boldly forward, the Kradschutzen run up the flank of the 75's, getting 8 MG's behind the gun shields, the remainder in front.  It was enough, 4 stands were killed and the canons failed their motivation and melted into the woods.  I don't think I have ever killed a platoon on turn 1 before.  (But I have had it happen to me!)

Leichte von Waffen's Panzer III's work their way around the knoll for a variety of moving short and long range shots and managed to only bail an H 35.

The French retaliate by advancing a peloton of H 35's and shooting up the Kradschutzen with MG fire, pinning them.

After shooting, 3 75's and the command staff were gone, the remainder fled the field.  there is only 3 H-35's between the Kradschutzen and the objectives.

Turn 2:

The Kradschutzen failed their motivation check and remained pinned.  I retreated them to make room for Leutnant Friedenswächter's Panzer IIc Zug, which due a  combination of short range and very bad deployment was still not in effective range.

Most of von Waffen's Panzer IIIe's were already in short range, so I only had to move one PzIIIe for a clear shot.  10 dice, 10 hits.  But the H 35 armor is tough, and the end result was 1 dead, 2 bailed.  It was up to a motivation check, and the confident French failed. 

The remaining French H 35 peloton stood its ground and gave the stationary Panzer III 6 shots, bailing 2 of them.

Rolling against the right hand peloton and the French Compagnie commander.  That's 10 for 10.

Another peloton down, with the Compagnie Commander bailed.  Two Platoons down.  One more platoon down will cause a Compagnie check

Turn 3:

German Reserve's arrive.  But in a lousy position.  One tank bogged in the woods, the others started peppering the dug in infantry with MG fire.  Maybe I can entice the French Infantry out of their positions with a surprise assault.  Which they did, but there were unengaged panzers that managed 5 hits in defensive fire, and killing 1 team, and sending the assaulting infantry back to their trenches.

In the open field, one of my Panzer III's stayed bailed, the others focused on the Compagnie Commander killing him.  The Panzer II's approached the H 35's but getting only 5 shots, and AT 5 against FA 3 didn't accomplish anything.  The H 35's they fired back, killing a Panzer II.

Driving through the woods.  On the lower right you can just see the smoke of the objective.

The Panzer II's enter effective range on the H 35's.

The French go for the surprise attack, but the two unengaged Pz II's still manage 5 hits out of 6 shots, pinning the Infantry.

Turn 4:

German reserves arrive, another Leichte Panzer Zug.  Emboldened by their arrival, the first Leichte Panzer Zug assaults two French teams in the woods, killing them both.

I kept forgetting my Kompanie Kommander, leaving him in town, and so he was to far away to assist in unpinning the Kradschutzen, which had failed all their motivation checks so far.  I double timed him this turn to within command range.  

French reserves arrive, a section of Lafflys, they have a thin shell, but big teeth. and put the bite on the still pinned Kradschutzen, killing several and bailing the German Kompanie Kommander.

The exchange of fire between my Panzer II and III's and the H 35's wound up just generating so much noise.  Lots of hits, but no kills on either side.

Kapitän Klaus Krinkle leaves town just in time to be swatted by enemy reserves.

Turn 5:

The exchange of tank fire continued in the field.  Two of my Panzer III's turned their turrets and shoot at the Lafflys,  bailing two.  The remaining six II's and III's manage to kill another H 35.  In the woods, my two Panzer Zugs were still whittling away at the defending infantry.  Contesting the objective.

French reserves arrive, a  Peloton of Panhards.  Seeing an opportunity for a win, Steve figured out that the stream surrounding the town is only about 14 inches from the corner of the map, and he could arrive within 16 inches of the corner, and so deployed the Panhards on the town side of the stream, and double timed to the objective.  Only the rule preventing double timing troops from capturing objectives will keep him from winning the game on turn 6!

The Lafflys continued to pile it on to the Kradschutzen and also killed the German Kompanie Kommander.

Turn 6:

German Reserves arrive, the kampfgroup consisting of 2 Panzer II's.   They arrived in a bad location, and didn't accomplish anything.

Relying on firepower, I shot everything I had, but didn't accomplish much.  Pinning the French Infantry section, bailed a tank and two Lafflys.  The French fired back with similar results.  But he didn't need to, as the Panhards were sitting on an objective, and will win the game on turn 7.

Turn 7:

It's do or die for the Germans.  I am too far away from the objectives I had to defend, and taking the French objectives will still lose me the game as the French will win first.  My only route to victory is to cause a French Compagnie motivation check,   This will require me to kill two French platoons this turn.  3 of the 4 French platoons were vulnerable.

I started with the long shot.  The Kradschutzen finally unpinned and maneuvered for flank shots on the Lafflys.  Not much chance here even with the Laffly's armor of zero, as I still have to make 6 up firepower checks with MG's.  And the numbers ran pretty much as expected and the Laffly's remain unharmed.

My Panzer II's and III's poured it on the last two H 35's, killing one, and double bailing the other.  The last H 35 had enough and the French Peloton surrendered.

It all came down to assaulting the French Infantry Section in the woods.  The first Leichte Zug went in, killing two infantry teams before being counter assaulted.  The Panzers received received a hit, failed their motivation, and retreated.   This left the French Section with three infantry teams.  Enough for a platoon motivation check, but I didn't want this decision to be down to a die roll.

The second Leichte Zug assaulted, two panzers bogged on charge.  Another bogged later in the assault phase, and the last panzer fought the French Section down to its command team.  The end result, the Leichte Panzer Zug was defeated, then failed its platoon motivation check its crews screaming "Its a trick, there's two of them." The other bogged crews abandoned their vehicles and they were captured by a plucky French Sergent-Chef and his Eleve.  Realizing they were all that was left of their section, they shouted, "Mon Dieu!" and melted into the woods.

The end was a nail biter.  The Germans achieved a 5-2 win on the turn sequence.  As the "Check Company Morale" phase occurs before the "Check Victory Conditions" phase.

Lousy picture, but this is an end game shot.  The Krad's pile on the MG's but with no hits.

Setting up the final assaults with two Leichte Panzer Zugs.  Lots of bails, bogs and pins here.  Taking the objective is not enough, I have to defeat the French Compagnie.

The Panzer II Zug fires 12 rounds assisted by 12 more shots from the Panzer III's (off fame to the right), destroying the last of the  H 35's.

Final Photo.   The first Panzer Zug that assaulted retreated to behind the pine trees but is otherwise unharmed.  The second failed their motivation and abandoned their vehicles.

Epilog:
A nod to 'allo, 'allo.

Soldat (reserve) Artois pulled himself free from under the burning German half-track.  He watched his Sergeant-Chef and Eleve flee into the woods.  They were indeed the bravest of men.  But what was he doing here?  He thought of his wife, which is why he joined the the Army.  6 months in the army was a vacation compared to living with her.  He then thought of Yvette, which is why he would desert now.  He didn't sign up for this!  He was a cafe owner, he should have been assigned to the supply corps, not the infantry!  

But before the last of the half tracks riders were run off, he heard something interesting,  something about "Van Klomp"  He didn't know much about fine art, but after 20 years as a cafe owner, you learn a few things.

Rene carefully looked into the half track, and on the drivers floor there was a crate.  The corner was shot off, but had done its job.  The painting within was unharmed.  It was the Van Klomp's Fallen Madonna (with the big boobies).  So the Germans didn't just come to conquer, but to loot.  Well, this is one painting that they won't get, he will defend it with his...

He stopped and let out a heavy sigh.  Who was he kidding?  Rene was not one of those brave men he had just witnessed fighting steel monsters.  He would give up this painting in a heatbeat.  But still, no one knew he had it, and he would hide it till after the war.

Glossary:
Compagnie - French Company
Eleve - Short for Eleve Sous-Officer or Corporal
Kompanie - German Company
Section - French Infantry Platoon
Peloton - French Motorized or Cavalry Platoon
Sergent-chef - French midgrade sergeant.
Soldat - French Private
Zug - German Platoon

1945, Attacking Lublin

A Headless Body production.

Location: Showcase Comics, Granite Run Mall, Pennsylvania

Tournament: Whiteout!

Game: Flames of War Late War 1780 points
Mission: Free for All

Players: Phil Gardocki, Legkiy Samokhodno-Artillyeriyskiy Polk (attacker)

                 Scott, Battalion Armii Krajowej (defender)

 The Forces:

2nd Tank Army's 1^st Battalion, 1441st SU Regiment, 1/307th Tank Company, 208th Flak Company, 5/1441 Reconnaissance Company (Confident, Trained), 89th Guards Mortar Battalion (Fearless Trained).

A total of 15 SU-122's in 4 Batteries, 10 T-34's (5 76's, 5 85's), 8 Katyushas, 2 DShk AA trucks in 1 battery, 3 ZSU 17's, and 5 Recon Rifle/MG teams.

Polish Batalion Armii Krajowej (Fearless, Conscript)  AK Piechoty Company with 22 stands, 2 Kedyw Companies (FT) with 9 stands, 1 Mortar Company with 6 8cm mortars, 1 AT Company with 2 7.5cm Pak 40, 1 Tank Platoon of 2 Panthers, 1 Armoured Car Platoons with 2  Sd Kfz 221's and an Artillery Battery with 6 105's.

Mission: Free for All.

Apologies:  This was the third round of a tournament and I didn't take as many pictures as normal. 
Bonus!:  However, Scott also has an AAR on this fight, and you can get his perspective, and with better and more plentiful pictures at  http://ittybittysoldiers.blogspot.com/

The Board:

4 by 6 feet. 

Late 1944, the town of Lubin, Poland.  A fresh snowful has announced that winter is coming.  All hills and fords are bog checks, all streams are skill checks.

As a side note and faux complaint, there were only 3 snow boards at this tourament, and I played on all 3!

Deployment:

Both sides start with full deployment on the board.  My plan is to attack left, but I still deployed two batteries of SU’s and the Flak Company on the right to keep his forces there honest.

The Poles anticipated this and also deployed most strongly on my left side, with most of his indirect fire on the center and right side.

A blurry vision of the town of Lublin.  A town full of revolutionaries, well equipped with material stolen from the retreating Germans.

Polish deployment left side.  AT guns deployed near one of the objectives, along with the moderate sized  Kedyw Company.  On the right is the Piechoty Company, some recon, and Are Those Panther Tanks?



Polish Deployment Center.  The large Piechoty Company, next to the Mortar Company and off to the far right, a battery of 105's. 



Polish Deployment Right.  To the left is a Mortar Company and off to the far right, a battery of 105's. 



Soviet Deployment.  Hub to Hub.  Boris Badinuff's T-34's leading the charge, with SU-122's behind.  Off in the distance are the Katyusha's and way off in the distance more SU-122's.



“This is intolerable.” murmured Petrov to himself.  His battalion had been waiting for a week to begin the assault.  Kommisar Ivan Inanovitch Ivanovsky  had explained why to him many times, but it seemed to Petrov that the Kommisar was trying to convince himself, and not Petrov of the right of the matter.

“We are waiting for supplies, spare parts, repairs, and his favorite, the Bosch are allied with the Poles, and we are scouting the situation.” 

But everyone could see the truth of the matter.  The Poles had revolted, successfully revolted, from the Germans, and were doing the Red Army’s work for it.  Liberating their own towns and were welcoming their Soviet brothers with open arms.  And what did the Red Army do?  They stopped.  And watched, as the Germans massed and crushed the revolutionary groups one by one.  The reason is clear, we are not coming as liberators, but conquerors, and we would rather have the Germans crush the revolutionaries now, then us do it later. 

What made it worse was now that the 2nd Tank Army had orders to take Lublin, that the revolutionaries had won, that they had resisted all attempts of the Germans to destroy their spirit, that it is now our turn.  And damn it, he will do it.  These brave men, whose only crime was to be in the way, he will crush them, so that he could continue on to defeat the real enemy.

Kapitan Petrov looked at the bottle of vodka he had saved for a victory party.  No more, he was going to drink himself insensible tonight, and morn the men that would die this day.

Turn 1.

 Scott rolled the first move, and adjusted his Panthers, and moved a Kedyw Company into town, but otherwise they stayed dug in their fox holes.  His PaK 75's did well though, destroying two T-34's in the opening volley.  However there was no victory dance as my return fire picked off both guns.  Meanwhile my Katyushas began what would become a fruitless set of barrages on the Polish 105's.

First move goes to the Polish.

The PaK 75's score the first kills.

But it came at a cost as my return fire picked up the 7.5cm Pak 40 Company.  (Previously occuping the blank spots in the left side woods terrian piece)

Turn 2.

The Polish could not fail to see the rocket trails and started to counter barrage the Katyushas with the 105's, destroying a Katyusha and pinning the battery.  Thankfully the Panthers are untrained, and have a ROF of only 1, and so only kill one SU.  The Polish have infantry in the town, so I don't want to get too close with my vehicles, especially with no MG's.  But the T-34 tanks, no longer fearing the 75's are racing around the edge towards the objective.



Katyushas take counterfire.

Another SU Gun is taken out by Panther fire.

Turn 3:

The brave and fearless 89th Guards Mortar Battalion blew their motivation roll and stayed hidden under their trucks.  They will pay for that by receiving more 105 fire, and lose another Kat. 

However, Boris's  Badinuff's 1/307th Tank Company was loose, mostly racing around the flanks, but also advancing under cover of the ruins to return fire, pitting T-34 85's against Panthers.  Not a good match, but if the Panthers are shooting the T-34's they are ignoring the SU-122's.  Which have advanced into town and are ready to start making life miserable for the Pols.

One battery of SU's moving up through town, uncover the hidden Sd Kfz 221's behind a building and kill one at point blank range.

Pinned down, and with a promise of more to come!

Both Panthers and Polish Infantry receive fire, with one Polish Kedyw team killed.

Polish 105's add another Kat to their score.



While the Polish Mortar teams smoke half the town.

Turn 4:
On the far right flank, the Kedyw make a brave move to double-time into the woods near two of my SU batteries.  This gives me a very uncomfortable choice.  Shoot at the mortar company with two batteries of SU's or retreat before the infantry assault to come.  Some of that infantry have flame throwers, and my SU's have no defenses what so ever.  No tank riders, no hull mounted MG's.  I decide to keep up the pressure on the Polish Mortar Company, and rely on the 208th Flak Company's quad 50'cals to keep the Polish honest.  I shoot the mortars, killing all but two of them.  They passed their motivation and so live to fight another turn.

The other Kedyw also had enough of being a pel, and advanced to assault one of the Soviet SU Batteries in town.

The  89th Guards Mortar Battalion, obviously embarrassed by their motivation failure, unpinned and pelted the 105's and killing of all things, the staff team.

In an unexpected turn of events, one of my T-34's actually killed a Panther in a frontal shot!   



The 1/307th cracks a Panther.  While the losses to mount on the Piechoty Company.  They were 22 teams, now they look closer to 8.

Kedyw moving unseen in the woods.

Kedyw moving up for an assault on my SU battery in town.  With no MG or Tank Riders, this should be easy for them.

The Polish Mortar Company, now reduced to two tubes, hurls its last smoke shells to provide cover for the assaulting Kedyw Company.

Turn 5:

Sorry, didn't take any more pictures here.  Some are still available at http://ittybittysoldiers.blogspot.com/, but they may roll off.

Summation.

On the Soviet right, the assault of the Kedyw went bad, even under the cover of smoke.  They charged into the Soviet SU's, which were supported by 18 dice from the 208th Flak Company.  The Kedyw was pinned, rolled back to the woods, where the survivors died to a man.

In the center, the Kedyw Company assault on a battery of SU's went in cleanly, and then went many rounds with naught to naught results before finally taking a hit, then failed a motivation check and retreated.   Then the Kedyw Company received 6 rounds of "volley fire", 5 of which hit, forcing the company to surrender. 

On the Soviet left, the Piechoty were still there, but at greatly reduced numbers.  I decided to ignore the remaining Panther and ran the 1/307th T-34 Company to the objective.  With a ROF of one, the Panther couldn't even cause a motivation check in less than 3 turns.  Meanwhile whole batteries of SU's were now advancing  around it's flank.  At this point the Armii Krajowej surrendered.  A 6-1 win for the Soviets. 

Kedyw lined up for the assault. 
Picture stolen from IttyBittySoldiers.blogspot.com without permission.



Stablilizing the Iron Curtain

A Headless Body production.

Location: Showcase Comics, Granite Run Mall, Pennsylvania
Tournament: Whiteout!

Game: Flames of War Late War 1780 points
Mission: Breakthrough

Players: Phil Gardocki, Legkiy Samokhodno-Artillyeriyskiy Polk (attacker)

                 Robert Everson , 2nd Infantry Division(defender)

The Forces:

2nd Tank Army's 1^st Battalion, 1441st SU Regiment, 1/307th Tank Company, 208th Flak Company, 5/1441 Reconnaissance Company (Confident, Trained), 89th Guards Mortar Battalion (Fearless Trained).

A total of 15 SU-122's in 4 Batteries, 10 T-34's (5 76's, 5 85's), 8 Katyushas, 2 DShk AA trucks in 1 battery, 3 ZSU 17's, and 5 Recon Rifle/MG teams.

American (Confident, Veteran) 2 Platoons of Infantry, nicknamed "Wood Elves" because of their high movement rate in the woods.  One Platoon of Sherman M4A3's, one recon unit,

Mission: Breakthrough. Each side places one objective.  Attacker wins if he takes either objective.  Defender starts with half their Platoons off board.  Attacker starts with at least 1, and up to half of his platoons on a flank march.

The Board:

4 by 6 feet. 

April 1945, West of Erfurt, Germany.  Snow is still on the ground, but muddy conditions exist.  All hills and fords are bog checks, all streams are skill checks. 

Deployment:
This mission has the Soviets set up on the right side of the board, and the Americans on both corners.  The Objective is in the unoccupied corner.

View from the left edge of the board.

The Americans deployed on the far left side of the board.  Soviets are off camera to the right.

Another Platoon of Wood Elves near the center of the board.  Shermans with 76's are behind the hill.

Soviet deployment on the right side of the board.  The 3/1441 and 4/1441st SU Batteries, the 89th Guards Mortar Battalion, and the 208th Flak Company.

Hefting himself out of his tank, Kapitan Petrov surveyed the terrain around him.    It was a cold April morning.  Icy snow was still prominent on the landscape.  Like some great baker had just dusted the ground with corn starch. But the ground was warming and the snow was treacherous and slippery with mud. Not the Rasputitsa currently afflicting Mother Russia, but bad enough.  The war was almost over, and his thoughts were no longer about killing the enemy, heroics and glory, but to just survive the damn thing. 

The stream ahead was running fast, providing little areas to cross.  He sent half his force on a sweep to look for better ground and to “liberate” as much of Germany as possible.  That was the game now.  The Westerners were out there, taking the Bosch from behind.  They had the easy job.  They sat on their damn island for 3 years while we bled in our millions.  Then 10 months ago, they land in the middle of summer and race across France chasing a defeated enemy.  Even then they took their time.  They stopped advancing in September.  What is this, a part time war?  But now that we are in Germany proper, they were back in the race again, occupying the Ruhr and northern Germany.  While we still bleed in our millions. 

Kommisar Ivan Inanovitch Ivanovsky assured him we will be fighting them soon.  The Germans have collapsed, and they will take us while we are weakest.  Petrov hoped not, but if so, then let them come!

Turn 1:

My main strategy is to rely on the flank march.  If the 1/307th Tank Company, with 9 T-34's show up on time, I can be sitting on the objective before the infantry can approach or dig in.  In addition, I intended to pin the Shermans in the center of the board in place to defend the other objective, but sending my two SU batteries at the stream.  I had no intention of getting close unless the Shermans depart.

I now get a lession on the Second Infantry, aka the Indian Head Division's special ability.  The infantry can doubletime in the woods.  Earning them the nickname, "Wood elves".  This will put them on the objectives two full turns earlier than I thought.  The Shermans in the center exposed themselves to one of my batteries, firing at both long range and stabilizers (-2)



2 Batteries of SU's posturing at the stream.  A road side attraction of the Worlds Largest Glue bottle is in the forefront.



Kapitan Petrov had sent the 4/1441st battery to check if the ford ahead was passable.  They should be reporting soon.  Then the concussion of guns hit him. 

“’Tchyo za ga ‘lima?” swore Kapitan Petrov.  He had good hearing, and he like to think he could distinguish between a German 75mm PaK from a Panther, and could certainly tell the difference between the sharp 5cm crack, and the boom of a 105.  This sound was different.  It was certainly in the 75mm range, but lacked crispness of German munitions.  There followed other explosions he knew too well.  The sound of hot 122 ammo brewing off.

He took the radio headset from his radioman. Not the one assigned to him, but the one he acquired late one night many months ago.  This radio was tuned to frequencies used by the Guards units.  Sometimes it was his only reliable source of information.

“Corporal Dryagin, report!” commanded Kapitan Poritonski. 

This was good, for Petrov knew from experience that Dryagin was one of the Guard’s spotters.  They tend to be on high ground, and have binoculars.

“Comrade Kapitan!  I am observing our SU Batteries at the stream taking fire and it looks like all of them are burning!  I see enemy tanks along the woods in the distance, passing the coordinates now."

Petrov handed the headset back to his radio man.  “Get me Kapitan Badinuff.” He ordered…



M4A3's take a long range shot, with stabilizers, and totally destroy the 3/1441 SU Battery.  One Platoon of Wood Elves already hold an objective.

Turn  2:
"No plan survives contact with the enemy."  That applies here as well.

With two batteries of SU's I could challenge the Shermans, but with only one, no.  I decide to pull back out of sight but in a position to challenge the center objective if an opportunity presents itself.  If my flank march arrives as soon as possible, I can still assault the far objective, then squeeze the Americans from front and back.  The Americans did a good job of keeping to cover, and I was unable to sight anyone from my spotter.  I have trouble with WYSIWYG terrain.  I can't image that a hill is not taller than the trees around it, and can't cant see over them.  So my spotter can't see over all the woods despite being on what I envision as higher ground.  So I move him to a better vantage point.

Americans roll reserves and takes the tank destroyer platoon.  Robert realizes my limitations, and knows I can't seriously challenge the middle objective with what is on the table, and pushes his Shermans to the other objective.  I get one break though, the left most infantry platoon, failed it's skill check to dig in.  If my tanks come on turn 3, I could kill on average 4 teams from MG fire, and a few more from the Kats.

Turn 2, and the Americans are already on the objective.  Tank Destroyers arrive in the upper right side of the picture.

Turn 3:

Sorry, no pictures.  I rolled my reserves, and both Robert and I saw the 5 up as the dice slided before hitting something, and it turned to a 2.  Easily the game hinged on that die roll.  The battle was still going to be on the left flank, and I started redeployment of my on table assets to support the left flank. 

Americans roll reserves.  A jeep recon platoon.  They drive up to my spotter, and hose him with 12 dice of .50 cal fire.  Ending the career of Corporal Dryagin, and effectively taking out my Katyushas.

Turn 4:

Soviets roll reserves. Kapitan Badinuff's 1/307th T-34 Tank Company arrives.  They line up for what will be the do-or-die assault for the objective.  But the Americans are prepared, and while my MG fire pins them, they are largely unhurt.  The assaulting tanks have one killed and 2 bailed, and so retreat.  

Off the bottom of the picture frame, I try to get the 208th Flak Company to engage the Jeeps, and kill one.

The on board Shermans destroy one of my on board SU's, then the Americans pop the Tank Destroyers, and between them, and 5 bazookas, take the 1/307 to its motivation level, which it fails, (for the first time ever) and flees.  At this point I resign. 

Turn 4, after the assault, but before the TD's pop, which they will, at the top of the hill.

Not much to see here.  All the targets are off the bottom of the picture.

"Cease Fire, Cease Fire", you idiots, shouted Kapitan Petrov.  Ignoring the rounds exploding around him, he bailed from his tank, running towards the "enemy".  As one, the green monsters rotated their turrets tracking the crazy man waving his hands.  But none of the fired.  He tore off his coat, waving it manically, as the field grew eerily silent...

Lessons learned:
Know your enemies capabilities.  Knowing the double timing infantry might have changed the plan.

Lead with the T-34's.  While this Battalion wins on the force of its SU's, this only works using the T-34's as a shield.  This plan was faulty in that I had most of my points off board, in delayed reserves.  Giving my opponent both the terrain, and local superiority. 

Soviet Assault on Erfurt

A Headless Body production.

Location: Showcase Comics, Granite Run Mall, Pennsylvania
Tournament: Whiteout!

Game: Flames of War Late War 1780 points
Mission: Fighting Withdrawal

Players: Phil Gardocki, Legkiy Samokhodno-Artillyeriyskiy Polk (attacker)

                 Miles, Panzerspah (defender)

First, an apology:
Apology redacted as inaccurate and unnecessary.

The Forces:

2nd Tank Army's 1^st Battalion, 1441st SU Regiment, 1/307th Tank Company, 208th Flak Company, 5/1441 Reconnaissance Company (Confident, Trained), 89th Guards Mortar Battalion (Fearless Trained).

A total of 15 SU-122's in 4 Batteries, 10 T-34's (5 76's, 5 85's), 8 Katyushas, 2 DShk AA trucks in 1 battery, 3 ZSU 17's, and 5 Recon Rifle/MG teams.

German (Confident, Veteran) CiC, 2iC each with panzerfaust, SMG in a half-track.
One Full Aufklärungs Platoon with panzerfaust and full half-tracks.  One Reduced Aufklärungs Platoon with panzerfuast and full half-tracks.  Two Platoons of 3 Pumas, one Platoon of 3 pak38's, one Platoon of 4 StuH42s, one battery of 4 15cm sFH18 howitzers.  The company had limited Air Support from a squadron of Hs 129B's.

Mission: Fighting Withdrawal. Prepared Positions.  Each side Attacker places two objectives.  The defender, one.  Attacker wins if he controls any objective by turn 6.

The Board:

4 by 6 feet. 

Early 1945, the Town of Erfurt, Germany.  Snow is still on the ground, and muddy conditions exist.  All hills and fords are bog checks, all streams are skill checks.



A rail station near the town of Erfurt.  Germans will be deploying on the left, Soviets on the right.



A closer view of the Soviet right side of the board.

Deployment:

The Soviet left side of the board after deployment.  I am going to try to rush the nearby objective, while screening the German forces on the center and right.

Visible in the distance are a German Puma Patrol, an Infantry Platoon, a Kampfgruppe of one Puma and the 2IC, and the objective.  The visible Soviet forces are 3 Batteries of SU's, an Infantry Recon Company, and the Katyushas.

The Soviet right consists of another Battery of SU's, and the 1/307th Tank Battalion.



German deployment on the Soviet right.  Two Platoons of Infantry, 2 Pumas, 4 155's and 2 objectives.

"Muddy Hell!", thought Kapitan Petrov, "Yes, the ground looks like it was iced over, but that ice was only a centimeter thick, and his tanks broke right through it. A frontal assault was pointless in this situation. This operation was insane."

But Kommisar Ivan Inanovitch Ivanovsky had assured him the enemy was pulling out, to redeploy elsewhere, and so there wouldn't be much of a fight.  But Petrov wasn't so sure, the Bosch constantly did unexpected things.

Turn 1:
My strategy was simple. On the right I would keep his forces focused on the 1/307 Tank Company, and on the left I would assault the objective.  The only problem was the terrain.  The rail line was all the way across the board, and the terrain severely limited any shooting lanes.

I pushed my recon as far as it could go.  Trying to reach the far woods in my 8" no ambush zone, but Miles would have none of it, and popped the ambush of 4 4 Stu42's on his turn.  I had a piece of luck, getting 3 shots on a Puma Platoon, and even with "Hens and Chicks", managed to burned one. 

The Germans had 2 Puma's on my side of the tracks, but when they saw they were facing 9 T-34s's retreated behind a hill.  His two remaining Pumas on the left flank rolled well and killed 2 of my SU's.  The 155's battery ranged in on the 1/307 Tank Company, but to no effect, while his Flying Tanks tried to take advantage of my condensed formation.  I have taken this into account with my Regiment design and brought the 208th Flak Company with me, while the 89th Guards Mortar Battalion also has another 2 dedicated AA teams. 20 dice later and is 2 HS-129's went down in flames.

Nothing to look at here.

3 SU Batteries advance, with the scouts in front.

In the town, another SU Battery advances.  On the hill, a nervous spotter squats, and off in the distance, a single Puma sets it sites.

Air action South!

Turn 2:
Losing the ability to negate the ambush, my recon headed for the near by buildings, waiting for an opportunity to do "Eyes and Ears".  My spotter also perched on a high top, waiting to bring down the hurt from the Katyusha's

His 155's found their range and managed to pin a T-34, while another airstrike avoided the Flak Batteries and killed a tank.  While his 2 lost Puma's tried to run around to board edge to get flank shots on the 89th Guards Mortar Battalion.

Now the hard decision.  Move forward and suffer "Hens and Chicks" and hit him on a 6 only, or stay at long range and double fire.

Air action North!  No AA here.

2 Pumas trying to sneak around the flank.

Turn 3:

Now I was getting distracted.  There was that 155 spotter on the hill, and all I needed to do was assault it.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the movement to reach him.  I did have the the 4/1441st Battery kill the Puma that was part of the Kampfgruuppe.  But that was pointless, as he was set to remove that platoon anyway as part of the conditions for "Fighting Withdrawal".

The Katyusha's rain down upon the Germans.  This was a case where the wrong part of the devastation template did matter.  Sorry Miles.  I was targeting the Stu42's and including the 7 stands of infantry in the barrage.  Eventually I would crack the Infantry using this tactic. 

4/1441st kills another Puma.

But lose a battery in return.

Turn 4:
To avoid the 155 Barrage,  I started stretching out the 1/307 Tanks Company.  9 tanks at 6 inch intervals stretches a long way.  Two tanks covered the flanks should the 2 Pumas return, all the way to where I can get a shot on the Spotter, eventually killing him on turn 5.  Almost the entire Company within two inches of a building or wood, so that the next air strike failed to range in.

But my SU Batteries were spent.  One battery fled, another was down to one gun.  An air strike braved the AA and picked up the third.

The HS-129's pick up a battery.  In the background there is a lot less infantry covering the objective.

Turns 5 and 6:
     The situation is really not tenable anymore.  I managed to kill the spotter, but his CIC was able to fill the void, and call in more artillery on my remaining battery of SU's.  I may be able to contest the objective, but he will pick it up next turn and then I will not be able to switch to another one.

His Stu42's were totally intact. and with that his AT ability was almost untouched.  So even though I manage to wipe out his infantry platoon, and on turn 6 his CIC, there was no chance at a win.

Still running down the Spotter, off to the right, and managed to MG him down as he fled.  But the guns were ranged in right on the center of town.

Final.  The wreck of the 1441st "STAVKA", "Red Banner", SU regiment.  a 2-5 loss.