1750 pts: Motostrelkovy vs SS Panzer Company
| FE II- Motostrelkovy | (CT) | |
| HQ | 30 | |
| 1x | Motostrelkovy Coy (2 pln ) | 215 |
| 1x | Motostrelkovy Coy (2 pln ) | 215 |
| 4x | Zis 2 | 170 |
| 10x | T34 incl 5x T34/85 (CT) | 490 |
| 4x | SU 76 | 150 |
| 3x | SU 152s | 275 |
| Limited Air Support | 200 | |
| Total | 1745 |
I'm fairly happy with this list- it has a bit of everything, including my beloved SU 76 Sukas.
Kenbt decided to try a Cobra SS company I’d suggested but I forgot my Cobra book and he made a couple of changes- dropping scouts for an extra panzer IV and adding air support (HS 129s) rather than Quad AA- it wasn’t until I got home I realised it wasn’t an option. Oh well, it was fun.
1750pt SS Panzer Company
- HQ panther (with rapid fire)
- 3x panthers
- 5x panzer IVs
- 2x 250/9s
- 3x nebelwerfers
- Sporadic HS 129s
Terrain
Kent had made up an interesting table with lots of buildings, a river running across the centre, several woods etc, so my infantry felt happy that they’d have somewhere to hide. We rolled up a No Retreat so I got to defend. I placed one company quite central and so it was able to move to reinforce either objective. My Zis 2s dug in inside a wood on the front objective so that they were out of LoS (and could only shoot 6”- but it meant that the panzers would have to close to get shots). I ambushed with the SU 152s.
Deployment from the German lines
And from the Soviet lines.
My SU 152s were in ambush,Zis 2s and a motostrelk company on table.
Turn 1: Kent lined up his panzerkeil on the side way from the forward objective and rolled forward, using the recon to keep potential ambushes at bay. The first turn his HS 129s roared in over the battlefield, spotted my Zis 2s and killed one (failed a FP test vs another). Dug in gone to ground, concealed- and still hit on a 2+ Grrrrr!!! I hate HS 129s. The CT guns failed to unpin for the next 3 turns.
Revenge! My turn. I managed to hit both a panther and a panzer IV with my firt airstrike but Kent rolled a 5 and a 6, great one fearless vet panzer IV bailed and of course it promptly passd its motivation test.
Funny looking sturmovik. I borrowed Kent's plane as I'd left mine at home (they tend to get damaged easily so we often don't bother using plane models for friendlies).
The panzers spread out to minimise casualties to airstrikes.
From the German perspective. The objective is on the edge of the woods in the distance. My Zis 2s must have worried Kent as he went nowhere near the forward objective.
A lone panzer IV cautiously advances- two others bog on the far bank of the river. Still no ambush.
My front company took a few casualties to Kent’s tanks- thanks to GtG being removed by the recon). At least they weren’t tanks being slowly blown off the table as each hit from a panther would have destroyed a vehicle.
About turn 4 my next reserves arrived- my Sukas and they started as far away from the action as possible- skirting the far side of the board. But even so they panthers came after them and killed one. The rest snuck round and hid in the woods where the Zis 2s were deployed.
Turn 5 my T34s arrived and fired at the panzer IVs which were now across the river- 10 shorts needing 6s, no hits. I lost 1x T34 to return fire- bailed IIRC but another fell the the nebewerfers which finally started to range in. The panthers were still too far away to interfere. Still no sign of my ambush...
Turn 6: Ambush!
The T34/76s knocked out an armoured car, and the T34/85s hit and killed 3 panzer IVs, a 4th was taken out by the SU 152s but the bailed survivor was out of LoS and so safe to retreat and lick his wounds after passing his check to stay on he board and then remounting.
Curse you fearless!
The 250/9 is the only vehicle over half way. The Sukas are hiding with the Zis 2s.
The motostrelk have assaulted and captured the 250/09 and then try to do the same vs the panther that had to cross the bridge to keep the game alive. They failed their morale test and retreated after causing no hits but losing a team to the panther. Send in the sappers! Sappers? What sappers? We're motostrelkovy!
Kent contemplates his next move.
A sight to warm the heart of all Soviet players. The Zis 2 and Suka both get a flank shot- unfortunately the Suka missed, the Zis 2 didn't though.
The next turn with the game slipping away Kent sent two panthers across the bridge and into town. One was knocked out by another Zis 2 pushed to the edge of the woods- with another side shot- and again my supporting Suka missed! Then my supporting infantry swarmed out of a building to assault and the last panther which failed its save and Kent was unable to keep the game alive his next turn- game to the Russians 6-1.
Thoughts
I like this list, as Poochie said in an e-mail when we were discussing it: “You can’t ignore 10 T34s!” Usually I skimp on T34s, taking 5 or 6 but this battle showed me the value of a full strength company. I liked the 10x T3s but even so at one stage I was down to 5 working due to the odd pot shot from panthers, HS strikes or nebelwerfers (which claimed 2 kills). The T34s skulked about avoiding panthers but in so doing all they could to occupy them at the same time.
The mission as perhaps the worst for Kent to face, the river restricted his mobility (very difficult going) and I made sure I gave his panthers no tanks to shoot at for as long as possible- bringing my T34s on as my last reserves. Maybe they should have been in ambush, but SU 152s are cool! Air power was indecisive for both sides, but the Sturmoviks did force Kent to spread out a lot and some reduce his firepower at the points he wanted it.
Again I didn’t feel like I had enough infantry. I could possibly drop the SU 76s for another platoon and an HMG- or even try to squeeze in some mortars and a platoon (and would have to lose a T34 for that). However, I like my Sukas- they didn’t kill anything but they were something that Kent was aware of at all times, they are one of my favourite units and so I do loath to drop them.
I actually liked Kent’s list and can see it working well. It lacked infantry but the 5x panzer IV platoon was a real pain and it was only when it got away from its panther support I was able to deal with it. Of course it can’t quite all fit into proper Cobra list (no air support) but we may try to tweak it a bit- or even try a similar FEII (CV) version.
Nice AAR. And a nice looking table.
ReplyDeleteSeems you had a lot of fun.
Very nice AAR! No idea how I wasn't following your blog earlieri- that is rectified :)
ReplyDeleteDamn, this adds fuel to the fire that is burning inside me to do Soviets :)
Cheers Indie and Hein.
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun game and its always nice to play on nice terrain. Almost all of it is homemade by Kent (Galpy from the 15mm Paint Shack link) homemade terrain- all the buildings are scratch built as are the roads and rivers.
I think he needs to repaint his panzer IVs though, they are looking a bit tired compared to his other stuff (eh, Kent :)
However, he has some very nice 28mm WWII figs he's just starting to get into (see his blog for details!) so we hope to do some 28mm skirmish gaming soon- possibly using FoW, or maybe even Crossfire (not that we have that yet) so stay tuned.
Craig