MW: DAK vs Tankovy

I don't usualy do non historical match ups but needed to try out the DAK so we did a little what if battle involving the DAK in southern Russia. Kent wanted to test out a mid war tankovy and so I made up 4 lists for him to try and he settled on a guards tankovy.

	Guards T34s
1x	T70	45
7x	T34/76- 2x cupolas	635
7x	T70	275
9x	Razvedki- M3A1 + 3xc 50cals	245
3x	SU 85	300
		1500

I took the DAK, 15th Panzer Division Pioniers.

	HQ	45
1x	Pioneers + 2x Pak 38	285
	supply truck	25
1x	Pioneers + 2.8cm ATR	225
2x	Bison	180
4x	Carri	240
2x	88s	255
3x	Marder III	245
		1500

We rolled up a Cauldron. This mission used to get a lot of bad press- especially the 1E version but I quite like it in 2nd Edition. Sure the deployment can be a bit random but as long as there is terrain central to defend it can work out okay- the key attacking is to deploy to avoid the ambush and build your attack. It would be an interesting challenge for my force any way.

I deployed both pioneer platoons and ambushed with the 88s- Kent got to deploy where he wanted and so chase to hie behind a hill- thus negating my ambush.



The minefield is in front of the objective nearest Kent's force and the other is in the scub area with the pak 38s.


From another angle.


The Soviets prepare to advance.


The DAK pioniers prepare for the onslaught.


The first reserves arrive- double timing T70s! Would you believe that one 88 could hit them in the open, short range and only managed 1 hit with 6 shots (which bailed!)



The 88s didn't last long enough to get another shot- first VP to Kent.

The marders gave us some hope- the T70s double timed away but the marders moved into some scrub and knocked out 4- the rest of the T70s ran away!




Meanwhile a wall of T34s and razvedkia dvance on my pioniers- killing mroe than they should!

The biosns arrive- and manage to bailed a few tanks but not knock any out.


The a 38s also manage to lose a gun dual, failing to KO any T34s before finally perishing.




The Razvedki assualt goes in. A flamethorwer kills a pionier team but in the actual assualt the Razvedki teams (3 of them) miss and are all killed in my counter assault.



The carri counter attack, roaring past the T34s to knock out the M3 scout cars and the surviving razvedki flee. I also manage to bail 2x SU 85s but not kill either with the bison barrage!


From here my pioniers fail to assualt the SU 85s (pinned in Defensive fire) and the carri are picked off. I can't manage to destroy the SUs- which managed to win a duel with the marders- needing 6s to hit me whereas I only needed 4s!

Eventually my company breaks. 4-3 to Kent.

A fun game and one of "if only". My AT guns were woeful and rarely hit anything- only the marders gave me an ounce of hope and once they were gone it was just a matter of time. The list is definitely fragile and needs a bit of luck to go its way to succeed.