Kent had set up the terrain a narrow valley with a road running down it. He formed the hills out of rolled by towels and they gave a very pleasing effect. We decided to do a breakthrough.
Kent's 1500 pt Guards Strelk
- HQ + 2x 45mm & 5 sappers
- 2x R/MG platoons
- 2x R/MG platoons
- 3x SU 76
- 4x 45mm AT guns
- 4x Zis 3
Armoured PGs
- Armoured HQ
- 2x Armoured PG platoons- each with an attached pak 38
- 3x panzer IIIL
- 3x Marder II
- 2x 231 Arorued cars
- 3x Panzerwerfers
I placed everything except PG platoon which was my flanking force- as the other way was bloced by a wood, zis 3s and some 45mm at guns I decided to run along the table and destroy the Suaks and 45mm AT platoon (if I could)
We take aim at the barely visible SU 76 (Suka) behind the corner of the house.
With that threat taken care of the panzer IIIs advance to engage the other two- and the 45mm AT guns.
The smoke template didn't quite work- it hid the SU76s as well!
Now we can see to shoot! I manage to hit 6 or so AT guns but either all were saved or I failed my firepower so at the end of the turn all 4 were still standing and ready to return fire! I lost one panzer III to a Suka in Kent's next turn then killed the last two assualt guns.
Panzergreanders roll forward to engage the now exposed infantry- most of the AT guns, and the SU 76s) have finally been knocked out.
Part of Kent's strelkovy company fall back to contest the objective but part of it stays to slow down my troops.
The Strelk organise themselves to face the German onslaught.
Finally we've celared a gap and can finally engage the 120mm mortars which have been causing casualties.
My reserves arrive and stay as far away from the Zis 3s as they can.
My original platoon has been worn down and is almost destroyed- only the company commanders re-roll manages to stop them from retreating!
Oops! Greed kills. Deciding I needed to whittle down the strelkovy with tank assaults I crushed a couple of teams and then rather than retreating hung in for an extra turn and promptly rolled a 1 or me save, the surviving panzer retreated and then failed its morale check.
Although faced with overwhelming mobility Kent took the fight to us. His second strelk company stretched across the table and attacked our marders (and the armoured cars that were sent to help them). The panzerwerfers were unable to stop the assault hitting them and were destroyed before they could break off (one gun had already been sniped by a 45mm gun).
Slowly though we cut down the Strelkovy but it was a long, long process but in the end they broke.
Final Result: 4-3 to the Germans
A tough, tough game which was very long. I simply couldn't dig out his dug in infantry fast enough and with being R/MG teams couldn't afford to charge in until they were very few in number. Even though he lacked mobility Kent made the most of opportunities to launch counter attacks and these slowly whittled my force down. A tough game.
Kent is not happy with the SU 76s and I think he is using them wrong. He has been using them early only to engage almost as you would with a tank, they are better off skulking round and threatening to get into action as they don't have the armour to do toe-to-toe with any real tanks. My advice to him- SU 76s and Zis 2s- that could work well together!
However, it once again proved to me how hard guards strelk can be to shift from defensive positions!
Armoured PGs
I really enjoyed using the armoured PGs again, a paper tiger force that can't really afford any attrition but if it can make use of its mobility can cause problems. Expect to see more of this force in action...
Craig
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