FoW: Razvedki vs Aufklarung (Encounter)

Our NATCON play tests continued. This week I decided to try SU 152s and 7x T34s supporting the infantry vs Dale's Aufklarung. No air support for me, time to try 120mm mortars.

HQ

• Aufklarung
• 5x stugs
• 3x 221 ACs
• 3x nebelwerfers
• Limited HS 129s

We rolled for the mission and got Encounter, which we both don't usually play as we don't really like it. Dale chose sides and deployed his aufklarung + stugs (about 90% of his army's points) and I deployed a Rota platoon and SU 152s (just because I could!)

Deployment



Here they come!


This looks even mroe intimidating! Dale got the first turn and acouple of my infantry teams died before being able to find suitable cover.


Take that- the SUs move forward a bit and engage the only target they can see and hit a half track which promptly explodes, needing a 6 to hit!)


Turn 3- Dale had just tried to snipe my flamethrower with the stugs but missed and at the end of the turn realised my T34s could come on this turn so stormtroopered to face the potential threat- arrgh!!! As a result my T34s were pinned into the corner- even going through the forest they were about 1/2" out of range of side shots on the stugs. Curses!


SU 152 commander: Well the stugs have got their backs to us and are in the open, it would be rude not to drive onto the hill and have a crack... Alas I missed (I did need a 6 of course so why wasn' I surprised?) 7+ years of FoW and this is the first use of MW SUs in a non scenario game (I now remember why!).
"Anyway", the commander muses, "we'll be safe enough here..."


WRONG! Where the hell did that come from? 3 stugs then finished off the second one, curse front armour 8 (when at long range) when you can only roll "2s" for saves.


The cheeky 2iC trying to remove the flamethrower (the only team in SMG range)


The T34s hug the forest while the stugs use the road to put pressure on the other flank.


The storch is the second objective. My second rota platoon came on and promptly bogged 2x scout cars so only 9x 50 cal dice as I charged the aufkalrung trying desperately to claw back a point. I did kill 3 teams (including the company commander) and force a platoon morale test (which he passed) but the next couple of turns the stugs and half tracks simply blew me off the objective. One stug was sniped by a T34 with a side shot but two others parked on the objective and I was unable to contest. At this point my mortars had finally turned up but failed to range in on the remaining aufklarung. My frst platoon too was now moving through the village but was unable to assault the aufklarung on the last turn.


6-1 to Dale.

Thoughts
A game of missed opportunities. I was always going to have to try and get in and deal with the aufklarung and hope for the best vs the stugs- 5 was simply too many to deal with (as it turns out Dale's points were off and we should have only faced 4 but it made it more challenging this way!). Dale maneuvered them perfectly to counter the flamethrower and T34 threats and I really had no other openings to deal with them after that.

Air support would have been handier for me and it is for scenarios that this that I feel its worth it. I still would only have had 2 platoons on board and 2 in reserve but at least could have rolled each round for some air support to keep the stugs spread out.

I actually liked the SU 152s, fragile as hell but something to be wary of. On a less snowy table the T34s could have tried to use their mobility better (we are playing a bogging test for snow and if passed normal cross country movement but no double timing)

FoW- Hasty Attack: Take 2

Dale and I managed a game tonight. His aufklarung is no longer a legal force in East Front so we simply eyeballed the costs and ran it as per normal.

He fielded

HQ

1x armoured aufklarung

2x SDKFZ 231s

2x armoured mortars (250/8s)

2x 37mm AA

3x nebelwerfers

2x panthers

Limited HS 129s

I'm sure I'm missing something as he had 7 platoons.

I dropped the SU 85s and a T70 for 4x sU 122s as I wanted to see how they’d fare. Again we tried Hasty Attack and Dale won the die roll and so got to attack.

It really was a see saw battle- I ambushed with T70s as I knew they’d be next to hopeless (he stayed well away from any ambush sites) but wanted to be able to zip round and put him under pressure. Alas the table was a snow one so it was bogging checks to move (and no double moving but otherwise normal cross country movement if you didn't bog) whenever we moved off road- which was a lot!

As normal it was a see saw game, my Cobras missed spotting the panthers early on and managed to drive off a flight of HS 129s. The T70 started annoying Dale so he sent the panthers after them and things came to a head when Dale finally go his air support to arrive and killed one T70 with a panther and another 2 with the HS 129s, bailing a 3^rd. 2 more T70s were assaulted and destroyed by the aufklaung and the survivors broke and fled (aargh, it was turn 5 and one more turn Dale’s objective which I was going for was going to be mine!). However, this meant a lone SU122 managed a long range side shot on a panther and killed it!

The second panther then drove along a forest track to support the infantry but an SU 122 drove in and managed a sneaky side shot (again needing a 5 to hit) and destroyed it.

Dale’s infantry then charged in and killed 3 SU 122s but by now they were getting worn down, as were my infantry and they eventually failed a motivation test. Lots of laughs and a lot more action then this brief report suggests and it really could have gone either way. The 50 cals managed to destroy a couple of half tracks- being able to fire and move is so liberating to a Soviet player! However Dale only getting 1x flight of planes all game helped, as did my hit rolls (and his saves) vs the panthers.

Turn 1- The T70s deploy (and thats about it apart from the airstrike that wasn't).

From another angle

Here they come


One of many unsuccessful airstrikes by the Red Airforce.


T70s make a dash for Dale's undefended objective -but the panthers decide enough is enough!


One plucky T70 managed a side shot (and missed)- they are destroyed in Dale's next turn!


Dale lines the T70s up for the kill.


But the SU 122s reply puts us back in the game!


And there goes another one! The SUs gun mantlet was behind the front arc, honest!


Do or die- the final assault goes in. The Soviet survivors pulled back at this point and MGed the pesky German infantry off the board next turn to win the game.


So that's 2 from 2. I do prefer the SU 122s to the 85s, but they do have to be used carefully to be able to get into range- on open tables they won't last long!

Craig

FoW- Hasty Attack

Kent and I had a game of FoW using the new Hasty Attack mission as a playtest for my MW Razvedki for NATCON.

I ran the following:

• 5x M3A1s
• 9x Bren Carriers
• 3x BA 64s (2x ATRs)
• 9x T70s
• 4x Zis 3
• 3x SU 85s
• Limted Cobras (Yaks)

Kent ran:

• 3x Grenadier platoons
• HMGs
• 3x pak 38s
• 2x 75mm Infanry guns
• 4x 105 battery
• 2x Sdkfz105 AA
• Priority Stukas

He ambushed with the pak 38s but I avoided them by being out of range, the Luftwaffe roared in and killed the commander of the SU 85s but the company commander later appointed a new commander. The next turn the Luftwaffe sniped the T70s commander leaving them stranded until the 2iC came along and appointed a repalcement.

I stretched Kent on both flanks, with the T70s chewing through an infantry platoon and eventually routing the 105s. He lost two 105s early thanks to a lucky hit at long range from an SU 85s and an airstrike.

I managed to avoid his pak 38s until my reserves came on and then ganged up on one (I like no H&C), and the Red Airforce MGed the remaining 2 once they moved to try and get a better shot at my SUs and carriers. After than the mobility of the Razvedki started to tell and my vehicles moved to parry German counter attacks- he nearly stole an objective to win the game with his 2x AA half tracks!

In the end the Razvedki killed 4 platoons and broke his company- one Razvedki platoon was gutted after failing to assault and then taking 7 losses the next round to HMG and infantry fire, but apart from that hiccup it was one way traffic the last few turns.

6-1 to razvedki

The razvedki can pack a punch and the only change I’ll make to the NATCON force is to get rid of the carriers—as I found in the past I prefer the M3 Scouts cars better armour and 50 cals.

Deployment- the objecitves being the SU 122 in the right foreground and an ammo dump jsut beyond the farmhouse- hmm, that looks like Kent's new Le Haye Sainte farm building to me.

Air Cobras launch an airstrike- okay, technically they are Yaks.


So much for the T70 commander


The carriers arrive


Yet another airstrike comes in...


The Yak has just wiped out 2 pak 38s by attacking them from behind their gunsheild!


Time to move in for the kill.


The SU 122 is the objective. Once again the luftwaffe tries to save the day. Armroued cars lft GtG and the M3s go to work to the infantry- takes 2-3 turns but they are quickly cut down to size.

Chicken- Soviet style. The 2iC stares down 2x AA half tracks-which simply blow him off the battlefield. By forgetting about him I managed to prevent the half tracks racing towards the objective and my T70s were able to swing back to cover the threat. One half track managed to take the objective but was MGed off it the next turn- alas by this stage the batteries had died.

Craig