Scenario 3- June 24th, 1941 1:00 PM

The Soviets are regrouping around a small village around a rail line. I've been ordered to scout out the village(mission type is recon- I get points for finding guns/AFV and not losing units) to gauge the level of resistance expected.

The peaceful (for now) village...

As per German doctrine, I am to seize the village if practical.

My force is composed of:
Pz IVE
Pz IIIH
251/1 Halftrack
250/1 Halftrack
221 Scout car
2 Trucks
6 Rifle sections (24 figures)
2 LMG sections (4 figures)
81mm MTR (3 figures)
2 leaders (9-1, 8-0)
My campaign leader (a newly minted 8-1 :D)

I am using a new base system for my troops- they are composed of "Magnet Ready" material (e.g. it is not magnetized itself but magnets will stick to it). They are soft magnet like material I've printed out the numbers for the counters (and IDs) which I can stick my figures on and I've made them double sided. The bases are the same sizes as my metal bases I used previously.

The double-sided bases (German here obviously)

The number of figures in the profile is how many figures would be present if I use figures (the LMG is a Support Weapon, and always has 2 figures). I can flip the counter to represent that the unit is pinned.

For this game, I didn't put the figures on the bases (I can track losses by hit markers- besides, my figures were taking a beating) and I wanted to try out using the counters alone for my infantry units.

Now to the course of the battle:

My Armored Car pokes slowly down the road (its commander head out of the turret naturally), revealing only Soviet small arms (rifle sections) but also unluckily shot and wounded (he's my only armor leader- 8-0- rotten luck !). With the Soviet resistance centered in Woods E and building C, I bring the rest of my force onboard, unloading my mortar and most of my troops in woods B. My personal leader along with an LMG and rifle section head to the woods D on the hill for covering fire.

1:03 PM: Scattered Soviet Resistance, so far...

The Soviets have woken up, revealing more troops (including LMGs) on the northern edge of woods E and a 45AT gun in woods T. So far my concentrated fire beats back the the Soviets and my mortar immobilizes then destroys the AT gun.

With the threat of the gun gone, we trade shots and a few losses, with the Soviets taking the worst of it as I move forward to position myself to cross the rail line.

1:06 PM: Getting ready to jump the rail line.

It is hard not to get too cocky , seeing as I am pushing all the Soviets before me. However, the hand of fate is fickle indeed....

More infantry is revealed in woods O and M. But the real threat is from an 82mm mortar that is revealed in woods S.

The mortar promptly drops an accurate series of rounds on my 251 halftrack (it is carrying a rifle section on it that I am using it as a mobile infantry fire unit along with its MG). A round lands in the open compartment, blowing it apart is a spectacular explosion. Suddenly, I go down in VP (I had 2 for revealing the 2 guns so far but lost -2 for the APC being destroyed and -1 for the rifle section incinerated in it). Fate giveth then taketh away.....

As I position my troops to wreak vengeance on the dastardly mortar, a bigger threat is revealed in the North on my flank from field G. A T-34 emerges, and the initiative cards favor the Soviets. In a few moments, my PZ IV takes a shot in the side of the turret. The crew has no chance and is destroyed.

In less than 2 minutes I have lost my best APC and 1/3rd my armored force. The T-34 is on my flank and I have no way to flank him (his frontal armor is too good for my puny 50mm to get a good odds shot in). I can do nothing more than lose more troops here to no effect. Time to pull a Monty Python and "RUN AWAY !".

1:09 PM: Before the Pz IV is lit up.

I promptly disengage and pull off the map the way I came, cursing my luck.

I lose this scenario by withdrawing, but I don't think I could've redeemed my VP difference considering I had over 1/2 the board left to cover and a menacing T-34 on my flank.

My losses are galling, however:
Pz IVE
251/1 Halftrack
9 riflemen (4 in the dead halftrack alone).

The Soviets losses are minimal:
13 Riflemen
3 crew
45 AT gun

All in all, you could say I performed my mission (I scouted the resistance as I was ordered to do) and Regiment can call in more, heavier means to deal with this bunch of Soviets. But I lost too much doing so (1/3rd my riflemen, 1/3rd my tank support and 1/4 my transport). I will get a dressing down from HQ for sure- I should've ensured the Northern farm was clear before attempting set myself up for crossing the rail line. Sometimes you can push fortune to far.....

Something neat about this system is the fact that you won't always win- you may have to withdraw in order to save some of your forces for the next battle and not lose too badly. But if you follow solid principles of attack (concentration of firepower, ensuring as best as possible you are focused on the right target(s) and attempting to minimize suprises by keeping something in reserve, something I failed this time around) you should win more than you lose.

Endgame number 2

The end action is kind of anti-climatic, however....

I get my infantry into Woods R, although the BT-7 is proving more problematic than I would wish it to be.

The BT-7 manages to immobilize my Armored Car (they passed their "Oh Crap" check and got an 8-0 armor leader to boot !) but is promptly destroyed by return fire from my other AFVs. The BA-6 is ineffective, and rolls to press forward where it can actually hit something (the field hinders the To Hit roll).

The BT-7 dies and I drive the infantry out of woods S

The Soviet Infantry was pretty inneffectual at stopping me, failing morale check rolls and routing, although I took a few losses cleaning out woods I. In that attack, the BA-6 is destroyed and along with it any chance the Soviets can change their fortunes in this scenario.

Endgame, 12:25 PM

The few infantry on hill O could do nothing to stop me and the ? markers wound of blank (an HMG that appeared in woods K routed after 1 shot from my task force). I had broken the Soviet will to resist and Victory was mine !

German Losses:
3 rifle infantry
1 Immobilized AC

Russian Losses:
21 rifle infantry
LMG
ATR
2x BT-7
1 x T-26
1x T34-M40
1x 45 AT (captured)

My personal leader gained enough elan to reach 8-1 status and I gained an 8-0 armor leader in my scout car (which should be repaired for the next scenario).

All in all, the rules worked fairly well (I need a few tweaks here and there).

Its onward to the East from here......

Pressing the advantage....

The Soviets manhandle the gun to the backside of hill A, where they can hold up my advance down the road until I can clean them off. My infantry working its way through the woods on the hill squares off with the Soviets, using its superior firepower to keep them at arms reach (and out of melee range) while the mortar lays down good supressive fire on the gun, allowing me to work around the hill and bring more firepower on the defenders.

The Germans work their way around the hill

I clear field C and house D, working my way west of the road, but the Soviets start popping up on and around hill E. Things are heating up all across my front now.

A BT-7, T-26 and a  T-34 makes an appearance, along with a scattering of rifle sections around hill E. I quickly manage to destroy the BT-7 and T-26 (that armor is terribly weak) and drive off the infantry, but the T-34 parks his butt and proceeds to blast my troops. His front hull armor is virtually invulnerable (except to a fluke or critical hit) and I can't flank him since I don't even control hill A yet.

Luckily the Soviet resistance on hill A crumbles, allowing me to assault the farm F and begin to flank that nasty T-34 (his gunnery is terrible- miss, miss, gack (broken gun) which he hurredly manages to fix).

The T-34 begining to be flanked

My Pz IV and Pz III ding rounds off the T-34, limiting his actions (a hit does not neccesarily have to penetrate to affect an AFV- multiple hits can reduce the amount of things an AFV can do). A lucky shot tears into a track, immobilizing the T-34. The crew fails its "oh crap" roll badly and bails. Victory !

I finally clear off hill A, and capture the 45 AT gun which I intend to turn against its former owners with the help of my personal leader. Now, the next stage is to mount an advance to the crossroads- only rifle sections appear to be appearing and those I can brush off with HE/MG/Infantry fire.

Onward to the crossroads !

I embark my infantry and head towards woods H and I. So far not much appears that can stop me. The few rifle sections I disperse with the help of me on the overwatching 45 AT (which thankfully hasn't gacked or run out of ammo).

I get my troops up and organized for pressing across to field Q to clear the crossroads.

Soviet resistance flares anew in the form of BA-6 Armored car and BT-7 on the far side of field Q and some rifle sections in house M. They may have weak armor, but that 45 gun can hurt my early war German armor so caution is the keyword !

Right before the final push (hopefully)

My forces are ready for what I hope is the victory push to clear the SE part of the board. With 10 min still to go to clear the ? markers, it might be a bit tight time-wise but is definitely do-able.....

Second Scenario- June 23rd 1941

Regiment has not made good some of the losses from yesterday's hectic day. They let me retain the 250 halftrack and the rifle section, but do not forward me another Mk II. However, at least the Mark IV was quickly patched up and on the move again- those boys in Panzer Maintenence are on the ball !. I could've used some more infantry, however.....

All this largesse from the Regiment means only one thing- I am to continue to advance at the sharp end. "Go down there, get shot at and report back...."

My Forces :
1 Pz IIIH
1 Pz IVE
1 Sdkfz 221 Armored Car
1 251/1 Halftracks
1 250/1 Halftrack
2 Opel Blitz trucks
5 Rifle sections (20 figs)
2 LMG sections (2 LMG, 2 assistant gunners for 4 figs)
81mm Mtr and crew (Mtr and 3 figs)
2 Leaders (an 8-1 and an 8-0)
1 Campaign Leader (me as an 8-0)
 

Since beating back the Soviet Counter-attack yesterday, resistance has been non-existent. The whole Polish countryside is hot, dry and spookily empty except for the rumble of our tracks and the occasional grunt from the dusty Panzer Troops....

Overhead, the droning of a Fieseler Storch makes its presence felt as it swoops down and drops a message cannister- the enemy has been sighted ahead around a small crossroads.....

The Situation

My scout car edges its way up the road, drawing fire from some jumpy Russians on Hill A and Woods B. So far so good.... except that as its last activation, it turns up 45 AT on the East edge of Hill A. Luckily they miss the thin-skinned vehicle, and the scout car scurries out of its line of sight further up the road.

The rest of my force enters carefully, with the Pz IV laying some smoke and blinding the AT gun- we'll deal with it when I get my infantry and mortar up and online.

End of 1st Turn

I clean the Soviets out of woods B. With that as a fire-base for my mortar and MGs, I can now combat the Russians and that gun on Hill A. Soviet fire has been negligible and ineffective and it appears I have confused them with the suddeness of my attack. Its a good start so far......

Pressing the Russians on Hill A...