Where Iron Crosses Grow

Stalingrad Interlude- Part Deux

2010-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Now that my attack had shot its bolt, I had to hold on for the inevitable Soviet counter-attack.

German Forces:
6x Rifle Section ( +2 more as reinforcement)
4x LMG (+1 more as reinforcement)
2x MMG
9-1 Leader
2x 8-1 Leader
8-0 Leader (My new campaign leader)
7-0 Leader (as reinforcement)

Soviet Forces (mostly East of main road around factory and Charnel House)
22 Rifle Sections
5 SMG sections
3 LMG
9-1
8-0

The scenario only lasts 10-15 minutes, so the Soviets have to press hard regardless of casualties to make up for lost ground. With my reduced force, its going to be tough.....

I'm abandoning the area South of the Charnel House- as my reduced forces will concentrate keeping them from jumping the road further toward the West. The North flank will be held (lightly) as I fall back from across the street. My MGs will form firegroups West to halt the oncoming rush while my infantry forms a screen to hold them at bay long enough for the MGs to do their dirty work.

Initial and Final positions

The scenario started out with a heavy concentration of troops in the factory (A) and in and around the Charnel House (forces generated were random after I had set up). It looks like the attack is going to come mostly from the East and it appears my gamble to hold the North flank lightly is going to pay off.

The Soviet intial bombardment doesn't do much (thankfully), and with little other fanfare, the Soviets bolt from cover and swarm over toward the nearest German positions.

A first turn event turns out to be a friendly squad reinforcement (2 rifle sections, LMG and 7-0 Leader) that enter from the west edge. At least HQ seems to recognize my plight !

My infantry screen holds up the Soviets long enough for the machineguns to take bloody chunks out of them, but the Soviets being what they are, they kept coming and overrun the Northeastern buildings and start pressing on my central MG firegroup.

The buildings I left empty to the East slow down the Soviet attack there (another friendly event of an artillery counter-barrage helped a lot) and they made little progress there for the whole scenario (thankfully). My new campaign leader did a good job keeping my guys focused and firing- the enemy was pinned most of the time, letting me concentrate on the real threat further North with the bulk of my forces.

The Northern MG firegroup goes down in a bloody melee with Soviet SMG troops and spade-wielding Soviet riflemen after their rifle screening force does the same. The Soviets won some ground, but payed dearly for it.....

Despite their losses there were still enough Soviets to break into the rear area and I would have to contemplate a general withdrawal. But the one squad reinforcement (it often seems to come down to something like this to turn the tide) moved up and managed to hold them at bay long enough for the scenario to end (which it did thankfully a full 5 minutes early due to lucky rolls).

Losses were ghastly for both sides (considering this was a 10 minute scenario):

German:
6 rifle sections
3 LMG
1 MMG
9-1
2x 8-1
(total about 18 figures dead)

Russian:
12 Rifle Sections
3 SMG Sections
2 LMG Sections
8-0
(total about 42 figures dead)

Considering that my force was exhausted and spent (as was I after doing all this Stalingrad stuff), I concluded it as a Soviet Victory, for if the turn had continued longer, I would have lost more.

All in all, it was a fun couple of battles. With the massive amount of ruined buildings to play in, it definitely gives a much grittier "in your face" close-in battle with more limited Lines of Sight. I also tweaked my rules somewhat (like if you were adjacent to a ruined building, you were not in the "open" as the rubble extended to all adjacent hexes as well) amongst a few other sundry things that I think improved the rules and gave a better feel for the situation.

Onward to the next battle......

Stalingrad Interlude

2010-09-29T08:31:00.000-07:00

Having had my tiny recon force decimated in the last scenario, I decided to fast forward the war (for a moment anyway- a true luxury of the wargamer :D) to a Stalingrad scenario. Besides, I'd built some card-stock ruined buildings/factories and figured I should at least use 'em :)

The Russians are, as usual, setup behind ? counters and you never know what you might get (I weighted the generation to be heavier in a factory and non-single hex building, however).

The Germans are composed of a weak company (the norm at that time- you were lucky to be at 2/3rd fighting strength by September 1942):

Rifle Section x16 (64 men)
LMG x6 (12 men)
MMGx2 (6 men)
9-1 Leader x2
8-1 Leader x2
8-0 Leader x2

The possibility of a StUG III arriving to support (turns out it was delayed and never entered).

My objectives were 2 small and one large factory. I had multiple "scenarios" to capture them, so I didn't have to get them all at once (and with my force as small as it was, that would be impossible).

Below is the map and the simple plan (which was to evolve in 3 stages- this was stage 1):

Start and Finish lines

The plan was to flank South of the factory before taking it (obviously it would be held very strongly). I didn't want to try to jump the tracks to the North as that was a very open, vulnerable area. as for this game, hexes adjacent to a ruined building are not open terrain (the rubble extends into those hexes) but the tracks were.

On to the game itself:

The 1st turn bombardment was an abject failure- its only result was to activate more Soviets than I'd have liked. On top of this, my force in the Northernmost building at my start line was shelled and lost an LMG in the process while pinning all the attackers there. Nothing like a little fratricide to really boost morale....

Still, things went well and the 3 attacks went in and pushed the Soviets back with little loss. If only that damn StUG would've showed up and lent its weight to the attack......

After about 15 minutes, my personal leader (an 8-1) had pushed to the house that would be called "the Charnel House". My front line was adjacent to the factory and ready to start moving my MMGs forward and prepare for the next phase of the advance. Soviet resistance was very light.

Then, the Soviets really woke up. The Factory (A) was jam packed with Soviets and decent leaders (a 9-1 and an 8-0), and the area around the Charnel house had a bunch as well, including a few SMG sections (terrors in close combat, as we shall see).

The initiative cards favored the Soviets, and I found myself in a Battle Royale for the Charnel House. To top it off, Soviet events started occurring. Among others, sniper attacks events delayed the reinforcement group and the MMGs when they were desperately needed to hold off the hordes decending on the Charnel House. Soviet artillery started blasting my forward positions and everyone had to get into cover (into the buildings) pronto....

Melee followed melee in and around the Charnel House. I tried to pull out of the place, but wound up dying amid the corpses of my own men and a lot of Soviets. C'est le guerre.....

With both sides blooded to a standstill (the fire from the factory and my return fire basically each nullified other), the scenario wound down to its 30 minute conclusion.

For a decent gain, I had lost quite a bit in units:

Rifle Section x 10
LMG x 2
8-0 Leader
8-1 Leader (me)

The Soviets had suffered heavier, but had stopped my attack cold:
Rifle Section x15
SMG Section x5
LMG x4
MMG x1
7-0 Leader
8-0 leader

In manpower terms (actual losses- not unit losses- most units routed)
German 21 infantry
Soviet 60 infantry

A very bloody day indeed. And I'm still waiting for that damn StUG....

Now I would have to hold onto my gains (with a little help I hoped) with my reduced force (the roll for the next scenario was "counter-attack").....

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

2010-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

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....

2010-08-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

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...

Endgame.... or maybe not....

2010-07-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

As I position myself to clear out the remaining nests of resistance, a rumble from the North edge turns into a Soviet counter-attack Event ! With trepidation I roll the forces that are activated (some ? markers wind up being nothing or advancing without activing). A T-26 and some truck borne infantry emerge from the North, bearing down upon my re-organizing forces.

The intitiative cards favor me, however, and my tanks, MTR and MGs make short work of the T-26 and the trucks. Thankfully only the T-26 AFV (and not a T-34) was activated and not further East where they could've added to my woes to clear the board or further west where they could overrun my mortar. The end result :the Soviet counter-attack had blundered into a trap !

The Soviet Counter-attack stopped cold !

Since the counter-attack occured, I had gained an extra 30 minutes to win the scenario, so I had about 35 minutes to clear the last of the board. No problem..... right ?

Not so fast. As I move into Farm (E) with my Pz III covering from the south and the Pz IV covering from the North, they activate a dreaded T-34 M40 in the woods (G). My attack toward the farm is stopped cold until I can deal with the monster.

The T-34 is in the upper right corner while the Infantry and 251/1 scramble for cover.

My tanks move to engage but the T-34 is in an defilade position- we have no shot. Thankfully, neither does he as the infantry and APC scramble to make themselves "non-visible" as possible.

The T-34 takes the bull by the horns and breaks the deadlock by backing out to the road. Luck favors the Soviets this time and he passes his radioless check, moves back and gets his shot off at the Pz IV before he can respond (damn initiative cards !). The shot pierces the hull, immobilizing and stunning it. Thankfully, the crew pass their "oh crap !" MC and don't bail. Now if they can only rally....

While the T-34's attention is drawn to the Pz IV, the Pz III manages to slip around the flank, and due to initiative cards (the Soviet got 2 in a row, now the Germans did as well and I didn't pull the "Re-Mix" card) slammed a round into the T-34 turret side. The tank is immobilized and the crew panics and bails.

Endgame 12:37 PM

With that last flurry of action, the Soviet resistance breaks, and since I've activated all the ? markers and only the soviet 76.2mm Infantry gun in the far corner is still active with over 25 minutes left for me to win the scenario, I declare victory (I've got a feeling that the gun crew would high-tail it out of there).

My men and I scramble over the abandoned T-34 to get a better look at this beast....

The end result is a victory in a little over 37 minutes.

My casualties are:
1 Infantyman
251/1 APC (and 2 crew)
Pz IIF (and 3 crew).
1 Immobilized Pz IVE (which should be repaired before the next scenario).
My leader gains 8 elan points (need 2 more to get promoted to 8-1 !)

Enemy casualties are much heavier:
51 infantry (including: ATR, LMG, HMG, 82 MTR, 2 x 45 AT, 76.2mm IG)
3 Trucks
2 BT-7 (1 chased off, the other destroyed)
1 BA-6
2 T-34 M40 (1 destroyed, 1 abandoned)

All in all, a fun game (it took longer to play out than it normally would because of the picture taking, notes etc). The events made it unpredictable to be sure. The counter-attack was unexpected and mercifully short-lived ! My little Kampfgruppe advances to the next scenario.

Advance East ! Its always East......

Just when things look like they are going my way.....

2010-07-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

With the Soviet opposition begining to fade, its time to start advancing again.

My personal leader along with a rifle section and LMG team will hold the woods by wrecked half-track while the still mobile parts of my force north of farm (E) and flanks it. An 8-1 leader, rifle section and LMG team in woods (L) will provide a fixed firebase to combat any enemy infantry that pop up to harass this advance.

The situation at 12:10 PM

So, with a plan in place, things get rolling. And as it always seems to happen, things start to go wrong......

As I was pounding farm (E) engaging the soviet infantry there with my personal leader and my mobile units advancing down the road to the North, a 45mm AT gun activates in the eastern woods bordering field (M). Considering the state of this German early war armor, a 45 AT is enough to do some damage if it can hit.

The plan starts to go wrong.....

Luckily, my attack has not progressed too far out on that flank, and my tanks and APC withdraw behind the western woods bordering field (M). Let the mortar and infantry in woods (L) take out that gun !

Unfortunately, Soviet infantry begins to filter forward (event of "infiltration" which refreshes some of the areas already free of "?" markers), while an HMG appears in woods (J), an ATR and some rifles begin moving forward from farm (E) and a BA-6 armored car and a BT-7 tank activate on the far edge of the board, south of field (K). Things are heating up again- even before my advance get get underway again.

Time is my biggest enemy at the moment- I have to clear the board in 30 minutes to win this scenario and I am over 1/3 of the way there.....

My infantry in (L) which was trying to pound the AT gun in woods (J) is brought under long distance fire from the BA-6. Luckily, the soviets don't hit too well, but being unable to respond, that half-squad skulks back out of any effective Line of Sight. My mortar starts scoring hits on the AT gun, immobilizing it and killing one of the crew and pinning the survivors.

But the Soviets are not just passively sitting and firing back. The BT-7 begins to head towards Farm (E), while soviet riflemen help to re-crew the AT. Also, an ATR and some infantry has skulked forward opposite my personal squad east of field (F) to get some long range side/rear shots on my armor that is working west of farm to engage the BA-6 and (now re-crewed) AT gun.

The scene at 12:15 PM. Ignore the battlefield debris of my intiative cards, figures and my 30 sided die (used for extra damage determination !)

The soviets start getting the card draws and the ATR begins pounding my Mark III in field (F) which has immobilized the BA-6. The BT-7 holds back, thankfully due to being radiolessness (radioless AFV may not recover from a move as fast as ones that have radios). But the fire from my personal leader is slackening, as my troops in the woods are getting dinged (pinned) from all the fire coming at them from farm (E). The Pz III is under threat of close combat as well as being hurt by that measly ATR !

The Pz II, seeing the Pz III under duress takes action and charges the ATR and panics the infantry section there. Unfortunately, the ATR team passes with flying colors and promptly scores a critical hit (damn snake eyes !) which knocks it out. The crew bails, and the Soviets in farm (E) attempt to close with them to wipe them out.

My personal leader is just "getting his shit together" (a.k.a rallying) from all the fire he was taking that is now redirected in an advance toward the hapless Pz II crew and the Pz III in the field. But the Pz III attempts to overrun the Soviet infantry, pinning driving them back but its too late for the Mk II crew- they are cut down in a flurry of entrenching tools and rifle butts.....

The Pz II burns merrily while the Pz III engages the Soviet infantry

But all is not bad- the AT gun is finally knocked out and my Mk IV comes forward to engage the BT-7 which had begun to engage my infantry in the western woods bordering field (M). The half squad that skulked away in woods (L) loads up on the halftrack and heads toward the Pz IV to lend support against the infantry that is still in woods (J) and the remnants fleeing from farm (E).

In the ensuing exchange of fire the BT-7 promptly breaks its 45mm main gun. Failing its gut-check test, it heads off the field to the East as fast as it can. The BA-6 is finally knocked out, but in the process the farthest ? marker (in field (K)) turns out to be another gun- this time a 76.2mm Infantry gun and not the AT gun thankfully.

My MK III begins taking it under HE fire, while I begin my advance toward finally clearing farm (E) which is now empty of Soviets thanks to my Pz III's aggressive maneuver.

There's some infantry north of the farm (in woods C and J, a MMG in woods (J) and a 76.2mm infantry gun in field (K). The only part of the board that has ? markers is woods (G) and field (H).

The Situation before 12:20 PM and the clearing of farm (E)

With only 10 minutes to go and only 1 area I have to activate (if I can clear the road from West to East I win the scenario) I am confident that I can bring this one to a successful conclusion.

The first few minutes....

2010-07-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

My Pz II edges down the road, checking the woods (A) which wind up to be empty. However, some enemy infantry are found skulking around far end of the field (B) and in the house east of the (A) woods.

I bring my 2 APCs into the woods west of field (B). My truck born mortar and squad head into woods (A). The Mk III and Mark IV begin engaging the infantry around field (B) and the house.

So far so good. I've only activated some infantry and have cleared my entry part of the board edge of potential enemies.

My infantry debark from the halftracks (my personal leader is in the leftmost halftrack) and trucks, while my 81mm Mortar begins setting up. Desultory Russian fire does not damage me (and I gain my 1st elan points needed for promotion, directing my squad's fire). In addition, an Event is drawn that turns out to be a directed battery of 105mm howtzer fire (thanks to the priceless Storch). The German concentrated fire breaks the nearest Russians up and routs them. Time to move on eastward !

I cross field (B) and clear clump of trees (L) in preparation to use it as a new firebase for my advance. More Soviet infantry is revealed further back and appear to be advancing to contest me. Suddenly, from behind the westernmost woods around field (M) emerges a T-34 M40 belching fire !

Luckily the Soviets is a poor shot and he misses my Pz IV by a mile. My experienced crews begin to take on this priority target with the Pz IV engaging from the front and the Pz III attempting to maneuver for a flank shot. Cards are pulled and the Germans get the jump (those "Any" cards are worth their weight in gold !)

Luck is with me- the Pz III hits but does no damage, but the Pz IV critical hits the turret front- the shot penetrates and the T-34 is destroyed ! A hornet's nest has been stirred up, however, as more Soviet infantry emerges and begins to close with my advancing troops (you do not want to get into close combat with Soviet infantry- they hold the advantage there).

Note the vehicle card in the upper left keeping track of who is on that APC !

Five or so minutes have gone by, and I've managed to destroy a T-34 and kill/rout some Soviet infantry. My superior firepower begins to tell, and the Soviet counter-attack falters despite the help of a Soviet 82mm Mortar team in woods (C). My central firebase group (Infantry Section and LMG section) in the woods East of field (B) takes a pounding but still manages to return fire effectively. Concentrated tank HE and infantry fire puts paid to the mortar before it can do much more damage.

Meanwhile, my skulking in the rear (I am on the far left of the picture in the woods near the board edge) has come to an end, as a 251/1 comes to pick me up so I can renew the advance to the westernmost woods boardering field (F).

As my APC enters the woods, Soviet infantry along with a Heavy MG team activates to the East across the field. The HMG pummels the APC and bullets enter the passenger side vision slit, killing the driver. We come to a screeching hald and bail out, stunned and under a hail of fire, with Soviet infantry bearing down upon us.

My APC burns merrily from the HMG in the foreground as the Soviets close in for the kill.

My 81mm Mortar is finally on line, and with help from the leader in woods (L), it brings down its fire on the advancing Soviets (for simplicity, leaders can call in on-board mortar fire) and us as well. The experienced mortarmen manage to rout the Soviets just in front of my positions without causing me any casualties (I think the fact that we cowering stunned face down and in no condition to do anything else had something to do with this as well :D) but my halftrack takes some damage and is finally hors de combat.

So, after about 8 minutes of game time I have lost a halftrack, but have destroyed a T-34, 82mm Mortar, HMG and some Soviet infantry. Not a bad start at all.

First Scenario- June 22nd, 1941

2010-07-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

The invasion is going well, and resistance is spotty at best. My Panzer Division is heading toward Grodno after breaking through the frontier defenses.

My small reinforced recon group has been tasked with advancing Eastward and finding the enemy. Or as my commander said "Go East, get shot at, then report back".

My force is composed of :
1 Pz IIF
1 Pz IIIH
1 Pz IVE
2 251/1 Halftracks
2 Opel Blitz trucks
6 Rifle sections (24 figs)
3 LMG sections (3 LMG, 3 assistant gunners for 6 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)

A friendly Fieseler Storch has dropped me a note that ahead of me is a crossroads that has some enemy activity. Here is a picture of the Polish rural crossroads with some fields and farms as seen from the friendly Fieseler Storch:

I've labeled some salient points of interest I will refer to in this After Action Report.

I am entering from the Friendly Board Edge (West) by the Northern Road spur. You can see the ? markers (and the buildings with roofs) that constitute the enemy forces that have yet to be activated.

A fresh start....

2010-07-25T16:03:00.000-07:00

I've re-opened this page as a way to write out what is happening in my current WW2 East Front campaign in 15mm.

A few words are in order about the rules I am using and some other sundry facts that may make my ramblings make more sense.....

I am doing this in 15mm with a home-brew ruleset on my 3" hex maps.

The figure scale 1:1 (1 figure = 1 man, 1 Vehicle is 1 vehicle, etc) and about 8-12 yards per hex. Most infantry units are multiple figures (with magnets so I can remove losses, re-crew Heavy Weapons, etc) mounted on stands of various sizes depending on their function (a rifle section is 4 rifles for example, while an LMG support weapon is the LMG and 2 figures). Leaders are individually mounted, and represent individuals who are above the normal competency level (and are important to keep your force working efficiently).

I've made the rules comparatively detailed, yet I don't feel overly complex. There is an initiative deck of 13 cards- in this case 4 for each side, 3 blanks an Event card and a re-mix card.

The time scale is abstractly 1 minute per turn, but since initiative is card driven and can end at any time, it is not a fixed scale- some turns you can do a lot, others not so much.

When a card is pulled (or phase) begins, the side whose card is pulled performs actions with the appropriate units (Usually Vehicle or Infantry depending on the card) in each hex one at a time. Leaders can do things in multiple phases, some Heavy Weapons/Guns/Leaders can perform certain actions both phases.

The Germans have 1 Infantry, 2 Vehicle and 1 Any card. The Soviets have 2 Infantry and 2 Vehicle cards. I can vary the class of the enemies by adjusting the card types (the Any card of course is the best, as it allows all activated units to behave as if either kind of card has been drawn). There is also an Either card which can be added to replace one of the others that is not as flexible as the Any card.

If an event card is pulled, an event may occur. If a re-mix is pulled, then the initiative deck is re-mixed. For every 10 cards pulled except the re-mix card, 1 minute has passed.

Infantry units tend to rout instead of die to a man, and vehicles can be immobilized or abandoned instead of destroyed. Vehicles can run out of ammo, break their main gun, or take damage that can affect it other ways than killing it.

I am playing this campaign mostly solo (the rules are integrated with this pretty well but can be run regular as well) and I have a built-in solitaire system for generating a battle. It is very similiar (but not as complex :D) as the ASL Solitaire system. I will have friends from time to time will come over and take over the control of the enemy to increase the variety.

Basically, the board starts out with a number of "?" markers in woods, fields, buildings and any other non-clear terrain. As the game goes on, they become activated either by actions such as moving close enough to them or firing at a target near them. A ? marker may have nothing under it, or it may be a T-34. It varies with how and how far it was activated and how far away from the friendly force.

Events can occur that range from friendly Off Board Artillery strikes, Friendly reinforcements, to a full blown enemy counter-attack along a board edge. Currently there are missions for Clearing the Road, Recon in Force, and Hold Your Positions. I'll be developing more as I go along.

Another feature I built into the system (which I can do solo or not as desired as well) is that I have a personal leader in this game- he can improve when he does good things, devolve when he does bad things and even die ! It is similiar with the old-school Squad Leader Leader Campaign system (an oldie but still a goodie :D)

Other leaders (including armor leaders) can be generated during battle and improve, get wounded etc.

All in all, its a pretty neat system with some things that be left off if that level of detail is not wanted (like special ammo for guns and partial infantry firepower). Its currently in Word format- but has been subject to some changes- indeed that's the point of doing this "excersize" in the 1st place !

It does seem to create a narrative of its own, which I am detailing in a notebook as I play. Hopefully, when I am done with this campaign (or put it in hibernation) It'll be in a form others can use without me around as well to make sense of my ramblings !

A thousand incidents make a battle.

2007-07-02T12:32:00.001-07:00

August 16th, 1942

The small village that had existed since the time of the Tsars was systematically undone in large chunks, thrown up in the air, and scattered like a angry child's playtoy. The waves of Stuka bombs plastered the ramshackle buildings, scattering their human and non-human contents all over the place. In a few minutes, a place that had survived the centuries was torn apart, and along with it any thoughts of resistance.

Many of the surviving miltiamen did all that they could do- they fled. The doomed who were left behind put up a grim, futile resistance. They knew only one thing- to take as many enemy with them as they could amidst the cheerfully colored fields of sunflowers. The damned do die hard and a thousand incidents do make up a battle....

A mortar halftrack took a mortar round that burst just above the crew compartment. The vehicle was unharmed, but contained a pulpy, wettish mass of red offal, which the eminantly practical grendiers quickly removed to get the mortar working again....

A large group of Russians burst from the tall fields of flowers, bearing down on the HQ troop. They were gunned down like nine-pins by the MGs of the security detachment, none getting closer than a hundred yards of their intended victim. Later it was noted that they didn't have a single rifle amongst them, only a few pistols and grenades.....

Grendiers were taken by surprise when a female radio operator lept from a trench and split one of them open with an entrenching tool. Revenge was swift and savage, and even afterward, the grendiers admired the shattered corpse with the beautiful flowing blonde hair......

A young grendier was terribly shaken by the way he had to put down a screaming raving horse pulling a wagon. The shattered, bloody remains of the wagon's driver and his passengers he had gunned down with his machine pistol didn't move him at all, however......

Lying on the outskirts of the ruined village, lay the defenders of a dug-in defensive position, as if fast asleep. A nearby large bomb crater nearby told of the concussion that washed over these poor unfortunates. Ever afterward, the Grendiers referred to the location of the village as "Ivan's Rest"......

The 1st platoon was taking fire from a trenchline at the edge of the village. One of their halftracks burned merrily in the road, dangerously cooking off ammo and creating such a feroucious blaze that the platoon could not continue its assault in that direction. In addition, their respected commander lay astride his halftrack, rolling in agony as he bled to death from a stomach wound. Near him were two comrades who were shot down trying to pull him to safety. In what can be considered a charitable act, his adjutant put him down with a single shot. Taking command, he led the platoon around the flank of the trench, where no mercy was exacted upon the unfortunates they found there....

A thousand incidents make a battle... And a billion incidents make up a war......

Knock Knock

2007-06-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

August 16th, 1942 0900 hours

The clay and straw hut village sat nestled at the bottom of the rolling hills covered in sunflowers, as it had since the time of the Tsars. Clay and straw houses lay astride the dirt road that wandered in from the vastness of the steppe and led to the industrial city a mile distant. A small outpost of civilization set amid the riot of color provided by the vast fields of sunflowers on the edge of the steppe.

The small village was a flurry of activity as the Soviet militiamen scrambled to dig themselves into the brown earth. They were digging in with a purpose, as aircraft had thundered overhead earlier in the morning, presaging the violence from the air that was yet to come.

They didn't have too long to wait. A series of explosions in the distance, followed by the scouts scampering back through the fields of flowers, told of the approaching enemy. As if to punctuate their arrival, the drone of planes came from the West. The dance of death was about to start.

A kilometer away, Hans and his Kamfgruppe were approaching that village at a more cautionary speed than they had been the previous day. Two of the PSW 222 scout cars had struck mines, presents left behind by the precipitously retreating Russians.

"We will commence attack dispositions when we reach the bottom of the last low line of hills outside that village" Hans ordered into his radio. The droning of planes caused him to look up for a moment. "Our flying artillery is here. There is no time to waste. Get to it."

Hans didn't need to hear the muffled acknowledgments over the radio from his unit commanders to know that his orders would be carried out. He knew his men well. Turning to Peitor, he quiped "The die is cast. By tonite we may even get to sleep with a roof over our heads."

"Not if I know the repuation of our flying artillery overhead." Peitor quipped back, even as both sets of eyes followed the sinister dark shapes of the Stukas as they started their dives toward the unseen village behind the rolling hills.

No one is home ?

2007-06-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

August 15, 1942 10:00 hours

Filipp was a good soldier- a bit quiet, perhaps, but well-liked by the company. Seeing him lying dead by the side of the road in an endless field of sunflowers after they were all strafed by German planes effected the company in a bad, bad way.

Its not that they were not unused to death and destruction. They had seen the detrius of war long before this- long lines of broken bodies, moaning and screaming unattended on the rail platform they were debarking onto. Rumors, too, that all too common "soldiers news" of massive destruction at the hands of the invaders, were prevalent amongst them all. Neither were they unfamiliar with the harangues of the unit's commisar, whom afterward would leave them and move onto the next truck loaded with canon-fodder as they headed toward the front.

Even the death and destuction of the whole column around them amidst a horrific crashing of bombs and tortured metal, amongst which even now moans and cries of help emanated, was not a deciding factor in their decision.

It was the death of a common soldier, a good luck talisman that made up their minds for them. Before the commander and his handlers could try to regain control of his men, they were slipping away, one by one, into the tall sunflowers, leaving behind only a few living men amidst a larger group of those dying or destined to die.

Unwelcome visitors

2007-06-18T13:36:00.001-07:00

August 15, 1942 20:00 hours

The armored column stopped in one of the many balkas that snaked haphazardly across the steppe as the sun had begun to set. The Western horizon, alight as if it was being consumed by the huge, orange ball glowed into the deepening dusk.

At the bottom of the balka, with the light hand-lamps, Hans was concluding a meeting of the senior staff of the Kampfgruppe. Spread out on the hood of the command halftrack was a ragged map.

"Tomorrow is the day, gentlemen, when we kick the door open." Hans paused for effect. "According to intelligence, these small Kolkhozes on the outskirts are defended by militia and rabble left over from our breakthrough at the bridgehead. Luftwaffe support will be available from 0900 for about an hour. Division expects to be up with the bulk of its units by afternoon at the latest. Corps should be coming up by late tomorrow evening. Let's be sure we give them a proper place to billet !"

Snickers came from the dark around the map.

"You all have your assignments. Be ready to go at first light. Dis-missed".

As the men descended into the gathering gloom to find their units, Peitor emerged from the darkness and offered Hans a mug of coffee. Hans nodded his thanks and went back to peering intently at the map.

After a few moments, Hans realized Peitor was still standing next to him, also peering at the map.

"Something troubling you Peitor ?"

"Herr Hauptman, far be it for me question things that are beyond my pay-grade, but I have an uneasy feeling about this one."

"Ja. Me too. Once past these Kolkhozes we have a pretty large city in front of us. That damn grain elevator is going to be a beast to capture. The factories beyond are pretty formidable too. And if we are in the city, we have these long flanks out here in the steppe to maintain against God knows what. I hope Corps doesn't expect us to take the city ourselves- we need more infantry than we have." Hans sighed resignedly.

"All we can do is follow orders to the best of our abilities, and all will work out right. That served us well in Poland, Belgium, and France. This time its just taking a little bit longer."

Peitor shrugged. "I've served with you since the begining, and I have to say I will defer to your judgement."

Hans clapped Peitor on the shoulder. "Let's hope I am not wrong this time."

The drive to doorstep

2007-06-18T12:51:00.001-07:00

August 15, 1942 13:00 hours :

The sun was up, bright and hot in a pale blue sky. Dust swirled around the columns of the advance guard as they plunged onward, East into the vast Russian steppe. Their objective- a series of small worker's farms on the outskirts of a large industrial city.

Dust covered the columns like black soot. Human beings were unrecognizable, only goggled, non-human forms perched atop turrets and APCs. Hatches were open, as the heat was well nigh unbearable, allowing fine dark dust to coat every surface, every inch of the armored behemoths.

Hans attempted to clear his goggles of dust as he bucked to and fro from the gently rocking of the SPW 250/1 halftrack. Having removed his goggles, his highlighted eyes appeared ghostly and surrounded by a dark mask. Around him, somewhere amidst the clouds of dust, he glimped some of the units under his command along with his accompaning tank support, in wedge formation.

"Better than walking, no ?" came a playful shout from inside the halftrack's cabin, barely audible over the din of the vehicle's motor. Peitor emerged from further below and proffered his canteen.

"We could be going in circles, for christ's sake. If the scouts wanted to play a terrible trick on us we'd never know !" He grinned and took his friend's proffered canteen with relish and took a small swallow. "Argh ! Even the water tastes brackish. I might need a new aide- You'd think that an aide of mine would have the sense to at least fill it with vodka or something less nasty" Hans grinned as he handed the canteen back.

"I'll take your advise under consideration, Admiral" Peitor quipped, taking a small sip himself before stowing the bottle away in the corner of the halftrack.

"Yes, it is as if we are at sea here- a dry, brown, unending sea." Hans shook his head and thought to himself "What I would do to see the forests of my farm now. On a cool, clear autumn day, when the cool breeze whistles through the pines..."

From out of the sea of dust directly in front emerged what appeared to be a destroyed tank, causing the halftrack to turn abruptly, tossing the contents of the HQ staff to one side of the halftrack. Ghostly lumps, barely visible in the swirling dust indicated the remains of mangled trucks, tanks, and bodies of men.

"Apologies, herr Major !" The assistant driver shouted over the din of the halftrack's interior. "You'd all better hang on, we are approaching the point where the Luftwaffe smashed a Russian column coming out to counterattack the bridgehead yesterday. The scouts ahead report a large quantity of destroyed materiel. In this dust it may be a bit difficult to dodge them all easily."

"Understood." Hans shrugged his shoulders resignedly, more irritated at being torn out of his reverie than by any irritation from the rough ride. Seeing that clearing his goggles were a lost cause, he put them back on as they were. His whole world became one of swirling dust, the din of the motor, and the swaying of the halftrack.