On The Road To Pochinok
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16/06/06 and 26/06/06 Soviets Vs Jez Germans
and a support Platoon of three Maxim MMGs and two light mortars. In addition I had attached a
Platoon of SMG troops, two scout sections, and two tank Platoons of four BT-7's and four T34's
respectively. Off-table support was provided by three strafing air attacks courtesy of the Red
Airforce and four fire missions from a four gun battery of 122mm howitzers. To top it all I had a
stonk available to me prior to my deployment.
My Plan was essentially to set up a base of fire with my support Platoon, stonk the southern hamlet
then attack it with tanks and the majority of my infantry. My Scouts and SMG troops were to pin the
forces in the northern and central sectors, whilst I called in artillery upon the northern hamlet.
Once the southern hamlet had been reduced my forces were to attack the northern hamlet from the
south.
In defence Jez had a Company HQ section and AT rifle, two infantry Platoons each of three
eight-man sections plus a 50mm mortar, and an MG Platoon of three MG34's. In addition, Jez could
call upon and Engineer Platoon with two ten-man sections and two Flammenwerfers, two horse
drawn 37mm AT guns, two StuG's and two Panzerjager I's. Off-table support came from two fire
missions provided by a four-gun 105mm field gun battery firing on two pre-determined aiming
points.
Whilst Jez was permitted to deploy in an around the hamlets he was only able to deploy two
sections maximum east of the road.
came up first in the opening two moves, allowing my
total force virtually to advance onto the table.
As planned I had stonked the southern-most hamlet,
although we would both have to wait to see the effect
that it had upon any defenders, once their respective
chip had been drawn. As it turned out later the stonk
had had no effect.
I took the opportunity of being on blinds to attempt to
co-ordinate my attack. Once your troops have been
spotted and they are activating on their own chips
things are much tougher.
Engines roaring, my four T-34's and BT-7's raced to
the village being spotted automatically at 'Tea Break'.
In their wake three Platoons of infantry. Jez's hamlet
garrison, dug in around, and occupying the flimsy
buildings, revealed themselves at 'Tea Break' by
making some attempts to throw grenades in
desperation at the advancing metal monsters.
However, when the next turn began with the 'German
Blinds Move' chip being drawn Jez decided to avenge
his last two defeats in style. Guns roaring, two
Panzerjager I's revealed their positions in the
southwestern corner of the table. In quick succession
two BT-7's were hit by a string of accurate 4.7cm
shells. Gun 7 Vs Armour 2 = Immobilised, engines on
fire and with damaged turrets, their crews soon
decided discretion was the batter part of valour and
bailed out. A third was forced to retreat at the next 'Tea
Break'.
It didn't stop there either. Two adjacent 3.7cm PaK35's
also opened up on the T-34's. I felt relatively safe with
Armour 7 Vs Gun 5 at that range but I didn't reckon on
Jez rolling for five penetrations with his first shot. I
deflected only one as my lead T-34's turret blew
skywards as its ammunition supply detonated. A
second T-34 was hit and partially immobilised, by the
excellent shooting of the seasoned German gun crews.
Four tanks, half my armoured force lost in one turn
alone. Ouch!
trench killing all its defenders by leading an assault with one Big Man. Pinning the defenders of one
house and killing a German Big Man, I then assaulted with two sections led by another Big Man, the
last remaining defender being summarily despached with gusto by the victorious Soviets. I had
managed to capture the eastern half of the hamlet but the western half still held two sections of
infantry plus the Panzerjagers and PaK's. I lost my third BT-7 to yet another Panzerjager I which
had closed to within 12" of the hapless tank, thereby increasing its gun value to 9.
occupy a centrally placed building and small copse. I had opened fire from the hill with three
Maxims and two 50mm mortars causing a string of wounds and a couple of kills. In turn though Jez
had managed to spot both my SMG Platoon sneaking along behind a hedgerow and my Scout
Platoon loitering around the eastern environs of the northern located hamlet. Things got
significantly worse for my scouts as two MG34's opened up from the hamlet wiping out half a
section in one turn, and a third MG killing the SMG Platoon Big Man and causing a multitude of
wounds on a section. The SMG Platoon suffered further from heavy casualties when the next turn
the German infantry Platoon's chip came up straight away and they blazed away happily at the
prostrated and frustrated Soviets.
around the remnants of my scout Platoon as the
German off-table artillery arrived. Jez had called
it in earlier and it had taken several turns to arrive
- just in the nick of time. As per the briefing he
had pre-logged co-ordinates and with only one
die for deviation he could hardly miss.
Whilst this one sided combat ensued Jez had
manoeuvred two StuG's through the northern
most hamlet and began to fire threateningly on
the flanks of my sole two remaining T-34's.
Concerned I decided to leave the two Platoons of
infantry to clear out the southern hamlet and to
deal with the threat from the German assault
guns head on. I manouvred my T-34's, supported
by a Platoon of infantry towards the centre of the
German position.
Repeated and sustained fire from my Maxims had
caused a drain of casualties on the defenders.
The SMG Platoon, though weakened, had now
been able to add a further dice to its firing for the
weight of fire of so many automatic weapons and
had even managed to kill another German Big
Man....
Jez returned a few days later to finish the game
off.
Realising from the outset that I couldn't win and
capture both hamlets, I decided just to settle
down and have a fun time. I still plumped for
throwing a spanner in the works though by now
concentrating my efforts on the northern hamlet.
Successfully pinning the remnants of a German
Platoon which had occupied a building in the
centre, I managed to switch a Platoon of my
infantry and advance to close range. A couple of
chips later, and the 'Uhraieeee' chip came up.
Led by its Big Man my Platoon assaulted and
took the building killing the defenders in bitter
close combat.
The German MMGs were pouring fire into my
prone and wound-ridden SMG and Scout
Platoons which had ceased all attempts at
movement under the weight of fire.
The southern most hamlet now degenerated into
firefights from the cover of the buildings across
the river, making it impossible for either side to
progress and push their opponents out of the
remainder of the settlement.
German PaK's and Panzerjagers, having little
else to shoot at, decided to riddle the ramshackle
buildings still further, their 37mm and 47mm
shells having very little effect other than pinning
the Soviets down further and reducing their
firepower.
Jez's StuG's were now without practical infantry
support and so wisely he decided to activate his
engineers upon the 'German Blinds' chip being
drawn. Ten men strong and with flamethrowers,
the attached the engineers appeared, as I had
forseen, in the northern hamlet and advancing at
full speed, closed to short range and torched an
entire section of Soviet infantry.
Small arms fire from the engineer squad, poured
into the hapless SMG Platoon reducing them to
their last initiative dice. Without a Big Man their
combat effectiveness was virtually nullified by
their inability to remove wounds.
Things got worse, when suddenly a Soviet
aircraft dived from the clouds and strafed two
squads of infantry that I was sending as
reinforcements to the centre.
The 'Heinies' cheered as the cannon shells
ripped through the screaming Ivan's. However,
their cries of support turned to anguish as a StuG
was hit in the flank by Soviets throwing grenades
from close range causing it do be immobilised.
Sensing a chance, the sole remaining surivivor of
the BT-7 platoon bounced across the battlefield
to within close range of the disabled StuG.
As luck would have it the 'Tea Break' came up.
The StuG, not having been activated this turn as
its chip had not been drawn, therefore didn't
need to make a roll for its crew abandoning, and
had one shot to hit the onrushing enemy. Clearly
unfased, the German gunner could hardly miss.
Cooly he depressed the button and the BT
disintegrated in a ball fo flame and exploding
45mm ammunition.
Soviet Maxim's now opened up long range fire
upon the German engineers and managed to
knock out one flamethrower, the second deciding
against sticking its nose out of the hamlet's
centre.
Return fire from the MG34's silenced a Maxim
with a lucky 17 scored on the fire effect chart.
Things got decidedly worse when the Big Man,
my Company CO failed his test by scoring a 1 on
the D10! This meant that my artillery IF it ever
arrived would be unable to be adjusted as my
Company CO was the only one in contact with
the battery.
The game degenerated now into close range and
spasmodic firefights. Neither side with the
inclination nor initiative dice to push out their
opponents. My last Soviet Platoon which was at
75% strength, failed to activate thereby denying
me the chance to swing the situation in either of
the hamlets but it was clear that I didn't have
enough troops to continue.
Jez's surviving StuG threatened at one point but
when a T- 34 came bounding along hitting the
assault gun a couple of times, but with the shells
bouncing off, the crew made a hasty retreat.
The one chink of light for me in a game of
increasing gloom came when another Soviet
aircaft dived from above, this time successfully
strafing an German engineer squad.
