The Centre of Yelna
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05/07/06 Soviets Vs Jez Germans
November 1941.
Our campaign is taken from Rob Avery's excellent "Vyazma or Bust" campaign supplement, and
available from Too Fat Lardies for their WW2 rules, "I Ain't Been Shot Mum". I cannot recommend
this too highly even if IABSM is not for you the scenarios are easily convertable for most WW2
rules.
The German commander Jez Davies, had orders to drive into the centre of Yelna and capture the
square, which will enable the Germans to control the main access points and bring up
reinforcements at will.
The entire table (below) is full of buildings with towards the centre a square, in which incidentally
I decided to put JR Miniatures Stalingrad range fountain.
two reduced Companies of Soviet Infantry; four Platoons of three ten-man squads in total, with
one AT rifle attached to each Platoon. In support were two MG Platoons each of three Maxim
MMG's, two snipers, two 45mm AT guns and the surprise package even a T-35! I also had limited
off-table artillery support from a four-gun 122mm battery. A formidable force on paper. However,
the infantry were rated as 'Poor' troops (so far in the campaign my troops were all rated 'Good')
and I make all Soviet armour and guns 'Green/Raw' for 1941 anyhow to reflect the lack of training
and inexperience of the crews. T-35's are big and look impressive, but infact are quite crap,
being slow and poorly armoured and are bloody big to hit. In practice then my force was
numerous but poorly trained and equipped. This was going to be another close one!
I had strewn various rubble, clutter and large craters across
the table to provide aesthetics, period feel and obstacles for
the Germans to hide behind, as well as a large number of
ruined buildings. There were plenty of roads both, wide and
small, to allow movement for vehicles but a number of roads
were barricaded as per Rob's scenario notes.
I was tasked with holding the town and in particular the
square. In the scenario the Soviets are permitted to deploy
anywhere east of the most westerly road. In practice this
was within 6-9" of the western table edge. I decided that my
best deployment involved me protecting the eastern half of
the town Iinitially with the majority of my troops whilst
occupying forward positions in the north with an infantry
Platoon and south with a Maxim Platoon. Hopefully this
would encourage the enemy to advance into the centre
towards the Square, passing a large warehouse where my
artillery was zeroed in. Pinned by the artillery and adjacent
snipers, who would be tasked with potting off Big Men in an
attempt to rob Jez of his superior command and control,
German movement would bog down before the enemy
could occupy the square.
Kampfgruppe Davies consisted of a six Big Men with a HQ
SdKfz 251/10 halftrack and AT rifle, two Platoons each of
four eight-man infantry sections, a Support Platoon of three
MG34's and two 81mm Mortars. Three ten-man engineer
sections mounted in three SdKfz 251/7 halftracks, two StuG
IIID and two Sturmpanzer I 'Bison', 15cm sIG33B
self-propelled guns completed this powerful force. His
infantry were Line Troops and generally good but the
Pioneers in particular were hard bastards who would prove
very troublesome.
First a question...
Ever had one of those IABSM games where you can't really
blame the dice, nor the order of the cards drawn for your
defeat?
Pure and simple you just screwed it up! This was one of
those games for me.
Fighting in an urban setting is a nightmare. The scenery
seems to suck up troops like a sponge and its easy to lose
all momentum. IABSM handles streetfighting superbly in a
way which other WW2 rules I've used don't. IABSM
captures all the 'feel', uncertainty and savagery of close
fighting making games in an urban setting my personal
favourite.
Initially, the German blinds advanced quite cautiously onto
the table across the entire length of the western table edge.
Units on blinds have four initiative dice in IABSM and as
they tentatively edged forward they spied the buildings
expecting an ambush at any point. I had 'refused' all along
the front to allow them to be sucked in. However, the
Germans spotted my northern most infantry Platoon and
moved into occupy the warehouse in the centre of the table.
Rolling a 12 they also managed to spot one of my snipers
across the square. This is one of the only times either of us
could recall a sniper had ever been spotted in IABSM!
In the south of the table I managed to spot the halftrack
mounted HQ and Engineers moving along the road
eastwards. They de-bussed and moved into buildings
adjacent to the warehouse complex. With their last initiative
dice they also spotted three of my Maxims in a adjacent
three storey building.
As my 'Blinds Move' chip came up next I could activate the
Maxims as at the beginning of the turn they had been on a
blind. All three opened up a hail of withering fire upon the
Engineers who picked up a couple of kills and several
wounds. 'Wounds' (- negative cohesian points) are as
important as kills in IABSM as they reduce all movement by
-1" per wound and -1 on the total when firing. Without
removing wounds by using Big Men and 'Rally' chips things
can grind to a halt very quickly. The effect of wounds upon
troops firing in an urban setting is exacerbated. Rob's
scenario called for a die to be used to enter and leave a
building. I decided that moving in rubble would also result
in a -2 for movement.
My own troops were hidden amongst the ruins. Their main
disadvantage was that being rated as 'Poor' they only
possessed two intiative dice at full strength dropping to
only one after losing only two men. It was important for me
to move whilst unspotted on 'Blinds Move' as it allowed a
maximum of four initiative dice to be spent on movement. I
hoped that I would be able to coordinate and move my
reserves quickly to where they were needed most whilst
spotting the Germans and forcing them to move in an
uncoordinated manner. However, once a unit, which is
hidden in cover, moves a blind is placed on the table to
indicate its presence. If I moved my reserves too soon the
Germans would know what was happening.
Across the street from the Engineers another Soviet Infantry
Platoon opened up causing more wounds upon them but
also upon the enemy occupying the warehouse complex.
Things were grinding to a halt as per my plan.
Whilst on 'Blinds Move' I decided that my CO should call in
artillery upon the warehouse complex and its Platoon of
enemy infantry. Soviet artillery arrives after its chip is drawn
three times so it was important to call early for it.
Unfortunately, it has 3D6 deviation and can be wildly
inaccurate and a double edged sword. Nevertheless the
call was made.
I also managed to spot the German support Platoon of
mortars and machine guns occupying a house and its
garden on Jez's baseline and more importantly another
German Platoon which had seized buildings adjacent to the
north of the warehouse. Jez had managed successfully to
take and hold the centre despite my best efforts, a mere
stonesthrow from his objective; the square.
Things didn't seem to be improving when I spotted Jez's
Bison self-propelled 15cm howitzers. These are really nasty
pieces of equipment, and damned useful for prising infantry
out of buildings.
A 45mm AT gun dug into a factory, on the eastern side of
the square, issued a sharp retort as its shell sped
westwards and straight into a Bison. Suffering potential
engine damage the Bison replied the very next turn
however. The 15cm shell slammed into the factory as the
Bison kicked more like a mule! The walls shook
dangerously as they registered a critical hit. In IABSM,
when firing at buildings if more ones are rolled than sixes
for fire effect the building is deemed 'unstable'. Three ones
and the building collapses, killing all its occupants. In
addition we like to count unstable hits accummulatively,
progressively weakening buildings to the point where it is
near suicidal to enter them. Being in an unstable building
forces the occupants to leave the building temporarily next
time their repsective chip is drawn.
The game progressed with the 'Tea Break' chip being drawn
quickly resulting in lots of sporadic, short range firefights of
which my infantry Platoon and the German Engineers had
the worst of. Most IABSM games I've played seem to enter
this phase. It represents the kind of lull in fighting which
reading of historical testimonies will support. All close
range units whose card has not been drawn may engage in
short range fire. Where opposing troops have moved into
cover and are in close vicinity this can be disasterous as
successive firefights can strip units of men and the will to
manoevre as they accumulate wounds quickly. It is then
that Big Men must step into the limelight and motivate their
men into activity which can often swing a game.
Anyhow, the German support Platoon was soon doing its
stuff. 81mm mortar bombs rained down upon my infantry
Platoon south of the warehouse. One MG34 targetted my
luckless AT gun killing one crew member and inflicting two
wounds, another fired at my poor sniper despatching him to
the great Gorky Park in the sky. Luckily I had two snipers
and the second was to have a great effect, more of which
soon. The third German MG, with Big Man attached, moved
up to support the much depleted Engineers.
Jez also spotted another unit of three Maxims in another
factory adjacent to the north-east corner of the square.
These had reserved dice and opened up on the German
Infantry Platoon opposite which had manouevred to take
the buildings north of the warehouse complex, causing a
string of casualties.
Jez then revealed two StuG's which journeyed northwards
to support his left flank and began to fire (and albeit miss) at
the Maxims and attached CO.
I decided that I had better start to move up my reserves and
so, upon my next blinds chip, moved two infantry Platoons
towards the centre, their blinds being placed upon the table.
I also decided to unleash my T-35. Moving towards the
square, no German unit was in a position to spot it so after
all my blinds had moved I announced to Jez that he could
hear tank engines and tracks grinding.
The rare T-35 had five turrets and numerous MG's but was
poorly armoured (at only effect 3 in IABSM) and
ponderously slow. It was also liable to breakdown. Mine is
an old Battlefront one and this is the first game I've ever
used it in!
Suddenly 122mm shells started to fall upon the warehouse
complex, my artillery support had arrived. Rolling a hit dice
initially the shells missed their target and had fallen short,
but how short? Rolling three D6 I rolled a four in total,
whew! Having a 7" blast radius the shells hit three Infantry
sections, a StuG and a Bison...good shooting comrades!
The StuG suffered minor damage but the Bison was
permanently immobilised but the real damage was done of
Jez's infantry. Being pinned and accumulating further
wounds they were robbed of being able to move into the
square, which they had been poised to do. Jez's luck ran
out too for an Infantry Platoon's Big man who, doubtless
raised his head to gaze at his unfortunate Kameraden in the
warehouse, was felled by a deft shot from my remaining
sniper.
So, the meat grinder of a game rolled on still further. By
now my Soviets were in a dire situation. Wounds had been
accumulated everywehere but things were about to get
much worse.
Rolling a lucky seventeen Jez ensured one of my Maxims
was destroyed in the factory.
As his MGs continued to fire across the square the Engineer halftracks continued to fire upon my
Maxims killing one causing further wounds. An Engineer section, lead bravely by its Big Man
assaulted a Soviet held building, keen to break the deadlock. Outnumbered, and rated green, my
men fought tooth and nail against the highly motivated and Elite rated engineers. The Soviets stoic
defense could not be maintained though and predictably the building fell into the hands of the
enemy at its defenders demise.
The air was filled with tremendous explosions as yet again my Artillery arrived. Missing but only
just the shells fell onto the warehouse yet again, pinning the infantry and further damaging the
Bison.
Jez StuGs by now were targeting the factories effectively and had killed yet another Maxim MG.
The Red Airforce suddenly appeared and strafed the victorious Engineers to little effect.
Basically to the north of the warehouse the German Infantry had suffered 40% casualties and had
only one effective section remaining. The others clung desperately to the buildings. However, they
had successfully tied down a Soviet Platoon and three Maxims and had essentially won through the
attrition they had caused. I had actually suffered less casualties but as most of my units were down
to only one intiative dice there was very little I could do.
When blinds move next came up I moved my remaining infantry platoons to the factories east of the
square in preparation for their assault upon it. At 'Tea Break' I announced that the next move would
be the last move as we had been at it for the usual three hours. I also placed my reserve infantry on
the table and placed my respective relevant chips in the hat.
decided to make a bold move on the square. Assaulting a shellhole occupied by an AT rifle, a
section of German Infantry quickly despatched him and hugged the ground which was their
objective. My T-35 fired a MG at them without much effect and then Jez drew the "Tea break' chip
from the hat. Game over! Short range fire from units which had not been motivated caused a
couple of casualties but Jez's troops had made it!
Game over. Jez had won in the last gasp. I had badly mistimed it. I had hoped, and could
reasonably have expected, that at least one of my units adjacent to the square would have seen
its chip drawn and have been able to move in to occupy it.
Jez had got the jump on me though and to be fair had planned and timed it well. He had taken his
time throughout the game, supported each move as well as possible, used his weapons
capabilities to the best effect and had ground me down.
I had caused many casualties and held him up effectively throughout the game but I had been
sadly lacking in tactical acumen and had left it too late to be able to win the game. I had relied too
much on my artillery to pin him down and should have moved my forces up earlier.
So game lost I had lost the campaign too. Yelna had fallen and the action would move to the
outskirts of Vyazma and the Germans ultimate objective. The next game would result in either a
Total, or Major, German victory and the extent of which would depend on how well I fought it.
So next time scenario 5D, the last battle - The Outskirts of Vyazma
