Game 1
Michael Hummel - Panzergrenadier lehr Kompanie – Hold the Line.
Can’t remember exactly what he had in reserves, but on the table he had a Full patoon of panzer grens, heavy mortars and PaK40’s in ambush. I had already chosen to take my Auto attack infantry list. My right flank had 2 woods that would give me perfect cover to ‘infiltrate’ and then assault into and hopefully grab the objective. My artillery managed to range in from the get go, and I was lucky enough to clip a Halftrack, and force them to leave the table. However, on my other flank, his mortars hit my Shtraf and got 8 hits, I then managed to fail 6 of them. He also sprung his Pak40 ambush, but only managed to destroy 1 and bail 1 SU-122 from the centre. I passed the appropriate morale tests and they both stayed around. The Shtraf passed plenty of “sole survivor” tests too. I kept pushing my line forward, as my best chance would be to rush the objective before any reserves showed up. On my 4th turn I went in for the assault through the woods, and managed to kill the German platoon commander who was sadly out of command so could not mission tactics. I consolidated onto the objective and just tried to hold the ground I had gained. Without any platoon commander, his reserves refusing to show up and his Co and 2iC trying to hold back the other flank themselves there was no way he could try to contest and so the game ended 6-1 to me. Michael was really unlucky in this game, facing an Auto-attacking Infantry Company I think really threw him off balance, and not being able to get any reserves in killed it for him.
Game 2
Greg Batchelor - Breakthrough
Can’t remember for the life of me what his army was. However, it was Fearless Trained and had 2 panthers as HQ, a platoon of 3 Panthers, 4 stugs with re-roll hits in combat, 7 stand of mounted pioneers, and 6 nebs.
I chose to take my list with the IS-85’s as it gives me a bit more mobility to get onto the objectives, however, I then had to put both my SU-122’s into reserve.
I lined up my AA guns as far forward as I could whilst being supported by the smaller infantry blob and the 76mm from the God of War. In the other quadrant I had my 152’s my IS85’s in a wood, and the bigger blog ready to fall back straight onto the objectives. His set up was as expected for the Panthers and Nebs. However, when I realised that he could set up his pioneers with 3 flamers only 8” away from my lines I had a very bad feeling lol.
His pioneers moved up and managed to kill 1 AA gun and 2 infantry pinning everything, however they still managed to bounce back the assault as well as killing 2 stands in the process.
Both my 122’s and 152’s failed to do any damage to his panthers as they were advancing through the centre. My AA guns opened up on his nebs killing 2, but his Pioneers managed to pass all saves.
His turn 2 saw his panthers moving up again and killing some 152’s, whilst I carried on moving up the infantry onto the objectives. The pioneers where assaulted by my infantry whilst my AA killed another Neb.
His turn 3 saw the arrival of his Stugs which immediately began to MG my infantry blob before assaulting them. His Stugs had rerolls for his skill tests, so he was happily chewing into my Strelk, I then managed to counter attack and drag in his CO who was out of command to take part in the first round with his Stugs. The Panther died in the first round whilst the Stugs motivated to come back in again and killed another 3 stands. My next counter attack was crucial and I managed to score plenty of hits from Sappers and R/Mg teams, which saw his poor Stugs roll 3 1’s to bail, and a 2 to be destroyed vs the Sapper.
The next couple of turns saw my arty achieve nothing, whilst the panther went after the IS-85 that were gone to ground in the woods, but I managed to pass the motivation test after losing 2 of them. The game ended on his next turn after failing a Company morale test.
Final score 6-1 to myself
Game 3
Kevin Brewin – SS Kampfgruppe Spindler - Free for All
Always a great game against Kevin, the last time we met he gave my Reds a damned good thrashing, so I was nervous off the bat. As time was getting on I decided to just go for the all out advance from the get go. My plan from the start was to put pressure along the whole of his line, as his 2 King Tigers soak up a lot of points. I placed my larger Strelkovy on my right flank with some SU-122’s and IS-85’s to advance through the wheat fields. On my left my smaller Strelkovy and the Zis-3’s would be advancing. Everything went to plan, and by keeping in the wheat fields and at range he was struggling to hit my tanks. I managed to knock down his Stugs to just 1 track after they had an abysmal shooting step the previous turn that managed to only destroy 1 and bail 1 SU-122. About turn 3 my 152’s managed to finally brew up a King tiger, and that gave my IS85’s the confidence to keep advancing with the Infantry. Before both of my SU-122 platoons were destroyed they managed to really hurt the dug in Infantry, which would help the ensuing Close Combat. There was plenty of back and forth, but finally my IS85’s chewed through the infantry and AA guns. Game highlight, his last king charged in against my bedraggled Infantry, but on my counter attack the single Pioneer managed to wedge in a shaped charge and break the Germans back. A great game that ended 4-3 to myself.
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| Saturday nights treat from the Mrs :) |
Game 4
Peter Entwistle – SS Panzer Grenadier (12th SS Hitler Jugend)- Breakthrough
4th Game was against Mr Entwistle, with him being auto defend that made my choice of armies easier, as I again chose to use my IS-85’s.
After his deployment I faced him with my AA guns, smaller Strelk and some SU-122’s, whilst the rest would be used to rush to the objective. From the off I got jammy, as 2 rifle teams managed to kill some dug in SS, whilst the rest advanced into no mans land.
His first turn saw him reveal his ambush that I had forgotten about, my poor SU-122’s were now caught in the open, and would surely melt away from 3 PaK40’s, However, they must have a charmed life as only 1 destroyed and 1 bailed, his Nebs managed to kill a 152mm gun, which then remained pinned for the next 5 turns.
The next few turns saw a platoon of his infantry run for the objective, whilst my guys advanced through the open, always cautious as his reserves of Mk4’s could arrive at any time. My rifles again got lucky as they dropped another infantry team and a PaK40. My AA guns lived a very charmed life, as his Nebs failed 8 FP tests throughout the course of the game.
The deciding turns were all happening at the other end of the table though as his Mk4’s managed to kill my larger SU-122 platoon in 2 turns. I stupidly decided to go into an assault too early against his infantry, where he proceeded to kill 2 of my IS-85’s. Luckily my infantry was dragged in from his counter assault where they managed to mop up my own mess.
His last ditch attempt saw him charge into my infantry with his Mk4’s, and boy did he hit hard. They must have chewed through about 9 teams, whilst he just kept bouncing my hits, I finally got a tank and he failed his motivation forcing him to break off. My CO managed to keep my boys in check, and then the game was won.
The game ended 4-3 to me as I lost an infantry platoon and both SU-122 units. Looking forward to playing Peter again.
Game 5
Ben Allen – Rohmagyus Uteg - Fighting Withdrawal
Final game of the event, and somehow I’ve managed to win all 4 of my games so far. It turns out the mission was Fighting Withdrawal, and I’ve never managed to win this mission as either attacker or defender. So my game plan was to just kill 2 platoons so I only lose 3-4. After his forces make their first moves they are literally in my face, so I quickly measure his deployment area and thankfully he’s set up too far forward. This will end up costing him later as he wastes time moving his army back. For the first 3 turns I basically do nothing other than unpin, and try to weather the storm of breakthrough guns. My artillery repeatedly fails to range in on any of his assault guns, and my ambush on turn 1 fluffs it as they fail to hurt any of his tanks. However, they do act as a very important speed bump as they cost his a turn shooting at them. Things start to look dire as he quickly finishes off my 152’s and the ambush runs away too. My large infantry blob just holds on as much as they can, any assaults that come in I choose to break off and relocate. In the centre his Panthers get brave and advance to within 6” of my IS-85’s, however buildings are blocking LoS. He then sends in an assault against my God of War battery, I lose 2 guns, but then this luckily allows my IS-85 to break off and move out into the open to get flank shots on the panthers next turn. Also some of the God of War Zis-3 are now within 16” and flank shots on the panthers and all 3 of them quickly go up in smoke. My “larger” (only about 3 stands, Battalion Kommisar and CO left) strelkovy manage to hold out long enough for the objective to get removed, and this basically seals the deal. Game ends 4-3 to me.
