As promised, the second Rapid Fire battle had a distinctly eastern flavour. We used the Kamenowo scenario from the RF Third Supplement - a game which always proves difficult for either side to win.
Early penetration by German armour is normally met with Russian reinforcements and the first engagements with the T34 and KV1. Always hard fought and always tense, this version of the engagement proved no less exciting.
German Armour crosses the start line.
Hidden Soviet tanks and AT Guns begin to take their toll, slowing the advance of the panzers.
German infantry deploys on the left (far too soon as it turned out).
The real Soviet armour begins to appear by turn 6.
The Germans have however, started to deploy their heavy guns on the dominating ridgeline.
...despite sneaky T34s.
The Germans consolidate the position...
...but start to take heavy losses among the panzers.
Then incredibly, the heavy KV1 is destroyed by a lucky PzIV (early version!!!).
...and the Soviet armour gets its second particularly bad morale check. Both armoured battalions have now withdrawn, leaving the colonel in the proverbial excrement.
Seizing their chance, the Germans start to move troops into the open with armoured support, in a last attempt to take Woin from the Soviet rearguard.
But the Russkies hang on long enough...
...to force the battered German infantry to withdraw from the battlefield.
This compels the German armour to defend their position in the town, without any hope of taking it.
The result? A draw. A familiar end for this scenario. The Russians have not forced back the entire German force, yet the Germans can not hope to hold their tenuous position without infantry.
Also, we found the newer edition of Rapid Fire not to be so intuitive as its earlier cousin. We found constant reference back to HE values, and a system for Indirect fire and (especially) mortars which made less sense in game terms.
The next RF game may see the return of the 'old school' rules with what learnings we liked from the newer version.
To be continued...
