1941 Eastern Front - with Field of Battle

More FoB ww2 action, with a Ukraine 1941 scenario based upon scenario#1, in the 1994 published scenario book for Clash of Armor - 'PanzerKampfe'.

This scenario was a little unique, in that I had a chance to pitch each force at either end of the command/sequence deck spectrum. 

'Hans...did you invite the bloody bridging unit again???'

The Soviets outnumber the Germans by 2:1, but have a poor sequence deck / command ability, thereby terrible rallying capabilities, and a sequence deck full of stoppages/initiative transfers (lulls) and poor co-ordination.

The German force is highly mobile, but lack reserves if it all goes wrong. Their sequence deck is 'superior'.

The scenario is semi-fictional, and involves 9th Panzer facing off against elements of the 19th Tank Brigade and 32nd Infantry Division. 

A nice game, and quite tense and close as usual, despite the vagaries of Soviet inflexibility; when they could get going - they were heavy hitting.  

The scenario took place around the towns of 'Karatin' and 'Dvinsk' with Germans attacking a rapidly waking Soviet force to the north.  

German Recce heads north on the German right along the Tokman / Dvinsk axis

German reserves in Karatin

Soviet 24th Tank Brigade elements at the collective farm estate

German assault on the Russian right, at the farm

9th Pz attempts a wide flanking movement - it is stopped temporarily, though poorly commanded Soviet light tanks are no match

Time to wake up the Russian heavies

Right hand battalion heads north - right up the middle

The battle for the farm lasts all day

Recce spots most of Russian Infantry and armour in the open - inevitable artillery strike

The KV2 could be menacing, if it can get going

Soviet infantry rushes from the left to the centre, where the situation remains very confused

Soviet assault on the German left. The recce battalion hunkers down in Dvinsk, which costs them dearly during the Soviet assault

...though they do last for a few rounds , causing much damage to Soviet troops in the open

The fight for the collective farm

Soviet assault on the left, and desperate fighting on the right

...though the Germans have an ace...or a Stuka...up their sleeve

Germans choose to reinforce Dvinsk with an infantry battalion - continuing to bleed the Soviet assault dry

...as Panzer battalions wreak havoc amongst the Russian armour

A second German assault on their left flank, starts to pay off

Russian forces pushed back again and again at Dvinsk

...the KV2 out out of action due to accurate fire from the ridge-line

more devastating incoming German artillery with targets in the open

The Soviets get the best of the fight for the farm, after repeated close assaults

As the afternoon starts to draw to a close - fires in the battered Dvinsk

...it is close to the night turn, but Russian morale is shattered

...and they fail their first test

...all over, but again, a very tense game - this time outlining the range in the rules, of tests and card draws, highlighting differences between well commanded troops and a less than effective force. Another great game.

 

'Ardennes Classic': The Bridge at Aalst: Ardennes '44 Action with Field of Battle WW2

 Another FoBww2 game, again with 20mm 'stuff' though this time in the desperate actions in Belgium during the Ardennes offensive in 1944/45.

 The scenario this time is based on the generic game, again from the old '94 'Clash of Armor' module - PanzerKampfe, by David Reynolds.

 Again, a very close game, with the Americans actually running out of morale first, but the Germans being so close that they were trading morale chips. It started off a one sided matter, but quickly devolved into very exciting action.

...a certain 75mm ATG would have too many directions to face in the end...in a Target Rich Environment

Out of shot on the top left, is the village of Aalst, and the key bridge just beyond that - the American objective, unless they can break the Germans first...

Early StuG positions are reconned and eliminated...despite these early losses on the German left, they reconstitute very quickly

The US right, which will become a challenge as troops throw themselves against German defensive works

The US left, and early capture of the village of St Marc - all quiet....

German recon units spot and pull back, awaiting their own panzers

A wide flanking movement for Combat Command B on the US right

Panzers are deceptively slow to arrive at the bridge

Remaining StuGs hope to see action in the centre, but the flanks would dominate for the morning hours

Germans stalled around the objective

Though American TD battalions are similarly stalled (through desperately poor movement card rolls in the morning turns)

German recon units move to reinforce Aalst and the bridge

The critical US drive on the left, with reinforcements in the centre, and a soon to be stymied probe at right

Action on the US right as their convoy is ambushed by PanzerGrenadiers

...then the column is hit with accurate artillery (pre-spotted on a command card, then brought down directly after on a very lucky indirect fire card)

The ambush is very effective

...and the rounds keep falling

On the US right, armour movement is slow, the Panzer force having not yet been spotted

Slow but steady movement in the centre, hoping to swing left to the objective

Carnage on the US lift on the high ground, with combat assaults supported by armour, and danger close German artillery

Combat Command A drive slowly past Virth, toward Aalst...finding that damned recon unit at last

Good progress on left (Combat Command A), slow progress in centre (CCC)...halted on the right (CCB)

Combat Combat C with the Anti Tank elements rolls astonishingly well on a drawn move card, and finally seizes the initiative, managing to outflank the Panzers, who are still stuck on the highway

Here is one of the true facets of genius with these rules...cards dictate what your units do, and initiative dictates how many cards you can act upon...but sometimes - a bad move on one side, is countered by a superb move on the other, and suddenly..."ACTUNG! PANZER!" as M10 tank destroyers are spotted on the German left.

It's horrific on the US right, as company close assaults are destroyed and pushed back again and again - it does however focus the German artillery spotting rounds and Fire for Effect, allowing the other US drives to move fast.

a little theatre...

"Can you see anything Hans?" ..."Just zeese rather large red Pom Poms Fritz!!!"

Hard to argue with a 75mm ATG at close range though...

CCC swings left toward Aalst

Dertmined US pressure forces the Panzers back - they have barely been able to move out of the town

The US assault goes in on the objective. It was touch and go for a long time in the final series of card draws, as both sides ran out of morale...

...ultimately , the Germans would fail their morale card roll...and it was all over

Another great game, and rules mechanisms which deserve to be hacked and re-modelled for many other modern periods and scales.