Played another game on Sunday night after some windsurfing earlier in the day. Probably not a good way to relax the sore arms and legs, but never the less it was a fun evening. This time we played a Late War game with Andrews Axis Romanian Vanatori Motorizata Company (motorised Infantry) against my Legkiy Samokhodniy Artilerskiy Polk (Light self-propelled Artillery Regiment)
Andrew's Vanatori Motorizata List - All rated as Elite - Red Bear - Infantry
HQ CO and 2ic Rifle teams with 2x 60mm light mortar teams
COMBAT Vanatori Motorizata Platoon with 4 squads - Pzfaust command
COMBAT Vanatori Motorizata Platoon with 4 squads - Pzfaust command
WEAPONS Motorizata Anti-tank Platoon with 4x 47mm Schnieder guns
WEAPONS Motorised Heavy Anti-tank Platoon with 3x TAC 97/38 75mm gun
WEAPONS Motorised Heavy Mortar Company with 2x 120mm Mortars
WEAPONS Pioneer Platoon with 3 squads upgraded Pzfaust command
SUPPORT Tank Hunter Platoon with 3x TACAM T-60
SUPPORT Tancuri Medii Platoon with 3x T-4 tanks
SUPPORT Armoured Car Platoon with 2x AB cars
SUPPORT Cavalerie Platoon with 2 squads
SUPPORT Motorised Artillery Platoon with 4x 10mm Skoda guns with obsv.
SUPPORT Motorised Artillery Platoon with 4x 10mm Skoda guns with obsv.
So Andy has 12 platoons in total. His Infantry are all MG teams so rather nasty on the defensive fire point of view, backed up by good artillery that can combine batteries if desired. His mobile element being the T-4's and Cavalry platoon. Ooh and ya got to love those TACAM T-60 models (Andy scratch built these a few years ago now and look great) I will have to keep an eye on his cavalry as Andy knows how to use these offensively to great effect
My Soviet Infantry List - Confident Trained
Legkiy Samokhodniy Artilerskiy Polk - Red Bear - Mechanised
HQ CO T-70 obr 1943 tank
COMBAT Assault Gun platoon with 4x SU-76M
COMBAT Assault Gun platoon with 4x SU-76M
COMBAT Assault Gun platoon with 4x SU-76M
WEAPONS Assault Gun Reconnaissance platoon with 1 squad and BA-64 car
WEAPONS Assault Gun Sapper platoon
SUPPORT Gvardeyskiy Tyazhelyy Tankovy Company with 4x Mark IV (Churchill's)
These are Fearless Trained and do not suffer Hen and Chicks
SUPPORT Flame Tank Company with 10x OT-34
SUPPORT Tank Destruction Company with 4x 57mm ZIS 2 guns and PTRD AT rifle
SUPPORT Strelkovy Company with one platoon upgraded to SMG's with HMG team
SUPPORT Guards Rocket Mortar Battalion with 4x BM-13-16 Katyusha's
Equipped with extra loading crew - Katy's are Fearless Trained
I have 10 Platoons and my force is built around the classic SU-76M which was a major workhorse of the Soviet army during the war (the second biggest vehicle production of these built behind the T-34) These are backed up by some Flame tanks and Strelkovy with the Tank Destruction guns in over watch.
The Mark IV's are my assault monsters that usually take the objective once the OT tanks have done their jobs. You have to be careful with the SU-76M as they do have a major flaw in not having any MG fire so are very vulnerable to infantry assault.
Table setup pre-game |
I deploy a unit of SU-76M on right side to tie up TACAM's, Sappers are deployed in central wood, the Churchill's are in middle among wheat fields with ZIS-2 guns next to them for over watch protection. The OT-34 tanks on extreme left and strelkovy unit next to them. Recon unit in middle behind buildings. SU76M deploy on back edge in middle and left side as their isn't much room and didn't want to give Andy to many artillery targets - no doubt used as a reserve.
The left side of the table - view from my side |
The right side deployment |
TURN 1
Before the game begins Andy rolls his ratings for his platoons, annoyingly the platoons on the left side are all Confident Vets (lucky swine) being the side I have decided to attack on of course, one Artillery are CT and the central Infantry are RV with the Cav being CT
Soviets 1st turn: Move my Flame tanks up left with infantry following, Churchill's advance,
SU-76M on right move into woods on right (none bog down thanks to wide tracks)
Due to hen and chicks my OT tanks fire MG at the AT guns but no luck, the Churchills manage to kill an AB car though
Tanks - advance |
Romanians: Unpins his AT guns and places his T-4 ambush on edge of wood on the left (why I didn't deploy my recon this side fails me, as I could of pushed him back further... doh) Andy sees the danger on the left side and doubles his pony unit along the back edge behind hills. The AB car moves down road towards the rear. The TACAM's shoot at the SU-76M and kill one , 2 of the small AT guns centrally also shoot but only bail one. The T-4 tanks and 75mm AT guns open up and claim 3 kills and one bailed out. The Artillery then combine batteries and place double width on OT tanks and kill one tank and one strelk team pinning unit.
T-4 ambush appear |
And the aftermath of their appearance |
Soviets: The OT-34 tanks unbails both and moves up around edge of small wood as to limit shoots from T-4, Strelkovy unpin and take residence in large farm house. The SU-76 on left take up positions behind smoke of burning tanks. SU-76 on right volley fire into the TACAM killing two. The lead OT-34 kills a artillery gun on the hill. The Katy's continue to barrage the AT guns on the left getting one and pioneer stand as well. Churchill's continue to move forward and kill a small AT gun.
OT-34 being sneaky |
SU-76M on the right at TACAM T-60 |
Romanians: Andy fails to unpin both the AT and pioneer unit. Continues to trot his horses around to the left. Andrew seeing the lack of support for the SU-76 on the right moves his Infantry on the attack and advances towards them. The AB car hides behind hill (have a feeling its the first withdrawal) He then moves his T-4's along the edge of woods to bear down on the lead OT tanks but miss. The lone TACAM kills another
SU-76M. One 100mm arty unit bails two OT tanks while the other spots the oncoming Churchill's with all 3 under template for an impressive 3 bails (let it end ! ) The Infantry on the right launch an assault against the helpless SU-76 but fail their tank terror, saved......for now.
Andys Infantry advance on right |
T-4 move over to see lead OT-34 tanks |
TURN 3
Soviets: Remount one of the OT-34 tanks, and even after the CO yelling encouragement only one of the Churchills gets back in. Both SU-76M on right unbail as well but then one bogs down in woods while trying to escape the infantry. The 2 Churchill's place fire on the hill and kill 2 100mm guns. The 3 lead OT-34's move up and pour flames into the AT guns and pioneer unit for 3 stands and an AT gun, the AT gun command tucks tail and runs in horror. The Strelkovy advance into the thin wood line. SU-76M on left bails a T-4, meanwhile the katy's have some terrible luck ranging in with four 1's being rolled.
Some flame action |
Calvary swing around behind woods |
Soviets: The Churchill's and OT-34 tanks all remount. The central placed sappers make a dash for the village homestead. The OT tanks advance on the T-4 tanks now and bail one of them with a gout of flames but miss the others completely and they fail their tank terror needed to assault them. My SU-76M fail me in time of need and miss targets left right and center, even with the volley fire re-rolls ... woeful dice rolling. The Churchill's fire into some 100mm guns and send them packing as they fail morale test needed. The Katy's manage to kill a small AT gun central.
Churchill's shoot into the hilltops |
TURN 5
Soviets: Fail to both fail to unpin the Strelkovy and Pioneers (so need a kommisar team right now) The Churchill's advance into the vineyard, as do the recce platoon and with the help of the BA-64 lifting GTG on the central Motorizata platoon, the Churchill's fire guns into them, but only one kill. The SU-76M have some overdue luck and kill a T-4 and double another one which runs, the lead T-4 stubbornly stays on ....
The Churchill's launch an assault into the vineyards which none bog (thankyou sir) but only manage one kill, after another round the Andy falls back behind the vineyard.
Heavy tanks move into the vineyards |
Andy's Ponies charge in
TURN 6Soviets: Now getting quite desperate for time and with everything pinned it isn't helping much - I luckily unpin the sappers and advance into the central building with the Churchill's pushing into the vineyards again. The central SU-76 and ZIS 2 guns and the Katy's concentrate fire into the right harassing infantry and kill 3 of them (not enough) The Churchill's only manage one kill on the central unit and then launch an assault, after three rounds I force Andy off the objective - his unit then flees as failed their reluctant motivation. But in the consolidation phase I move 2 of my Churchill's to better positions to push off future on-comers but only to have both bog down in the grapevines
Romanians: Andy withdraws his lonely T-4 tank and moves his ponies up to contest the objective.
We decide to call it here as I have little hope to take the objective now being turn 7 already as Andy has plenty of room to sneak units up to contention range of the central objective and then remove other objectives later as needed. So a 4-3 to Andy
Aftermath...... well I made too many mistakes in this game I think (I blame the windsurfing beforehand), first off I should of put the recon where the strelkovy was and used them to protect my OT-34 from ambushes. I thought the central location would help the Churchill's in the long time goal of the middle objective, but I had plenty of time to move over later. the second mistake was to not protect my SU-76M on the right, the sappers would of done a good job over there, as Andy would think twice about moving against them - well maybe not, knowing Andrew but it would of helped no doubt.
It was another good and exciting game with Andy having the knack turning into the aggressor when defending, always counter attacking when you least expect it. Another well deserved game to Andy ... mid war game next time gents ... I shall be victorious I hope ... dont want 3 nil drumming do we.
Cheers
Below ... some extra photos of Andrews Romanians
Andy's Scratch built TACAM T-60 Tank Hunters - cool models |
Nice photo of Andy's Staff team - Snowman shenanigans |