Wine and Wargames an eastern front AAR

"If you are going to wargame alone you might as well drink alone."

Having not played a game in a long time I decided to get some models on the table and play a 3000 point Late war eastern front battle.  Having not played in a long time 3000 points was probably not the best place to start but I wanted to try out all the new toys I've been painting.  I fudged a few rules to suit the scenario I wanted to do which saw a veteran German grenadier company with a Trained Panther company in support facing a Udarny Strelkovy battalion. 

Deployment

Soviet deployment

Soviets; infantry was spread in a broad front with armoured support on either flank to try and divide the two german ambushes.

German Deployment (Ignore that King Tiger, didn't realize the Defender got two ambushes)

German Reserves

Ambushes and Air Support

                                   

Germans; Grenadiers were dug in and in buildings on both flanks while the pioneers were back protecting the objective.  88s had a good field of fire on the right flank, with a King Tiger and Jagdpanzers in ambush.  A Panther company is in delayed reserve.   

Turn One

Soviets

One sturmovik comes in and targets the 88s, the red horde surges forward.  The 88s in AA mode fail a firepower on the bombers and lose one gun and the command team but the last gun passes reluctant motivation.  The Katys target the Right Grenadiers and kill two teams.

Soviets move out

Sturmoviks kill an 88

Germans

King Tiger and Jagdpanzers ambush on the left.  The 88s and the grenadiers unpin.  Jagdpanzers roll well and kill four of the T-34s and the Tiger gets another one.  Left Grenadiers kill one sapper team, well the right knock two off the Strelk. 

German Ambushes pop.

With resulting carnage.

Turn Two

Soviets

All continue to advance, the Sturmoviks are shot down, the Katys kill one infantry team and the T-34s bail a Jagdpanzer. 

Soviets push forward slowly.

German right side is looking weak.

Germans;  The jagdpanzer remounts.  Germans hold still to maximize firepower but the Jagppanzers only kill one T-34 and the King Tiger gets another.  The left grenadiers kill two sapper teams.  And the Right grenadiers kill two from the center Strelkovy.  The IS 2 bounces a hit from the 88.

German shooting continues to take its toll.

Turn Three

Soviets; The red horde continues forward, with the few remaining T-34s making it into some cover.  The Strumoviks, Katys, and mortars all fail to range in or do any damage.  The T-34s use their flamethrowers and only manage to kill two the left grenadiers.  The IS2s miss their shots on the last 88.  The central strelk kills one of the right grenadiers with their flamethrower.  The sappers charge in on the left in assault.  The left grenadiers kill two in defensive fire and the King Tiger kills another two, but only reaching eight hits total so the assault goes in.  The sappers kill two in grenadier teams in assault and the rest break off and flee.  The Central strelk assault into the buildings and kill one team while the Right strelk assault fails to kill any.  The Right grenadier counterattack kills two, the strelk hit back and kill another two and win the assault.  The few remaining survivors and the 2IC flee the battle.

The infantry finally make it into contact.

And push the Germans back.

The infantry are within sight of the objective.

King Tiger and German CO are feeling exposed.

Germans; One stuka arrives as air support and a unit of panthers with the IC and 2IC  attached arrive from reserve.  The panthers move up to get shots on the IS2s but stay out of infantry assault range.  The german armour on the left falls back outside of 10 inches as well, but one jagdpanzer bogs down.  The Stuka would have loved to target the IS2s in the open but couldn`t because of the lone 88 being to close so it settled for the bunched up Strelkovy in the center and kills four.  Panthers and the last 88 fail to hit the IS2s.  The King tiger and AA managed to kill one sapper team and the King Tiger fails its 2+ stormtrooper roll to move outside of 10” of the advancing sappers.

Reserves arrive to turn the tide of battle.

Germans fall back on the Left.

Turn Four

Soviets; Two sturmoviks attack the Panthers.  The Center Strelkovy unpin and move towards the center objective.  The sappers move towards the center and the King Tiger.  The left strelkovy hang back to let the Sturmoviks have a chance at the bunched up Panthers.  The last two T-34s move to point blank range of the bogged down Jagdpanzer.  The last 88 fails a firepower to bring down one of the Sturmoviks and they kill two of the Panthers.  The katys range in on the Pioneers and kill two.  The left strelkovy use their flamethrower to kill the last 88.  The stationary IS2s totally miss the Panthers.  The central strelkovy flame two pioneer teams guarding the center objective.  The sappers try for the assault and get hit by 10 hits in defensive fire and can`t even capture the bogged Jagdpanzer.  The Center Strelk try their luck in assault and the germans who can muster 12 shots in defensive fire get 10 hits pinning them down in the open. 

Fighting is fierce in the center of town.

A beautiful target for an airstrike.

Defensive stand.

Even the Bergepanther joins in the defense. 

Two Panthers are lost.

Germans; The armoured panzer grenadiers arrive from reserve and 2 stukas come in as air support.  The Jagdpanzer unbogs itself but the pioneers stay pinned down.  The stukas target the IS2s and kill two as well as two infantry teams and the Panthers kill another.  The Panzergrens in Halftracks kill four teams from the central strelkovy and the sappers lose four teams to the armour on the left but both pass their motivation check.  

Armoured Panzer Grenadiers arrive to mop up the Russian infantry.

Soviet advance has stalled.

The Luftwaffe lends its support.

The poor bloody infantry. 

Soviets are looking thin on the ground.

Turn Five

Soviets; the right strelkovy need the encouraging of the Kommisar to unpin and move forward.  The other two infantry platoons unpin as well.  The Katys kill one pioneer team.  The central strelkovy kill the german IC and a pioneer team with their flamethrower.  When they try to assault though they are shot up by the newly arrived panzergrens and are pinned.  The sappers are shot up as well and flee the battle. 

Last ditch charge. 

Germans; No reserves arrive but two stukas show up.  Panzergrens dismount to guard the center objective while their halftracks move right to shoot up the strelkovy in the open.  The German armour on the left moves up to get line of sight.  The Panthers kill the IS2s, and the Jagdpanzers kill the T-34s. The King Tiger and AA kill the central strelkovy, and the half tracks kill four from right unit and pin them.  The Stukas target the Katyushas and kill one. 

Germans re-securing the threatened objective. 

Last of the Soviet combat companies. 

Germans Victorious. 

Turn Six

Soviets; The soviets are below half strength and both command teams are dead.  The battalion withdraws from the battlefield leaving it in the hands of the Germans. 

Review:

Soviets; I didn`t think I played the soviets too well.  I was overly aggressive with the OT-34s and should have held them back till the infantry pushed back possible ambushes.  That being said I was not too impressed with flamethrowers both vehicle and infantry with a four inch range it is hard to get more than one team of spread out veteran germans within range.  I still thought the Soviets had it in turn four until both their assaults were just stopped by german defensive fire.  The timely arrival of the german reserves sealed the Red Armies fate.

Germans;  The entrenched grenadiers barely put a dent in the soviets and highlights the need for HMG or even MG teams.  The ambush by the Jagdpanzers was very successful but was balanced out by a horrible second round of shooting.  The reserves arrived in the nick of time and the Luftwaffe began showing up with regularity towards the end which certainly helped.