AAR Kradbishche woods 16th July 1941 pm

 

With the beginning of our next campaign turn in the Luga River battles the Soviets had a good turn with reinforcements giving them lots of extra infantry and reconnaissance forces attacking from both the north West and the East. So the Soviets widened their attacks. This gave the German defenders some problems as forces were rushed South into the woods to block the advance from roving Soviet cavalry supported by armored cars.

The Germans would have only one platoon of infantry with some supporting infantry guns and mortars of which only about 1 squad would begin on the table the rest not arriving until turn 6. It was therefore clear that to hold up the Soviet reconnaissance probe until the remainder of the platoon arrived and hope that we could then conduct a desperate defense.

The attacking Soviet will have a platoon of infantry presumably dismounted from their horses supported by a BA-10 armored car and infantry gun. We began with a reconnaissance phase single German sniper facing off against Russian foot patrol and the armored car. I had hoped that this delicate duel might last sometime as it can be up to a d6 turns before main forces arrived but the dice weren't kind and only a single turn would pass before the bulk of the forces beyond the table arrived. The single German sniper seized an objective in the woods and moved just in time to avoid the first barrage of the game. Meanwhile the BA-10 car seized the central objective and settle down to hold it. The main German force arrived with a good reinforcing role which meant that would be able deploy all of my small force together guessing correctly that the Soviets would be targeting my deployment zone with off table artillery. The main force a  9 infantry with and MG-34, a light mortar, the platoon HQ and a medium mortar , an infantry gun and an Forward Artillery observer move swiftly to try and avoid the the radius of the 152 millimeter howitzers firing from miles away and this was largely successful however as the Russian infantry beyond to deploy about about large of 152mm artillery barrage would catch my observers killing them outright a leaving my 75mm infantry gun unable to target the battlefield. One of the MG34 machine guns was also knocked out leaving me as an initial disadvantage

As the Soviet infantry began to advance supported by their own infantry gun dragged onto the board by a whole slimmer and firing over open sights my heavy machine gun pinned down some of the infantry in the fields with the aid of a light mortar I was even able to call some casualties toward the infantry sections.

However a disastrous series sequence of events would now leave the German player in a great deal of  trouble As the MG-34 caused casualties to the Soviet infantry the attacking Soviet rolled a successful  morale check and then passed their Beyond the Call of Duty test leading them to a successful heroic action. Leaping up they targeted the German  the machine gun pinning it and causing casualties the infantry by wiping out the light mortar. The Soviet  infantry gun with them rapidly followed this up with accurate piece of shooting next turn that would target and kill the crew of the machine gun with the rest of the squad still not yet on the table and in still reserve. The German Leutnant thought the better of trying to oppose the Soviets here and chose to withdraw. My BR total of 15 was reached and I had caused only 3BR loss to the Soviets.  

The battlefield 

A german sniper 

Soviet Armour car probes the defenses. Dead cow represents an objective 

Soviet recce team creep forward

German infantry gun and 81mm mortar take up position 

Infantry platoon begins its advance 

German forward observer  and infantry in cover 

Soviet infantry gun 

Geman infantry and At rifle team maneuver for a shot at the Armoured Car 

Soviet Infantry advance through the fields

more infantry advance under a artillery bombardmant 

Commisar Masinov arrives to ensure discipline 

AAR The Bitter taste of Sugarloaf - Battlegroup Pacific War Scenario

Japanese defenders set up trench lines anchor the center, a pill box with AT guns out front covered by MG bunkers covering them. the furthest flank has a sniper on ambush fire (indicated by a puff of white smoke.

The US marines deployment on the Japanese right flank, Lots of small varied teams with a dizzying variety of equipment and specialisms. The rail line is actually in a shallow ravine so we agreed a special rule that shooting in and out could only be done from with 5" of the line.

An artillery's observation bunker with FAO team. There is another off table on Half moon hill. This bunker was the only thing I placed on the ridge apart from the cave mouth which I placed nearby on the reverse slope. The bulk of the defenders would be hidden here safe from US air and artillery's strikes. The Japanese artillery's fire was efficiently suppressed all game by big off shore naval guns firing in the counter battery role. .

Marine recon teams creep forward under fire from the knee mortar section. Section protected by the trenches suppressed the marines with light mortar fire as they probed forward. Out os picture to the left is a minefield covered by the sniper and the MG bunker. 

As the marines advanced they face LMG's and individual rifle men popping up from well camouflaged spider holes. I scattered they liberally over the right hand slope of the hill pinning and then picking of marines with snipers forcing morale checks and chit draws from the very high morale Marines. I was thinking of chit draws per table foot gained towards the objectives on the hill.

looking down from the volcanic rock peak of Sugarloaf Hill - even the model spider holes on the right of the trenches. are hard to pick out. Several times I indicated to my opponent that fire was coming from a volcanic rock or simple bush! ... before correcting the model!

Ja\panese infantry emerge from cave to bring the Marines in the trenches under fire.n BUt the boot is ion the other foot with the marines making use of the excellent cover

US tank suppoprt arrives These shermans fed of lunge mines whilst they wait fro the infantry to clear the monefield ahead using the marines engineer special rule

Infantry emerge from deep cover in the caves and rush to re enforce the summit of Sugarloaf hill

 

Marine infantry reenforcements advance past thirty calibre machineguns which did an excellent job of supporting the infantry ahead

A key M|g puill box ovcerrun by close assault the LST transported the infantry close enough to begin there assault. This open the way to the summit for the marines

US air [power overwhelming (as usual) This bomb and strafing of the trench cleared the way fro the marines to capture the trench line.

Slow progress on the right flank the spider holes and mg bunker on the rail line slowed progress but air support would clwear the way here as well.

The camouflaged cave emplaced it was marked on a map before the game and the Japanese counter attack is underway.

The peak of sugar loaf hill still occupied by defending infantry

This looked grim tbut pulling Banzai chit gave some hope. I was close to 25% of my battle rating as soon as I reach that requirement the US marines would know it.  US marines reach the trenches. The bad news the squad has a flame thrower! This trench would be the focus of bitter fighting changing hand twice  retaken in the end by repeated fanatical charges this was where the battle was won for the Imperial Army.

Fine US marine BR total shows the terrible price they had payed fro there advance to two sides of Sugarloaf hill

The reduction in BR caused by playing Banzai chit makes this total look alot better than it actually was . A close run thing but a Japanese tactical victory.

ARR Retiurn the Stoyanka State Farm 16th July 1941 8am

With our second campaign move of the campaign completed on the map we returned to Stoyanka State Farm (or so we've named it). A large set of agricultural buildings on the outskirts of Ivanstoya on the West. Landser of the 6 Panzer division repelled the early morning attack by the Soviets here and are now moving to occupy the farm counterattack begins from the West.

The battlefield has moved somewhat to the West and the State Farm now takes the central position with a large forest to the north and open fields to the South. The Soviet forces having a reconnaissance counters nearby won the reconnaissance battle to deploy with the road through their deployment zone the German forces would deploy from the fields. I use the Panzer March! special rule to bring my forces quickly onto the board beginning with forward observer and some infantry. Then my three Panzer 35(t) tanks which arrived from the fields on the southern border edge whilst the Soviet's brought the horse drawn limber with an anti tank gun and a Maxim gun as their first move in their counterattack. The campaign map shows that the Soviet tanks would not arrive before turn 3 - one hex on the campaign map away from the battlefield. A good roll for re=enforcements brought almost all the rest of the German force a Schutzen platoon. An 75mm infantry gun and PAK 36 anti tank gun with their loaded teams in the next turn but I will be playing with poor orders every turn. 

This little led to a very dangerous pile up of troops arriving at the border edge on the South and east but without the orders to move them. I would pay dearly for this later. The German observer team deployed into the large barn in the State Farm using the upstairs hayloft to observe the Soviets and bring them under fire from their off table mortars. Meanwhile Soviet sniper got into position in the woods and the panzers went on to reserve fire ready for the inevitable Soviet armoured attack. This will come in turn 3 the T26 tanks driving up the road and then turning South across the fields angling for my own panzers. One was destroyed by reserve fire, a second when a mortar bomb hit it and tore it apart, but the others continued to race forwards firing as they came supported by their infantry.  Covered by the Maxim machine gun team. The orders  drought on the German side continued.

The last German infantry section deployed only having a few orders ( 3 !). The move forward was slow the German anti tank Gunners went to push their gun to the crossroads.  The German infantry Gun crew pushed their gun forward to the goat pen setting up there and taking an objective. The T26 rolled on exchanging fire with my own Panzer 35(t).  One of the panzers was pinned and another T26 was knocked out by return fire for the German tanks. 

The Soviet sniper in the woods began exchanging fire with a German machine gun team. The Germans taking cover behind a wicker fence found themselves pinned down as they blazed away at a undetected enemy in the woods on either side of the road. An excellent use by the Soviets of their sniper and spotter.

Now the Germans would pay for the orders drought early in the game as the Soviet timed artillery began four times strikes  across the board hitting the farm and the fields outside the Infantry Gun and much of the infantry was pinned although casualties were light. But this fire would return turn after turn wearing down the battle groups morale with the need to unpin infantry to try and get them to cover. The observer team in the barn were hit directly by it  pining them but only causing one casualty. With this the fire support from the off-table 80mm mortars died away. The panzers would have to defend from the tanks on their own.

Meanwhile Soviet Infantry deployed into the woods and began to advance towards the objective in the farm. The sniper talking objective in the woods by the road. Things looked grim, the the Germans outflanked and with Soviet Infantry The building only lightly held by a single infantry squad and the observer team.  Soviet Infantry used the used Urrah! special rule to advance quickly towards the farm. The Soviets were also suffering from an order's drought but made good use of their special rules to keep their forces moving forward and engaging the Panzers things looking desperate. Some of the small teams, the anti tank gun and several machine gun teams eminated by the artillery fire. There was a constant need to unpin the German troops but all together this is put the Germans in a perilous situation regarding their break rating.

With the Russian infantry poised to capture a hardly occupied farm. The Landser needed something desperate. One squad decided on a desperate action and charge from the barn to try and dislodge the Russians from the North West corner of the State Farm. Throwing stick grenades and firing their submachine guns their assault killed 5 Soviet infantrymen and the remainder of the squad thought the better of it and fled. The farm was once again in German hands but the brave Landser but left themselves very exposed.

The Soviet guns in the fields and woodland bordering the road zeroed in on this movement on the farm in the farm and open fire. Miraculously the German infantry made their cover save it seems that the desperate plan that paid off. However the Russian infantry in the woods then open fire killing two of them. The remainder failing a morale roll and fled. 

The situation at Stoyanka State Farm was clearly untenable. The commander of the battle group ordered the retreat. The German force broke with 27 BR points taken - one over there total whilst the Soviet battle group taken 22 points from a limit of 30. A hard fought and well deserved victory for the Soviet forces the men of the 6 Panzer division will now withdraw to a defence line that has been prepared by their engineers closer to Ivanshoya.