Eastern Front Spearkrieg (Late '43)

Late 1943 and 94th (Saxon) Infantry Division are dug in expecting an onslaught. Through the snow, diesel engines are rumbling and tank tracks start to clank. A Soviet Tank Corps is on the move!

94th Infantry (L-R, Fran, Me)

The scenario pitted a significantly understrength German Infantry Division (Myself and Fran) against a nearly full strength Soviet Tank Corps (Alex, Ian and Jon) in late 1943. Snow was on the ground, the rivers were frozen so that all units could cross anyway barring Heavy Armour (e.g KV-1s). We used the Spearkrieg amalgamation rules (because they work) and the scenario (and bulk of the figures) was provided by Alex (and Pendraken).

94th Division was deployed with 2 Regiments up, 1 in reserve. (See Stalingrad TOE). The only hidden deployment was the hidden location of our limited anti-tank guns as well as the garrison strengths of the front line villages. We were promised that a Panzer Division would be sent to assist.

Soviet Initial Deployment (L-R, Ian, Jon, Alex)

The Soviets initially deployed 3 Tank Brigades, no subtlety involved, just try and overpower the German defenders.

Massed Soviet Armour

I'd like to say that my viewpoint was very focussed on the German right so I'm going to concentrate on the actions there - hopefully Ian, Jon or Fran can describe what happened on the left.

Initial Soviet Left Flank Assault Force

The surprisingly high Soviet Command Values led to rapid advances and early pressure appeared to be applied along the line. But in some ways the lack of Anti-Tank Guns an vehicles meant that actually the Soviets couldn't actually see there opponents whilst the German could call in Artillery, Mortars and Anti Infantry Guns with surprisingly good effects.

German 15.0cm Infantry Gun - Game Changer!

Around Turn 4 the line was still holding (still no Panzers) when a message was sent to Divisional HQ from OKW, Advance! (This is based on a Spearhead scenario and a historical event). At this point I remember Fran "bravely" ordering his Engineers to leave their trenches and flme the tanks in front of them - taking out a couple of platoons (but leaving themselves horrendously exposed).

A breach.

Finally the ongoing tank fire was to much for my 1st battalion and they retreated - abandoning their positions and leaving a hole in the lines - it would have been interesting if we'd have had a couple more turns to see if the Soviets could have exploited this. Instead the towns were assaulted again and again, and again and again and eventually despite throwing back multiple assaults, the engineers fell and Jons infantry was able ot seize the village.

The Village Falls.

All in all a great game and an interesting scenario, it just goers to show that combined arms works and if you fire enough of it, even tanks are susceptible. Thanks Alex.

Vietnamese Village

Other games included Bloodbowl, a Crusaders game (sorry don't know ruleset) and a Vietnam Force on Force Game.

Cheers JR

Somewhere in the Ardennes

With the weather getting colder I thought it was time for some snow on the ground. So I threw together a quick semi-historical Ardennes game. Turnout wasn't massive so it was just myself and Fran for this one.

SOMEWHERE IN THE ARDENNES - DECEMBER 1944

Table - Fran is attacking from Right to Left. Fallschirmjagers to North, Panzers to South

A massive surprise armoured attack has wrenched a hole in the American lines and a combat command has been dispatched to delay the German Vanguard made up of 2 Kampfgruppes.

ORBATS

Germans

Kampfgruppe Schmeiller
Regimental HQ: CO (CV10), 2 x 12cm Mortars, 2 x StuG III
Pioneer Battalion (Veteran): HQ (CV9), 3 x Pioneers (F/Throwers), 6 x Engineers
Jager Battalion (Regular): HQ (CV8), 9 x Infantry, 1 x 15cm IG, 1 x 8cm Mortar
Jager Battalion (Regular): HQ (CV8), 9 x Infantry

 Kampfgruppe von Rueiller
Regimental HQ: CO (CV10), Recce MC, Grille, 3 x JagdPanzer IVL
Mixed Battalion (Veteran): HQ (CV9), 3 x Panthers, 6 x Grenadiers, SP Mortar, Pioneer
Mixed Battalion (Veteran): HQ (CV9), 3 x Panthers, 6 x Grenadiers, SP Mortar, Pioneer

Americans

Combat Command HQ: CO (CV10), 1 x Recce MC
Tank Battalion (Veteran): HQ (CV9), Stuart Recce, 4 x M4/74, 2 x M4/76, 2 x M10, 2 x M4/105 
Infantry Battalion (Veteran): HQ (CV9), 9 x Infantry, 2 x 57mm ATG, 1 x 81mm Mortar
Infantry Battalion (Veteran): HQ (CV9), 9 x Infantry, 2 x 57mm ATG, 1 x 81mm Mortar
Artillery: 2 x M7 Priest Battalions, 1 x 155mm Battery, 3 x FOO (CV8)

OBJECTIVES

Germans get a point for every fuel dump they capture intact, 0 points if dump is destroyed, Americans 1 point if evacuated or held. A point for each bridge held and a point for each enemy battalion broken.

The americans have three stands of engineers to destroy or evac the fuel. It takes 2 turns to prep for demolition and 5 to evac.

Past the last road before the river, the snow is thicker and movement off road is reduced by a third.

THE GAME

Didn't get full notes . . . woops . . . but will give it a go with what I got/remembered/make up. I could only deploy one infantry battalion on table at the start and had access to one Priest battalion at until Fran got past the first fuel dump.

The Panzers advanced steadily and drove straight around the first village avoiding my ATG which would have got a shot in the rear. A self propelled mortar was less lucky. With a combined assault with the Paras - whose battalion commanders were leaving the job up to the Regimental HQ - the first dump was taken moments before I destroyed it.

I could have accepted this if my artillery came in at all. One of the few times it did come in it landed on my own positions :(

As both flanks advanced I unleashed a few ambushes but awful rolling led to me only destroying one Panther (a second was destroyed when it blundered into a minefield.

Eventually my tank battalion deployed and the 1st company blew away a company of Fallschirmjager. Unfortunately poor fire then failed to take out the supporting StuG IIIs who proceeded to destroy them in return.

Up until the last turn it genuinely looked in the balance, the attrition had led to one of the jager battalions to break compensating for my 1st battalion and I successfully evacuated the second fuel depot on the Panzer flank. But some successful assaults and my artillery continuing to fail to come in led to 2 more depots falling as well as both bridges.

All in all the game worked well, Fran played the game to the scenario and really did his best to drive his forces on. Both sides had appalling dice and both German Regimental COs were very busy (not helped by the Panzers Recce driving into a minefield).

A few other games were played, couple of first round bloodbowl games, a Dystopian game between French and Covenant of Antarctica and a boardgame.

But I'll let others talk about that as I have no idea what happened.