Battle Report - Russia 1943

 Will and I played a quick tank battle, involving a few German and Soviet tanks.  I had six PzIVs and Will seven T-34s, two of which were armed with the longer 85mm gun.  We used my own 'Tank Action' rules which I have posted on this blog before.

The setting is a rural area with a river running across the centre and a key bridge (Bellona Bridge!).  there is also a ford.  Terrain consists of a small village, some low hills and a few small woods, seen here from the German end:

And the soviet end:

Both sides, out of effective range, moved into firing positions, with the Germans closing on the bridge and the soviets occupying the high ground near the village and the village itself:

Soon the tanks were close enough for some long range shots which were largely ineffective, but first blood came for the Soviets, which saw a PzIV brewing up from an 85mm round:

German revenge came quickly and a T-34/85 was destroyed:

The battle see sawed backwards and forwards as the Germans held a line along the river and the Soviets edged forwards.  The Soviets had more success, bringing two tanks up to the ford, knocking out another of the panzers:

However the germans were now in strong positions where they could engage the Soviet tank side armour. The Soviet success in crossing the ford was short lived as a 75mm round penetrated the armour of a T-34:

The soviet tanks continued to edge forwards and soon they had a tank on the bridge:

The battle raged around the bridge, with the soviet tanks moving around the flanks and engaging the Germans at close range.  Soon there were tanks burning across the field:

In the end the Soviets ran out of steam with just one operational tank remaining.  The germans had just two.  Whilst judged to be a German victory they were in no shape to carry on and would not be able to defend the bridge without reinforcement.

A fun game and another chance to play test my tank battle rules:

Look What I Found!

Today I was ordered out to find the steam cleaner, with the task of giving the showers a good clean.  I had not seen the cleaner for years, but was sure it was in the garage.  I soon found the steam cleaner box and proudly took it in to the kitchen to dig out the contents.

To my surprise there was no steam cleaner in the box but some boxes of figures and a few other bits and bobs, but at the bottom I found these two boxes:

Now, I knew that I did not have a kit of HMS Ark Royal, that was constructed years ago and stored elsewhere as it did not fit in the box once made up.  I was totally blown away by the contents:

I have not seen these vehicles, which are all 1/87th scale Roco Minitanks, for over 15 years; in fact I had long written them off as being lost in our last house move in 2006.

The second box also contained a very nice surprise, not a coastal defence fort, but a load of Allied vehicles, again mostly by Roco Minitanks:

Again, I had given up on ever seeing these vehicles again. Who would have thought to look in the steam cleaner box?

I eventually found the steam cleaner, tucked in the corner covered in dust and cobwebs. I gave it a rapid clean before presenting it to SWMBO!

Operation Express 22 July 1944 - Battle Report

Phil came to stay for a long weekend, which gave us the chance to play a couple of wargames.  His choice was WW2 and we kicked off with our version of the Battle for Maltot; when 129 Brigade attacked the village in July 1944.

Maltot had been in the centre of fighting for Hill 112 and by the time of Operation Express it was a complete ruin.  The village was occupied by elements of 272 German Infantry Division, as well as a strong point at the Chateau on the German right flank. Once the fighting began, the Germans moved units from 10th SS Panzer Division off hill 112 as reinforcements,  This included part of 102 Heavy Panzer Regiment, equipped with Tiger 1 tanks.

129 Brigade advanced with two Battalions up; 4 Wilts on the left, 5 Wilts on the right, supported by Churchill tanks from 9 RTR. The 4th Somerset Light Infantry were in reserve.

The battle kicked off with a British artillery bombardment on the forward German positions in the hedgerows:

And on Maltot itself:

4 Wilts crossed the start line and made good progress, with A Sqn 9 RTR in close support:

The artillery bombardment forced some of the Germans back and the British infantry advanced steadily; however, the Germans recovered quickly and soon fire from the hedges, with mortar fire cut down some of the British:

Meanwhile on the British right, 5 Wilts began to move forwards, again with artillery and mortar fire in support:

5 Wilts were not so fortunate as a German 75mm anti-tank gun halted B Sqn's advance, with the Churchills pulling back and the infantry came under machine gun fire. One of 5 Wilt's companies became isolated....

Bravely battles forwards through the hedges, only to run slap bang into the newly arrived SS infantry, to be destroyed:

The SS advance continued and pushed 5 Wilts back:

A tiger tank rumbles into Maltot:

On the opposite flank things are going better for 4 Wilts, who have been joined by two M10 tank destroyers. A German Pz IV is dispatched:

And the Churchills crunch through the hedges, which have been vacated by the Germans:

The M10s take out another Panzer IV :

And a third falls victim to the Churchills; however, the M10s are driven off by a Tiger, as British infantry work their way into the ruins:

 In the Centre a brisk action takes place between British infantry and the Germans in buildings and tanks; a tiger succumbs to a barrage of PIATs and grenades:

The British push on into Maltot, suffering heavy casualties, they overcome the German defenders:

At this point, the Germans reached their exhaustion point and began to withdraw.  It is a British win at 10 - 6 points.

We used Memoir '44 rules, modified with some in house amendments.  We felt that the battle ended a little prematurely, although the Germans had lost around 50% of their tanks and most of 272 Division troops. Both 4 and 5 Wilts had lost significant casualties, but 9 RTR came of fairly unscathed.

Soviet Reinforcements

Compared to my German forces, the soviets that I will be using for my mini campaign are a bit thin. During the last week I have been addressing this by increasing the number of infantry and armour units.

A new infantry unit, in the standard format of four rifle sub units, a mortar and machine gun sub unit and a command element:

These are all Airfix figures. I have always liked the machine gun and mortar teams and it is a shame that Airfix did not produce these for the other nationalities:

I also acquired two additional Roco Minitanks T-34s; one a 76mm gun version and the other has the longer 85mm gun:

To provide a reconnaissance capability I bought a trio of BA-10 armoured cars from BPM (Butler's Printed Models) - I am not aware of any 1/87 scale soviet armoured cars from other sources:

Finally some soviet heavy tanks in the shape of these KV-1As, also from BPM:

The soviets are just about ready to take to the field.

A Clash of Steel - WW2 Western Desert

I fancied a quick tank on tank battle and thought I would give my Roco and BPM tanks an outing.

The scenario is that the British are defending a low ridge with anti-tank guns and 25pdrs dug in across the high ground. They have 2 x 25pdr, 2 x 2pdr and one 6pdr anti-tank gun units. In support is an tank regiment with Matildas, as well as two squadrons of Crusaders and a single squadron of newly arrived Grant tanks.

The Germans, whose task it is to capture the ridge, have six companies of Panzer IIIs and IVs. Notably one company is equipped with the long barrelled Panzer IV F2.

Dawn; the Germans begin their advance:

The 25 pdrs open up and a Panzer III goes up in smoke:

The Germans make their first move on the British right flank:

But the 6 pdr knocks out another German tank, a Pz IV D:

The Germans try to knock out the British anti-tank guns without success.

On the other flank, however, the Germans successfully engage and destroy on of the 25pdrs:

On the British left flank Crusader tanks rush towards the advancing Germans and fire into the sides of the slower German tanks:

A major tank battle begins on the British left and in the beginning the British Crusaders cause considerable damage:

Then, the German Panzer IV F2s enter the fray and soon the tide turns against the British Crusaders:

A Stug III advances and is quickly destroyed:

But, the German armour outclasses the Crusaders and soon they are overwhelmed:

On the British right flanks some of the Matildas rumble forward firing at the Germans, but their shells cannot penetrate the frontal armour of the German tanks. The Germans do not have this problem:

Although one Matilda gets a shot into the side of a Panzer III, destroying it:

The Germans push forward up onto the ridge and a mass of tanks fire at the anti-tank guns, destroying two more positions:

Meanwhile on the British left flank the F2s finish off the remaining Crusaders:

With the defence of the ridge crumbling, the Crusader squadrons destroyed and the Matildas taking a battering, the British commander decides to commit his Grants, and they begin to move forwards onto and left of the ridge, engaging one of the F2s, with devastating effect:

The Germans return fire but miss and the Grants take out a Panzer III:

And a second F2 loses a duel with the third Grant:

The Matildas too score a hit on a Panzer III and suddenly it is all over. The Germans are beaten off the ridge and having lost well over 50% of their tanks they must withdraw:

An excellent game that could have gone either way. The Crusaders sold themselves dearly and swung the action in favour of the British, with Grants delivering the coup de gras!










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