The GMG Summer 2012 Big Game this year was a Kursk styled bash using the new Battlegroup Kursk rules from Ironfist Publishing & Plastic Soldier Company.
The German side was tasked with capturing the bridge, the strategic hill and the road and rail junction at a nearby village on the second day of Operation Citadel. The Soviets had to hold them off and fight to the end! Both sides got randomly determined Battle Ratings and the Germans had to attack in two Kampfgruppes, one on each table. While the Germans arrived bit by bit, the Soviet players elected to place all their forces on the tabletop from the start, keeping nothing as an off-table reserve. This gave the Germans a sense of forboding right from the start…
The Germans grouped their forces together – On the left table, three infantry battlegroups formed up, while on the right the Germans placed their three Panzer commanders. These decisions had been taken before the Soviets placed their forces, and so the German Infantry commanders found themselves facing large amounts of Soviet tanks behind dug-in infantry, while the German Panzer Commanders saw open ground with the Soviets having a refused flank and all the infantry heavily dug-in supported by A/T guns in bunkers and a few tanks.
It wasnt what the Germans had hoped for… Expecting the Soviets to use the open table for their armour the Germans had been out-foxed.
Left hand table, looking towards the Soviet lines;
Right hand table, looking towards the Soviet lines;
Soviet defences on the German left flank;
Looking towards the German lines on the right flank;
Looking across the table, showing the scale of the German task with a 14' x 12' table to cover!
The morning of the second day of the offensive was a beautiful sunny day. German forces pushed through the last vestiges of the Soviet first line that they had breached the day before and pushed on for the next days objectives;
Hill 207.5
The Bridge at Mikailkowa
The Road & Rail Junction at Ssumptokowa
The remaining Soviet troops still resisted, and instead of arrving en-masse the German columns were disjointed and broken up (this was represented by each German player being allowed to bring on 1d6 units per turn). The two German kampfgruppes adavnced up either side of a river, whose banks for the most part were heaviliy forested, obscuring the view from one force to the other. Their advance was proceeded by a German preliminery barrage that crashed into the Soviet lines, destroying one bunker and killing several soldiers. In response a Soviet barrage fell on the German lines, but did little.
The PO-2 Spotter… The Soviets deadliest unit.
Now a disturbing silence fell over the Soviet lines… Until the faint sound of a plane could be heard. Above the German panzer forces on the right flank, circled a PO-2 biplane. Soon the morning stillness was broken by the crump of enemy mortars rounds landing and the panzer crews hunkered down inside their machines as shrapnel pinged off their armour. In several cases the mortar fire was so heavy that more than one tank took a direct hit and even one of the Ferdinands was momentarily halted by a direct hit that stunned the crew for a few moments. Soon the sound of 20mm cannon fire could be heard as a German flak gun crew tried to bring down the enemy spotter.
On the left flank German forces came under more mortar fire as they moved forward slowly, waiting for more troops to arrive. Up ahead, Soviet scouts dug into a copse of trees called in fire, while to their left a Soviet OP Bunker directed the fire of the Katyusha battery. Behind these initial positions the German Forward Observers could make out a warren of trenches, MG bunkers and barbed wire in the village, all secured on one flank by an anti-tank ditch and minfields. As they took fire the lead troops tried to neutralise the Scouts and the OP bunker to no avail.
Behind the network of bunkers, trenches and gun positions, the Soviet commanders barked out orders to hold fire, while all the time keeping their hands tightly on the leash of the T-34 commander whose tanks sat poised for a rapid counter-attack.
Back on the right flank the German panzers continued to advance under enemy mortar fire, all the time directed by the PO-2 biplane who seemed to live a charmed life as he darted around avoiding the German fire. For the most part the Soviet mortars were ineffective, but then disaster struck. A 120mm mortar salvo landed among the Sdkfz 251 half-tracks of one of the panzergrenadier platoons, and scored two direct hits. As the vehicle caught fire the surviving grenadiers piled out over the sides, some wounded and others on fire. The two surviving MG teams made a dash for some woods as a Sturmovik dived in (the result of a morale chit) and unleashed its 37mm cannons on a nearby Tiger. When the dust cleared the Tiger rolled on uneffected. But with no Soviet ground forces in sight, the Germans could do little but advance on under the constant enemy bombardment.
Over to the left, the German infantry formations were getting bogged down trying to take out both the scouts and the OP bunker. It soon became apparent that heavy ordnance was needed and the Brummbar rolled onto the table along with the Borgward Detachment and several Panzer IVs in support of the infantry. Despite this, the OP bunker still held out and the Germans were becoming dangerously fixated with its destruction, making only slow advances up the road. To clear the way, the first Borgward was used to destroy a minefield on the road, and with the way clear the Germans moved on, but still set on destroying the OP Bunker before moving on, all the time mortar fire landing among their troops.
On the right flank two of the German panzer formations raced for the old Grain store and its railway depot. The two formations led by Tigers as the Ferdinands rolled up to the small hills nearby. As the two surviving half-tracks from the platoon that had been shot up raced in, the troops dived out. One raced into the railway yard and, while the rifle team took cover from a sniper in the building, the squads MG Team raced into the building and assaulted them, killing the spotter and taking the sniper prisoner. While this was going on, the platoon command raced into the main building for cover from the enemy artillery. As they did so the leading soldier set off a booby-trap (one of the Russian defences was 'Booby-trapped building') and it injured one man. Fortunately the unit medic was just behind him and he was not badly injured and was able to fight on (the result of a successful 'Medic' roll). From here, the platoon commander could finally look down on the enemy defences. The sight that greeted him was a maze of trenches lking up several A/T gun bunkers and dug-in T-34s. The third panzer commander on this flank meanwhile had peeled off to the other side of the road and was advancing towards the village, hoping to take-out an A?T gun bunker on a hill to his front, and then allow him to out flank the village defences. Finally the Ferdinands rolled off the railway line and took station on the hill beside the road, the gunners scanning for targets.
Back on the left flank and the Germans were still occupied with taking out the OP bunker. Their dalliance was their undoing as they were inadvertantly sat upon a Soviet Registered Target Point and in came a mass salvo of Soviet rockets. Soon one tank was a burning wreck and most of the infantry were looking for cover. Once more the advance ground to a halt and they still had to tackle the main Soviet defence line, though by now their observers could finally see them and they began calling in artillery upon them, to little effect. The German left flank was looking in a sorry state and several of the Panzer commander on the right flank began to berate their infantry colleagues for their slow performance.
Back with the panzers on the right flank and things finally began to get interesting as the Germans came into range of the Soviet defences. But before they could, two brave Soviet crews drove out to meet them, charging into the lone German formation on the far right of the advance. An SU-152 and an SU-122 came forward and although the SU-152 missed its target, the SU-122 managed to knock-out a Panzer IV, much to the delight of the Soviet troops. But that delight was short lived. A long range shot from one of the Ferdinands destroyed the SU-122 with ease, and a round from a Tiger on the other side of the railway, Tiger 231, tore through the side armour and destroyed the SU-152. As the vehicle exploded, the Tiger commander following behind 231 commented that he hoped 231 would leave some of the enemy to them… Once more the German pressed on under fire, but now they could see the enemy and the fire intentsified. Under the cover of the Ferdinands and some Panzer IVs, one of the Flammpanzer IIIs rolled up to join the main attack. The Germans on the right flank sat poised to launch their assault on the defences at Ssumptokowa. The two surviving MG teams, who were in the woods after having been shelled, got into action as makeshift AA guns, trying to get hits on the PO-2 as it circled above, but again all efforts were to nought.
However on the German left, things were still hard going. The Brummbar finally knocked-out the enemy OP bunker but still the attack trudged on, hampered by enemy fire and defence works. Things however were about to get worse as the Soviet Commander-in-Chief let his T-34 commander off his leash…
…and so it began.
On the German right, the Panzers made their attacks. With two groups fighting side by side on the left of the railway line, the third group went alone to out flank the village defences from the right. Tiger 231 led the way, as rounds from two Zis-3 A/T guns bounced off, along with shots from two dug-in T-34s. To try and damage him even more, a Katyusha strike came in, but when the smoke and dust settled, Tiger 231 rolled forward, to hal only momentarily, for its long cannon to bark and in response one of the turrets on a dug in T-34 blew high up into the sky. The Soviet gunners began to mutter that Tiger 231 was unnaturally lucky… It was the devils work. The Soviets were not the only ones put out by 231. The other Tiger commander once more requested to be left some tanks to shoot at!
On the left flank it was all much different. A swarm of T-34s were unleashed, rushing forward (using the Stal! Stal! Stal! special rule) and opening fire as they came. The wild inaccurate fire, when delivered en masse left several panzer crews shaken. Things looked dangerous for the Germans as more and more Soviet tanks surged forward. But in response to the attacks on the right, the Soviet COmmander did send the rest of the SU-152s and SU-122 over the bridge to shore up the defences facing the German right flank attack.
The Panzer on the right however ground on, crushing the enemy under foot and track! Tiger 231, still in the lead took out another dug-in T-34 while his supporting fellow Tiger blew apart an A/T gun bunker with direct fire HE. In support the rest of the armour raced forward and a wonderful long range HE round from a Ferdinand hit an A/T gun bunker and killed all the gun crew. This allowed the Flammpanzers to raced forward, their lighter armour now safe from attack by the neutralised Zis-3s. But the arrival of more Soviet assault guns made them race once more for cover. By chance the SU-122 drove over a mine (result of a morale chit) and blew up, while one of the SU-152 crews abandoned their vehicle after taking a couple of hits. The last SU-152 got into position to fire at Tiger 231, but before it could, the Tiger despatched it with two rounds through the front.
On the German left, a close range tank brawl now took place, with tanks almost nose to nose in some cases. Things looked very dodgy for the Germans as they struggled to keep troops in line with that much incoming fire, but somehow, with the help of lots of artillery they managed to hang on.
The game was balanced on a knife edge…
The cracks started on the German right flank. After a conversation between the Tiger commanders, the German threw all caution to the wind and stormed forward, the Tigers and Flammpanzers leading the charge followed by the grenadiers. The Tigers poured HE and MG fire into the Soviets defence positions while the Flammpanzers went about their deadly work, proving highly effective in cutting through the enemy fieldworks. Soon Soviet troops were running, lying dead in the bottom of their trenches or burnt alive. The Soviets were not dead yet, and a T-34 reserve rushed forwards, taking out a Panzer IV, but once more Tiger 231 took out one of them, while the Ferdinands, at massive distance, destroyed another. Finally the other Tiger commander destroyed an enemy tank! The thrid Panzer commander had now fought his way through the village flank and his grenadiers had cleared the way forward for the tanks. As the Soviets fell back to the last ring of trenches around the bridge, things on the right flank looked grim for the Soviets. To add insult to injury, the PO-2 was finally shotdown. Not by the 20mm flak gun, but by one of the German MG Teams it had called in mortar fire earlier in the day – Paybacks a bitch.
It all hinged on the German left flank. Could they defeat the Soviet counterattack? As it happened the lucky placement of a Borgward gave them the break they needed, and its detonation saw the huge charge destroy a T-34. This was followed by some impressive shooting from the German tanks, while the infantry breached the A/T ditch. The Brummbar too went to work, slamming one of its 150mm rounds into a T-34 and knocking it out. The Soviets fought back and German losses rose, but several well placed artillery strikes landed perfectly and caused more Soviet losses. Slowly, and not without loss, the Germans began to batter down the Soviet attack and the advance resumed.
With the Soviet collapse on the German right flank well underway, and losses mounting, the Soviets tried desperately to fight back, but they managed few losses, their luck seeming to have left them. The Germans followed up with yet more attacks, with the Tigers on the right flank firing over the river into the rear of the T-34s. As the losses for the Soviets continued the army finally broke and retreated, leaving the battlefield to a bloodied and battered German Army…
We had a great game, played in great spirits with top banter and a good dose of fun. Everyone made a real effort and some of the kit on display was stunning, a big thanks to Warwick and Ken for bringing us some more buildings and that really helped to lift the terrain to the point where it looked great to play on. The Germans managed an eventual win, mainly due to the crucial turn 7 going there way. For that turn, the Germans just all seemed to get every roll they needed and the poor Soviet CO had to drawn 17 morale chits in that turn alone… I hope the other players will add their thoughts and photos of the days events.
Really the result was irrelevant, we all had a great day, much fun was had and in the evening much beer was drunk! Thanks to all who came and I hope we can make the 2013 events even better.
explains a simple, quick, and effective way to base troops for Flames of War.
