Germans Retreat

This game represents an attempt to get a retreating German Column across a couple of waterways...

Mark Luther

The road column must go over the first bridge, down this road, and cross the far bridge.

Overhead view of the table from the western edge.

This is the wide river and the wooden bridge that the Pioneers must secure.

The German column will start on the left (eastern) side of the stream.

Besides the Marders and Bison, there are two infantry platoons with a few Pzfst 30s; two MMG sections; a three tube medium mortar battery; and (very importantly) a 37mm AA gun and a 20mm AA gun, both towed.

The main mobile defence of the column is two Marders and a single Bison.

Forming the spearhead of the column are three StuG IIIs. They will carrying a platoon of grenadiers with a few Pzfst 30s. A section of Pioneers will accompany this group.

Lend lease M4A2(75mm) with tankriders. The Soviets have a platoon of SMGers spread out over eight Shermans. The lack of handholds made me decide to only put half a squad /tank

The VVS owns the skies though and will have some flying lend-lease assets such as these P-39s

The even deadlier IL-2s

The Blinds are laid. The German lead unit is on the road in the center. All other Blinds on the road are dummies. The Soviets have a recon unit of three T-34/76s and five M-3 scouts near the river. The other Blinds near the woods are dummies.

Action get started quickly. The StuGs drop off the infantry and the M3 head to cover along the hedge, concentrating their fire at the grenadiers in the orchard to the right of the building.

StuGs get first hits on the T34s, but the German infantry is getting chewed up in the orchard.

Meanwhile the truck with the Pioneers has dashed towards the bridge. The German Big Man heads to the orchard to rally the hurting squad.

Scouts in cover. T34s holding their own. Bad dice rolls keeping the T-34s in the game. Even the panzerfausts are crapping out.

The M3s attempt to use their .50cals to take the bridge. The Pioneers take a couple of hits, but MGs and Panzerfausts drive off the scout cars.

After silencing the T34s, two of the StuGs charge the scouts and scatter them. Things are looking good for the head of the column.

Time to move out. Marders take the lead followed by a trucked infantry platoon and a towed 20mm AA

Shermans with tankriders move on.

The column needs to press on.

Shermans fan out as they come on, their SMG armed riders scramble for cover.

The StuGs are now in quite the fight.

Shermans attempt to go around the StuGs. Flank shots are telling.

About half the M4s are hit, smoking or abandoned at this stage, but are still getting past the lead StuGs. The T34 in the foreground is abandoned after losing its main gun and suffering an engine hit.

This could be real trouble for the column. Remaining StuG is in a potential M4 sandwich.

Column slows as more explosions are seen up ahead.

Lots of brewed up vehicles.

Scouts still trying to survive. Taking fire from small arms.

Remaining StuG takes out a Sherman and gets some help from down the road as the Marders spot and brew up the other M4.

The Marders manage to KO a Sherman from their postions.

P-39s spot some great targets and come in strafing with MGs and a 37mm cannon

Not a good day for this column. The P-39s are deadly with their guns.

It's good to be up here.

SPGs attempting to catch up with the lead Red Army columns took a short cut that came out on the east side of the woods. Jeep in the lead with battery commander.

They hope to be able to use their 76mm against the flank of the column.

Looks pretty peaceful from here.

The last StuG is burning in the orchard as the Marders move up to see what's left of the Shermans.

This time four P-39s come a-strafing. The column has dispersed as best it can and both AA are putting up some lead. One P-39 sees a fat column off to the north--oops it's SU-76s.

It sure looked like a German column:  and it's behind the front. Only managed to immobilize one SPG though.

The 20mm AA ges ripped up. Not much else gets harmed this time.

Taking fire from three sides (and a P-39) the SPGs are muddled about.

SMG teams and remaining M4s still moving forward. The right hand Marder is taken out by one of the remaining Shermans.

Now its the turn of the Sturmoviks. Only one comes down for a bomb run.

The medium mortar battery gets a few rounds off against the SUs. Grenadiers are firing panzerfausts from the right and across the stream.

The Bison is also shelling the SPGs.

Great position to target the SU-76s

Too many shots to dodge from the battery. The Bison is KO'd.

Two burning M4s, one immobilized and abandoned. Burning Marder and Stug in the orchard that also has the remains of the shattered grenadier squad.

The last Sherman is immobilized.

Seeing that the M4 is engaged to its front and not much in the way of Russian small arms to contend with, the pioneers attempt a close assault. The unsuccessful engineers scuttle back to the bridge.

Three T-34s, eight M4s, five M3 scout cars, three StuG IIIs and a Marder are casualties

Burning Shermans, StuGs and a Marder

Not a good place for open top vehicles, what with Panzerfausts, mortars and MGs finding the range.

The 37mm AA and MMG can be seen here. The MMGs are engaging the Soviet infantry across the table. The 37mm managed to drive away the IL-2s.

German mobile assets are down to one Marder. The Soviets have nada.

The lone IL-2 not only tried to target the SU-76s but was driven off by the 37mm AA.

P-39s nailed the column good.