AAR 1941 Eastern Front: Werba by Mark Luther

Mainly flat & wet

The ground slopes up to the right. Terrain is mainly scrubby trees, bushes, and the wetlands with reeds. The Soviets are coming in from the left and the Germans are defending the higher ground on the right.

West at the top edge

The Germans assumed that the main threat would come down the road at the top of the table and deployed three Pak 35s & one grenadier platoon to cover that road with two Pak 38s further back on the rise in the woods. The remaining 50mm covered the open ground. Another grenadier platoon was dug in on the railway to protect an 88 set up to cover the railway line and the open ground in the center.

Those are big

The reason that I planned this game. Not too many actual engagements with these monsters. If they move off road there is a 1/3 chance of breaking down. The breakdown card is also in the deck. The Red Army had a huge number of tanks but the vast majority of them were in pretty bad shape and had been around since the mid 30s.

Those houses are coming closer

Well, at least they are a big target. These must have been pretty intimidating to the crew of a Pak35.

Taking fire from the trees

First air strike of the day

Both sides had a lot of planes over this area. The Germans start off with some Bf109Es attacking some Infantry moving through the bottom area.

Up the Slope

This was as far as the T35s would get. the first one takes several hits from a Pak35 and starts to burn The second tank is immobilsed and the crew only sticks around for a turn before they abandon ship. The third one gets a few shots off towards the trees where the Pak 35 btty is before it also is blazing. They were fun while they lasted.

Advance to the South

The Russians opted to send everything but the T35s across the low area in the center. The marshy & scrubby terrain tended to break up any attempt at cohesion so the infantry company was soon in three groups and the T26s were all over the place

View from the 88

This gives a nice idea of the topography of the table. The railway was elevated as was most of the main road from Ptytscha. Otherwise just scattered clumps of brush a few trees and marshy ponds & streams. The 88 has already taken out a T26.

Into the Trees

The rightmost grenadier squad is hosed by the Russian infantry but the rest of the platoon nows engages the Russkies and their lmgs start to take a toll of the advancing troops.

Burning after a Pak hit

The Pak 38 covering the center took out this T26. (Scotia models)

More Burning Tanks

Odds are that any tank hit by a Pak 38 or 88 was going to be out of the game. But there were nine of the little fellers and lots of infantry  and just two guns pointing in this direction.

The Advance Continues

Most of the Russian infantry escaped being shot at by the grenadiers. They did take a few hits from the air though. (brown cards are unidentified Russian units)

Firefight Continues

The Pak 35 was manhandled out of the woods occupied by the Ivans. The veteran grenadiers with their lmgs soon got the best of the Red rifle squads.

Firing as fast as they can

They had an abundance of targets. (GHQ 88 w/ Adler crew)

Coming in for another run

Bf109E lining up on some T26s. Their presence really helped the defenders and slowed down the Russians.

Yet another Red on Red

Aside from one off target strike on the 88, the SU2s only attacked their own troops. Fortunately, they were not very accurate aiming at their countrymen either.

More burning tanks

The 88 took out something everytime it had a chance. Some of the tanks fired back, but their mgs did very little damage.

Wrong Target

Another strafing run

The 109Es made several runs over the table. This one is catching some horse drawn MMGs and infantry. (Navwar model- I really like the Raiden one).

Not quite the promised land

Some Russian units (76mm Inf gun, an infantry platoon, the Company Commander and the Commissar) try to organize themselves after crossing the open ground and getting bombed by the VVS.

Trying to work behind the Grenadiers

Most of a platoon following their CO heads up slope into some brush. A MMG team has just moved into place to cover that angle though.

Follow the trail of hulks

Gaz trucks carrying some medium mortars negoatiate the bottom land and burning T26s on their way off board. (It might have been better to use the mortars to target some German defenders)

Valley of Victims

The 88 managed to KO several T26s on their way across the table. The only one that was a real threat had engine damage and the crew bailed out when they got to cover.

If they can see it they can hit it

I think this picture sums up why I like gaming in 6mm. It allows weapon systems to correspond closer to their actual capabilities. I really can't stand games where the barrel of a weapon is 100 yds in ground scale. In 6mm, IABSM is almost 1 to 1 ground scale. Hitting things on the opposite corner of the table is nice. This also gives a good idea of the table terrain.

Firefight in the trees

The two remaining grenadier squads manage to hold off the assualting Russians and kill their CO. The MMG and ATG behind the trees is firing off to their right.

More Russians Stymied

After getting some scrub on the slope the two Russian squads are chewed up and their CO also killed by a MMG team.

Face off between Pak38 & T26

The Pak misses its first shot and the twin MG tank returns fire taking out half the crew, but the next shot blows the T26 up. The Red infantry in the trees will overrun the ATG in the next couple of turns.

Friendly Fire

After running the gauntlet of Pak 38 and 88, the Soviets thought they had reached some cover. The I153s must have assumed that anything on this side of the table was German. No big casualties just some wounds & pinned results.

Panzers to the rescue

Most of the armor was attacking back to the west when this breakout attempt was discovered. This mixed platoon of two PzIVs and three PzIIIs was called back to help out with the defense.

Second wave

A follow-up company of BT-7s and infantry finally makes it on to the table. Probably not too happy to see the smoking T35s in front of their advance.

Final showdown coming

Both the Panzers and the second wave of Reds show up at the same time (neither sides' Blind cards came up for several turns).

Some nice new targets

Probably the reason for the delay in getting on table was getting blasted by the Luftwaffe. On this pass, the Me-110 manages to unload a couple of bombs that miss everything.

Into the open

Heading toward the sound of small arms!

New threat emerges

By this time the grenadiers in the woods are feeling a little overwhelmed. They've held off one platoon that got right next to them, & another platoon that tries to get behind them.

Looks like a head on clash coming

As the BT-7s weave between the burning and/or abandoned T-35s, the Panzers head towrds the smoking hulks. The first exchanges immobilze a Pz III and KOs a couple of BT-7s.

Action in the center

The grenadier platoon guarding the RR catches up to the tail of the Soviets-a couple of horse drawn MMgs and some trucks carrying mortars. The MMGs ahd deployed using the cover of burning T-26s to give some fire support to the units moving up slope. They weren't expecting to be attacked from this direction.

Better late than never

The grenadier platoon spent most of the game watching Russians heading across their left flank. They were reluctant to leave their positions because they knew there had to be something that was going to use the road/RR route. Alas, nothing ever appeared so they headed out to try to catch the groups coming through the flat area. They manage to take out the MMGs and then start to chew up the Russkies that made it into the trees at the south edge of the table.

Face off on the road

The 2 lead tanks in ech column get off some shots and the Pak35 in the woods also hits a BT7. End result is 2 KO'ed BTs, one immobilised PzIII and another PzIII forced to retire

Red infantry starts to spread out

They avoid a few 88mm shells thrown their way for the most part and start to take some fire as they move up slope. It wil be hard for one Big Man to keep this unit moving once they start taking hits.

Actually going after the right targets this time

One of the I153s strafes the Panzers, but does no damages with its mgs. (Hope it can pull out of that dive)

Infantry in the open

Hard to resist this mass. The Me-110 manages to pin a whole bunch of Ivans.

Can't outrun the Luftwaffe

The remaining BT7s decide to go to the right and use the cover of the slope to avoid the Panzers they know are on the ridge. But the ever present air support stills catches the tanks and forces another to bail.

Russkies going full tilt

This is probably the high water mark for the Soviets.

Targets for the Pak38

This ATG has been waiting patiently the entire game for something to come into view and finally gets a shot. Notice the lone PzIII that was forced to retire last turn

Another look at the Soviet attack

The Panzers went right and encounter infantry coming up the slope. The PzIII that was heading to the rear spots the flanking BTs and alerts its comrades who manage to move to cover the flank next turn.

Not expecting to see each other

Panzers were hunting for Russian tanks and Red inf surprised to run into the MkIV.

One more run by a 110

The twin 20mm managed to damage one of the BTs(turret jam) causing the crew to bail.

Another view of the front

Can the BT7s make it around the flank? Will the Russkies overwhelm the grenadiers?

Still lots of Ivans

The left platoon is pretty well chewed up, requiring some attention by the CO, but the other 2 pla are really only getting stymied by the Panzers. 105 ranging round looks pretty darn close to the Germans

Time for the Grenadiers to run

The German 105s start to arrive, (also hitting some Germans). The survivors will have to hope their Panzer comrades can cover their retreat. Only one Big Man in the 2nd Russian coy will make it hard to keep the Russkies moving in the face of the tanks and arty.

Out of Russian tanks & German Inf

The remaining BT7 looks kinda lonely there. At this point the German artillery is coming down, The 2nd Russian inf coy is getting pinned by the arty and panzers and the grenadiers are hoping to sneak out, so we decided to call it quits