We did a quick scenario with Lee running a band of Russian partisans against me as the hapless Germans. A couple motley “platoons” of Russian partisans sat under cover in hope of pouncing an escorted convoy of trucks in the fall of ’42. The road snaked through some hilly desolate terrain. Long story, short version:
the convoy
(1) German ME-109 overflew the route, seeing nothing.
(2) The over flight was followed by a 222 armored car and a couple little Sdkfz 250 halftracks carrying a small scout element—who spotted some greedy partisans “hiding” a little too close, who prematurely sprung the trap before the cheese entered.
(3) The armored infantry got out to chase the supposed few Russkis away, and the Russki MMG on an overlooking height opened up on the open topped armored car, and the partisans swarmed the single squad of Germans, wiping them out.
MMG rakes the convoy
more mayhem
(4) The armored car scooted off FORWARD, rather than back up through the swarm of ambushers—and the partisans then had to wait and see if the escapee would succeed in radioing the column behind to tell them of the obstruction.
(5) The partisans succeed in dragging or driving the abandoned halftracks (and the dead and wounded Germans) off the road and concealing them, so the juicy trucks would not be dissuaded from coming into the trap.
to the victors go the spoils
(6) The trucks, led by a single BMW w/sidecar and interspersed with a couple squads of escort infantry came on down the road. It seems the armored car must have had his radio shot out, as no warning got to the column.
(7) Disaster ensued for the column, with no survivors. The goods in the trucks (loads of winter underwear, some anti-tank rifles, mortar shells, and a nice Knight’s Cross, with diamonds, in a lovely presentation case) were all carried off or burned with the shot up trucks.
(8) The ME-109 on his way back to the column spotted the looting and took a couple ineffectual strafing runs, but didn’t break up the party.
Joe Patchen
me 109 is too late