A slightly different scenario is arrived at here. The Russians, being over confident, have left some artillery pieces too close to the front, and the Germans are sending in a raiding party to spike them. The raiders themselves are not particularly strong, but have plenty of support: four Sections of MMGs and one of Stug IIIGs. The guns are weakly held but massive reinforcements are nearby. I mean massive as well, and one must wonder why they are not attacking!
The guns are on top of a flat top hill and in easy sight of the Germans.
The Germans rushed the guns with incredible speed and surprised the sentries who, despite this, managed to raise the alarm quickly. Needing a cumulative score rolled on D6s at the end of every turn, the Russians managed it in two goes, so the race was on.
Well it wasn’t much of a race, and three of the guns were reached and spiked very quickly. The last gun being a bit more like hard work as it didn’t seem that anyone had been properly assigned to take care of it.
Here the Germans stopped as the need to rush forward wasn’t there. The first Russian reinforcements arrived just off the side track and in exactly the right spot for the Germans, with the Stugs and two MMGs being sat there. Just off the right on this photo.
The Russians, being bunched together, were having trouble doing anything, but below the Gunners can be seen rushing the Germans, and then being rushed back very quickly! Some reinforcements can be seen in the background. Several sections have already been shot up by the MMGs and Stugs.
The Russians, in a mess, tried to break out from their entry point. The Russian MMGs had caused some trouble, and a single section of Russians became a forlorn hope: being destroyed but also weakening the enemy MMGs enough for the rest of their force to get through. Brave but unfortunately ultimately futile!
As the Russians finally managed to get round the hill, the Germans destroyed the last gun. It is time to get away. The job is done and the Russians have got a lot of troops on the table, just out of reach though.
The Germans get away. The Russians are in shock at the ease the guns were destroyed and the blame is on one man it would seem. Mayor Dmitry Bykovski is one forlorn figure as he wanders into the woods on his own, but is called back...as apparently the Russians have one last chance to achieve something in the campaign.
An interesting game which didn’t play the way I expected at all. The Germans got to the guns very quickly and really didn’t give the sentries too much chance before they had stormed them. Then the Russians came on the table randomly...but exactly where the Germans guns were waiting for them. It was really too easy for the Germans, as the Russians couldn’t really influence the game enough.
I would have had each Russians Platoon come on at a different point as it got very messy as it was.
Well, off we go to Devyat itself for the last game in this excellent series.
Craig Ambler