I ran this I Ain't Been Shot Mum game with the idea that several friends could have some involvement in a game during the Covid-19 pandemic. Loads of pics because I was texting the game out to six people.

I sent pregame info out to two groups of three. Team Komrade Kovid as the Russians and Team von Wujan for the Fallschirmjaegers. I sent the unit rosters out to the two teams and they decided who would 'run' what. German defenders on Team von Wujan could place wire and MG bunkers and decide where they wanted units based on the pics I texted. Russian attackers on Team Kovid divvied up their units and decided how they would enter the board.

At this point it would become more dependent on what I did since I was the card puller and dice roller. Piccies would be texted out, sometimes to specific teams and sometimes to all players informing them of developments and asking how they wanted to react. I then had to interpret that and combined with the normal friction of an IABSM game, their wishes would be less than desirable. Overall the idea was to connect with friends and have a diversion during these days of social distancing. It ain't perfect, but was something.

This scenario was to depict one of the numerous Russian attacks on the III/Rgt 3 in November 41 on their lines on the Neva River outside Leningrad.

Overhead View of the Table

Russian lines are just offboard to the right (north). FJ trenches are across the back slope of ridges through the right center.

Center of the FJ trenches

View from above the Russia entry edge. Dark areas are gullies Generally denser terrain with trees and scrub along these depressions. Russians tended to launch their attacks from them.

East edge of the front line

Large trench complex on the top of this hill was the anchor for the right edge of the FJ.

View from the back left of the FJ lines

They would put a 20mm AA gun back on this slope and had 2 MMG bunkers covering the rear of their front trenches. A pioneer section was also back here. The 3 German players worked out where they would put their unit barbed wire and MG bunkers pre game. I placed the main entrenchments before and sent them pics.

View from NW corner of the table

Russians could be coming in from these 2 gullies (darker areas) on this part of the table.

View from right rear of the FJ lines

This trench also had a 20mm AA gun position and was where the reserve section, the Company CO and a Pioneer section was located at the start.

The front lines

I used poker chips to help the remote players see the relative frontline. it also gives a hint of the topography. The FJ was at the back slope because the other bank of the Neva allowed the Russians to have a great view of the front of the slope on the Nev

Pregame Stonks

The FJ had a company across the front. 3 platoons of 3 sections. Each section had 2 lmgs and smg so they had a lot of firepower. They elected to split 2 sections on their center and right platoons into panzerknackers. Their was 1 reserve section in their right rear. They also had 4 MMGs of which they put 3 into bunkers. 4 6-men sections of Pioneers were also in reserve split up in the 2 rear entrenchments.

The Russian got 3 pregame stonks. They sent me pics of where they wanted them-which are shown here as the multi-crater pieces. Lots of shock (shown by the chits) but very few casualties resulted.

I placed the FJ front line minis on the table to make life easier. At this range (the 2 frontlines were extremely close to begin with anyways), they started shooting as soon as a target was visible.

Its almost impossible to tell what a unit is at any rate. 6mm winter troops all look alike at more than 6 inches.

Russian attacks begins

Under blinds (I use the unit cards as blinds. This makes it hard to forget to put them in the deck).

The Russians had a mixed bag of troops. They had 1 company of poor troops of 3 3-section platoons. These are the ones in this pic. They also had 2 MMG teams (also in this force). 2 Flamethrower teams (Split between this company and the right hand one). They had a large company of 'good' troops of 4 platoons of 3 sections. And 3 T-34

The Team Kovid players decided who would have what support and how they would nominally command the companies. And of course where they would enter.

Unfortunately the tanks got lost and failed to show up where they were suppose to and came in a later (pregame referee fuckery).

Russian right hand attack

This was the large company of 'good' troops. The blind to the right is a dummy. These units had miserable moves to begin the game. They were waiting for the missing tanks I guess.

Heading for the hole in the wire

The FJ relied on their tremendous firepower to stop this charge. The platoon CO in the lead group was a casualty. And the whole platoon received a suppress result too.

Lead Russian platoon on the right

There was a mmg in this entrenchment along with the section. If this Russian company had gotten better initial movement dice they might have overwhelmed this section of trench even then.

Going around the wire

But this puts them into the path of a MG bunker and fire from their right

Right side FJ trenches

The MG bunker is at the top of the pic. The stonks covered the bunker but they had no hits.

Running back down the slope

Too many auto weapons. The FJ section in the trench to the left of the mg bunker was still suffering from 6 shock so didn't contribute a lot of fire.

Lots of casualties on this hill

All 3 Russian platoons from this company tried to attack the trenchwork and fell back. The FJ did lose a platoon leader here so it wasn't completely a one-sided fight.

Stalled in front of the wire

This platoon was on its own for a couple of phases with no Russian blind card coming up. Where are the tanks?!?

Defenders on their right

This trench started with 2 sections and a panzerknacker team They lost their platoon leader so the heavily hit section was unable to take off shock.

Late arrival

The 3 T34s finally appear on the second turn of the Russian blind card-which was about 4 phases in to the game. These are the 2D6wargaming models of the T34 Ekranami. Very nice models.

They came in between the 2 companies. I had a separate card in the deck for each tank.

Attack going in on the FJ left

The first assault fails.

Reserve FJ section rushing up on their right

Company CO with them.

20mm taking shots at the T34

Hitting at 24 inches plus wasn't hard but strike of 4 vs 6 armor makes it tough to damage them. I rerolled any 1s on the robustness because of the extra armour on the Ekranami version.

Lots of Russians coming through the wire here

3 platoons worth of Russians can do some damage.

Here they come

The company CO and the flamethrower team are under the blinds

One section going long

Trying to thread the needle between MG bunkers. It didn't quite get there.

T34s veering left

2 of the tanks go off to their left and target the FJ in the trenches. I asked the remote Russian players which way to move the tanks. IABSM has a lot of friction built in, but trying to control troops through texts and my crappy pics is ridiculous.

Overview of the west side of the action

This T34 is dueling with the 20mmAA. You can see how the wire was not at all continuous. There had been some earlier attacks and lots of barrages to put breaks across the line.

First FJ trench captured

The FJ section was overwhelmed in a close combat. Plenty of casualties on both sides including a Russian platoon Big Man.

Russian losers of close combat fell back

Their platoon leader was a casualty too.

Caught in the open

And still a target from MG bunker at upper left.

Random event fire breaks out

Possibly caused by the pregame stonk. FJ players asked for mortar support. Their phonelines were cut by the artillery so no support immediately. I rolled to see if the break was found. It was, but it was in the woods that were merrily burning

Reserves arrive

And just in time. The company CO can start to take some shock off and the extra section will add their firepower too.

Tanks shelling trench in the center

And not too effectively either

Flamethower!

And that takes care of that section of paras. The newly arrived company CO escapes the blast.

The Russian company commander had rallied a section worth of leaderless men and moved up with the flamethrower team.

Meanwhile the 2 Russian MMG were trading fire with the MG bunker and FJ trenches to its left.

Flame on

Tanks shooting at MG bunker now

It was enough to cause the MG bunker to miss the Russians at the wire

Tanks bumbling about

But their shooting at the MG bunker allowed the flamethrower group to hang in there longer.

AA under fire

And the other T34 tries some HE on the 20mm. It causes 3 casualties.

Second squirt

The flamethrower gets another blast off. More dead paras and more shock. Too bad there are no units left with activation. Poor troops have 0 dice with 4 men left in the section. The loss of platoon leaders really kept this company from following up their initial advance.

Panzerknacker moving in

Tanks were focusing on the MG bunker

Overview of Russian tanks

The 20mm has caused a temp immobilization hit and a shock on the left vehicle. The other 2 getting ready to move off to the right. Their is a panzerknacker team behind the trench trying to catch a tank but it keeps moving away from them.

Too hot

Slow movement from the T34s (again)

Putting a dice of MG fire on the MG bunker as they move across the front. There is a FJ big man racing over to the still shocked out (from the pregame stonks) panzerknacker team in front of the tanks

Another close assault

This time on the far left FJ position. The para hold but are pinned and have only 2 men and a platoon CO left. The blinds are the pioneers that moved up to relieve them.

Table overview

All the action is on the ends of the table. This was right before the attackers at the wire on the left were forced back, ending the Russian pressure on the FJ right.

Pioneers ready for Russians

Outnumbered 2 to 1, but they have a Lvl III leader, they hold hard cover and get extra dice for close combat.

Tank overrun

The still pinned panzerknacker team escapes any damage but causes none also.

Panzerknacker attack

After following the T34s across their front a panzerknacker team finally catches a T34 from the rear and does it in. 4 strikes to 1 'save'.

The Pioneers getting flamed

The other Russian flamethrower team comes in on the flank and torches the defending Pioneers. They beat off one close assault but this is way too much for them to hold on

Pioneers attack another T34

The right side group of Pioneers had moved up through the pines and when this T34 bogged they attacked. And failed to cause any damage. This would prove to be a tough tank.

T34 returns fire

Crew is fighting back from their stuck tank

Meanwhile on the other flank

This T34 is going after the troublesome 20mm AA gun.

Another attempt to crack the bogged T34

From the previously successful panzerknacker team. It too, fails.

Russians driven back from captured trench

2 MG bunkers combine their fire on the Russians in trench and force them to vacate.

Pioneeers try again

And fail again to take out the bogged T34

Last shot from the AA

It bounces off again. Time to run!

And another attack from the panzerknackers

This time the team that was pinned and overrun tries after finally getting shock removed. It is as successful as the 3 previous attempts!

One 20mm crushed

If you can't shoot them, run the facists over.

And back to their friendly lines...

Well, that was interesting.

It was a bloody game all right. The Russians did get into the Para trenches on one flank. But too many auto weapons would prevent them from advancing further there. The attack on the other flanked also stalled out but did not capture any ground.

Russian left hand company had 40 infantry casualties, Company Co and 2 platoon Co killed. 6 MMG crew casualties and the flamethrower team wiped out for a total of 54 casualties. The right side company had 68 casualties plus 3 platoon COs hit 1 of the 3 T34 returned to the lines.

The FJ had 14 casualties including a Platoon Co casualties on their left. The center plt had 3 casualties. Their right side plt also had 13 casualties plus their Plt CO 1 MMG team lost 3 A 20mm was crushed and lost 3 crew. The Pioneers lost 11 on the German left.

This was certainly a nice distraction from our social distancing schedule. We played it over 2 days with me getting the info out ahead of time.

Mark Luther