This was a quick and simple game based on the last ditch effort to relieve Velikiye Luki on Jan 9, 1943. I wanted to try adding Command Cards to the deck ala Sharp Practice (Sharpening Up IABSM) to see if that would give the players a bit more control over their 'plans'. This scenario seemed like a good one to experiment with, especially since I was the defending-pretty well immobilized player. Attacking Germans had 5 Command Cards in the deck and the Soviets 4.
A very nice Normandy CoC game taking place in the next table back. FJ and US Para battled themselves to a stalemate at Dead Man's Corner.
There was no bombardment ahead of this foray, so the Russians were not expecting much here. The defenders had a company with a total of eight average sections, two 45mm ATGs, two MMGs and three ATRs. All were dug in except for a weak 2 section platoon. Two T34s would arrive at the back edge on the Russian Blind card after two 'Time Cards'.
Terrain is flat moorland with a small rise behind the village.
Maj Tribukiat's force was made up of six sections from Jager Bttn 5. They and two MMG teams were in Sdkfz 251s. The armor was five PzIVF2s, three PzIIIJs, a StuG IIIF, and a halftrack with a 20mm AA gun. More than adequate to get through my defenses.
New players were a bit befuddled by the lack of visible toys on the table and had a problem with laying out their troops under Blinds. So no wedge formation with the tanks leading. The panzergrenadiers mostly swerved right and the armor left.
So much for my pregame advice.
Every shot from the 45 ATGs and ATRs missed. Usually by 1.
This is a typical new player/not really up on actual tactics/"I wanna shoot" situation.
Fortunately my dice rolls saved them from unnecessary casualties as they halted to blast at stationary non-lethal targets.
I finally had some targets that would bleed and the Russian infantry could damage. The left flank 45 ATG was as useless as the right flank one and it consistently missed. But the infantry and a MMG team did chew up some grenadiers.
The StuG came up and was a help to the pinned jagers.
Two of the 251s ran up and used their MGs to blast away the surviving members of the 45mm ATG.
My left platoon was losing this exchange despite being dug in.
These two T-34s came on table after the second turn of the "Time Card". They did get a hit on one of the HTs but it was minor.
And soon after the PzIIIs took out both T-34s. The Sdkfz 10 AA vehicle lost a few crew in its duel with the dug in infantry and ATG. It also killed a Russian platoon CO. All together the Soviets lost 21 infantry and crew along with two tanks.
The Germans managed to lose no vehicles and only a few men overall-mainly due to the Russian inability to hit anything.
I do like the addition of the Command Cards. If used properly they really allow a plan to progress easier.
Mark Luther