STEVEN'S GUARDS TANKOVY
| SEAN'S FINN STUGS (MASQUERADING AS SS STUG BATTERIE)
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*Note: I misread the blurb at the beginning of the support section and didn't realize I couldn't buy Red Army- sorry Sean!
We were anxious for our first LW east front battle! Sean plans to buy Finn stugs, but wanted to try them out first and so ran my German stugs. We decided they were an SS division, but represented by the Finn rules! We rolled for the mission and came up with Hasty Assault. I was an auto-attack force, and so would be attacking but because I did not get the first turn I could not make an infiltration move!
TURN ONE AND DEPLOYMENT
Two objectives on Sean's side: in the small woods in the upper middle, and in front of the hill in the top right. Sean is defending with Stugs in the top right behind the hill, and in the center in the town. Pak 40s are in immediate ambush. Steven has an objective in the bottom left to the left of the swamp. Steven begins with Panthers in upper center (post recon move), and the huge T-34/85 company.
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Panthers sneak up!
Soviets prepare to move out!
SS Stugs await their orders.
Stugs on the other side of the board, watch the open ground.
The battle will be here.
Sean, heaving the first turn, sees his air support show up! They go on to show up almost every single turn!
Pak 40s spring their ambush! They open up on the Panthers (oops we forgot to roll to identify!), forcing the panthers to pull back.
The T-34s slowly move forward, firing at the paks at long range, knocking one out!
A gun goes down to massed shells!
SOVIETS none | GERMANS/FINNS Pak 40s: 1 Gun |
GERMANS/FINNS: Paks spring their ambush, and force the Panthers back. Air fails to do any damage. SOVIETS: T-34s inch forward, knocking out a pak 40. | |
TURN TWO
Air continues to hound the Panthers.
Stugs and pak 40s take long range shots on a bogged T-34, knocking out a few tankos.
The Soviets continue moving forward, bogging a few tanks, and missing the paks wildly despite pinning them down.
SOVIETS Large Company: 2 tankos | GERMANS/FINNS Pak 40s: 1 Gun |
GERMANS/FINNS: Paks and Stugs fire long range shots on the tans, doing little damage. SOVIETS: T-34s continue to inch forward, as do the panthers. The paks are pinned. No reserves yet. | |
TURN THREE
105s arrive from reserve.
On the German left, Stugs begin to push forward in an attempt to flank the large soviet company.
Planes again harass the panthers.
And this time bail one out!
Many of the tankos dismount. More massed fire from the T-34s sees off the entire pak platoon!
Some of the T-34s direct their fire to the stugs, scoring their first kill! (smoke markers are by Shawn the terrain guy Morris- we love em!)
The Finnish view of the right flank.
SOVIETS Large Company: 2 tankos | GERMANS/FINNS Pak 40s: DESTROYED "Right" Stugs: 1 Stug |
GERMANS/FINNS: 105s arrive from reserve. Shooting is ineffective this turn. SOVIETS: T-34s continue forward, dismounting tank riders! The company splits fire, knocking out the pak 40s and one stug. | |
TURN FOUR
Pioneers arrive from reserve, double timing into a wood (remember- they're Finns)!
On the Finn left, Stugs move up to a wall for concealment.
Planes again show up, targeting the usual suspects!
Artillery also peppers the area!
Knocking out the Decoy platoon's commander!
Finally soviet reserves arrive- everything!
The SU-85s brave the wood, with no one bogging down.
On the left, the horde pushes forward, firing long range at Stugs.
1 Stug on the Finn left burns.
While the remaining Stugs on the Axis right are hammered.
The soviet company continues forward.
SOVIETS Large Company: 2 tankos Decoy Company: 1 panther | GERMANS/FINNS Pak 40s: DESTROYED "Right" Stugs: 2 Stugs "Left" Stugs: 1 Stug |
GERMANS/FINNS: Finn Pioneers arrive from reserve. Artillery and planes knock out a panther! SOVIETS: Reserves arrive spectacularly! Effective fire knocks out 2 stugs across the front. | |
TURN FIVE
Planes come in Danger close! Sean risks a bog check on 2 Stugs- if they can't get away the strike will be aborted!
The final reserves arrive. "Reserve Stug Platoon".
Pioneers move forward!
The Stugs get away, just skirting 16"
105s turn to fire.
And slam into the soviets in the wheat.
A Finn flame thrower knocks out the remaining Panther!
The decoy tanks are eliminated.
Stugs begin returning fire on the SU-85s, tearing through their armor.
The planes knock out another SU-85.
The soviets shift left- careful not to move anyone further than 6", but ready to open up on the pioneers.
The last Stug in the "right" platoon is double-bailed. He passes the motivation for being double bailed, but fails the platoon morale check. (Was a platoon morale check required? We played it yes, since the only stipulation is if a team was FORCED TO BAIL OUT. He was most certainly forced to bail out. Were we correct? discuss below!)
Fire from all of the T-34s and SU-85s combined bails the company commander and 2 more Stugs, but can't drive it home!
Then the assault on the pioneers comes- and it's ugly. 3 tanks bog on the way in, with another bailed by the panzerfaust! Still, the Tankos handle themselves very well.
And despite fearless with a re-roll to counter, the Finns are forced back with 3 stands left!
SOVIETS Decoy Company: DESTROYED Large Company: 5 tankos SU-85s: 2 Assault Guns | GERMANS/FINNS Pak 40s: DESTROYED "Right" Stugs: DESTROYED Pioneers: 5 stands "Left" Stugs: 1 Stug |
GERMANS/FINNS: Finns move up and flame the panther to death! Return fire on the SU-85s knocks two out. SOVIETS: On the right, fire is ineffective. On the left, the horde assaults the pioneers, nearly losing 4 tanks, but forcing back the fascists. | |
TURN SIX
The Finn pioneers unpin and MUST seize their opportunity!
The shootout heats up on the right!
Another SU-85 burns.
Artillery again slams into the Soviets.
And in a spectacular assault, the finns charge in! Initially, they fail to damage the soviets, but the reds then fail to counter attack! The over-eager pioneers loot the tanks, then set them ablaze before quitting the field. (one team was lost in defensive fire)
The finns disappear into the woods, to strike again another day.
The soviets bring numerous guns to bear on the remaining Stugs, knocking out the platoon, and putting the Axis forces below half.
SOVIETS Decoy Company: DESTROYED Large Company: 5 tankos, 4 T-34/85s SU-85s: 3 Assault Guns | GERMANS/FINNS Pak 40s: DESTROYED "Right" Stugs: DESTROYED Pioneers: DESTROYED "Left" Stugs: DESTROYED |
GERMANS/FINNS: The pioneers wipe out 4 T-34/85s before quitting the field! Another SU-85 is destroyed, but the other two pass morale and fight on. SOVIETS: Sustained fire on the right finishes off another Stug platoon, putting the finns below half strength. | |
TURN SEVEN
5-2 to the Soviets.
What a great battle! T-34/85s play COMPLETELY differently than T-34s. I was inching them forward to maintain fire!
