Soviet Tankovy vs Sturmkompanie

Got one more battle in over the Holiday break, and it was with Ted. Ted wanted to learn how defenses work, and was eager to try out the sturmkompanie. I rolled randomy on my list of soviet forces and came up with the "vanilla" tankovy. We decided No Retreat made the most sense, and went to town!

Steven's Tankovy HQ: T-34 (CT) 1st Company: 5x T-34, 5x T-34/85 2nd Company: 5x T-34, 5x T-34/85 Tank Rider Company w/ 1 platoon and komissar 3x SU-152 (FT) Limited Shturmoviks

Ted's Sturmkompanie HQ + 2x panzerfausts + Panzerschreck Sturm Platoon w/ 7 panzerfausts Sturm Platoon w/ 7 panzerfausts Sturm Platoon w/ 1 panzerfaust 3x Pak 40s HMG Platoon (attached to the first 2 sturm platoons) Nebelwerfers 3x Stug G 2 Strongpoints ea w/ 4 trenches and 1 HMG nest upgrade one strongpoint w/ pak 38 pillbox 6x barbed wire 1x minefield

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Objectives are both in the top left. One to the bottom right of the pillbox, the other to the bottom left of the swamp adjacent to the pillbox. Ted started with his pak 40s in ambush, and his 2 "panzerfausty" sturm platoons in their fortified positions.

"South" Platoon holdes one fork of the road.

While "North" platoon and the pak pillbox cover the other.

"First" company prepares to roll out.

Tank Riders plan to sneak through the wood. I forgot they got a 3+ save while mounted- I might have sent them in on the tanks!

UNITS IN RESERVE
Steven's Tankovy	Ted's Sturmkompanie Pak 40s in ambush. Stug Gs Sturm Platoon Nebelwerfers

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: A true soviet deployment. All in, all the time. Ted's Sturmkompanie: 2 strongpoint platoons prepare to hold the line and wait for reserves.

TURN 1

First Company rolls out!

Second company hugs the wheatfield

The heavy hitters are brought forward to supress the bunkers

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Steven's Tankovy	Ted's Sturmkompanie

TURN 1 SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: General advance. MGs blaze away, but do no harm. Ted's Sturmkompanie: Hold the line!

TURN 2

Turn two.

The tanks of First company form a firing line across the wire.

Second company, SUs, and tank riders advance on the other flank.

One of the SUs knocks out an HMG nest.

Boat loads of MG fire knock out an attached HMG and an infantry stand from North platoon.

While South platoon likewise loses a stand to concentrated MG fire.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Steven's Tankovy	Ted's Sturmkompanie North Platoon: 2 stands South Platoon: 1 stand

TURN 2 SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: General advance! Handfuls of machine gun dice tear into the German defenders. Ted's Sturmkompanie: Ted again holds his ambush and grits his teeth. Hold, men!

TURN 3

Turn 3

First company sits still and opens up with their main guns. 2 more stands of North platoon go down.

Second company does the same, but scores no kills.

An SU-152 wipes out the 2nd HMG nest just as pak 40s reveal themselves from ambush in the rubble of a factory!

3 T-34s from First company burn!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Steven's Tankovy First company: 3 tanks	Ted's Sturmkompanie North Platoon: 4 stands South Platoon: 1 stand

TURN 3 SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: Everything grinds to a halt as the sound of 24 guns deafens everyone! Ted's Sturmkompanie: Pak 40s ambush, striking back at the soviets!

TURN 4

Turn 4

The gun line

Though I could likely blast Ted out of his trenches in short order- I decide there's no fun in that! ZA STALINA!

Bunker Buster busts a Bosche building

2nd company and the other SUs clear the AT guns out of the way as First company prepares to crash into the trenches!

First company slams into the position! The infantry miss wildly with their panzerfausts in defensive fire, save for a lone bailed tank.

But the Germans don't give up easily!

They come out swinging, and knock out another tank!

First company's commander chases the German Company Commander down.

And the result is not pretty.

Only the 2iC and attached Panzerschreck survive from North Platoon.

The soviets consolidate onto the objective.

The Panzerschreck must make a sole survivor check.

But he fights on!

Finally relief arrives!

But the stugs can't cause any damage to First Company.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Steven's Tankovy First company: 4 tanks	Ted's Sturmkompanie HQ: CiC Pak 40s: DESTROYED North Platoon: 9 stands South Platoon: 2 stands

TURN 4 SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: First Company slams into the defensive positions as 2nd company and the SU-152s wipe out the Pak 40s. Ted's Sturmkompanie: Despite a valiant defense, North platoon is reduced to a single stand- though he keeps fighting, unpins, and keeps the objective hot!

TURN 5

Turn 5.

Tank Riders clear the wire on the left flank.

This SU-152 keeps lobbing rounds into the German positions.

The SU-152 commander drives forward and knocks out the pak 38 bunker like a pro.

Second company begins pouring through the gap left by First company (note that isn't a mine field in the foreground- we placed that there to show where barbed wire had been crushed).

First company wipes out the remnants of North Platoon.

In their first ever tabletop appearance, my Shturmoviks are finally set free- knocking out a stug!

The 2 remaining stugs must drive forward to contest the objective.

Nebelwerfers arrive from reserve.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Steven's Tankovy First company: 4 tanks	Ted's Sturmkompanie HQ: CiC Pak 40s: DESTROYED North Platoon: DESTROYED South Platoon: 2 stands Stugs: 1 tank

TURN 5 SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: The systematic disassembly of the front line has been achieved. Now the red armor pours through the gaps. Ted's Sturmkompanie: Even though he knows his time is limited, Ted keeps the fight up hoping for a spot of luck! First Company is near half strength, and only being confident means he could stem the tide on that flank and stay in the fight!

TURN 6

The beginning of the end

Tank Riders advance, ready to spray the defenders with SMG fire.

Second company crams into the flank of South platoon, and launches an assault!

South platoon counter attacks, but the counter attack is short lived.

South platoon pulls back as the tank riders capture their trenches!

Second Company consolidates, holding the fork.

Nebelwerfers fire a barrage...

Second Company survives unscathed.

...But where it really matters, the Stugs have been reduced to burning wrecks, and with them the Germans' hope of stopping the advance.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
Steven's Tankovy First company: 4 tanks	Ted's Sturmkompanie HQ: CiC Pak 40s: DESTROYED North Platoon: DESTROYED South Platoon: 2 stands

TURN 6 SUMMARY

Steven's Tankovy: Second company and the tank riders come down on South platoon like a hammer and a sickle. First company blows the Stugs to kingdom come and sits on the objective. Ted's Sturmkompanie: Ted fights to the last- trying to inflict any casualties he can on the soviets, but the overwhelming armor is just too much to take.

Well, I wish I could say this was a nail biter. Unfortunately, it was pretty foregone from about turn 3. Hell, I could've just sat still and blazed away with my main guns. Even needing 6s, rolling 42 dice + my SUs is going to dig infantry out in relatively short order! Having run tankovy succesful many times now, I can say that Germans should be really thinking about airplanes (especially in V3 va-va-voom!) and artillery (nebelwerfers don't cut it against tankovy, unfortunately). Nevertheless, the battle felt historical in a grim sort of way, and Ted took the whole affair in stride. I tried to keep it fun by crashing tanks into a FREAKING NEST OF PANZERFUASTS, but even that went my way. Thanks Ted!

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