Stukas swoop in to engage T34s from behind!
The second game was against Lothlann's Soviets and he was running Soviet Infantry (the trained sort) and we rolled up Breakthrough. I was using the same list as the first battle and was on the opposite side of the board as last game. Lothlann's list looked something like this:
HQ
Bn HQ
Combat
Infantry Company (trained) with .50 Cal on stick AA
Infantry Company (trained) with .50 Cal on stick AA
Support
Heavy Mortars
5 x T34s
4 x Assault guns
3 x Recce Cars
8 x Stuarts
GROUND ORIENTATION / DEPLOYMENT
Objectives are near the centre of the board with one by the church and the other on the opposite side of the curve
Recce move brings the Panzer II's around the corner and just outside of 16" from the dug in infantry
Panzer III M's, OC and 2IC prepare to advance against dug in infantry, mortars and the flank of the T34s
TURN 1
Panzer II's move to be in Machine gun range while M's advance to engage T34s and Heavy Mortars. An ill fated assault from the Russian Infantry is repulsed by defensive fire from 4 Panzer's!
T34's change position and engage the tanks on their flank
Casualties
Panzers
Soviets
6 x Soviet infantry stands
TURN 2
Soviet Stuarts arrive from reserve only to be met by Stukas!
The assault on the first platoon went so well that the Panzer's continue to push into the Soviet infantry. The OC is bailed but jumps tanks to fight on
Panzer II's continue to advance against the infantry
Stukas manage to bail 4 tanks but destroy none, I think I may stick with bombs in the future
Russian infantry advance to use their flame thrower only to find the German tanks have Storm trooper moved out of line of sight!
T34s engage the Panzer II's bailing 2 of them while the Heavy Mortars are reduced to a single stand
The 3 Stuarts that weren't bailed advance on the centre of the board
Casualties
Panzers
1 x Panzer III M
Soviets
Soviet infantry platoon
4 x Soviet infantry stands
3 x Heavy Mortars and platoon commander
TURN 3
Stukas and Panzer IV H combine fire to destroy a tank and bail another 2, the remaining Soviet infantry is gunned down by machine gun fire
Panzer II's move to engage the Stuarts near the centre of the board and as luck would have they destroy the platoon commander tank. Assault guns and Recce cars advance to protect the Stuarts and destroy a Panzer IV E
Casualties
Panzers
1 x Panzer III M
Soviets
Soviet infantry platoon
Soviet infantry platoon
Stuart platoon commander
1 x T34
3 x Heavy Mortars and platoon commander
TURN 4
Tanks jockey position to take advantage of concealing smoke. Newly arrived assault guns lose two of their number to Panzer IV E fire. The assault guns return fire destroys the Panzer IV E's to a man
Stukas again swoop in destroying a Stuart and a Recce car
In a daring move a Panzer III exposes its flank to kill the Russian OC, the gamble pays off and the old man is gunned down followed quickly by the remaining heavy mortar. The remaining Panzers pour fire into the T34s destroying another one and bailing 2 more
Panzer IIs continue to engage the Stuarts, bailing one
Casualties
Panzers
1 x Panzer III M
Panzer IV E platoon
Soviets
Soviet infantry platoon
Soviet infantry platoon
2 x Stuarts (one is the platoon commander)
2 x T34
2 x Assault guns
1 x Recce car
Heavy Mortars platoon
TURN 5
Having destroyed the Panzer IV E platoon the assault guns and Recce cars move towards the centre of the table, only to be engaged again by Stukas which bail both assault guns and a Recce car
The short range duel continues until the beginning of the next turn when the Soviets below half and without their OC leave the field. There is no doubt that the timely and fortunate killing of the Stuart Platoon commander was the single largest contributing factor in the game.
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