Game 16 Play Test 15th November
So, after a month's break we are back to PoW WWII.
The Russians have 2 infantry battalions and 2 armoured battalions (T70s and T34s) . The Germans have two infantry battalions with anti tank guns and one armoured battalion (mixed PzIIIs and IVs). The Russians place objective markers on the two hills either side of the road connecting the two lines of communication. The Germans place their objective markers at the other end of the table.
In the setup the Germans use their flexibility to form three combined arms teams (2 coys of infantry, one of armour). The two on-table commands are deployed on their left facing the two objective markers placed by the Russians. Their two ‘dummy’ blinds were deployed on the right. The Russians deploy their two infantry battalions on their right intending to advance to capture their objectives on either side of the road. Their dummy was placed in the centre of their deployment area.
After deployment, the Russians allocate their Objective Point to the two objectives on either side of the road (30pts/20pts). The Germans allocate their points to the two objectives in the central area on their right flank (20pts each)
The Germans have the first move, their recon unit on the road moves forward and locates the two Russian infantry battalions which are brought under fire from off table artillery and aircraft. In their initiative phase the two formations on the left move up onto the two hills with the terrain objectives and go to ground. The off table formation moves onto the table on their right and moves up to the centre line on their right towards their terrain objectives.
In the Russian turn their recon locates the German formation on the hill on the far right and the German formation on the centre line on the Russian left. The Russian off table artillery hit the Germans on the hill. In the initiative phase the Russian infantry units advance towards the two hills. The first Russian armoured brigade comes onto table and moves to the hill in front of the German combined arms formation in the centre of the table. The second armoured brigade comes onto the table on the road to support the Russian infantry attack.
Over the next few moves the Russian armour on their left gets into a fire fight with the German infantry trying to hold the central objectives, while the Germans use their armoured company’s range advantage to shoot up the Russian tanks with the aid of air Support and off table artillery. The German infantry suffer heavy losses but hold their ground while one company of T34s retires behind the crest when they go down to 2 strength.
At the other end of the table the two Russian infantry battalions move forward supported by the second Russian armoured battalion but their attack stalls when the armoured battalion comes under fire from the two German A/T batteries and 2 coys of armour causing one company to rout.
At this point the Russians conceded the game being 50 points down on their objectives and the Germans being plus 40 points on their objective.