My first batch of early war Germans from Warlord Miniatures and once again very nice figures. I have another four batches of these to come in future posts.
MG34 MMG Team.
37mm PaK 36 Anti Tank Gun.
Casualty, medic and Officer. The casualty figure is supposed to be the seated gunner for the 88mm Flak but I gave him a different head so he is now a casualty of war.
Warlord sell these chaps as a separate crew pack for their bigger guns and although I think they are meant to be for the 88mm Flak 36 going by the size of the shells they are holding, I wanted to use them for my 75mm PaK 40 as I already have one of these painted up but with a later crew in camo.
As for the West Wind campaign (Chain of Command, Too Fat Lardies, Summer Special 2014) I am playing with Dave Green, we managed to get three games in last Saturday.
Last week I posted pictures of the table for the first game as it was set up on the map for scenario one 'Probe at Moditten. Dave's Russians had to hold the crossroads at the small hamlet and stop my Germans exiting off his side of the table.
After the patrol phase had finished, the German's had the initiative and rolled a double six (retain the initiative next go) and sent their first squad and platoon leader forward on their right flank trying to get as close to that wall in front of them before the Russian deployment.
The Russian's deploy an infantry squad off from their jump off point but they are unable to reach the wall and so we both get the benefit of light cover as neither side is up against the wall and yet it will block partial sight.
The Russians deploy a MMG up from their jump off point to assist their Infantry but don't get the chance to assist them in firing this turn. The Russians had some very unlucky dice rolling this phase, which left the Germans in a good position to retaliate.
The Germans brought on a Stug (Sorry it's a PanzerIII but I don't own a Stug yet) using their support points but it turned out that it wouldn't be needed.
The German Buzz Saw came into play and concentrated the firepower of both squads riflemen, LMG's and the additional extra fire power from the German special rule 'Mashinengewehr' (the squad leader using his command initiative to direct their fire and adding extra fire dice). Some lucky dice rolling by the Germans meant they were able to destroy the Russian MMG before it was able to really get into action. The Germans had once again kept the initiative for a double six and would be firing yet again into the Russian Infantry and before they had chance to recover, I played my Chain of Command Dice and elected to fire yet again with one of my squads into the Russians. This had resulted in six casualties and a large amount of shock on the Russian Squad and Dave decided to withdraw to fight another day.
With the campaign rules Dave was now three men down for the rest of the campaign, two men missing the next game and only one available out of the original six fit for duty. The Germans had suffered one casualty which would make a full recovery for the next game.
We rolled dice for end of game campaign amendments for our platoon leaders. Dave had dropped to minus one and I had gone to plus one.
We quickly set the table up for the second game and scenario - Flank Attack on the Girls School.
Again I have tried to keep this as close to the map as I could using what terrain I had available.
The main features with this table is the drainage ditch and pump house, the girls school and the water meadow. Looking at the above picture, the Germans are coming in from the far end and the left hand side of table. The Russians are coming in from the right.
The German's occupy the Pump House.
After the patrol phase the Germans again have the initiative and I push one of my squads up quickly on the blind side of the buildings.
The Russians have enough support points in this game for a T34 and to my horror, that is what Dave brings on right in front of my advancing squad. They lit rip into my squad causing casualties and shock. I retaliate with my panzerfaust but due to the amount of shock and distance from target, I need to roll an 8 but only get 7. Dave brings on an LMG and this with the firepower from his tank starts to rack up the casualties and shock. Dave gets some Russian justice and has enough on his Chain of Command dice to fire again into my squad before I can react and at this point I am six men down with a pile of shock. I decided to make a voluntary withdrawal and end the game.
We roll for end of game with Dave getting plus one and myself minus one and both end up where we started at the beginning of the campaign. Plus my six casualties put me in the same place as the Russians with three men lost for good, two men missing the next game and one man fit for duty. The Russian's had no casualties this game.
Game three - Scenario two - Flank Attack on the Girls School.
(This campaign has six scenarios and the German player has to complete scenario six within nine games)
The Russians victors get to consolidate this time and place extra defences on the table. Dave places a slit trench on his blind spot on the corner of the school with an MMG team inside.
Again the combined German firepower and use of the 'Maschinengewehr' is too much for the single Russian unit and we manage to eliminate the MMG before going into the attack. This time I make sure I have all my available units on overwatch before I send up my platoon leader and squad to try and clear the Russians out of the buildings. I get my one full squad, one depleted squad (after casualties from last game) and my Stug up on overwatch and then advance my third squad on 'tactical' up to the blind spot of the School.
The Russians are in strength inside the upper floors of the buildings and it will be a difficult and costly task trying to storm any of them, even using the special German 'Handgranaten' rule. (Throwing up into a first floor window needs a five or six and if I miss, there is a chance the grenade will fall back down causing casualties to my own men)
There is a long way to go yet with this campaign, so I play it cautiously and send a couple of men out into the street on 'Tactical' to draw the enemy fire, so that I can then use my Stug to blast away at the building whilst the infantry just sit back and watch, ready to pick up the pieces.
This has the desired effect for the loss of one man and as the Russians have nothing to combat the Stug, Dave decides to make a tactical withdrawal and end game three.
Again we do the campaign rolls which puts the Russians back on a minus one and the Germans on plus one 'Secure'.
The fourth game will be Scenario three - Gardening in Metgethen.
I have been working on a little project which I have just finished and I am very, very pleased with how it has turned out. It is very picture heavy and so I will put it in my next post.
Cheers,
Pat.
