Slow Progress

Rather busy at present but managed to finish one and start on two more 20mm Panthers and complete the platoon HQ for the 28mm  Tunisian/ Italian theatre Germans.

Panthers are Plastic Soldier Company with RB metal barrels the HQ are Perry plastic and metals with Rubicon drum and jerrycan.

TTFN

End Game At Rahnstadt

Dave came over today for the last game in our mini campaign using Battlegroup, Fall Of The Reich, the assault on Rahnstadt itself. Due to their run of success in the previous games the Russians would get an extra 50 points of troops to choose, despite this the Germans had a slight edge in their Battle Rating, 25 v 28 respectively. Game on...…………………..

The bombardment was thankfully short, our men held up well despite their inexperience, we can only hope their courage holds up once the Red tide descends on us. We can see troops advancing on our left attempting to flank the town, we are weak here, reinforcements are on the way we are informed, we must hope this is a diversionary attack and hold that flank as best we can.

Two T34s are heading our way in the centre, our right being protected by the Hazell Marshes, our Pak40 gives fire to no avail, but wait! We hear an approaching aircraft, it is one of ours! Its cannon roar and one of the Red tanks goes up in flames.

Our joy is short lived another T34 appears supported by a JSII, we trust that the fly boys stick around for another strafe, meanwhile our dug in Panther takes a long shot at the JSII with no luck, wait it has stopped, we see smoke billowing from the engine (drew a breakdown chit) the crew are abandoning it, hurrah! Then we hear the noise we all dread, Katyushka rockets, our men get off lightly but our Panther is destroyed, while our Pak40 crew have gone to ground, we rely on the Luftwaffe for our anti tank capability as our Panzerfausts are not yet in range.

The Stuka comes in for another run and takes out another T34, but the supporting infantry are now advancing on the town and the Russian flank attack is making ground and the Red mortars are now raining down shells, we are becoming hard pressed, where is our Hetzer battery we could really do with them arriving. Another run by the Stuka halts the remaining T34 to buy us more time, we are thankful that the Luftwaffe still have some bite and the first of the Hetzers arrive, there is hope yet. Our 105s rain down more shells, the Reds lose heart and are beginning to fall back, Rahnstadt is safe for now, we may have won this battle but the end for us is still in sight I fear.

Another spiffing game, Dave's Russians had drawn some dire chits and could not afford to unpin the remaining T34, the loss of an infantry unit from the 105 strike finally tipped him over his Battle Rating total.

Despite getting double victory points for the win earlier campaign victories saw the Russians win the campaign by just one victory point. 

TTFN 

Dug In!

I have painted the dug in Panther, there is some diluted green in amongst the brown but the photos have washed it out in amongst the dark yellow, it is more evident in actuality, not as though it really matters of course. All being well it will see action on Monday...….

TTFN

Dig In!

A little something for the upcoming defence of Rahnstadt.

 The hull from an old Airfix kit is in there somewhere, honest. Milliput cobbles and sandbags.

 With the turret

Inspiration from "Panzers In Berlin"  from Panzerwrecks

Way Out East - 1943

Last October since our last World War Two game here at OHQ, time to remedy that with a small platoon level game using Battlegroup Rules with two amendments. Firstly the number of orders will not be diced for, usually 2D6 for this size of game, instead each side will get two orders, you cannot fail to roll 2, added to this will be one for each officer as per the rules. Ten dice will then be put in a bag together with a different coloured dice, when the first orders are used the player will then draw a dice for the next order, continuing until the different coloured dice is drawn, when the players turn will end. Secondly the usual ammunition limit for AFV's will apply but instead of having to keep track of it the following will be used if you decide to fire twice in the vehicles activation;

Roll two D6 - the vehicle will be out of ammunition on a result of

Ammo Supply  1 - 2                                                                        7+

Ammo Supply  3 - 4                                                                        8+   

Ammo Supply  5 - 7                                                                        9+

Ammo Supply  8 - 10                                                                    10+

Ammo Supply  11 - 12                                                                  11+

Ammo Supply  13+                                                                       12+

These were gleaned from posts on the Battlegroup Facebook page and the old Guild Forum respectively.

The Germans would be attacking a Russian defence line with the following

An infantry platoon from a Panzer Division Battlegroup, which would be supported by a Stug squadron of three vehicles, a SdKfz22 armoured car, one supply truck, off table artillery support of two 105mm howitzers and a timed air strike by a Ju-87 Stuka.

The Russians would be defending with an infantry platoon, including a Maxim MMG, a DshK MG in for anti-Aircraft support, an anti-tank rifle team, a 50mm mortar team and a 45mmL46 anti-tank gun  from a Tank Corps Battlegroup. Further support by a Light Tank Platoon of three T70s, an infantry foot patrol, a Zis3 anti-tank with a loader team and an off table mortar battery of two 120mm mortars is also provided. The Battle Rating for the Russians was 25 and 23 for the Germans, the game was played on a 5' x 4' table.

The Russians started with six units, one squad in the cornfield, one in the building to the right of the barn and another in the fox holes to its left. A Maxim MG was positioned just the other side of the fir trees (this never fired all game!) it never really had a target, but more importantly I completely forgot I had it, doh! a HMG for anti-aircraft defence was position behind the building and an observer team for two off table 120mm mortars the other side of the railway line looking down the road. Reinforcements could arrive from turn five, a D6 roll determining the number of units that could enter on their base line each turn.

 The Kubelwagen and wrecked car are objective markers, the Germans started with four units on the table with their reinforcements attempting to enter on turn two. Dave was unable to capitalise on this early advantage which was down to rolling a one for the number that could enter in the first four tries!

Further bad luck occurred when his air strike, evidently put off by Russian AA fire dropped its bombs way off target, things did not go all the Russians way their FO team was wiped out. But every cloud has a silver lining they say, the resulting chit pull was a mine strike counter duly played on an advancing Stug III.

The game however was not as clear cut as the above narrative suggests and at the times the Russians looked hard pressed, but their luck with the dice throws and chit pulls saw them ride the storm to secure a win in turn 9, the Germans exceeding their battle rating called off the attack

A Russian T70 Gets In A side Shot At The German SdKz222

To Even The Score A Little The Late Arriving Stug III Takes Out A T70

The Russian Chits At The End, The Confusion Chits Didn't Cause Any And No Airplane Arrived

The German Chits At The End, The Four Sealed Their Fate

A fine game and tense game in grand company with lots of laughs along the way, what a fine hobby this is.

TTFN