FoW – Germans vs Russians – Fighting Retreat

It was a rare opportunity to get two games in today, one with the group in Lacrosse and the other with the crew in Rochester. Both WWII but different rule systems.

The first was a 2600 point game with Bill and I teaming up at 1300 pts a piece to go against Chuck Russian horde. Bill ran his Hungarians and I my Germans.

Bill picked an infantry formation with some Pz IV F2s, PaK 40s and 105s in support while I went all out with armor, Pz III Js for the HQ,  and then platoons of III L/Ms, Pz IV Gs (late), and Pz IIFs with priority air support from Stuka Ds.

Bill just after setup was complete measuring out where the sides would be. We ended up choosing to defend the table edge on the right in this picture. We figured we didn’t want to be defending with the river splitting our defensive zone. With the fork of the river running to the left and the right as well, it would remain to be seen if any objectives would end up on the side of the river closes to where the picture was taken. That would further divide our forces but at least with a Fighting Retreat we get everything to being with and one platoon held in ambush.

We’ve pretty much placed our forces at this point. Our objective we placed right next to the 105s seen in the bottom left. While Chuck placed his two objects both next to the cobblestone road with one on the left in this picture next to the bridge and the other at the junction on the right.

All placed and ready to go. We held my platoon of Pz III L/Ms in ambush. Not much of an ambush really but decent tanks. Chuck as it turned out picked out a platoon of 120 motors, a formation of infantry, two platoons of lend lease Shermans, a platoon of SU85s, SU-152s, T-70s, 76 ATGs, BA64 scout cars and Katys to round out the list.

The Katys are to the left. A platoon of Shermans and straight lefts at the ford ready to cross on turn one and then at the far bridge, T70s, more Shermans, the BA64s and his ATGs. The SU152s are sort of by the Red house and the SU85s in front of the Katys.

Game on!

The bad thing about lend leash Shermans and really the majority of Chucks forces were conscript. Starting out on Turn 1, Chuck started to stream across… except the Shermans who all failed their skill checks for ford the river. Ouch. The BA64s and the T70s lead off the charge on our right flank. Just a turn out from the objective… lots of drama to kick it off!

Sadly 2 of my 3 Pz IV Gs (late) got brewed up right away. With needing 6s to hit and the extra +1 to the front armor due to range would have thought I would have had a better chance but given the sheer numbers of Shermans firing and the SU-85s, made quick of them.

And on to the bottom of Turn 1. Dug in infantry shrugging off artillery and the 120mm mortars.

 

So first off we picked on the BA64s and the T70s. Given their recon status the BA64s decided to disengage and follow the river, also taking them closer to my PzIIFs.

We sprung the ambush of PzIIIs, placing them just behind the field on the left in the picture above.

The T70s we hit pretty hard, double bailing a number of them out. Both formations we weren’t too worried about, it was the herd of Shermans tho. Those are what we’d need to defeat and quickly so we could shift our armor over to then secure the middle.

Last I brought down my air aiming at Shermans. Ooh it is so nice to be able to swoop down and not have to worry about AA. 4+ to hit with Bombs and poof! scratch one Shermans. But just one Sherman … sigh. On to turn 2!

 

Chuck further pushed hard with his Shermans and the tank battle raged on the right flank. Thankfully given the conscript status, long ranges, hens and chicks movement, made it really tough for Chuck to hit. Further Chuck pushed hard with his really lucky T70s that recovered their bailed status and ran down the road to go after my PzIIIs that that had ambushed him and to start to vie for the an objective.

At the ford, infantry continued to stream across and the poor skill checks resulted in the first Sherman across.

Meanwhile at the bottom of turn 2, I pulled my lone Pz IV G over to help out with the Shermans as well as my 2inC Pz III. Bill couldn’t get the one PzIV of his unbogged. We once again had air and this time they went after the 76 ATGs.

Luck was with us and we knocked out a 76mm ATG, T70s and started to whittle at the Shermans. Next turn we’d have to pull off our first platoon as part of the scenario rules to retreat.

Another shot at the end of Turn 2. See the total devastation off in the distance? No (!) not the artillery template… a destroyed and lots of doubled bailed T70s. O and a couple of armored cars too. 🙂

 

On to Turn 3. Chuck failed his rolls with the T70s and they end up disappearing. The Shermans with now 3 destroyed in total fall back across the bridge and we Axis types breath a slight bit of relief and I start to contemplate shifting back to defend the next push down the middle.

Chuck gets another Sherman across and his infantry continues to plow ahead. Chuck starts to use his SU152s at Bill’s infantry. They may be dug in, but you can’t dodge those shells when they do hit and you miss a save.

 

We decide for our first unit to retreat, to pick up Bill’s Pak40s. They’ve done their bit. It’s a hard choice. We need everything so it’s hard to loose anything.

We start to get ready for a push against the middle objectives. I take a shot at Chucks BA64 and they once again disengage and once again follow the river linking up with the Russians building their toe hold across the water.

Top of turn 4. You can see Bill’s effective artillery working against Chucks AA and Katy’s from turn 3. They are down to one AA truck at this point and then in theory my air will start to hit this side of the table too.

 

Now Chuck starts to spring forward with the recce. ( I think we screwed up here because shouldn’t those BA64s be taking a turn to recover from their disengage?)

Anyway, stuff happens. Chuck rolls forward and assaults with his BA64s. Bill and Chuck go back and forth a few rounds, Bill loses a couple of stands and just couldn’t quite get rid of the armored cars until finally Bill fails his motivation test in the assault and has to fall back. So much for our prepared positions!

 

 

 

 

At the end of the assault. It just didn’t go well with a 2 to pass the motivation. Even have a Panzerknacker just wasn’t enough.

At this point with more Shermans having crossed and our armor not in position to hand it, coupled and an air attack at the ford that didn’t do much, we looked at the clock and had to call it a game.

The central objective was certain about to be strongly contested, but it was more than possible we could have gotten into position to continue to keep the Russians at bay. At the bottom of turn 4 we had pulled of an infantry platoon. For turn 5 having yet another  platoon to pull would have been down right painful.

Very good game with lots of drama. I was very well pleased with how well it went. A challenge to attack with conscript Russians, yet for the Germans, not quite enough men and material, having to counter attack and then counter attack again with mobile forces in hopes to throw the Russians back.