I’m so far behind on blogging into the new year just time to start churning it all out!
This weekend the local historical types got together to start a campaign using the Battlegroup rules. While the Barbarossa source book has a campaign I decided to adapt from one of the several Skirmish Campaign books and the modify the lists yet still keep the feel of the historical action.
The campaign starts off on June 22nd at noon, approx 10 km SW of Kobrin near the village of Straroje. The terrain was rolling hills and in this case the entire battle is no where near a road. The fresh 3rd Panzer Division rolling forward suddenly running into the 22nd Soviet Tank division.
The Germans were instructed they needed to get as much off their eastern edge of the board. The Soviets were told they needed to get some of their armor elements off the western edge of the board. They both had a secondary victory condition but I didn’t inform either side. It was how many infantry were killed. Turns 10s, and here we go!
The Russians setup, with 6 T26s the majority of their force on the ridge. Note the gullies down the in valleys. The hills also as high as the ridges. The Soviets kicked out a squad of infantry on their right flank along with an ATR team. Up on the hill was their HQ element and only spotter who could call in two 81mm mortars which were off board. A second squad was deployed on the Soviet left flank. Two further squads were off table and 2 BA-10s, all arriving on variable turns.
The Germans started with 3 PzIIIGs, 4 PzIICs, and then a squad of infantry in motorcycles who were scouts, deploy on their left flank. They had 2 further squads in trucks that likewise were a variable and they ended up on turn 1 along with a medic. Their plan seemed to be follow the woods line, past the gully then into the next set of woods up the German right flank.
In what seemed to be very fitting example, both sides being sort of new to Battlegroup and never having played with Barbarossa era forces didn’t have a great feel for what the guns can do. About turn 1 of the Soviet turn, one of the T26s with it’s 45 gun hit and brewed a Pz IIIG at range. Rolling a 6 to hit helped and then an 11 on the penetration roll.
I think the German players expected that bottom of the barrel green Russian troops would be present. Instead inexperienced Russian rabble with decent guns and hot dice were there.
It was pretty evident early on that the PzIICs with their 20″ of movement when using both actions for moving where going to be able to react and move about the battlefield as their liked, while the T26s could only move 10″ when using both their actions.
The Russians decided after popping off their rounds to take the T26s off the ridge and save their tanks waiting to see how the Germans would flow forward.
About turn 2-3 the Russian right flank, a squad, medic and ATR team waiting in ambush. The German Kradschutzens deployed and fired, then the MG34 team did the same. While the Russians tried to ambush not much happened. German recon, definitely great troops.
Unfortunately with so many losses this Russian squad very quickly became combat ineffective, failed their moral and then routed, leaving the medic and ATR team to run like heck the next turn to a deeper defense line.
The Soviet reinforcements showed up and took position behind hill in the gully. Three of the T26s went on movement reaction orders (basically ambush like but you only get to move during the other players turn. Very handy to move during the other player turn and then activate during your turn to quickly react or in the case of the T26s … slowly react) We did start to flow 3 of the T26s over to the right flank as the PzIICs started to flow in that direction. With the loss of the Soviet squad on that side so quickly seemed the Germans sensing an advantage to exploit.
Meanwhile on the German right flank the PzIIIGs learning the Russian T26s were actually dangerous came up a woods line with two squads of infantry. The PzIII brewed up a T26. Then later it would suppress the Russian infantry on ambush.
This caused some post game kibitzing. The Russian player thinking that ‘unspotted’ Russian infantry could be anywhere and therefore shouldn’t the Germans have to be spraying down everywhere as they advance? They advocated for counters or minis not being even out on the table until ‘spotted’. Alas not a battlegroup mechanic nor for the purposes of this action one that I personally think fits. Opening day of Barbarossa, and these are lead German elements with a number of scouts on their side.
Given the pinned down status, the Russians would rally the infantry at the bottom of their turn and then retire the infantry deeper into the woods sensing a German wave coming. Besides with no NKVD around … who’s to know?
Back up on the hill, the Russians with a Maxim on op and the infantry next to their HQ element. The Germans streamed forward into the open. Just behind the hill on the left side and out of frame were the two BA-10s on opportunity move.
At the end of the German turn, sensing an opportunity they would move forward over the hill, taking up position and then activate during the Russian turn. With the 45 gun they’d take out of the PzIIIg with the flank shot and between the two of them machine-gun the German infantry causing one of the squads to retreat back.
When the PzIIIG was destroyed Ray pulled a confusion counter. He played it on the at that time one BA-10 that hadn’t been activated. Had it failed it’s morale roll the German infantry wouldn’t have taken any damage.
On the right flank I regret I missed a few picture opportunities. The PzIICs and T26s got into a little bit of a gun battle. The PzIICs 20mm wasn’t quite a match. The T26s and Russian ATR team were able to plink away knocking out 2(?) might have been 3 of the PzIICs. The ATR ended up getting Machine Gunned and then losing it’s morale check to flew the field.
At about turn 7 we decided that the game was effectively decided, given the rough German armor losses. The Russian dice were exceptionally hot, and that definitely contributed. From a battle rating perspective the Russians were about 10 away from leaving the field and the Germans the same. At top of turn 7, 3 Russian units were pinned, two of them due to a BF-110C dropping a medium bomb. The Russians would have had a choice to take the counter or not but given there were still 5 T26s running around probably no need.
On the German side, they didn’t pull any counters with a ‘1’ on it. If they had, the T26s with their unreliable rating would have had to have taken a breakdown roll against a tank. The German side didn’t know this but alas it didn’t happen.
While neither side fulfilled their victory conditions, the secondary victory conditions were met by the Germans. The losses were a good 4:1 ratio with the Russians losing ~20 to the German ~5.
All in all I was quite pleased with the results. The Russians definitely played above their inexperienced rating. It was a 350 point a side game as a sort of meeting engagement as was in keeping with the real battle.
Post game analysis from my side, I was surprised that the Germans didn’t trying to concentrate on an area. Smoke was not in use. The Russian off board 81mm didn’t really accomplish anything all game. The German on board 50mm mortar likewise didn’t do much.
The Barbarossa source boot limitations for the Russians on orders (1D3 instead of plusses for officers) really didn’t have any sort of effect. The “command chaos” as it were in the rules just wasn’t there, as the normal 2D6 for orders was more than fine.
The Germans had one senior officer and he used his tactical ability just once the entire game.
Stay tuned for next time when on June 23rd at 10am, we find our heros in ….