Russian Steel pbem hellcat vs Squirmer

[Squirmer]

Yes the unexpected T-28s have certainly put paid to German ambitions on the right flank. All armoured cars are now kaput

Things are going better in Dubno, despite the sneaky re-taking of one objective by an SMG squad. They have paid for their cheek.

Another T-34 died ... It's accompanying AUX KV-2 behemoth has about 20 dents in it and hopefully should run away.

A GE Spec Ops squad materialised right next to SO HQ. I debated whether to use it or not and decided yes. However to my surprise it was beaten off by a combination of the HQ staff and a nearby ammo dump! So much for elite special forces ...

[hellcat]

3 enemy tanks destroyed! Right flank now secured... now to retake Dubno... if only my men would rally...

[Squirmer]

Yep the German flanking attack is well and truly defeated. What remains of my decimated Pz III company is now hiding.

Dubno is nearly ours though. German infantry of 1941 is class

SO HQ has been removed by the Spec Ops teams. Whilst I am pleased about this I don't really think infiltrators should be in this scenario.

It looks like the Luftwaffe are going to be permanently out of contact.

Decision time approaching:

Do we just sit in Dubno and let Ivan beat himself up trying to re-take it?

Or do we press on in the almost certain knowledge that without air support we will get wiped out in the open ground beyond?

Either way we lose the game due to the 30 pts per turn VHs which are all in Russian hands, hmm ...

[hellcat]

one more panzer bites the dust but i lose a t-28 also...

some of my men are beginning to rally... but whether we can reclaim much remains in doubt...

we are however determined to hold what we've got and stage whatever counterattacks we can with scratch forces... there's still about 10 enemy tanks prowling around in Dubno and to the South...

[Squirmer]

Well I got lucky this turn. Tank crew of 3 men successfully assaults a T-35 dreadnought with no survivors. Fear those Misc Small Arms!

Dubno is finally ours. The remaining Commies have been driven out and slaughtered as they were running away. The Pz IVe is an awesome infantry slayer.

Also we are starting to make progress in the Brody and Lvov area which had been proving difficult. A lone T-34 in Brody is now completely surrounded by infantry and tanks. It will doubtless flee soon ...

Note: I am starting to have ammo problems. We are on turn 9 of 22

[Squirmer]

Just had a thought.

Since hellcat has lost his A0 I suppose there's a chance this could end early via "Force Morale Broken". I hope not, it's fun

[hellcat]

Fascist pigs are pouring out of Rovno but we're engaging them with some success... all Red army units in Dubno have gone

The final engagement is close... whether we can hold to our second line of defence or even retake our first line is about to be decided...

[Squirmer]

Ah the heady days of Summer 1941!

All the towns are ours, we now start the slog towards the secondary defence line.

The lone T-34 in Brody died (via StuG 75mm L/24 at point blank range). As far as I know that just leaves the immobilised T-34 to the south of Dubno which has been there from the beginning.

Major problem at the moment is the combination of two AT guns and a KV-2 sitting at the "rail crossroads" in the north. Until these are dealt with my forces in that area are effectively pinned down.

[hellcat]

we kill another panzer as it heads out of Dubno towards our secondary defence line but there are more following... hopes of retaking Dubno are high hopes indeed... the command is 'Hold!'

[Squirmer]

Resistance is useless!

My beloved Pz IV was killed by a 76mm AA gun on the central hill. I was expecting some AT units to be there and had covered the area with smoke. However I forgot to check to see if it was clearing, oops.

Elsewhere the problem of the KV-2 has been solved. It seems it got bored and came looking for the German panzers. I got lucky again with a bottom hit ...

Meanwhile in the south we advance eastwards, wondering where all the Russians went.

[hellcat]

We're holding onto what we've got but that's about it! Hopefully we can still do some damage before the game ends...

[Squirmer]

The advance continues.

The one remaining (AFAIK) immobile T-34 has been despatched via 75mm HE (!) ammo to the rear hull. A T-28 tried to duke it out with a Pz-III at 20 hexes and lost. I think there's only two of them left now as well, both of which are immobilised.

Seems to be getting a bit too easy for the Germans. Even had some infantry reinforcements in the north with more to come ...

[hellcat]

we fight on but with the knowledge the Germans will soon overrun us... our only hope is to destroy what we can of this vanguard of invasion. Our force is shattered but we have at least not given up ground without cost to the fascists!

[Squirmer]

We are indeed a steamroller in this scenario. I've lost over half my armour but am about 90% intact on the infantry front. Plus a whole PzG company as reinforcements! No chance for the Ruskies I'm afraid

[hellcat]

With the arrival of the panzergrenadiers Red Army resistance has been shattered and the rabble that was my force surrenders...

This provides a decisive victory to the Germans points as follows

Soviets 5680
German 5278

An interesting result...

Infantry losses Sov - 832 Ger - 388
Arty Sov - 6 Ger - 1
Soft vehicles Sov - 20
AFVs Sov- 27 Ger - 18

It was quite a fight, even though this was designed for vs AI. It gives a clear example of the situation in June '41. (Compared to my getting a decisive victory in the solo campaign for this mission).

Dubno itself really swallowed up my infantry and German superior equipment annhilated me in the open spaces... Morale was also an issue especially with the conscripts...

I'm quite amazed that we destroyed as many panzers as we did. I was not impressed with the performance of my core T-34s either (due to breakdowns and general innaccuracy). I feel if I played it all again I'd be lucky to achieve a much better score.

The main difference between the solo game was the fact that the enemy formations (Northern and panzer units mainly) tend to attack over time rather than simultaneously as herr Squirmer (rightly) did. This leaves too many hotspots to be able to deal with adequately. True Blitzkrieg!

We're going to play on with the campaign but adjust the build points in order to allow fixing and a modicum of improvement.

Well that's it from me over to Herr Squirmer for some post battle stuff...

lookout for next thread in series...

[hellcat]

here was my core force...

AO Hq unit
2 x T34 m.41 platoons
1 x T34 m.41 section
1 x OT130 Flame tank Platoon
1 x Anti Tank Gun platoon (76.2mm)
1 x Gun Team section
1 x Motorcycle platoon
1 x Gaz4m AA Platoon
1 x Engineer Platoon
1 x Tachanka Platoon
3 x Recon Platoons
1 x Cossack Platoon

[Squirmer]

Well first off let me say how enjoyable this has been. Thanks to hellcat for taking this project on

However, and I know it's been said elsewhere, this scenario is way balanced towards the Germans. If we had carried on I have no doubt all the Soviet forces would have been destroyed and all VHs taken. This is without any of the 16 planes being available and only a fraction of the artillery.

My remaining forces at the end point:

4 x Pz III
3 x Pz Ive
3 x StuG B
3 x Pz II
1 x Flammpanzer II
1 x SdKFz 222 A/C (immobilised)
1 x SdKfz 10/4 Flak Truck

3 x Rifle Co (75% strength)
1 x Engineer Plt (intact)
1 x Spec Ops Plt
3 x Recon Plt (50% strength)
1 x PzG co (newly arrived in SPW 251)

The main problem for the Soviets is their lack of experience and morale. You can't attack with this quality of infantry against the highly rated 1941 Germans. I spent a lot of time just mowing down routed Soviet grunts ...

Armour wise I was really worried about the T-34s at the start. I got lucky though because hellcat's aggressive tactics allowed me to close to point blank range where the German popguns can take them out. I suppose though, even if they had been used in a stand-off role, it wouldn't have made a significant difference. Virtually no op-firing and routed by one or two hits ...

Anyway onward!