For our Monday night game, Scott Holst suggested AP42 Frontiers and Pioneers. This is a 6-1/2 turn scenario set in the early days of Operation Barbarossa.
After rolling for sides, I drew the Germans and would be the attacker with 6 tanks and 9 x 4-6-8's all mounted on motorcycles.
Scott H., as the Russians would be the defender with four tanks and an AA gun. 8 x 4-4-7's ably led by 9-2 officer would cap off his force.
The objective is to control all buildings within three hexes of two road junctions.
My attack plan consisted of running all of the German armor directly at the first cluster of buildings. My heavy infantry support would support the armor assault. The remaining 5 squads would move to flank the Russians and get in the rear area.
I drove my armor and my heavy infantry support with both the 9-1 and 8-1 straight towards the first cluster of objective buildings. A bit reckless in retrospect as my opponent had fortified the building with two tanks and roughly 5 squads with the Russian 9-2 upstairs with a wicked maxim MMG.
This dude would be a real no nonsense kind of guy.
Sometimes I get a little too tricky for my own good. And I admit I did it again by sending 5 of my squads with the 8-0 on a long flanking maneuver. The point of the movement was to try and quickly get some forces into the rear areas. That of course worked...but I would soon pay for my foolishness.
Yep...my boys were riding straight into trouble.
Meanwhile back at the factory complex, I was encountering way more resistance than anticipated. The KV1 was in the building along with the T-35. Talk about party crashers!!! My first Pz38T was quickly immobilized as my armor probed the area. My Mark IV worked to gain acquisition on the Russian 9-2 Kill stack upstairs.
22 movement points...remember that's a bunch...note to self to remember for the future...
wrong turn Clyde...
Back at the factory, the Russians unleashed torrents of MG fire and AP rounds on my boys. Another Pz38T bit the dust in the ensuing firestorm.
My Panzer Crews were just a tad hacked off at me...some of my moves were a little bit too aggressive...
My opponent doubled down on the factory defenses and sent more of his boys running to the support of their comrades.
One of my MK III's went on a flanking move to come around and interdict any more moves towards the factory. In the process they revealed the Russian 25LL AT gun...YIKES!!!
"Fritz?"..."Ja...was Hans?" "Isn't there a better way to locate hidden Russian anti-tank weapons??""
My final Pz38t took off to try and rescue my motorcycle boys, who were in danger of becoming kill rings on the Russian BT-5's.
Back at the factory, my boys managed to destroy the T-35, but it's crew charged my Panzer crew and went right into melee. Meanwhile, my MK IV went balls out and ran right up on the KV-1. Not the brightest move.
The BT-5's managed to KIA 1-1/2 of my 4-6-8's and ground up some fine BMW motorcycles...so sad...
Back at factory, my boys were putting on some serious pressure. The Russian 9-2 was intact, but both of his squads had ELR'd to broken 4-2-6's. They would not have a happy ending.
One of the surprises at the factory was the appearance of a Commissar. This dude rallied one of the fleeing 4-4-7's and would go on to take out one of my MK III's.
Oh...c'mon...Commissars are supposed to shoot boys...not rally them...
Scott's BT-5's continued to be a serious pain in my backside. My motorcycles couldn't outrun them in the open country. So I got to experience another ASL first...watching my in motion motorcycle squad be overrun by at BT-5...oh the shame....
You cannot be serious...
Back at the factory, my erstwhile opponent let loose on me again. My MK IV went up in flames and the 9-2 upstairs decided to run down and go into close combat after my 9-1 was pinned and his 4-6-8 squad had routed away.
The crazy Russian 9-2 from upstairs was joined by a 4-4-7. My Pinned 9-1 said a quick prayer for it all to end quickly.
So we roll for ambush....I figure my 9-1 has no chance...but I roll a 1 and my opponent rolled a 6. So my 9-1 rolls and gets casualty reduction. My opponent rolls doubles, which ends up KIA'ing a half-squad and the 9-2. Unbelievable!!!! Didn't see that comin'
of course...crazier things have happened...
We called it a night after two full turns. And MAN...were those a fun couple of turns!!! Can't wait until next Monday!
I just hope that Commissar calms down between now and next Monday...
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