Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Bolt Action Tank War

Chris & Mike's Soviets v. Jim & Mark's Germans in a Bolt Action Tank War on a 10'x6' table with 8 objectives.   Both sides had about 2000 pts.
The Soviets had 3 T34/85, 2 T34/76, 2 Sherman, 1 ISU-122, an M3 with a veteran SMG squad & a truck with an inexperienced squad (all tanks regular).
The Germans had 2 Panthers, 2 MkIV, a Sdkfz 222 & 2 Hanomags with panzergrenadier squads, all regular except the veteran Panzergrenadiers.
We started with a deployment turn 0 where units were deployed within 18" of own table edge but no firing as the command dice were drawn.  The Germans deployed on the right of pic concentrating their force on the near side of the table.  The Soviets divided their force, putting the ISU, Shermans & M3 full of vets on the far side of the stream.
The German plan was to crush the Soviet left gaining the 4 objectives there, plus either holding the objective on the bridge with panzergrenadiers, or win by having equal objectives but inflicting 2 more casualties.
On this flank, the Panzers engaged the Soviet  tanks while the armoured car & a Hanomag + panzergrens dashed down the left flank - they took out a T34/85 plus the inexperienced infantry crossed the rear of the Soviet line to take the objective on the road.
On the other flank, the M3 & vets grabbed 2 objectives unopposed.  The ISU did a lot of damage firing across the valley while the 2 Shermans attacked the panzergrenadiers who had seized the bridge.
At the start of the last turn the Germans held 5 of the 8 objectives, but then a Sherman charged over the bridge scattering the Panzergrens & went on up the hill to dispute the objective on the crossroads while the other secured the bridge objective.  This put the Soviets in front.   Then the last MkIV moved to the right of the village & took out the Sherman on the crossroad putting the Germans back in front on kills.  But in the last action of the game the ISU took out the Panzer IV reducing the Germans lead on kills to just one - so this most enjoyable battle ended as an honourable draw.
  


 

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