No Retreat!
Last Saturday (3-1-14), my friend Peter and I got together for a game of Flames of War. It was the third game Pete and I have played together so I kinda had an idea of what to expect, basically lots of Soviet infantry teams! For those of you unfamiliar with FoW, the Soviet army lists are the closest things you can get to a 15mm, WW2 Ork hoard! Peter commands very well, and I always have a hard time dealing with the masses of khaki clad commies rampaging across the tabletop.
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| The table all set up--a nice, quiet village somewhere in eastern Europe--complete with spectators checking out the view. |
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The Armies
Both Peter and I would be using infantry companies--his a 'Confident Trained' Strelkovy Battalion from the book
Red Bear and mine a 'Fearless Veteran' SS-Kampfgruppe Spindler Company from the book
Bridge by Bridge.
The Red Army:
Battalion HQ
-Sapper Platoon
Strelkovy company
-2 Platoons
-HMG Team
Strelkovy company
-1 Platoon
Scout Platoon
SU-152 Company
-3 Assault Guns
The 2nd SS Panzergrenadiers
Company HQ
Panzergrenadier Platoon
-2 Squads
Panzergrenadier Platoon
-2 Squads
SS Support Platoon
-2 MG42 HMG
-Mortar Section (2 8cm Mortar Teams)
SS Assault Gun Platoon
-3 StuG G
Heavy Anti-Aircraft Platoon
-2 Flak 36
-Transports
Sporadic Air Support
-FW-190
The Mission
With the forces unpacked, Peter and I rolled for our mission and received the defensive mission 'No Retreat.' As both Peter and I had infantry companies we rolled to see who would attack--a roll which I thankfully won (as I was not looking forward to his infiltration special rule). With that, we deployed our forces.
Deployment
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| As we had a limited amount of time, I did not stop to take photos along the way. However, the re-enactment you are about to see does accurately portray the minature carnage that took place. Viewer discretion is advised. |
Before deployment, we got to place our objectives. The objective Peter placed is noted by the blue arrow in the woods above while
the objective I placed is marked by the blue arrow near the field in the
background. My intention was to get him to spread his forces out--denying him the ability to concentrate his two blocks of infantry while allowing me to threaten one objective with just enough to tie him down while another element secured the other objective. In this mission, the attacker only has to secure one objective.
Per the mission rules, Peter chose the end he wanted to defend from and deployed his forces first. Peter threw his 2 platoon infantry company in a curve through the village that utilized the concealment of both the field and the buildings. He placed is scouts in a second tier defense on the far side of the road to either move to the second objective or help defend the first. In this mission, Peter was compelled to hold half of his forces in reserve so his second infantry company (with the attached sapper platoon) and the SU-152s were held off the table.
Seeing Peter's defensive ring, I thought it prudent to challenge the objective in the woods. To do so, I deployed my StuGs and a panzergrenadier platoon (2nd Platoon) at the limit of my deployment zone with the intention of rushing into the woods and securing it before his reinforcements can arrive. My other platoon was positioned below the hill with my Company CO. I attached an HMG from the support platoon to give it added firepower. My thought again was to use this platoon to move into the buildings across from the Soviets and pin them down with MG and mortar fire while the other wing moved rapidly into the woods. The 88s were deployed limbered so I could move them in support of the StuGs in case the SUs came on the table and the mortars were set on the hill to give them a great view of the field.
German Turn 1--"Zweite Kompanie...los!"
As the attacker, I took the first turn and began to execute my plan. Before I could get going, however, Peter used the recce movement of his scouts to move them towards the objective in the woods--I believe their was a mole in my company HQ for it appeared that the Russians knew my plan!
With my StuGs and 2nd platoon racing at the double towards the woods, my mortars unleashed a bombardment against the entrenched Soviets holding the objective in the village. In spite of the 2 mortar battery, I still managed (with a firepower test and all) to destroy a Soviet team and pin them down. My air cover also came through and gunned a scout team down as well. My units were advancing, two commie teams were destroyed and the rest pinned down--I love it when a plan comes together!
Russian Turn 1: Pinned but not out!
To my elation, Peter's first reinforcement roll (one d6, 5+) failed. He was stuck with what he had on the table. His infantry company failed to unpin, but his scouts, however, did and moved into the safety of the woods.
His infantry took some potshots at my advancing panzergrenadiers but the bullets splattered harmlessly into the dirt.
German Turn 2: The good gets better!
Even though Peter's scouts were now in the woods and contesting the objective, they were down a team and still vulnerable to my units approaching the woods. The StuGs moved normally and withing firing range of the scouts who were left on the edge of the woods. Opening up with 9 MG shots, I managed to inflict 8 hits and took out the platoon command team. Things were looking really good!
I deployed my 88s into a place with a good firing lane in case those pesky Su-152s popped on the table and my mortars once again hit and killed an enemy team. Even so, my aircraft added to the carnage and managed to knock off another Soviet team. Again, that unit remains pinned down and vulnerable.
Russian Turn 2: "Greetings, comrade!"
With turn two, Peter got to roll two dice for his reserves--and as I held my breath I watched the first die come up a one and the second a....6. CRAP! Peter gets his reinforcements. My original plan was now kaput! For where do you think he sent his little red men??? Right into the woods to comrade Commissar's house they went!
Peter was elated. I was not. But as he was moving his many stands onto the table something caught my eye. It was one of those moments where an opportunity, be it risky, presented itself. Peter's other infantry platoon was still pinned (having failed to rally...again), could I make this work? That question weighed on my mind as Peter's pinned down company fired off a few more useless shots at my 1st platoon. Then the moment came...
German Turn 3: "Today is a good day to die..."
With a new sense of purpose, I broke from my plan. Luckily, I managed on my one air support die to call in support which I positioned to hit the newly arrived company in the woods. Then, I swung my StuGs away from their original target and planted them right behind the other Soviet company. Peter didn't move...but at once realized what I was about to do.
Instead of dropping a bombardment on the shell shocked ruskies, my mortars popped smoke in front of them as my 1st Platoon moved into the open. My StuGs opened up with MG fire but failed to do any damage and my air support failed to range in on the Russians in the woods. That is when I made my move. My StuGs charged into the rear of the Russian company:
As an armored team, they were able to hit the teams in the buildings--one being the HMG. I killed two teams but the Russians passed their motivation and their tank terror and struck back. They failed to hit, rolling three ones on their counter charge so, with no motivation check needed on my part, I hammered again and knocked off a few more teams. This time, the Russians broke. With joy, I consolidated my position and took the objective. Then things went bad. Hoping to finish off the Russians, I charged in my panzergrenadiers. I lost one team to defensive fire but still managed to close and kill 5 in close combat. The Russians, however, thanks to their Battalion Co managed to move his beleaguered company back at my panzergrenadiers. He had five teams left--I had 6. On five rolls he killed four of my teams! FOUR!!!! I failed my motivation, failed the re roll and my panzergrenadiers ran. But, in spite of all this, my StuGs held the objective and the remnants of Peter's company were more than 4" away from it and pinned down.
Russian Turn 3: "Not one step back!"
With a German victory imminent, Peter rolls for his reserves and his last reserve company, the dreaded SU-152s come on board.
Unfortunately (he, he, he), the one company in a position to challenge the objective FAILS its motivation to unpin (FAILS AGAIN)!!! There is only one word for that die roll...
EPIC. With his company stationary and the SUs unable to target the StuGs due to their movement (Bunker Buster vs Tank Teams rule), they fired one last 'hurrah' at my last panzergrenadier team. The shells, much like the rest of the Red Army this day, failed to go off.
German Turn 4: "Deutsch-Sieg!!!!"
That says it all....
With my StuGs in command of the objective, the game ends with a German victory. My forces have broken through the Soviet lines and secured our objective. According to the victory points calculator, as I (as the victor) did not loose a platoon this constitutes a 6-1 major victory. I still think, however, that VPs should be based on both sides' losses as Peter didn't loose a single platoon/company either and was more of a tactical victory rather than the blowout the VPs allude to. However, that was the game!
Aftermath
As with every game I play, there is always something to learn. For me, after going back at looking at the rules, Peter should have gotten to re roll that last pin check as his CO was apart of the company. I still am sorry Pete! Though we did re-roll later and he got a 2 so they still would have been pinned!!
Would it have changed the outcome...possibly but not likely. The SUs were too far away and too slow (one team even bogged down in the field coming in from reserves as we play all fields as rough terrain) to contest the objective and the other infantry company was dug in the woods and not moving. I could have hit the SUs with air support or with smoke to force them to move and thus be unable again to target my StuGs. The infantry company would have gone away the next turn as I would have assaulted them with my StuGs and without their numbers (only 5 or 6 teams were left) they would have had an extremely hard time beating the StuGs. Either way I still think I had Peter in enough of a hole it would be hard for him to dig out of; and with our time at an end anyway it was as fun and tactically thrilling game I have played! Peter, as always, was a great and skilled opponent!
