With most of last week off due to the Christmas holiday, my family and I were able to both celebrate the birth of Christ together and get in some intense miniature combat Christmas Day! After reading the Christmas story from Luke 2 and opening presents, Nate and I prepared for our first battle--a small skirmish loosely based on the German summer/fall offensive in 1942 code-named Operation Edelweiss. Our army lists were taken from the Mid-War Eastern Front Intelligence Briefing and were limited to 1,000 pts.
Rating: Fearless ConscriptTankovy Batalon HQ-80 pts.
1 T-34 obr 1942 with Cupola
Medium Tankovy Company-370 pts.
5 T-34 obr 1941 or 1942
Medium Tankovy Company-395 pts.
5 T-34 obr 1942 with Cupola
Tank Rider Company-145 pts.
1 Cmd Rifle/MG team
7 Rifle/MG team
1 Maksim HMG team
Komissar team
Total: 990 pts.
On the German side, I would be leading a Heer Mittlere Panzerkompanie:
Rating: Confident Veteran
Mittlere Panzerkompanie HQ-255 pts.
1 Panzer III G or H or J (early)
1 Panzer IV G (late) or H
Mittlere Panzer Platoon-300 pts.
1 Panzer III G or H or J (early)
1 Panzer III N
1 Panzer IV E or F1
Mittlere Panzer Platoon-270 pts.
3 Panzer III G or H or J (early)
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon-170 pts.
1 Cmd Panzerknacker SMG team
4 MG team
2 Sd Kfz 251/1C
1 Sd Kfz 251/10 (3.7cm)
Total: 995 pts.
We set up the field of battle on Christmas Eve and went ahead and made our preliminary deployments. The mission we rolled for was the Defensive Battle No Retreat with Nate's Russians defending and my Germans attacking:
 | No Retreat (Defensive Battle) There comes a time in every conflict when a force must dig in and prepare to repel a massive assault from the enemy. Often the deciding battles of their campaigns, these desperate defences can turn the tides and determine the momentum of entire wars. Mission Special Rules No Retreat uses the Ambush (page 266), Reserves (page 268), and Prepared Positions (page 264) special rules. Your Orders The Attacker The enemy has fallen back to defend a single choke point of your advance. Their lines disorganized, their reserves in tatters, you must crush their resistance and open a path to victory! You must assault and capture one of your objectives. The Defender The situation is desperate and your path is grim, but if you can mount a heroic defence against their coming advance you could turn the tide of this war. Reinforcements are coming, and your superiors have promised you support: until they arrive, you are on your own. There can be no retreat. You must hold the objectives and push the enemy back. Left: The No Retreat mission deployment map. |
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| Preliminary deployment; Nate's second Tankovy Company and his Tank Riders are held in reserve. |
GERMAN TURN ONE
As the attacker gets the first turn, I quickly moved my panzers forward, with the platoon on my right flank joined by my Company CO heading towards the ford and my 2iC and the second panzer platoon moving towards the river on my left followed by my panzergrenadiers.
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| Panzers moving into position! |
My first platoon opened fire at the two T-34s in the field but to no effect while my second platoon's Panzer IV E fired a smoke shell at the tanks next to the log building--hoping to cover them as they tried to ford the river. Sadly, I failed to stormtrooper with any of my platoons except the platoon on the right.
SOVIET TURN ONE
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| Nate's bold tank surge! |
To my German CO's relief, Nate failed his first reserves roll; I would still outnumber the beleaguered Russian defenders on my next turn. However, my elation did not last long. Rather than sit back and let the Germans come to him, Nate launched an all out attack--moving his tanks from cover (and out beyond the smoke marker) and focused his fire on my panzer platoon that was on the far bank of the river. Though now hitting on 5+ since he moved, he still managed to pop the Panzer III J from the platoon--the first casualty of the game!
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| Panzer burning! |
GERMAN TURN TWO
With the loss of one of my panzers and the ever increasing threat of Soviet reinforcements, I needed to act quickly to secure one of the objectives and ensure victory. However, the objective closest to my lines was now under the guns of six T-34s (which were much better than the majority of my tanks) and, worst of all, across a river. With Nate having moved one of the T-34's onto the bridge, he effectively closed that route off to my advance--even if I could knock it out, it would still prevent any vehicle from effectively crossing.
I therefore decided to go a route that I thought would give me the best options later in the game; even if Nate did not get reserves in turn two he was rule bound to get at least one company in turn three. I decided, therefore, to push my Panzergrenadiers across the river under the supporting fire from my panzer platoons. The platoon on my right (lead by my CO) would then cross at the ford and either swing to the left and hit Nate's tanks from behind or drive on to the second objective to stall any reserves that might arrive and buy my panzers and panzergrenadiers time to mop up the first tank company and secure the objective. No sooner had I begun my move, however, that my plan began to come apart. I kept the panzer platoon on my left unmoved so they could shoot at their full ROF, but they managed to score only ONE hit out of FIVE (needing only 3+)! Of course, that one shot just bounced happily off the T-34's tough front armor!
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| Is this the beginning of the end? |
My platoon on the right, however, managed to knock out one T-34 and bail out another (they were shooting at the "weaker" side armor--5 rather than 6). My grens pushed ahead and, during their stormtrooper move (finally passed!), they waded across the river with only one half-track failing the skill test needed to cross. I passed the stormtrooper move with my panzer platoon and moved to get them across the river as well but only my 2iC passed the skill test; the other two tanks just floundered helplessly on the bank. The CO and his platoon passed their stormtrooper roll as well (amazing isn't it), and moved across the ford (leaving one tank behind to help those stuck at the river) and I was into enemy territory at last!
SOVIET TURN 2
Well, my worst fears were realized--Nate rolled and his first reserve company came on the table; and of course he chose the tanks! My panzers were almost to the objective (not shown in the picture above as I forgot to take a picture once they made their stormtrooper move), but now they faced a wall of Soviet armor! Nate was in a hurry to get to the shooting, and justifiably so with one platoon of my panzers sitting ducks (almost literally!) and the other strung out and facing a torrent of 76mm rounds at close range. Nate picked up his dice and his first tankovy company fired 8 shots and knocked out my 2iC and the floundering Panzer IV E. The resulting platoon morale roll saw my Panzer III N flee for his life!
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| And the wheels begin to fly off! |
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| What was left of my left! |
The battalion commander engaged next and rolled two fours in shooting at my panzergrenadiers; knocking out both half tracks. The command team and one MG team failed to escape the burning wreckage and again I was forced to take a morale test--which I failed. With the loss of one panzer platoon and the panzergrenadiers, my left flank completely collapsed.
Nate, however, was not done. His newly arrived tankovy company opened up with three tanks and even though he needed 5+ to hit again, managed to destroy my lead Panzer III J. Things did not look good, and although many doubts were going through my head I was sure about one thing--I was going to have to take a company morale check at the start of my next turn.
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| The thick green line! |
GERMAN & SOVIET TURN 3
Before I rolled for my company morale test, Nate politely offered me terms for surrender. I, not so politely, refused stating my panzers would fight to the death. I then cast my die and, fearing I would have to eat the words I just spoke, rolled a 4 and the game would continue--my panzers not yet ready to relinquish the field! I moved my remaining panzers to the objective and opened fire! My Company CO managed to knock out a T-34 but that was all I could do. Nate began his turn with his infantry automatically arriving from reserve (too late to effect the outcome of the battle but not too late to enjoy the post victory BBQ!). He moved his Battalion CO and his first company towards what remained of my army and with their combined firepower destroyed my CO and the Panzer III J that was within range--leaving me with one Panzer III J on the table who miraculously passed his platoon morale check.
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| Game Over! |
GERMAN TURN 4
With no Company CO or 2iC to take the company morale check, I automatically failed and my last Panzer III J left the field to the Russians. I managed to kill only 2 tanks while I lost 5 to enemy fire and 2 more to poor morale. Nate ended the battle with a 6-1 Soviet victory, and my plans for the oil rich Caucuses will have to wait!
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| Nate Triumphant--and dressed up in one of his Christmas presents! (Also, that is an IBC Root Beer Bottle, our favorite gaming beverage and one of my Christmas presents!) |
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| The battlefield |
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| Where it all came apart |
While Christmas certainly is the time when we remember the birth of Christ and how through faith in His death and resurrection we alone can have peace with God; it also provides a great opportunity to enjoy our families and friends and to wage war across miniature battlefields! Nate did a great job leading his forces and it is always fun watching your kids get excited about blowing up your tanks!
All in all, it was a good opportunity to dust off the Mid-War armies and let them have a go at each other. Some of these are among the first Battlefront models I purchased when I picked up my first copy of the Flames of War rulebook back in 2007. Furthermore, this was the first game to be played on our new desert board which I assembled as part of our foray into Fate of a Nation.
As always, thanks for reading and if you are interested in gaming 15mm World War 2 battles please check out the Flames of War website here.
Have a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!
-Travis
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