Yesterday was another Monday night game and back to WW2 for a 1941 scenario of the Germans needing to get off the table with vehicles to gain VPs and both sides gaining VPs for every enemy infantry eliminated. As the Germans "had excellent intelligence on Russians" the Russian deployed first into a rather open and random light field defences; while the Germans could see where they could best attack. This, and that the Germans are all veterans, while the Russians were only trained; had the two Russian commanders already complaining (not that it takes all that much to get Dave hanking on about how the rules, scenario, dice, troops, tanks etc etc etc all suck....)
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| The Russian "open area" defence concept |
I proposed the German attack as an "end around" with me taking the three heavy StuGs and half the infantry to move along the far left of the Russian line, much like an American football lineman moving to block while Francis taking the lighter equipment would move in behind me to move fast down the table to reach the far end and the "end-zone" for more points. As good as the plan was (and to my surprise even Dave suggested we
should had done the same) Francis,..ahh..., 'misinterpreted' the orders and pushed his forces either into the woods for firefights with the Russians or putting his amoured cars into range of the Russian tanks and thereby masking my line of sight with my StuGs. Argh.
At the start of the game the Russians Dave and Brandon were beaking about the scenario but with the Germans getting mixed up and thus slowing up allowing more Russians into the fray, they were happier - better dice also - of course. The Stuka which Francis had brought into the game as the next addition to learn how air attacks operated, failed to show up after only the first strikes so as not to have the Russian get MORE into a tizzy. (I guess it developed "mechanical trouble"....sigh)
Realizing there is no way we, the Germans, could reach the end of the table, and tired of getting poor numbers in the trying , I changed tactics and went right at the Russians. I had some 10s on the dice come my way and quickly the Russians were back complaining again about the scenario, numbers equipment they should have ...blaa, blaa, blaa...
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| The German final assault on the Russian left flank hill position. The photo shows the two armored cars destroyed or abandoned earlier (right) and the lead StuG hit by the T-34 lurking around the corner of the hill (left). The Germans fortunately did not lose any infantry stands and took out a fair number of Russians to win the battle. Rules are Battlefront. Figures 15mm from Francis' collection. |
