Friday night was CoC time at the club!. We moved east and played a game loosely inspired in the defensive battles fought by the Germans in 1943-1944. So I shamelessly borrowed a map and the general situation for this battle from John de Terre Neuve's blog "Wargaming in 28mm"
The Red
Army attacking force comprised a full infantry platoon with three squads, a SMG
assault squad, and three T34/85 tanks plus a FOO as support units. The Germans opposed an infantry platoon supported by a HMG, a Sdkfz 234/3 (armed with a 7.5cm gun
for close support) and two SPGs (Marder III). Both sides were rated “average”.
Gaming table viewed from the north |
The
scenario was the attack/defence from the Chain of Command book. The objective was a tough one for the
attacker, who must conquer an enemy jump-off point located at 6’ from the
defender’s tactical edge.
The patrol
phase saw the Germans bringing forward their defensive lines and occupying a
bridgehead at the other side of the river (impassable terrain except through
the bridge). This advanced deployment forced the Russian players to place
their own jump-off points in a very narrow line, limiting their tactical initiative
for the rest of the game.
The game
itself started with the Russian deploying the SMG squad next to the field with crops
and a regular infantry squad in the wood located in the north; the Germans deployed
the HMG team in its right flank and an infantry squad in the house close to
the tactical edge.
A vicious exchange
of long-range fire followed, that concluded with the German HMG team broken but the Soviet
SMG squad basically pinned and unable to do anything useful except responding
to the German LMG but quite ineffectively (note
to myself: exchanging fire at long distance with a German LMG is a very baaad
idea).
The
Soviet brought a second squad into the table, emerging from the jump off point in the
woods, and the FOO next to the SMG quad location. At the same time, the Germans broke their infantry squad
into two fire teams (the LMG and the rifles) and moved the latter into the light
woods ahead, covered by fire of the LMG, threatening the remnants of the SMG
Soviet squad. However the FOO called a
heavy mortar battery and luckily arrived just on top the German infantry rifle team,
giving some breathing space to the submachine gunners, that nonetheless
continued suffering from the LMG fire.
However,
end of turn and also end of the barrage. The new turn started with the Soviets
advancing across the grain field towards the German jump-off point in front.
The Germans took little time to fend the threat, bringning two infantry squads
in consecutive activations that caught the Russians basically in the open, with
the expected results: one squad wiped out and the second caught in a very
vulnerable position.
The other
relevant event of the game was the arrival of the first T 34 in the road to the
west, a move followed by one the German Marders emerging just at the other side of the
table. The T 34 tried to support the beleaguered infantry with its gun while
resisting as best as possible the fire from the SPG (who failed to hit and penetrate
the Soviet tank iron skin at least three times!)
Marder III crew in need of new glasses! |
This was
followed by a few more activations until the Soviet command decided that there
were not enough forces available to achieve the victory conditions, therefore
deciding to retreat and may be fought on another day.
After Action Report
This was a truly odd game as I think the Read Army players were not totally concentrated in it, at least this was my perception from the opening moves during the patrol phase. The Germans made a very good use of the assets, that were also very timely deployed. The battle was decided in the northern area of the map around the Gemran jump-off point: the LMGs are to be feared and specially if they catch your forces in the open
I will consider replaying the scenario but with some modifications to the OOB. Although the tanbk forces were not tested, I think that the Red Army forces should be strengthend or the Germans reduced. The attack/defence scenarios are really hard for the attacker, and in the context of our game (with only one crossing point channelling the attacker) it is even harder.
I dig the maps.
ReplyDeleteLovely maps and report. I do agree with you in increasing Soviet power - or leave them as they are and reduce the Germans. The attacker will have to move, so he will want more power as he is going to take casualties crossing ground. As it stands the scenario feels more balanced for a meeting engagement.
ReplyDeleteI very much like your maps! Most attack/defense games i've played with other rules give the attacker a 2:1 or even 3:1 superiority in numbers for them to have an even chance of success. T34/85's leading the attack with infantry following would have helped greatly. Infantry alone attacking undamaged, dug in defenders was suicide....Just my opinion.
ReplyDeleteVery nice and useful maps. I think the Russian player needs almost a 3:1 advantage. This ruleset is really dangerous for attacking forces!
ReplyDeleteGreat looking game. Was the scenario from a skirmish campaign book?
ReplyDeleteNo, only the map which I took from John's blog as mentioned at the begining of the post
DeleteFine report, Benito. And the maps are wonderful. And, above all, that looks to have been a good, learning game for all sides.
ReplyDeleteThe more we've been playing Chain of Command, the more the players have been noticing that the German platoon LMGs are indeed deadly weapons in the right situation. They certainly excel in defence and can be very difficult to break down - something which is very much the situation in Late War games. Playing the game is very much a learning curve - just as the historical participants did, we found ourselves discovering (and re-discovering) the same tactics which worked on the battlefield to counter the German formations. But it's still a very tough fight!
Is there a quick reference sheet for CoC?
ReplyDeleteIn the files section of the TooFatLardies Yahoo Group
Deletehttp://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Toofatlardies/files/Chain%20of%20Command
That's what I was afraid of Anibal. I've not been able to access the files section of any yahoo group since they "upgraded" Yahoo groups several months ago.
DeleteThank you for the confirmation.
Than
Working backwards through the AARs so late to the game. For the record in one of my first games, I charged an MG34 with the hope of getting into hand to hand with the beast. The results were not pretty.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I have to agree with Anonymous, tanks were invented to beat up dug in MGs. Exploitation came later. Too easily we gamers get caught up in tank duels and forget they carried HE for a reason. ;)
Great report
Pat, thanks for tidbit on the original purpose of tanks. Not sure I'd ever thought of it like that.
DeleteI'm playing an IABSM scenario using BKCII rules and I'm using my 8 tanks to do just that: blasting the crap out of dug in SS in trenches and in buildings.