Zrudi and I met up on Monday last week (25th September) for a nice little 1000 points game. We agreed on setting the battle in 1945 so both of us could select an appropriate reinforced platoon from our respective army books.
Zrudi went with Operation Frühlingserwache, which allowed him to take two MMG teams per platoon, while I chose Seelow Heights from the Soviet army book, giving me two tank slots in one platoon.
“Scenario 7: Envelopment” was picked at random and both players decided for the Germans to be the defenders. Zrudi – quite appropriately – chose to defend the western half of the table against a Russian invasion force coming from the east.
The view from the south (left being west and right being east)
The Armies
Soviets:
2. Veteran LMG Squad (9 men)
3. Veteran Tank Riders (8 men)
4. Inexperienced Rifle Squad (12 men)
5. Regular Flamethrower Team
6. Veteran Sniper Team
7. Veteran Truck with MMG
8. Veteran Katyusha
9. Regular IS-2 with HMG
Germans:
2. Veteran Waffen-SS Squad (8 men)
3. Veteran Waffen-SS Squad (8 men)
4. Regular Heer Grenadier Squad (10 men)
5. Inexperienced Volks Grenadier Squad (8 men)
6. Inexperienced Hitler Youth Squad (10 kids)
7. Regular MMG Team
8. Regular MMG Team
9. Veteran Panzerschreck Team
10. Veteran Light Howitzer
11. Veteran Motorcycle with machine-gun sidecar
Zrudi once again cared naught for the safety of his men and deployed his entire army. An MMG team was placed in the wheat fields to the south-west. North of the team were the Volks Grenadier and Hitlerjugend squads, supported by the howitzer. Further north one of the SS squads took up position right across the river, tasked with defending the road leading out from the small village east of them. They were joined by the Grenadier squad, the Panzerschreck and the Lieutenant. The second SS squad, the second MMG team and the motorcycle were hidden in the woods, protecting the northernmost approach.
Taking up a forward position, the Soviet sniper team occupied the second floor of a house in the village (north-eastern sector).
Unsurprisingly, the Russian preparatory bombardment arrived, dishing out two pins on average and killing one of the howitzer’s crew.
Turn 1
Taking advantage of the German forces still being bunched up, the Katyusha entered the field from the east (north of the river) and a deadly symphony was played on Stalin’s organ in the direction of the regular Grenadiers. Three out of five viable target units escaped the rocket barrage, except for the Grenadiers and the northern SS squad. The Grenadiers lost two men, while half of the SS squad in the woods was obliterated in a spectacular series of explosions. The rest of the SS unit simply couldn’t hold their nerve and ran from the battlefield (3 pins in addition to the 1 received during the preparatory bombardment, 4 out of 8 men killed, failed morale check).
And so, the Soviets started pouring in from the east. The Katyusha was joined by the inexperienced rifle squad and the Lieutenant, who were running for the village in the centre. North of them, the truck rolled in with the LMG squad and the flamethrower team on-board. The IS-2 and its tank riders were the only ones ordered to crush the defences south of the river.
Most of the German troops simply tried to rally and prepare for the inevitable onslaught of the Russian hordes, with the exception of the MMG team and the motorcycle in the north. The MG42 noticed movement in one of the abandoned buildings across the road to the east and fired at the windows just to be safe. This resulted in the Russian sniper’s spotter getting torn to shreds and the sniper himself fleeing the battlefield (sniper’s assistant dies from MG-fire, sniper fails morale check twice).
The LMG squad got out of the truck to fire at the MG42, but their aim was way off. They were met however by the motorcycle and one man died to the hail of bullets coming from the bike’s sidecar.
The Katyusha's grand entrance
The Russian sniper after losing his assistant and just before fleeing
The LMG squad leave their truck
Turn 2
The second turn started with the German howitzer shooting at the IS-2. Although it missed, it was enough to force the tank riders to abandon their transport.
Lacking targets in front of it due to the Grenadiers moving to cover, the Katyusha repositioned and unleashed its next barrage at the Volks Grenadiers in the south-west. The rockets landed on target and two men died from the squad. Although the Hitlerjugend were close, they escaped the bombardment unharmed. The Germans in the south were further shot at by the advancing IS-2, but no one was hit.
The Russian inexperienced squad, together with the Lieutenant ran forward to the centre of the village. Unfortunately the riflemen were spotted by the SS squad by the river and were shot at. Two Russians fell and the rest of the squad was really bothered by this loss (I rolled a 1 on the squad’s Green rule and ended up with 3 additional pins).
In the north, the LMG squad advanced further, but were caught in the open by the MG42 waiting in ambush. The squad got pinned and two men died. The result was that their shots fired at the German motorcycle were once again inaccurate.
The truck – instead of providing support for his comrades – hit the gas and raced westwards at full speed with the flamethrower team still on-board. On their way they saw a shaped charge whiz by, courtesy of the Panzerschreck team.
The inexperienced Russians and their Lieutenant reaching the centre of the village...
... only to be shot at by the SS and lose two men.
The LMG squad advancing and being slowed down by the motorcycle
The truck's driver, driving like a maniac
Turn 3
The motorcycle drove around the building it was hiding behind until now and using the road leading into the village from the north, it rolled up to the inexperience rifle squad in the village and fired at them. The squad deemed it wise to go down and hit the dirt. Fortunately – and possibly due to the bumpy road – all of the shots coming from the sidecar missed.
The MG42 in the north finally processed the shock of seeing the Russian truck speed towards them so recklessly and opened fire. They managed to pin it and its passengers, but no considerable damage was done to the vehicle.
The truck’s driver – following the battle plan of marshal Retardishov – had no trouble ignoring the machinegun-fire directed at them and swung the vehicle around to the left. He drove past the MMG team, right up to the Grenadiers and the Panzerschreck team. As per the plan, the truck’s MMG would take out the Panzerschreck, while the flamethrower team would simply hop off and torch the Grenadier squad. Unfortunately, marshal Retardishov’s plans usually only work in his demented mind. Only one shot from the truck’s MMG actually hit the Panzerschreck team and it didn’t even kill anyone. As for the flamethrower team, they didn’t have time to attempt anything as the truck was assaulted by the Grenadiers and the team was forced to disembark and defend their transport. Needless to say, the flamethrower team was slaughtered mercilessly – although not with ease (Zrudi scored exactly two hits). Afterwards, the truck was simply blown up by the grinning Panzerschreck team.
In the south, the IS-2 rolled on towards the howitzer and the blob of inexperienced units, shooting at the howitzer and the Hitlerjugend squad while on the move. The howitzer wasn’t hit, but the tank’s machinegun did kill three kids. This, however, did not bother the rest of the squad. They were apparently in a much better mental state than my riflemen (Zrudi rolled on the unit’s Green rule and successfully upgraded them to Regular – but not to Fanatics at least). The Katyusha tried to provide covering fire for the IS-2, but failed. This proved to be a great problem, because the Hitler Youth now decided to go on the offensive. Passing their order test they advanced to face the Soviet behemoth head-on. They fired their four Panzerfausts and although one missed, the rest hit their target successfully, blowing the tank's turret off.
The tank riders saw the destruction and ran towards the burning wreckage. Their movement was not halted by the MG42 firing at them from the wheat fields.
The LMG team in the north attempted an advance, but lacked the courage (failed order test due to 2 pins).
Driving into the lion's den
The flamethrower team trying to defend the truck...
... and failing
IS-2 facing off the Hitlerjugend...
... and the result
Hans posing for the propaganda shot
Turn 4 & 5
Driven by their success against the IS-2, the Hitlerjugend advanced on the tank riders, but failed to kill anyone. In response the tank riders assaulted the children and killed them without remorse and without losing even one of their own. The Volks Grenadier squad tried to avenge the fallen kids, but they themselves were all killed in close combat by the tank riders. The tankodesantniki's rampage was ended by the remaining SS squad.
In the centre, the Katyusha got outflanked and pinned by the motorcycle. The inexperienced rifle squad was assaulted by the Grenadiers and killed to the last man.
The LMG team in the north managed to advance on the MG42, but failed to hit it again. The MG team’s response was accurate and left most of the LMG squad dead.
And at this point, I surrendered. It’s probably the gulag for me :)
The tank riders massacring the Hitlerjugend...
... and wiping out the Volks Grenadiers a turn later
The Heer Grenadiers after their victory against the Russian riflemen
Final shot of the battlefield from the south
Conclusion
It’s been a long time since I last used the Katyusha and I forgot what a fun vehicle it is (mainly when it hits). The only drawback is that it takes the place of a tank in the platoon. That is why I was glad to play as per the Seelow Heights theatre, which allowed two tanks per platoon.
As for tactical musings, I shouldn’t have disembarked with the LMG squad from the truck so early. I should have run with the IS-2 in the first turn. And I probably shouldn’t have sent the truck and the flamethrower team on a suicide-mission … probably. Well, shoulda coulda woulda. It was still a ridiculously fun game! :)
Based on his last couple of battles, Zrudi seems to think his Volks Grenadiers and the Hitlerjugend squad are doing more than his veteran SS units. This might be because I instinctively avoid SS squads, so they don’t see much action.
As always, I hope you enjoyed the read!
Greger
