Game using Battlegroup.
Players : Dave P and Adam
Scale : 20mm
Report by David P.
East Prussia Feb 1945 – Battlegroup Rules
As the Soviet steamroller grinds west through East Prussia a small but potent German battlegroup deploys dug in and waiting at a vital bridge to stall their advance.
The German defence (David) consisted of a panzer platoon (1x HQ Panther, 2x King Tigers), a Stug Battery, (3xStug II’s), a panzer grenadier company, an assault engineer platoon and a Whirbelwind.
The Soviets (Adam) consisted of a T34 company, an infantry company (tank riders), a mech infantry company and a heavy tank platoon (2x su100’s and a JS2) plus various assets.
The battle began with most of the German units in ambush orders, while the Soviet scouts moved cautiously under MG fire toward the bridge, followed by a T34 platoon. So far there was little German reaction, but when 2 Su100’s appeared unexpectedly from the woods on the north map edge, the King Tigers were forced to take action. Unfortunately the first Tiger missed, and was promptly knocked out, while the second Tiger managed to destroy one of the Su100’s in turn, but was then taken out by the second. A PAK 50mm responded and missed, the entire German position was flanked, and nothing was available to counter it. Or so it seemed!
Hiding in “reserve move” some distance away an assault engineer halftrack raced toward the woods, disembarked it’s squad who were able to move into range to fire a panzerfaust at the remaining Su100 to destroy it. In the following turn though they had to turn their attention to the JS2 that had just lumbered around the edge of the wood.
The battle seemed to proceed at breakneck speed. The soviet T34’s fired scores of shots at the pillboxes at the bridge, along with a massive pre planned barrage, all to no effect. Finally a direct assault by Soviet tank riders on one of the pillboxes was successful, only to find it was unoccupied! Their fire at the remaining German armour was more effective, destroying the HQ Panther, for the loss of only one of their own tanks. At this point the battle ended abruptly with the Germans having reached their break point, and was declared a win for the Soviets.
Great fun, and great shooting by Adam.
Editors comment.
Were he still around Jim Morrison may have penned this ballad about the battle.
Tank riders on the storm
Tank riders on the storm
On T34s we're borne
Into this fascist world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone
A soldier out on loan
Tank riders on the storm
Tank riders on the storm ...
Lets finish this off with some photos of Adams fine models before the mayhem started.
Hard to believe they are 20mm. My 28s do not look that good.
Photos curtesy of David P. and Gary.
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