Mike's Wargaming Blog: Battle Report

Monday 4 March 2019

Battle Report - Stalingrad Turn 2

Hello Folks,

Time for another battle report. This week is the next round of the clubs Stalingrad campaign. My assigned battle ended up being Breakthrough again against Serge this time.

I changed out my list a bit basically replaced Panzer 4s for Marders.

My strategy this time is to be much more conservative and stick to cover. Try and have every advantage. But there is a need to be within 8" of the objective or I loose. I have only a few platoons in my formation so I can't afford any of them for breakthrough duties, so I sent my firestorm tanks and AA trucks.

Deployment. Germans massed in a crop field, Russian infantry set to take the objectives. This set up is more reminiscent if counter attack. But the Russuans have AT guns to hold the line.

Turn 1 I moved out my Panzer 2s, they are bait to try and draw the Russian ambush. The guns were 7 to hit for my main tank force so they went to ground.

Russians never took the bait but the guns and there commander killed the 2s. Infantry moved to the outside objective.

With the Russian commander out to play I brought up the Marders and took him out. My full 5ank force fired on the guns and killed both. Plans going good so far.

So way was clear to move then. I advanced on mass. By now it was turn 3 or so and reserves were turning up. I tucked my trucks into the corner of the wood so they would be just within 8 of the objective.

Russians finally dropped that ambush and got 2 kills.

I tried to push forward and fight the tanks now in the wood. But there is 5 more behind it. Rest of the reserves showing up also so a secondary tank fight gets started in the other wood.

I'm fighting back best I can, but as you can see the numbers game is not going well. Lots of destroyed tanks. The big Russian platoons can soak allot of fire.

Really on the edge of losing now. My company is almost broken, down to just 2 platoons. Also I am barely making the 8" requirement to contest.

Almost have my central tank platoon in range of the objective, but my reserve tanks got wiped out. All the Russians need to win is to kill a couple of trucks.

Which of course they do, so a win for them. Really though to attack the Russians with the way the game is, but gave it a good go. Took out 3 platoons this time so was allot better.

Here's a few shots of other games going on. For prosterity.