Pauls Wargaming Blog

 The battle of Western Gordinische In many ways this was the culmination of the campaign so far.  Western Gordinische had the main tarmaced road and railway that was vital to make it a logistics hub. Unlike the built-up industrialised east of the town, the western side was more genteel, with wooden houses for senior railway staff. As well as the station building and goods shed which stand on either side of the rail track, the railway administration building is the only brick-built structure in this part of the town. At this point of the campaign, Soviet platoons are short on support weapons but have lots of inexperienced infantry.  German platoons have lots of support weapons but are very short on infantry, their five squads (in the two platoons) ranging from 4-men to 8-men strong. In most of my assault battles the defender starts 12" in and the attacker arrives as a first wave. Western Gordinische at the start of the battle. Soviet Platoon 2 defended the right flank, wit...

With the Germans advancing on Eastern Gordinische, the Germans noted all the Soviet forces moving east.  They told the Romanians that Western Gordinische was open and vulnerable to a 'coup d' main'.   Technically the Germans were right.  But the Gordinische town Commissar was alert to the threat.  Machine Gun Artillery Platoon 2 was ordered to retreat into the town (which it could do - illegal platoons may retreat but not advance).  The Commissar then ordered each of the three bunkers in The Fortified Area to give up two MMG crews.  These 18 men were used to convert the LMG teams in MGA2, creating two 9-man LMG Squads and a 6-man rifle squad.  The Main Soviet platoon sent the new platoon the items it didn't need in its own fight in the ruined buildings - a BT7 tank, a BA10 armoured car and a light howitzer.  The platoon took up position west of the town beside the railway line, in Capt Anatoly's farm - a small farm long since abandoned due t...

The Battle for Eastern Gordinische. The eastern side of the town had been pounded to rubble by the Luftwaffe and German artillery, but the Germans had to get through it to win the prize - western Gordinische and the vital road and rail facilities.   The battlefield. Four and a half residential blocks, a factory and an administration building from 40K! I ordered a "slate grey" sheet for the base. Not my idea of slate.   The Soviets had two weak platoons and set up 12" in. The platoons were weak becuase the railway lines had been cut, so no replacements or reinforcements had arrived. The Germans had two stronger platoons and advanced over the rubble. Troops on both sides advance. German troops pick their way through the rubble. The Soviets took pot shots as the Germans advanced. The Administration building was defended by two squads plus the flame-thrower, HQ, medic etc. The German sniper found that a) he was within 12" of most enemies and b) he lost hi...