1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 5 - Eastern Gordinische

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 his spotter. The sniper retreated.

When the Germans did get into firing positions their superior numbers and training started to tell.

The smaller Soviets squads were being shredded.

The flame-thrower team have just wiped out a German squad. The D10 is to remind me that the German Forward Air Observer has just called in an air-strike. Note the Soviet snipers have gone - first shot from the German mortar!

Soviet reserves move forward to plug gaps caused by casualties.

The main effect of the airstrike was a few pins.

The Soviet right flank completely collapsed and the Germans started a general advance.

The Soviets were about to lose the factory too so I called the game and the Soviets retreated.

The only area clear enough for tanks to operate was by the railway line. The PzIIIG and the T34 settled in behind rubble piles and shot at each other without and notacible result.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1941 Eastern Front Campaign - First and Last

Image
 1941 Eastern Front Campaign - First and Last   The campaign started in March 2020 to  occupy me during the first UK lockdown.  It lasted 21 months and finished with multiplayer games with my wargaming friends.   This was Turn 2.  Five Soviet Platoons - mostly small  ones - face off against five Axis Platoons.  I bought both Tank platoons and both Soviet Machinegun Artillery platoons specifically for this campaign.  The fortified area is several bunkers and huge amounts of fortifications.  In the campaign the Axis never attacked it.  Sensibly they went around it, just the Germans did in reality in WWII. This was the de-faco end of the campaign, although I played a few more turns.  Axis forces have grown to five infantry platoons, one armoured car platoon, one Engineer platoon and one motorbike platoon.  The Soviets have 6 infantry platoons, one armoured car platoon and one infantry reconnaissance platoon.  This did mean a huge expansion in my armies too, giving me many hours of fun ass
Read more

1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 8 - Back to Eastern Gordinische

Image
 After rebuilding their forces the Germans tried again for Eastern Gordinische.  Two infantry platoons took on two Soviet platoons. This was the battlefield, a collection of terrain from three players. The Germans attacked the Soviets, who started deployed 12" in. The Germans pick their way through the rubble. The Germans headed for the high-rise buildings in front of them. The Soviets held back, using whatever cover they could find. There were so many Soviets that not all of them could deploy properly. Fighting errupted around the bridge. Close range fire-fights errupted The Germans used their superior numbers to find weak spots The Germans broke into the factory. But the Soviets counter-attacked and won the factory fight. This German platoon lost a single man, and decisevly won its fight. In the end the Soviets retreated to Western Gordinische for their final stand.
Read more

1941 Eastern Front Campaign - Battle 6 - Capt Anatoly's Farm

Image
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 to  collectivisation, its
Read more