Total War!!!
This FNF's was the Total war game at the end of our 1000 pts tier for the Table Top Tacticians and it was an epic fight. There was 4000 pts on each side with 7 people playing with 3 Allies players playing 2 Russian armoured Battalions (Lothlann), 1 Russian Infantry Battalion (Pripyat) and 1 US Para Company (Joyous_Oblivion) against 4 German players playing Infantry (Ca$h), Armoured Infantry (Ripsey), and 2 Panzers Companies (Diragi and myself, Big Willie). We were playing Encounter with 2 defensive objectives and one offensive spread out over two 6 x 4 foot tables. To speed the game up we decided to have each 1000 pt army deploy half their platoons and each 1000 pt army would roll for it's own reserves. After talking with WWPD and learning how terrain is treated for Nationals we decided to adjust our playing to get us better prepared in the event we get the chance to play in those types of tournaments. We played from around 7 pm to 1 am and then called it. There was a lot going on in the game and a very large table so there are likely holes in the coverage, so for the guys who were there sort me out.
WARNING - LOADS OF AWESOME PICS!
Ground Orientation
The Allies are holding the North which is the left side of the board. The Germans are attacking from the South. Objectives to the North are behind the hedgerow beside the road this side of the town, behind the woods straddling the tables and at the far East between the hill and forest. The objectives on the South side are just at the end of the road in the fore ground, at the hook in the cobble stone road on the west side of the town and the split in the tables.
TURN 1
German Infantry occupy the western woods straddling their objectives while Panzers and half-tracks prepare to advance
Commander of the German Infantry
Panzers in the centre ready to advance
A Russian Company holding the eastern woods beside an eastern most objective
On the western flank Russian Recce and light tanks prepare to advance across the river
T34's in the centre massed and ready to advance into the town
Panzer's and half-tracks advance along the cities western road
On the Eastern flank Panzer II's with Panzer III support engage Russian Recce
Panzer's and 8-Rads move into the town
Russian Recce in the west double time across the bridge
The western Stuarts cross the ford and advance
T34s advance to the outside of the town and plan root out the Germans
Russian Infantry move into the woods to secure their hold on the eastern most objective
3 Stukas arrive in the centre yet fail to do any damage
Casualties
Nil
TURN 2
Nebs shell the Russian infantry killing a stand on the eastern flank
Panzer's move to corner Russian Recce and destroy one on the east
Panzer OC and PaK 38 combine to destroy the double timing Russian Recce on the western flank
Panzer's advance on the western edge of the towns roads and engage the Stuarts
Stuarts lose a tank while the remaining are bailed but pass their motivation
Again the Stuka targets the T34s bailing one
US Para's dig in on an objective
US Para 105mm battery engage the Panzers to no effect
The T34s bail out a Panzer III J while having one of their own bailed
Casualties
Allies Germans
Russian Armoured Company 1 Nil
1 x Stuart
1 x Recce car
Russian Armoured Company 2
1 x Recce Platoon
Russian Infantry
1 x Infantry stand
TURN 3
Nebs fire again killing another 4 stands of infantry and not a single German reserve platoon has arrived!
Russians moving further into the woods to avoid rockets
All the Stuarts remount and another platoon of T34s arrive from reserve. The Stuarts engage the Panzer III's to no effect while the T34s and 105mm hammer the Panzer IVs and 8-Rads
Bailing a Panzer IV and an 8-Rad
The T34s are getting the better of the fight in the town bailing all the Panzers
More Allied reinforcements arrive on the far eastern flank, destroying a Panzer II while the others break contact
OC, 2IC of the Panzers and a PaK 38 combine fire to destroy 3 more Stuarts and the platoon leaves the field. One armoured battalion is now at half strength
The bailed Panzer and 8-Rad fail to get back in, while the troop commander moves to engage the T34s
OC bogs down going over the hedge, little did we know what that would mean...
After destroying the Recce cars the Panzer's storm trooper out of the way
Casualties
Allies Germans
Russian Armoured Company 1 Panzer Kompaine 1
Stuarts platoon 1 x Panzer II
Recce Platoon
Russian Armoured Company 2
1 x Recce Platoon
Russian Infantry
5 x Infantry stand
TURN 4
With none of the Panzers remounting the Nebs fire smoke onto the T34s to cover their boys
The combined fire from the T34s and the 105s destroys a Panzer IV and bails another, the motivation check is a ....3 and with the OC bogged down the platoon quits the field
Despite the smoke bombardment the T34s reposition and destroy all of the Panzer IIIs in the town, things are not looking good for the Germans losing 2 tank platoons in a matter of minutes
Newly arrived Russian troops come on from the far west and immediately advance towards the objective
Western flank of the battlefield
Stukas arrive bombing the newly arrived Russian infantry killing 3 stands
OC advances and guns down a Para 105mm
Newly arrived 42mm anti-tank guns double forward only to be gunned down by 8-Rads from within the town
The Russians finally dig into the eastern flank with the help of a pioneer supply truck
On the far eastern flank the combined US Para pioneers and Russian light tanks continue to compress the Panzers
The USAF finally arrive and make their presence felt immediately destroying 3 half-tracks and a stand of infantry
Casualties
Allies Germans
Russian Armoured Company 1 Panzer Kompaine 1
Stuarts platoon 1 x Panzer II
Recce Platoon Panzer Kompanie 2
Russian Armoured Company 2 Panzer IV platoon
1 x Recce Platoon Armoured Infantry Kompaine
Russian Infantry 3 x half-tracks
5 x Infantry stand 1 x Infantry stand
Panzer platoon
TURN 5
Newly arrived Panzer IVs in the centre lose a member to the T34s
German armoured infantry arrive on the far western flank to protect it from the Russian Infantry
Newly arrived Tiger firing down the road....
Destroying a T34 from long range on the west side of the town
Russian assault guns advance on the far west to support the infantry
The USAF again flexs it's muscle attempting to knock out the Tiger with no effect
On the west the infantry advance while the assault guns hammer the half-tracks
T34s move off the road to get away from the big cat and start trading shots with the OC
Casualties
Allies Germans
Russian Armoured Company 1 Panzer Kompaine 1
Stuarts platoon 1 x Panzer II
Recce Platoon
1 x T34 Panzer Kompanie 2
Russian Armoured Company 2 Panzer IV platoon
1 x Recce Platoon Armoured Infantry Kompaine
Russian Infantry 4 x half-tracks
5 x Infantry stand 1 x Infantry stand
Panzer platoon
TURN 6
Nebs open fire knocking out 3 guns from the anti-tank platoon but they pass their moral check
Half-tracks open up and knock out another 4 infantry stands
Panzer IVs knock out a T34 as the rest of the T34s advance into the town
The Tiger continues to advance along the road
German infantry arrive on the far eastern flank in position to assault the Russian light tanks but get whittled down due to machine gun fire. In the assault the remaining light tanks are bogged in the woods. Concurrently the Panzer Kompaine fights a delaying battle holding the east flank
Casualties
Allies Germans
Russian Armoured Company 1 Panzer Kompaine 1
Stuarts platoon 1 x Panzer II
Recce Platoon
1 x T34 Panzer Kompanie 2
Russian Armoured Company 2 Panzer IV platoon
1 x Recce Platoon 1 x Panzer IV
1 x T34 Armoured Infantry Kompaine
Russian Infantry 4 x half-tracks
5 x Infantry stand 1 x Infantry stand
Panzer platoon
TURN 7
Germans advance into the town trading shots with the T34s to no effect
The 8-Rads and anti-tank guns trade shots. The anti-tank guns lose a gun and then the commissar shoots the platoon commander to keep them in the fight. It pays off as one is destroyed by the volley firing anti-tank guns
The half-tracks and the 2ICs tank pour enough shots into the Russian infantry to the point when the quit the field.
It was now 1am and we all were pretty tired so we called the game a draw. It was an awesome time for all and special thanks to Pripyat and Mrs Pripyat for hosting and cooking for us, the Kabobs were awesome!!! Stay tuned for next week when we start the final tier of the escalation league.
Thanks for Big_Willie for the AAR!
great looking game!
ReplyDeleteGame in a nutshell:
ReplyDelete1. Light casualties to open with the Germans pushing up the board
2. In the middle turns the Germans had to fallback due to a) tank losses in the middle of the board b) strong allied reinforcements c) weak reinforcements
3. In the last turns the Germans got all of their reinforcements and were able to apply the pressure once more.
Ultimately it was a pretty even battle; it wasn't much longer before people would start to take 'bottle tests'. While the balance could completely swing one way or the other it would have come down to tanks vs inf.