Saving Germany: Battle at Arnswalde. (A Desperate Measures battle report)

28 septembre 2014

Saving Germany: Battle at Arnswalde. (A Desperate Measures battle report)

Today I just wanted to share my first battle report with you :)

So the action take place in East Germany, Spring 1945 more particularly in the city of Arnswalde.

Hero Tankovy Brigada (from Desperate Measures)

Hero Tankovy brigada HQ- 1 x T34/85

Hero Tankovy Company- 4 x T34/85

Hero Motostrelkovy Company- 2 motor rifle platoons

Hero Spetsnaz platoon- 2 spetsnaz squads

Hero Motorised artillery battalion- 1 gun battery

Panzer Kampfgruppe (from Desperate Measures)

Panzer kampfgruppe HQ- 2 x Panther G

Panzer Platoon- 3 x Panther G

Panzer Platoon- 3 x Panzer 4J

Panzer Platoon- 3 x StuGs 3

Panzergrenadiers Platoon- 3 squads

Russian orders:

Today, glorious comrades of the 2nd Guards Tank Army, we stike at the very heart of the Fascist Reich! Today, we will crush the german wretched forces and lead our way into Germany! Comrades, today we will end 4 years of relentless fighting to purge our Mother Russia of the fascist enemy! This time it's Their land, this time it's Their blood! All you have to do is to crush what they have left in defence of Arnswalde and then the gate to the german heartland will be open!
Za Stalina Comrades!

German Orders

Soldiers, I know you are battered, exhausted, and that there is pretty much nothing left to faces off the Soviet horde, but there is still hope! We just received new panzers, directly from the factories. Don't show fear soldiers! The Thousand years Reich is no longer, but now we fight to keep the soviets away from our land! protect your families, protect our people! Enjoy the war, peace will be terrible! Our orders are to hold the enemy at Arnswalde and, if possible, to cut off supply and destroy the attacking troops. I know I can count on you soldiers, I hope you will succeed.

The Battlefield

The germans deployed everything but the panzer 4 platoon, StuGs and CO panther in the wheat fields, Grenadiers holding the hill objective and the panther platoon ready to roll on and flank the enemy. (note that the 2 german objectives are placed on the hill and near the wheat fields, this last one being represented by a Pak 40)

The Soviet placed everything but a tankovy platoon, same as their german counterparts. Motostrelkovy in the village, artillery behind the muddy field and T34/85 and Spetsnaz ready to roll.

Artillery position looking toward german troops.

Motostrelkovy and T34/85 ready to push back german troops.

StuGs ready to face the Soviet tide.

The Spetsnaz made their recce movement, and now hide in the forests near german objectives.

Spetsnaz in sight of german positions

Turn 1

Nothing really happened during the first turn excepted general advance for the russians and panthers shooting at the soviet spotter team in the church tower.

Missed panther shots against the church.

Soviet general advance. (after failing to range in for the artillery)

Turn 2

The Panthers successfully destroyed the church tower and the poor soviet spotter team inside.

Motostrelkovy taking cover behind some buildings.

CO T34/85 advancing under smoke cover from the artillery. (you can see one of the 2 soviet objectives, the other one is placed in the village)

Turn 3

Panthers did nothing this turn excepted positioning themselves for a better line of sight.

Russians did have a better luck, and get their reserves! A platoon of T34/85 (proxied here by Shermans) soon arrived and instantly destroyed the 2iC panther tank, despite being concealed in the woods...not bad.

The unlucky 2iC panther.

And the CO T34/85 hide himself in the forest near the Spetsnaz.

Turn 4

Having no enemy in sight, the grenadiers chose to dug in, and wait for the oncoming shock with the soviets.

Panthers awaiting the T34/85, lying behind the buildings.

Much more interessant was the fight occuring on the left flank, near the standing crops, where the reserve platoon destroyed a StuG hiding in the wheat! Second kill for the platoon so far! Mother Russia's ace tankers reporting!!

Turn 5

Panthers charge into contact, hoping to destroy as many tanks as possible and force them to make a moral test, but only bail one...

Same for the Stugs...ineffective shooting step... what could be worse?

Oh...it's getting worse... having failed their shooting attempt, they finally get flanked by the T34/85...duh!

It was pretty predictable...all of the panthers are destroyed. First german platoon loss...

Turn 6

Ahh finally!! Some success for the germans! The T34/85 reserve platoon is completely destroyed by the combined fire of the CO panther and the StuGs!

Panzers 4s arrives from reserves and instantly engage the enemy, who shows it's "ass". 3 T34/85 are destroyed but the fearless soviet successfully pass the moral check!

The lone survivor of the platoon.

Unfortunately, the panzer 4s didn't survived much longer, and are utterly destroyed by the last T34/85...

Motostrelkovy surge forward to assault the grenadiers in the next turn.

Turn 7

Germans situation is getting desperate, so, trying to destroy the soviet CO and force the soviet to make a Company moral check, the Stugs advance but their line of sight is blocked... game end is near...

The CO panther, pretty useless all along the game.

The Motostrelkovy closes in for the assault, and the german defensive fire prove to be ineffective. Argh, I'm gonna be slaughtered!!

I was actually slaughtered...

Conclusion

Being under half the company strengh, i rolled a moral check... which I failed! The game end on a 5-2 soviet victory. The Fascist Beast is falling back once again comrades!!