CoC - Winter Storm campaign (scenario 14, updated 24 Sept)

[Sgt_T]

The second wave of Soviet tanks tries to get through the German lines in scenario 10, which is again a no-infantry-all-tanks Chain of Command game.

Three burning tanks this time (sorry CapnJim). One Soviet tank got through but the Germans were again too strong for a decisive Soviet victory.

The one that got away:


The ones that didn't:


More on my blog: https://toomuchterrain.blogspot.com/2023/02/hold-line-verkhniykumskiy.html

T.

[CapnJim]

Three burning tanks this time (sorry CapnJim). One Soviet tank got through but the Germans were again too strong for a decisive Soviet victory.

Oh, the agony, the horror...

Seriously, folks - nice reports, even with the tragic tales of KO'ed tanks...

[Sgt_T]

Still the battle around Verkhniy‐Kumskiy is raging as the Soviets try to stop the Germans from pushing towards Stalingrad. This all tank battle we played using the What a Tanker rules.

The game took longer than a Chain of Command game with the same forces and (nearly) the same terrain.
I got the feeling that this game was more dynamic (more movement and maneuvering) than the Chain of Command all tank games.

The Soviets won by the way. The best performing team must've been the crew of a small Soviet tank that took out a Panzer III



Only 2 tanks totally destroyed this time. The other casualties were taken out by total permanent command dice loss.

.

More on my blog: https://toomuchterrain.blogspot.com/2023/03/strike-three-verkhniykumskiy.html

T.

[Sgt_T]

Scenario 12 from the Winter Storm campaign where the Germans are attacked from the front and in the rear but prevail. My cunning plan for a Soviet victory fails to deliver because the required full Chain of Command dice is never reached.





Lots of burning tanks.



More on my blog: https://toomuchterrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-bear-fights-back-verkhniy-kumkskiy.html

T.

[Sgt_T]

The campaign has reached the village of Verkhniy-Kumskiy itself.

The Germans withstood the Soviet onslaught, but only just. The man of the match was Pauli der Panzerknacker who took out a T34 with a satchel charge.








More on my blog: https://toomuchterrain.blogspot.com/2023/06/a-desperate-defence-verkhniykumskiy.html

T

[CapnJim]

Looks like Pauli will get a Tank Destruction Badge!  But Jeez, that took some big balls.  How does he walk? 

[Sgt_T]

Indeed!
I had the same feeling when reading the section "infantry close-attacking armor (with improvised means)" (roughly translated from Dutch) in my Soldier's Handbook.
One must be pretty desperate to fight tanks this way.
Apparently tank hunter teams doing this were common though in WW2.

T

[jon_1066]

Have you seen this training film?



It's from the Germans in 1943.

[has.been]

That is an ace find! Many thanks for posting, so many useful bits. 

[Sgt_T]

Thanks for posting Jon!
Great llustration of the risks of armour advancing without infantry support.

T.

[Digits]

Going to have to go back through your thread now as just started looking at Winter Storm myself…..

[Sgt_T]

The Germans need to execute a planned withdrawal by punching through the Soviet lines in this Winter Storm scenario.

This time, man of the match was eagle-eyed Ivan, who managed to chase a Panzer III off table with his LMG.







It wasn't enough though. In the end the Germans claimed victory.

More on my blog: https://toomuchterrain.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-final-act-verkhniykumskiy.html

T

[BeneathALeadMountain]

Great to see you’re still going with this (winter storm is a long campaign). I believe Ivan may be appearing on a propaganda poster for the motherland very soon - introducing the new light Russian tank the Ivan mkI - never throws a track link and can be fuelled with vodka.

Any ideas what you’ll swap to for a breather?

Thank you for posting,

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

[Sgt_T]

Great to see you’re still going with this (winter storm is a long campaign). I believe Ivan may be appearing on a propaganda poster for the motherland very soon - introducing the new light Russian tank the Ivan mkI - never throws a track link and can be fuelled with vodka.

Any ideas what you’ll swap to for a breather?

Thank you for posting,

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

You're welcome!

Yes, it certainly was a memorable achievement by Ivan. They may have to do some 1940's photoshopping though since Ivan got shot by another panzer III at the end of the game.

After this chapter of Winter Storm I've got a What a Cowboy campaign planned. I still have some figures and terrain to paint though, so I'll probably game one or more WW2 Normandy CoC one-off scenarios with my regular opponent before the What a Cowboy campaign can start.

For chapter 3 of Winter storm I pretty sure I have all the figures painted and ready. For chapter 4 there are still some gaps to fill.


T