Eastern Escalation - KGK AAR

[V]

Last night we played a 600 point battle using the Escalation scenario and the Kampfgruppe Kursk supplement that Warwick is writing. We pitted the German Panzer list against one from the Soviet Tank Corps list to see how the supplement played out with larger forces than we have previously used (and an excuse to use all my T-34s!).



600 point Soviet force not showing the Radio Truck and Supply Truck.




600 point German force supported by one battery of 81mm Mortars and one battery of 120mm Mortars, both off-table.


We set up a fairly simple table layout and placed objectives, then rolled off to see who picked which end. The Soviets choose ends, and as I hadnt managed to fit any recce in, got the first turn, and secured a number of objectives before I had even got on the table and I had to take two morale chits! Luckily one of them was an aircraft, though it failed to arrive!



Looking towards the German Lines...




Looking towards the Soviet Lines...


The scenario has a staggered arrival of forces from Turn 2 onwards. The Soviets got the better of this with far more arriving than the Germans each turn, but the first few German units were the Tigers and Panzer IVs. As Russian tanks arrived a bit of long range gunnery started (in KGK some German guns, such as the Tigers '88' have an extended range band allowing extreme range shots) but it proved ineffective and the Tigers elected to move up to the fence line and remain on Covering Fire. In the village a marauding T-70 took yet another objective, for which I drew a Mechanical Breakdown chit that immobilised a T-34, before it was despatched by the German commander who had just arrived in his Panzer IV.





The battle moved onto the German left flank in the main, with the prescence of the Tigers forcing all Russian armour to deploy over that side. With the Germans in the village in force, comprising tanks and infantry, the Russians attacked with a number of T-34s carrying SMG equipped Tank Riders. German tank fire, which failed to penetrate the T-34s at long range did however force the Tank Riders to throw themselves off and they fell to the ground suppressed with light casualties. This direct fire was followed by a mortar stonk that suppressed a couple more T-34s and actually fluked a hit that knocked one out (a double six needed and attained!).





This battle on the left raged for most of the game with the Russians trying to close the distance to make up for their poorer chances to hit. This was supported by a huge mortar salvo that managed out of 8 shots to score 6 direct hits on the German tanks! Sadly all failed to do any damage at all... However after a couple of turns of fighting an accurate Russian Katyusha barrage hit the German armour in the town dead on. This again caused several direct hits and these knocked-out a Tiger (already immobilised by a lucky shot from a T-34) and more importantly the German Commanders Panzer IV. With these two destroyed the remaining T-34s rushed the town, and although taking losses, knocked out two more Panzer IVs, including the German Forward Signals unit. The last Panzer IV quickly withdrew and the remaining infantry hunkered down in the buildings.





By chance, one of the morale chits from this devastation brought the Germans another aircraft chit and this time a Stuka arrived sporting under wing 37mm cannons. It swooped over the attacking T-34s and with its cannons spitting fire, one T-34 erupted in flames. The arrival of more German infantry and the final two Panzer IVs allowed a counter-attack on the village to take place, destroying a further T-34, and allow troops to move into a position to attack Russian troops holding an objective on the German right flank.





A rather confused engagement took place. The Russians having suffered heavy losses found themselves with little armour left and had to bring forward their mass of infantry. This, having been neglected at the back, had some distance to travel. German mortar fire cleared one objective of enemy troops and the Russian morale looked in a serious situation. However a heroic T-34 managed to storm forward and with the luck of the devil, took out the Tiger commanders tank. His victory was shortlived as the remaining Tigers turned his tank into a charred hulk. The Stuka, after doing very little once more dived in for the attack and in two turns took out the Russian Battlegroup Commanders tank and the T-34 Company Commanders vehicle. With German infantry still clinging on in the village, the German troops attacked the Russians on the hill on the right flank. Concentrated gunfire wiped them out, causing the Russians to take two chits as they also lost possession of an objective. The rest of the Russian infantry, all SMG armed, lacked the range to provide any support. As German gunfire knocked-out the last remaining T-34 and another unit of infantry was forced to withdraw due to casualties from mortar fire, this pushed the Russians over the morale limit and the Germans took victory.





The Russians took 46 morale points in total (their breakpoint was 45) to the Germans taking 27 (out of a total of 40). What really plagued the Russians was the use of their activations. With so much artillery, they were using up to 7 activations a turn to use all their artillery and mortars. While effective, this did not allow them to capitalise on the effects as they lacked enough activatiosn to move forward, and the dispersal of the T-34s meant that they only had one opportunity to use their Steel! Steel! Steel! special rule. Even so, it was still a close game despite the morale tallies and as the German commander I certainly felt hard pushed until the Stuka turned up. Once again the Kursk supplement gave a very exciting and tense game for both sides and played very differently to the usual Normandy fare. Back to Normandy next time, but lots more Eastern Front action to come as I think Comrade Gary is developing a fondness for theT-34...

[Phil Robinson]

Another excellent report, I am liking KGK already.

Started to look forward to your battle reports each week, hope you keep them coming

[V]

Dont worry Phil, they will either be here of on The Guild! 

Lots more to come... Glad ya enjoy them!

[Marine0846]

Great report.
Looks to be a large game.
How long did it take to play?

[V]

Took just over three hours and our usually relaxed pace...