First Kernstown Revisited

 

The Wollongong Wargamers played 1st Kernstown back in 2022, as the opening game of our Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Back then, we used Black Powder rules, so now I wanted to replay it using Valour & Fortitude...

Despite making the outnumbered Rebels as effective as possible, Veterans vs Greenhorns, this scenario is a hard ask of the Confederate player. Alan volunteered. No, really!

Deployment was historical, which as the Union player was my excuse for lining the crest of Pritchard's Hill with wall to wall rifled artillery - because otherwise it would have been a bit of a dog act!

With hindsight, I probably needn't have backed up all those guns with my strongest - Kimball's - Brigade, but Alan had moved equally fast and furiously on both objectives so they both seemed threatened...

Since each of the two on-table Rebel brigades was targeting separate objectives, even at turn two I wasn't clear which one Alan had decided to go for. I advanced my third brigade up the middle... 

To focus on supporting the defence of Pritchard's Hill - which as we know was already very heavily defended by so many guns its a wonder the hill didn't subside...

Aforementioned guns should have had no difficulty in eviscerating those pesky Southrons, but they simply would not break! Maybe this was their main effort?

Meanwhile, back on Sandy Ridge at the other, equally significant objective, the Rebs were coming on strong!

And then Alan revealed his hand - the Confederate third brigade - inevitably - headed for the less strongly defended Sandy Ridge objective!

By now it was too late to refocus my main effort - the rebel assault on Pritchard's Hill was never going anywhere anyway, but why not waste my reserve brigade in putting the icing on the cake!

Back at the real crisis point, the Rebs pushed the Union line back away from the stone wall and were massing opposite the objective, where my units were either decidedly either not fresh or actually shaken! 

However, the Union had been getting the better of the firefights and holding their own in the melee phase, so that an unlucky Fortitude test roll caused the entire Confederate Brigade to waiver - phew!

At this point it was getting towards pack up time and with the battle outcome still very much up for grabs we called it a draw. But given the scenario was heavily stacked against the Rebs, Alan had done well, and, I suspect, might well have taken Sandy Ridge given another few turns...

Waltz at Walcz

 

Walcz, Western Poland. Heavily wooded, but a good road network. The meeting zone is dominated by a small village or farming settlement. The Polish view, looking eastwards:

Looking WSW - the Soviet deployment area is at this end of the table:

The mission is Central Attack, The Soviets are the Attackers with the first turn. The Mission Instruction Card stipulates no reserves and that the game will only last 6 turns.

However both sides make good use of their Recce troops to push their deployment areas well forward using the Spearhead rule.

The engagement will be fast and bloody!

The Polish exploit the Spearhead forward deployment to seek cover in the tree line opposite their right hand objective (Objective 2) for the Tortoises and there is sufficient space for one of the Comet troops also:

The remaining Comet troop has to deploy back in the original deployment area:

The Soviets similarly use their T34-85s to deploy well forward with both IS-3 companies, both Assault Gun companies relegated to the original deployment area:

Rather than favour one of the two objectives, the Soviets deployment more centrally, leaving the T34-85s to take Objective 2, and thus beat the Poles to Objective 1, which crucially has been revealed to be worth double points!

But in any case the Poles are reluctant to leave the cover of the tree line until the Comets are in position near objective 1. Soviet victory points start mounting...

The Tortoises start picking off the Soviet armour at long range, dominating that table half and forcing the Soviets to skirt around the shelter of the village:

The Comets approach their jump off positions around Objective 1, but not without taking casualties from the IS-3s: 

Back to objective 2, the T34-85 platoon was wiped out by a bold advance from the Cromwells supported by long range fire from the Tortoises, gaining the first 3 VPs for the Allies. But the Soviets feed in the SU-100s to take revenge:

These are in turn duly taken out by the Tortoises, and the sole Cromwell survivor is left holding Objective 2 for three more VPs. But by this time, picking up double points at Objective 1, the Soviets are already into double figures!

To make things worse, the lead IS-3 company has now outflanked the Tortoises...

Who are forced to redeploy facing the new threat. Another IS-3, double bailed, is abandoned by its crew:

Even so, things are now getting desperate for the Poles, who perhaps have been too deliberate in setting everything up. But their card play has been astute, and they now have a killer hand that, with some luck, might enable the Comets to pierce the might IS-3's frontal armour?

The lead troop successfully breaks out of the woods and scores two hits! With +2 to their AT ratings, they may just KO the IS-3s if these roll poorly?

No such luck...

The second Comet Troops doesn't do so well in traversing the woods but does get a rear shot and kill on the far IS-3 troop!

Retaliation from the IS-3s on the daring Comets is condign, and now with a further 2 units wiped out the Soviet Victory points are off the scale!

Game over. Fast, furious, and great fun!