Flames of War: Ostfront '44

I'll be honest - I didn't have time to research a specific scenario for this game - I just wanted to smash down my recently painted Battlefront plastic T-34-85s as motivation to finish off the fourth and final box...(these are lovely models once assembled, but compared to their later designs getting the pieces off the sprues is hard work!)



So just think generic late war Eastern Front - somewhere in Byelorussia or Eastern Poland - a key road and rail intersection defended by a small but hard hitting Wehrmacht kampfgruppe, attacked by a large Russian T-34-85 horde...

supported by SU-100s, 2 companies of Motor Rifles, and ample artillery and heavy mortars as is the Soviet Way!

Whilst the table is dominated by the village/rail junction, there is also a collective farm in the vicinity:

Forces were balanced at 2,500 (Armies of Late War) with most of the Wehrmacht's invested in a company of Panthers. The scenario was Counter Attack, with the Soviets attacking. Playing on a 8' x 6' table, all distances were increased by a third.

The Germans duly chose to defend the quarter containing the collective farm, placing 1 Panther troop and HQ troop in reserve, and the other Panther troop in ambush. Their objective seemed well protected by the Grenadiers, mortars and Nebs...

The Soviets deployed less subtly, cramming all the T34s in the far corner of the zone as close to the other objective as possible, supported by the 'Cat-Killing' SU-100s and the Motor Rifles. The German held objective was screened by the SU-76 company, and well and truly ranged in by the 120mm mortars and ZIS-3 battery.

Stalin's 'River of Heroes' started off with as swift a dash toward the objective as was possible given the rail tracks and stream, so that the Motor Rifles were well able to keep up...

Unfortunately for the impending liberation of this part of Mother Russia - or soon to be 'free' Poland - the German immediate reserves did just that - arrive on German turn 1! 

Most of them were able to take up nice firing positions on the edge of a large forest, covering all approaches to the objective the Soviets were heading for!

Meanwhile the Panther ambush was sprung on the far side of the T-34 column...so that it was subject to fire from both flanks...

With devastating results!

A rare visit by a Shturmovik flight was able to bail one of the Panthers...

But this did little to balance the fire-fight the Soviet way - even the SU-100s were being whittled down..

Although the 'Cat-Killers' were able to get some in too!

 

In desperation, the SU-76s were ordered to forget the German Infantry...

 and try to sneak up on the Panther's vulnerable flanks...

which they did admirably!

However by this point on the other flank both T-34 companies and the SU-100 battery were no more!



And whilst the Motor Rifles had occupied the village and could have made it to the objective, the German artillery observer's successful ranging-in of both Nebs and mortars on the objective rendered that unlikely...

Game over!