Flames of War: IS-2 vs Tiger1

 

Did you ever have a wargame that plays out like something from an Osprey 'Duel' book? 'IS-2 versus Tiger 1' kinda thing?

Well that's what happened with the Wollongong Wargamers last night!

We set up the table for the Bagration scenario 'Hammering the line' (Bagration Germans p.89). 80 points no Air per side, Germans defending. Ed brought: a platoon of 3 Hetzers; small 2 gun batteries of 88s, PaK 40s and Armoured Nebs; 2 infantry platoons and 2 Tiger 1s. These last were in Deep delayed reserve.

Placing his PaKs in ambush, he deployed his 88s in a tree line and his Hetzers lurking behind a wood. The infantry were dug in defending both objectives. Per the scenario he placed 3 minefields and 6 barbed wire defences.

Peter and Stuart as the Russians had 8 IS-2s, a small platoon of Hero Motor Rifles, and a battery of 152's in immediate reserve. (I cooked up the list, so the fault for what transpires is entirely mine...)

Stuart led off on the Russian left flank with the larger IS-2 platoon and the Motor Rifles, fighting his way through barbed wire and dense woods...

Peter took the right flank, with a slightly easier passage, although even the wide tracks of the IS-2s didn't have an entirely uneventful transit of the ubiquitious pine woods...

But he did close the objectives more quickly, flushing out Ed's Hetzers into the open...

But it was Ed's 88s that drew first blood, although the relentless nature of Stuart's flanking drive forced at least one gun to abandon its gun pit...

Stuart threw in his small Motor Rifle platoon into an assault - it was shredded by defensive fire...

Ed's 2 Tiger's belatedly made their appearance from deep reserve...

It was worth the wait!

Meanwhile on the right flank Peter was flaying Ed's poor Hetzers...

Stuart finally got his formation commander unbogged and back in the fight...

Having sorted the left flank, Ed's fire brigade Tigers turned their attention towards Peter's heavies...

Who got their retaliation in first...

No matter the outcome, Peter and Stuart could console themselves with bagging a Tiger!

But, with Ed's infantry dug in and covering both objectives, the Russian IS-2 onslaught was beaten back.

With hindsight, Peter and Stuart reckon they could have done better with a more balanced force, fewer IS-2s and some T34-85s? Maybe we will revisit this interesting scenario and find out...