Smolensk: Cat and Mouse in Zaborye

 

 I wasn't at the club this week, combat fatigue more than anything, however I rose to the occasion yesterday as Matt turned up to play Game Seven in our continuing Smolensk Campaign. Having failed the previous game to take the Russian supply depot and headquarters in Suetovo I was on the back foot as the intitiative passed to the Reds. I had managed to cut the Russian supply lines to their pocket in Yartsevo and Yartsevo South so that those troops could not use Reserve points being out of supply, Matt therefore decided to try and reopen this line by attacking my defenders in Zaborye.

The Russians assaulted with their infantry backed up by three 50mm mortars and two T-26 tanks, the two machine gun turret variety (the tanks on the table were standing in, you can't have everything). I thought there would be Soviet armour and as I needed to keep the supply line closed to the pocket I took a Panzerjager I and as back up an anti-tank rifle team, sadly this used up a large number of my newly replenished Reserve points but it couldn't be helped, I needed to get the Intiative back.

Russian attack coming from the right. (Map from the book).

Russian mortars.

The terrain on the table was well suited to the defense and I held back at first to see what the Russians would do, Matt took a bit of time to get the command dice needed and soon had all his infantry ensconced in the buildings east of my position, then he brought the first tank on. This was my signal to unleash the Panzerjager after a rule discussion on how small mortars affected open topped vehicles, as a miracle was required I felt safe and the clank of tracks heralded the panzerwaffe, my first shot went wild, my second brewed up the T-26, I now brought on an infantry squad on the right, which edged up the side of the woods hoping to get an opportunity to blaze away at nearest large building.

T-26 brews up.

Elated Panzerjager I

A second T-26 had turned up on my extreme left, I sent my tank to intercept, to counter this Matt redeployed two of his mortars as they had to see the target to have any chance of hitting it. This made me take a risk and move a full squad onto the road, thinking that all that firepower could kill the mortars, I think in the end I got one and set a second up for my own mortar to kill, but it cost me dear, I had to run my depleted squad into the trees in order to survive having lost over 50% of its strength. I did eventually get my tank into a position to shoot at the enemy but nothing happened, Matt ended the turn and I lost a Jump Off Point, I had also lost the anti-tank rifle which had been waiting for the T-26 but also failed miserably and was wiped out. I was on the back foot as the T-26 scuttled away.

First squad edging forward.

Zaborye occupied.

Panzerjager moves to the left.

Matt now got several double phases and even when I got my own phase I could not get a dice to move my damn panzer, so it sat still for around seven phases or more as the Soviet armour raced to take on my right flank squad hiding in the woods, still waiting for an opportunity to get into the battle. I managed another couple of shots as my armour eventually started to move, something had happened to the crew after their earlier success and they simply could not damage the enemy. The Red infantry now began to advance and I could see me losing the survivors hiding in the woods on the left, they might take a few with them but it did not look good. The T-26 had now almost run over my men on the right but some of the incoming shots from the Panzerjager had knocked out one turret and my men frantically riddled the tin can hoping the crew would back off. I also brought on my last squad in the centre and started a firefight with first one and then two Russian squads. Matt had not gone for the thin grey line in the woods and turned all his firepower on my centre squad.

Rogue Red tank.

Russians advance.

As the morale of both sides swiftly headed for the bottom I managed at last to cause the T-26 crew to abandon their tank, a big relief for me and it freed the infantry to join in the firefight in the centre. The Russians were getting the worst of this as I somehow survived the storm of lead, eventually one Russian squad was swept away and this with the loss of the tank ensured the Germans had only just held on to Zaborye by the skin of their teeth.

German pressure mounts.

So close.

The end.

A nail biting end to a very frustrating game for both of us, we had both done well at the beginning, I getting a tank and Matt cutting down a squad and capturing a JOP, but then fate took a hold. I could not get my tank to kill the T-26 and free it up to take on the Russian infantry while Matt's men could not convert hits into kills quickly enough to matter, I had the same problem and the Reds in the open lasted far longer than they ought to have. No matter how good you are one bad roll of the command dice, or even worse two, can simply stop you in your tracks and there is nothing you can do about it.

Anyway, I have gained the intiative again and need to turn my attention to the Russian pocket behind me and clear it to get a campaign win, there is no doubt however that we are going to meet General Winter head on later in '41 due to the tenacious Russian efforts around Smolensk, just like the real thing.