Forward, Vicotry is near - WWII Campaign, week battle 1.5

I've titled this "battle 1.5" as we fought a non-campaign battle this week, but using one of the campaign maps. We had two returning players and the planned German attack promised to be a cagy affair, so I decided we would instead play a game that did nt count towards the main campaign to give people further practice.

 

The game played is one that will likely appear later in the campaign as the Germans assault a defensive position featuring a bunker and some trenches. In Fire Team bunkers are treated as super heavy tanks rather than as BUAs. In this scenario the bunker can either accommodate an AT gun or two HMGs or an infantry section. The table was heavily wooded with a more open area having been cleared in front of then bunker.

 

The view from the German right

The view from the German left

The Germans initial plan was to deploy half their troops in the centre of the board opposite the hard cover and then to scout the woods on  their left flank. The Russians responded by occupying the defences and covering the flanks by securing the wooded areas.   

 

Germans in the centre under fire

More Germans pinned in the fields

Germans sneaking onto the flanks

Russians on the German right

The main line of resistance

The Russians on the German left flank

There then followed a tentative advance by the Germans in the centre which resulted in the loss of a Panzer 4 to the bunker and the infantry teams becoming pinned down in the fields in front of the Russians positions. After some head scratching the Germans then switched plans and began to attack instead on their left with a StuG III supported by infantry. This met with some success ousting the first line of Russian defenders but the sneaky Soviets were able to reinforce the position and so hold off the flank attack.
  

Charge!

The game was declared a Russian victory as the German attack ran out of steam. The post game analysis was mixed. Firstly the Germans could have largely ignored the centre and focused most of the troops against the Russian flanks to achieve a greater superiority.  Secondly we agreed that we would increase the size of the German forces by adding a free weapons section and reduce the Russians slightly.

Close-up of the bunker with a Russian 45mm AT gun

StuG III