Jobu and MrYormsha 1941

[Jobu88]

Against my better judgment, but at the urging of my commisar, I am going to open up with some of my defenders. I am using squads that are hidden from German tank fire as much as possible. Not like Mr Y doesn't know where my boys are....



Mr Y's flnking group unloaded two MGs and what my intel says is a 50mm mortar in the edge of the wheatfield. One MG stopped moving and disappeared before the end of the turn. The mortar stopped moving but is still visible. One MG is still moving. I am going to spring the ambush now on the theory that the longer I wait, the better the chances I'll do something stupid and miss my chance. The good news is that the firepower rating at this range is in the 149-155 area. So I hope to take some Krauts with me to the Commie Heroes Camp in the sky.

[Der Kuenstler]

Seems like my HQ tank always gets it first :(

[Jobu88]

Sigh...well, as predicted, 20 brave Russian boys got their tickets punched to the big collective farm in the sky....but at least I had the satisfaction of seeing the MG-34 lurch backwards as one or two Krauts were killed. later in the turn I briefly saw the MG-34 crawling back toward German lines. My two squads were immediately overwhelmed by German fire and broke in short order.

In other news, I see lots of German troops along the edge of the woods. I had already targeted two of them, and managed to pin at least some of them by fire. I expect Mr Y will plaster my positions with tank and artillery fire before his infantry leave the woods to advance. Oh how I wish I had placed two more mine tiles next to the woods to present a continuous minefield....but hopefully the existing mines will trip him up when his boys emerge.

[Jobu88]

Arrrrrrrgh! It's a good thing there's 70 million Russians and an endless supply of tanks being cranked out of the factories.....not that any of that does me any good right now.

Two of my T-26's are killed by German tank fire. In each case they took multiple hits, but the hit that produced the "Knocked out" message was 20mm fire. Who designed these freakin' tin boxes & why isn't he in a labor camp in Siberia???







My remaining T-26 has taken three hits but he's still rolling. He may just make it behind the buildings that will block LOS from the panzers.




As if I didn't have enough headaches, this turn Mr Y starts dropping 81mm mortars all over my boys. They all come through OK however, just a couple squads that are taking cover. None of the squads in trench positions are so much as scratched.





I expect Mr Y will try to run his panzers up close and start blasting my trench positions shortly. I am going to keep my three surviving BT-7s behind the hill as a fleet in being, rather than continuing to provide cooperative target service for German gunners. He will at least have to consider the threat of presenting me with side shots as long as the BT-7s are still alive.

I need to reposition my HQ / mortar spotter to get a LOS through a keyhole to the woods where the Krauts are massing, so no mortar fire this turn. Mainly just keeping up moderate fire on the Germans in the woods and keeping most of the boys hunkered down.

[McIvan]

I'm afraid 20mm is deadly to T26 and BTs....far more accurate due to the auto-fire, fires far more often, and can penetrate easily. What you need about now is a bunch of 45mm AT in trenches...

[Jobu88]

Yes, I contemplated buying 45mm AT guns but I had no luck with them in our first game & decided to change things up on Mr Y & I bought armored 45mm guns instead. This is the first of our games in which the Russians have had tanks. Probably would have done better with guns in trench positions.

[Jobu88]

My lone flanking T-26 shows what might have been if I could have got all 4 of them over to my right. Pz II caught in a sandwich between a BT-7 to his front and a T-26 to his side. Both guns hit him as it turned out, without either one securing a "knocked out."




Not much else happened this turn. Lots more 81mm mortars fell on my brave, uncomplaining boys. They shrugged it off & kept on sharpening their bayonets. only two squads pinned, everyone else at worst is taking cover or cautious. My HQ spotter is in the desired position and will begin directing mortar fire on the woods next turn.

[Jobu88]

Well.....good and bad news this turn.

Mr Y must have figured out the minefield awaiting him. I did see two infantry units advance out of the woods earlier in the game, only to pin immediately and crawl back, but I didn't see / hear the minefield indicators & I thought they had been pinned by MG fire. At any rate, Mr Y sends his infantry around the minefield, but has to cross a large open space:



They are hit immediately by HMG and rifle fire, and are pinned before getting too far. At least two of them begin crawling back from whence they came.




By the end of the turn almost all of them have gone to ground, and some have begun retreating to the safety of the woods.





Fortunately, my HQ spotter has LOS to most of the German infantry's route & I will treat them to some more 50mm pain this turn.





The other good news is that my boys STILL aren't too bothered by the German 81mm barrage. A single squad requires re-positioning into a trench, otherwise they are still in good shape overall especially considering the number of rounds that have fallen on them.





Now, the bad news....

Mr Y begins his panzer advance in earnest. The main body goes down the sideline, while a smaller body runs a crossing route ( sorry for you non-American football fans if that seems gibberish).





I have only 3 BT-7s left to deal with this onslaught, and compounding my problem is this:








Still over a dozen turns to go & looks unlikely for my boys, but we get paid to fight & that's what we're going to do. Plus they'll shoot us if we try to retreat.....

[Jobu88]

:stir: Stirring up a big pot of whoop-ass for the Kraut infantry...


Well something finally went right for the Rooskies in this game. My 50mm barrage succeeds in sending almost all of the German infantry running or crawling back to the woods. Only one squad appeared to come through, and he isn't to cover yet.

About 0:30




About 0:50






But, Mr Y's panzers obvioulsy intend to overrun my tanks, a perfectly reasonable approach given the panzers' advantages over the Russian armor. I get in the first shots & hit this Pz II twice, but the rest of the Krauts will come into LOS next turn and it won't be pretty, comrade.

[Jobu88]

Turn 11 of 22+ and things don't look too good. I suppose all of June 1941 probably looked like this to the Russians.

My tanks are still only in LOS of 3 Germans, and may possibly even the numbers a little before the rest of the panzers can get into LOS.





As for the rest of my boys, well it ain't exactly the Ranger School here. If you got ammo and you can see the Krauts, keep shooting.