THE MONDAY NIGHT DUST UP

The Monday night game was a Battle Group Kursk affair, with two Russian battlegroups each consisting of 6 tanks, an infantry platoon, a foo and some offboard artilary. They were both about 25 br each vs a German battle group consisting of 3 tanks, 1 infantry platoon with a mortar and a mmg plus a 50m anti-tank gun. They had a marder as well. Their br was about 25 as well.

The reason I  had separate battle groups for the Russians was that I did not know what time various individuals would turn up.  Whoever turned up first got the pick of the two groups. As it was, the two Russian commanders, Larry and Chris, arrived together; leaving the German commander, Adrian, as the tardy one.

One of the Russian battle groups ready to roll: 6 T34s and some infantry.

Larry and Chris getting lubricated and looking confident.








Maybe it's because they outnumbered Adrian 4:1 in tanks, at least 2:1 in artillary and 2:1 in infantry.

The Russian infantry certainly seemed confident but, after one mortar stonk, didn't do a lot as the command group became pinned down.

If you look closely, you will see that the command group and two other infantry sections are pinned and one group, marked by the dice, have taken a few casualties.

The Germans are waiting for them behind a low ridge. The opening moves by the Russians were all steal, steal and oorah, oorah with artillary exchanges.

A marder waiting in ambush that never came! It was suppressed by area fire from the T70s and then ko'd without firing a shot.








Russians capture the first objective: The 'T' Junction.
Germans draw a chip ... guess what? Kaboom! T34 drives over a mine.

The Russian charge comes to a sudden and painful stop; two rounds of shooting from the German mark 4s on the ridge, exit 5 T34s.

 The perpetrators of this foul deed. The Russian commander's aplomb seems to desert him at this point.

On the other flank, German infantry are close assaulting tanks successfully. Burning T70s and KV1s are testament to the old adage "don't drive tank into urgan environment unless they are supported by infantry".

If you look in the top left, you will see the Russian infantry are still a long way back and don't really ever get into the action. The only effective Russian response was to drop their artillary mortars onto the ridge line which killed one section and suppressed others as well as one of the tanks.

Russian a long way back and, in the background, a slightly despondent Russian commander. It turns out, at the end of play, the Germans were actually nearer their break point by 2 but everybody agreed they had given the Reds a pasting. Here are a few random pictures of the game. A good time was had by all.