Introduction

The following after-action report covers a 450-point clash between my early war German forces and the units I have currently completed for my Barbarossa book Soviets. This solo game was played on a six-foot by six-foot table using 28mm miniatures. Originally I had planned this write-up to be about a four-player game the lads and I smashed out a couple of weekends ago. However, when trolling back through my phone I discovered I had taken next to no pictures of the last few turns of that game. I must have gotten too caught up in the action (as always) and forgot to take any.

The Germans begin the game with two scout teams and four vanguard units on the table. The scout teams, consisting of a motorcycle patrol and sniper, moved up the main road. Dismounting the motorcycle patrol set their MG34 up in the small cottage to the left of the crossroads. Next, the German sent a truck up the side road on the eastern edge of the table. It quickly unlimbed the Pak36 and pushed back into the woods near the large cottage. A rifle section and MG team are also sent forward to support the newly deployed anti-tank gun.

The Soviet are slow off the mark and only begin the game with a foot patrol, a forward observer and two BT-7s. All four units are pushed forward taking one objective and forcing the Germans to pull a chit.

At the end of turn one the Germans have lost two Battle Rating points to the Soviet’s six. The Russian chit-pulls were for losing the reconnaissance roll and two objectives.

Turn two.

The Germans roll a six for reinforcements. They bring on two Panzer IIIHs, one StuG, the forward HQ in a Panzer II, a rifle squad and a three-man MG section.

The Russians start the turn with three reinforcement units. A single T34 tank is deployed on the western side of the rail line. Two more rifle squads are also placed on the edge of the table ready to move forward. The foot patrol moves into the large cottage near the crossroads. Laying low behind the old wooden fence the observer calls up the off-table mortar battery. Two 120mm mortars lob a bunch of shells into the German lines causing some panic but no casualties.

Although the Soviet (off-table mortars) artillery manages to pin a German rifle section and one of their Panzers no chits are pulled at the bottom of turn two.

In this turn the Germans bring on a Panzerjäger. Moving into cover by a small wood it cracks off a single round at the T34 on the other side of the rail line. The last Panzer III is also deployed onto the table. It is issued a move (reaction) order and waits on the rail line for the opportune time to move forward. Small arms fire from the sniper picks off one of the Soviets advancing through the tall grass. The Russian foot patrol is also pinned down in the large cottage by incoming fire.

• Red 1: Another Soviet infantry section arrives.
• Red 2: The T34 moves forward and fires at the Panzer III across the rail line. Pinning the crew.
• Red 3:  One man from this squad is dropped by the German sniper team.
• Red 4: Russian mortar fire pins the open-topped Panzerjäger.
• Red 5: Fire from the BT dispatches the StuG.
• Red 6: Fire from the other two BTs pins the German squad in the woods.

• Blue 1: The Panzer III activates its move reaction order and rolls down the railway line at the end of the turn.
• Blue 2: Moving onto the table the PanzerJäger fires one shot at the T34, but misses.
• Blue 3: With the help of its loader team the Pak36 hiding in the woods fires three rounds at the approaching Soviet tanks. All off which bounce of their armour or miss completely.
• Blue 4: The forward command team in the Panzer II spots the approaching T34 and looks for cover.

Pictured above the second BT pokes its nose around the corner of one of the small cabins. Firing into a surprised Panzer III it pins the crew. With the Soviet turn coming to an end the Germans activated their Panzer III on the rail line (reserve order). It rushes forward hoping to engage the T34 at close range in the following turn.

The last German reinforcements arrive on the eastern side of the table at the beginning of this turn. A 75mm infantry gun is rushed forward. After deploying it fires into the side of the BT moving down the main road. Targeting the side armour the H.E round has just enough power to brew up the Russian light tank. In order to counter the T34 sitting behind the wood, a Panzer IV is also deployed on this side of the table. 

Above: Noticing the T34 is lacking infantry support the Germans push a squad of infantry forward. The hope here is that the Russian tank will fail a morale check and be forced to abandon the vehicle. However, as they move out into the open it is the infantry and not the tank that find themselves in hot water.

Three chits are pulled this round. The Germans pull one for losing the Panzer III (Breakdown) and a second is pulled to rally some of their pinned units. The Soviets are also forced to pull a chit for the BT-7 that is currently  burning in the main road.

A pretty bad round for the Germans this time. They start by pushing an MG team up ready to assault the pinned Russian foot patrol in the large cottage. Unfortunately, these troops are gunned down before they get very far. Another infantry team is lost when it surrenders to the Soviets in the woods just east of the cottage. Here the Germans are forced to pull two chits, one for the team and one for losing the objective.

At first glance, my math appears to be a bit out here. The Germans should be sitting on sixteen, not seventeen. However, some Russian tanks in the Barbarossa book are classed as unreliable. This means any chit (marked as one) drawn by the German player can force a breakdown roll on an unreliable Soviet tank.

This turn starts off well for the Germans. Their Pak36 manages to destroy a BT-7 while concentrated fire from the motorcycle team and sniper breaks another Russian squad. However, return fire from Soviet infantry placed in and around the large cottage quickly dispatches the gun and loader teams.

Down to the wire and the Germans are saved by the chit draw. Pulling two air attack chits instead of dropping battle rating points. At this stage of the game, (seven points to three) those two chits could have swung it for the Russians. Ah well, break out the Vodka and bring me some new tanks commrade.

• Red 1: Soviet infantry take cover as German aircraft bomb their position.
• Red 2: Platoon command team.
• Red 3: Panicked by the air attack the tank crew bails out. This chit-pull breaks the Russian’s morale and ends the game.
• Red 4: Soviet Anti-tank rifle team lurks behind the hedge.
• Red 5: The Russian anti-tank gun is about to limber up and fall back.
• Red 6: The Forward observer also prepares to withdraw.
• Red 7:The last known location of the forward HQ.
• Red 8: Last remaining Russian tank. (pinned)
• Red 9: Two infantry teams in and around the large cottage.
• Red 10: Abandoned and burning BT-7 tanks.
• Red 11: immobilized T34.

• Blue 1: A wrecked Panzer III sits burning on the train tracks.
• Blue 2: Rifle squad holds the objective in the woods.
• Blue 3: A MG team check for wounded near the burning Panzers.
• Blue 4: The sniper and motorcycle MG team fire at the withdrawing anti-tank gun.
• Blue 5: Panzer II HQ team.
• Blue 6: A hungry Infantry squad more interested in looking for potatoes than fighting.
• Blue 7: The Pak36 crew lay dead and dying in the small wood.
• Blue 8: 75mm infantry gun and truck.
• Blue 9: On the road behind the trees sits a Panzer IV and a MG team.