This time, we would be playing Breakthrough.
Neither of us had played this scenario before, so this was going to be interesting.
Our lists were the same as last time:
Guards Tankovy Battalion (Guards) - Fearless Trained
HQ: CC T-34/85
Tankovy Company: 6x T-34/85
Tankovy Company: 5x T-34/85
Motorised Anti-Tank Company: Cmd Rifle, 4x 57mm ZiS-2
Tank-Rider Company: Cmd SMG, Komissar, 6x SMG, Maksim HMG
Spetznaz Platoon: Cmd SMG, 2x SMG, 2x captured Sd Kfz 251/1 (Fearless Veteran)
Heavy Mortar Company: Cmd Rifle, Observer Rifle, 4x 120-PM-38 mortar
His list was as follows:
FHH Panzergrenadierkompanie - Confident Veteran
HQ: CC Panzerfaust SMG, 2iC Panzerfaust SMG
Panzergrenadier Platoon: Cmd Panzerfaust SMG, 6x MG
Panzergrenadier Platoon: Cmd Panzerfaust SMG, 6x MG
Anti-Tank Platoon: Cmd SMG, 2x 7.5cm PaK40
Tank Destroyer Platoon: 3x Panzer IV/70(V)
Anti-Aircraft platoon: 3x Sd Kfz 10/5 (2cm) (unarmoured)
Self-Propelled Artillery Platoon: Cmd SMG, Staff, 4x Hummel
We also used the same battlefield:
After deployment, things looked like this:
I kept my Tank-Rider Company in delayed reserve, since they'd be able to assault straight onto the objective hidden in the woods in the far corner. All other units would start the battle on the table, the Spetznaz mounted up in their looted half-tracks.
On the German side, the Panzer IV/70s and the FlaK half-tracks were held in mobile reserve.
Soviet forces after the recce deployment move from the Spetznaz. I decided not to risk an infiltration this time, since there wasn't really a good path.
The ZiS-2s are dug in and positioned to protect the mortars from any mobile counter-attacks. They're also barely in range of the German PaK40s.
Most of the German forces were deployed on my right flank. The Hummels were ready to bombard anything on the table, the Panzergrenadiers were standing by to cross the bridge and rush to the objective and the PaKs were in position to discourage any armour attacks.
On my left flank, a single Panzergrenadier platoon sat dug in, right in my path to the bridge. However, they were clumped up and in a place where my observer could spot them to call in a 120mm mortar bombardment.
Soviet turn 1. All mechanised units move up.
The only fire was a hail of MG pullets pelting the Pak40s, which the 6-tank company of T-34/85s and the company commander in his own tank were driving towards.
The plan was to knock them out quickly, making the Hummels easy prey.
On turn 1, the German side get their first reinforcements.
The Panzer IV/70s show up and immediately knock out a pair of T-34s.
The infantry that were dug-in in my path had moved up towards the Spetznaz to try and assault them, but the special forces just turned around and drove away when they opened fire on their way in.
With their prey gone, they turned around and Stormtroopered back towards the objectives.
On my right flank, the PaKs opened up, only knocking out a single T-34 while exposing themselves to an awful lot of return fire.
Soviet turn 2. A hail of mortar and MG fire descended upon the Panzergrenadiers on the left flank, pinning the platoon and taking more than half of them out of action.
The remainder were then charged by the T-34s who had survived the fire of the Jagdpanzers. Defensive fire bailed out a single tank, before they were run down and their morale broke.
Meanwhile, the ZiS-2 guns opened fire against the PaK40s, knocking out one of them.
The T-34/85s on this flank stood still and added their fire, but failed to deal any damage.
German turn 2. The FlaK half-tracks arrived, which means the Germans now had their full force available.
The Panzer IV/70s moved to engage the T-34s, knocking one out and bailing another. However, the crews held firm.
Unfortunately, the loss of their leader would mean they were stuck there, in full sight of the German tank destroyers.
At the same time, fire from the Hummels and the surviving PaK40 dealt terrible damage to the T-34s on the right flank, but they held as well.
Meanwhile, the second panzergrenadier platoon moved into the forest hiding one of the objectives.
Soviet turn 3.
The bailed T-34 on the left flank remounted and supported his comrade in returning fire on the German TDs, only bailing one.
One of the ZiS-2 took a sneaky shot at the FlaK half-tracks, blasting one of the fragile vehicles apart.
The rest of the anti-tank company kept firing at the PaK40, finally silencing it.
The T-34s on the right flank advanced and took some potshots at the Hummels to no effect.
The mortars launched a volley at the Panzergrenadiers on the objective, dealing no damage but pinning them.
They would not unpin on the next turn.
German turn 3. The FlaK vehicles took cover behind some woods while the Panzer IV/70s continued firing at the T-34s. They knocked one out and bailed the other, but the crew would not run.
Another bombardment from the Hummels destroyed two more T-34s on the right flank, leaving just the unit's leader and the Battalion (Company) commander.
The infantry in the woods moved out a little further, into a position to defend the objective and prepare for the coming storm, despite being pinned.
Said storm arrived next turn (Soviet 4), when the Tank-Rider company arrived from reserves and immediately launched an assault upon the Germans pinned within the woods on the objective.
The fighting was desperate and bloody on both sides, but in the end only the German platoon and company commanders remained standing. The Soviet assault had been beaten back, but at a terrible cost.
The platoon commander would soon quit the field as well, shaken by the loss of almost all of his men.
Meanwhile, the 12cm mortars rained down fire on the Hummels, but the crews were protected by the armour of their vehicles.
The sole surviving T-34/85 on the left flank continued valiantly as well, forcing the crew of another Panzer IV/70 to bail out.
The Spetznaz were also moving out towards the objectives.
German turn 4. The FlaK half-tracks moved back up to support the defense.
At the same time, the Panzer IV/70s finally finished off the last T-34 on this flank and started opening up on the survivors on the other flank.
The fire there knocked out one T-34 as well, leaving only the commander of this force.
Deciding that something needed to be done, the commander of the ZiS-2 company ordered his men to roll the guns up to the German vehicles around the woods, letting a few shells fly as they paused in their movement.
One of them struck true into the rear of one of the tank destroyers, going straight through its thin armour and knocking it out.
The other two Panzer IV/70s and the FlaK vehicles moved behind the woods to take cover from this attack, ready to return fire should anything come around the corner.
While moving, the tank destroyers opened fire and knocked out the Sovier commander's T-34, leaving the valiant Soviets with very few means to vanquish the fascist pigs.
Things got even worse when a bombardment from the Hummels scored a direct hit on the commander of the AT guns, leaving the crews unsure where to go and pinning them.
Soviet turn 6. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Moving forward towards the objectives, the Spetznaz paused to fire the MGs on their transports at the two remaining FlaK vehicles, one of which had its gun shield pointing the wrong way to protect it from this attack.
Multiple shots connected with both vehicles, shredding one and even hitting some men unprotected by the gun shield on the other, leaving both vehicles inoperable.
With two-thirds of their forces gone, it turned out the German troops had lost their will to fight, allowing the battered Soviet forces to secure this breach in the lines.
At long last, I've managed to score a hard-fought victory with my Soviets.
While there have been many close defeats and even a draw or two, I had never managed an actual win before.
In the end, this game turned out to be a massive grindfest, with serious losses on both sides.
I'm still thinking that it would be better to swap the guns for a cheap utility unit, like a platoon of truck-mounted DShK AA machine-guns. Doing so would also allow me to add two more T-34/85s, giving me a bit more punch in that armoured fist.
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