| Cauldron, 1480 points, Germans were attacker Kampfgruppe Leichtgehen jumped into Hertfordshire as part of Operation Nibelungenlied (the encirclement of London). The KG made a daytime drop and moved to secure two important crossroad villages. As the various platoons were converging on the area, they ran into a Soviet artillery detachment that was engaged in a live fire exercise. Later we found out that the unit was a Red Army Strelkovy battalion that had newly arrived in England and was being trained up before being assigned to one of the Guards Divisions. Major Leichtgehen immediately set about organizing an attack on the gun positions. Just as the attack was about to start, unseen Soviet infantry opened up on the FJ. |
Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT
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| Right Side |
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| Left Side |
Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The Soviets started with the Mortar Co, Artillery BN, and the 1st Strelkovy Co on the board. The artillery and mortars setup along the backline of the deployment area with the Strelkovy in immediate ambush. Once he saw where my units were deployed, he deployed the infantry company around the right hand objective as seen on the photo. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): In Cauldron, my deployment is completely random. I started with the 1st FJ Platoon and it ended up on the Soviet right near the mortar company. The 2nd FJ Platoon was in the corner near the artillery battalion. Just about where I would have wanted them if I were placing them myself! The FJ mortar platoon was placed in the bottom right quadrant ready to fire over the intervening hill at the Soviet artillery. Then he sprang the immediate ambush and the mortars realized they had just setup in the infantry's kill zone. | |
TURN 1
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| Soviet Artillery ranges in on the mortar platoon. |
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| FJ Mortars ranging in on part of 1st Strelkovy Co. |
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| 1st FJ Platoon kills a dug-in heavy mortar! |
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| Stukas attack the artillery battalion. |
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Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The Soviets didn't do any fancy maneuvering, they just opened up with everything they had. The 1st Strelkovy Co fired at the 2nd FJ Platoon, but completely missed. They must have been surprised to see Germans this far north! The other part of the company has a little better luck firing on the FJ mortar platoon, but could not cause any damage either.
The Soviet mortar platoon was too close to use their weapons, so they defended their positions with rifle fire resulting in some hits, but no damage.
The Soviet artillery battery used their special rule to fire some of the ZIS-3 guns in direct fire at the 2nd FJ platoon to no effect. Meanwhile the 122mm howitzers ranged in on the FJ mortar platoon causing them to be pinned. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): Major Leichtgehen calls in air support on the Soviet artillery resulting in several hits. The firepower of those large bombs dig out two of the ZIS-3 guns. The FJ mortars range in on 1st Strelkovy and manage to pin them down. 2nd FJ Platoon, lead by Maj. Leichtgehen, opens up into the Soviet artillery park managing devestating numbers of hits, but on succeeds in pinning down the gunners. The 1st FJ platoon surgically hits and destroys one of the heavy mortars. Knowing they will only face rifle fire, they charge into contact with the heavy mortars. Defensive fire is withering knocking out two FJ stands, but it is not enough to stop the assault. The FJ get in amongst the foxholes and knock out two of the mortars. The rest break and run, but they were far enough away that they were able to take their mortars with them. With all of the firepower still in the area, 1st Platoon retreats into the treeline to await further developments. | |
TURN 2
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| Top of Turn 2 |
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| The mortars are on the run! |
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| 1st Strelkovy assaults the FJ mortar platoon... |
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| ... and wipe it out to a man! |
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| 1st FJ platoon shoots down the Soviet heavy mortars. |
Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The Soviet commanders have their hands full getting their troops up out of their foxholes, but they manage to unpin everyone!
The ZIS-3 guns for a gunline facing the 2nd FJ platoon. The movement takes longer than expected and they score no decisive hits on the Germans.
The Heavy mortars are ordered to fire from where they stand! They don't manage to hit anything... Maybe they are worried about being exposed in the open?
1st Strelkovy moves towards the FJ mortar platoon to setup an assault. Their fire is ineffective. They get the observer to call in fire on the mortars, but that proves ineffective too.
Boris, the 1st Company commander, orders his men to charge the mortar position anyway! The defensive fire is surprisingly effective killing one team, but not good enough to stop the assault. The Soviet infantry gets in amongst the German mortar teams and cuts them down. The mortar platoon is completely wiped out. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): Maj. Leichtgehen calls in air support again. This time they attack the 1st Strelkovy company. They home in on what appears to be an officer figure exhorting his troops... After the smoke clears, Boris is no more. 1st FJ Platoon shoots at the remaining Soviet heavy mortars killing the crewman where they stand. The leader fails the Sole Survivor test and the company is destroyed. 2nd Platoon fires at the artillery battalion targeting the ZIS-3 guns. They manage 13 hits, but the gunshields save all but one of the guns! | |
TURN 3
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| Situation on right. |
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| Situation on left. |
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| German Stukas attack again! |
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Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The Soviet commander frantically calls for reserves, but there is no answer. The Strelkovy and ZIS-3 guns fire on the 2nd FJ Platoon and cause enough hits to pin it, but do no further damage. The BN adjutant takes over as 1st Strelkovy's company commander. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): Major Leichtgehen has the Luftwaffe's number today and is able to call in the Stukas on the Soviet Strelkovy again killing three stands. 1st Platoon shoots at the Soviet howitzers but is ineffective as the crewman hunker down in their holes. They take advantage of this and close to assualt. Defensive fire is light and the attack goes in killing two gun teams. 2nd Platoon fires at the ZIS-3 guns is able to get enough shots through the gunshields to make another gun silent. 3rd FJ Platoon arrives and extends the line along the left of 2nd platoon. They are ordered to engage the Soviet strelkovy. They are fairly effective killing two teams. | |
TURN 4
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| Right |
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| Left |
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| T-70s arrive! |
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| 1st Strelkovy assaults 3rd Platoon! |
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| The defensive fire takes out a few stands. |
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| Stukas arrive again and target the T-70s! |
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| Stukas arrive again and target the T-70s! |
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| More FJ reinforcements arrive. |
Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The squeak of tank treads can be heard in the distance! Hope soars as a company of light tanks appears! They fire at the newly arrived 3rd FJ Platoon and manage to cause damage and pin them down!
1st Strelkovy is still recovering from the shock of the losing their beloved Boris and manage a desultory fire.
The ZIS-3 guns fire at the 2nd FJ Platoon and are able to dig two teams out of their foxholes!
1st Strelkovy is roused to the assault by the 2iC and charge the 3rd FJ platoon! A withering defensive fire knocks down dozens of Soviet riflemen and the assault halts and goes to ground. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): Major Leichtgehen joins 3rd FJ Platoon and manages to direct the Stukas onto the newly arrived T-70 tanks. (There was about a 1" difference in where the 16" from my troops stopped and the 4" placement area for aircraft ended. It was very close!) The Stukas destroy two T-70's and bail one out. The FJ AT gun platoon and the HQ mortars show up behind the 2nd and 3rd Platoons. Now Major Leichtgehen has a all of his tools! 3rd FJ Platoon fires at the Soviet 1st Strelkovy and decimates 4 teams (very low save rolls!). The company had very few men left, but they manage to hang around! Major Leichtgehen orders 3rd Platoon to assault the remnant of the Strelkovy, but is stopped by some well aimed MG fire from the T-70 company! 2nd Platoon fires at the remaining ZIS-3 guns and disables another team. 1st Platoon fires into the artillery battery and is close enough now to hit even the ZIS-3 guns from behind! This fire kills 3 of the ZIS-3 guns and 1 of the howitzers. The artillery battalion is now below half strength, but their long tradition of defending their guns keeps the crews there and in the fight! | |
TURN 5
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| Right. |
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Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The Soviet reserves finally show up! Both infantry companies move onto the table and start heading towards the objectives, double timing it!
They other units are so shell-shocked that they manage only minimal fire.
The T-70s close on 3rd FJ Platoon, but their MGs can't find the range. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): 1st Platoon moves to the left most objective and hunkers down. 1st Strelkovy is wiped out and the BN Command staff retreat. | |
TURN 6
Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army
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KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ)
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| Soviet Strelkovy (Red Army: The only way to contest the objective is for the Soviet infantry to double time again. Doing this, they can't actually contest until turn 7. KG Leichtgehen (Cassino FJ): The objectives went hot and with 1st FJ platoon sitting on the objective, the game ends. Axis 5-2 victory. | |
| What a great time with my son! We vowed to play more FOW! He did really well considering the very bad position he was in from the beginning. We talked about next time how he might want to take a little more infantry in this mission and let the guns come on later from reserve. It would have been interesting. I think he might want to try tanks next time! |
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