So another week another AAR. It’s been ages sine I played Paul, he stated he was taking axis, so my allied army was easy – Finns (as I only had my snow terrain out!) I decided I really wanted to try a tank heavy infantry list, but at 1420 that would be tight.
The lists were
Lapin Sota Jääkärikomppania
Jääkärikomppania HQ – Cmd SMG team, Panzerschreck team
Jääkäri Platoon – Captain Lauri Törni, 8 SMG team, Entire Platoon upgraded to Reconnaissance Platoon
Jääkäri Platoon – Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team 8 Rifle team
Jääkäri Mortar Platoon – Cmd SMG team, Observer Rifle team, Tampella M/35 81mm mortar
Panssari Platoon – 3 T-34/85
Panssari Platoon – 4 Panzer IV J
Armoured Car Platoon – 3 BA-10
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadierkompanie HQ – 2 Cmd Panzerfaust SMG team, 2 Sd Kfz 251/1
Gepanzerte Panzergrenadier Platoon – Cmd Panzerfaust MG , Tank-hunter 6 Panzerfaust MG team 4 Sd Kfz 251/1
Panther Platoon – 3 Panther G
Gepanzerte Heavy Platoon (Lehr) – Cmd SMG team, Sd Kfz 251/1, 2 MG42 HMG, 1 Sd Kfz 251/1 (HMG) half-track
Panzergrenadier Scout Platoon – Cmd Kübelwagen Panzerfaust MG team, 2 Kübelwagen Panzerfaust MG team
Panzerpionier Platoon – Cmd Pioneer Rifle/MG team, Pioneer Supply 3-ton truck, 4 Pioneer Rifle/MG team
Volks Rocket Launcher Battery – 3 15cm NW41
I win the role for quarters and chose the one with a lot of trees, mainly as my reinforcements would get some decent cover as they arrived. Paul was forced into the empty quarter. I placed my objective centrally, whilst Paul placed his far back. I split the objective by having the other as close to me as possible, and he placed the other ready for his reinforcements to grab.
I deployed the mortars behind the objective, the platoon with Faust and attached Panzerschrek covering the objective, with lorni and friends ready to put pressure on Pauls objective.
Paul deployed his grenadiers + half tracks and HMG’s in the wood on one objective and the pioneers on the rear one. Lorni and friends recce moved through the wood. I went first…
Turn 1
With so much firepower opposite me, I couldn’t risk the charge, so just dug in. The mortars failed, but nothing much happened
Paul advanced his infantry staying in the wood, with the half tracks staying nearby. His pioneers dug in.
Turn 2
The infantry had little they could do, so my only action was digging in the mortars who bombarded a half track pinning the MG platoon.
The platoon failed to unpin, the halftracks moved up shooting lorni and co with MG’s to no effect.
Turn 3
No reserves- The mortars fired again killing a team. Paul also got no reserves, also again he failed to unpin, and spread out shooting his MG’s
Turn 4
Reserves! The panzer 4’s arrived, lorni and part of his platoon moved to the edge of the half tracks, the mortars covering both with smoke. The panzer 4’s destroyed one half track and its occupant. The assault goes badly initially, despite only three hits in defensive fire, two teams did, but so does the half track! Who then fail to counter. Leading lorni to hide under smoke.
The panthers arrive, but have limited options shooting and missing the observer. The infantry remain pinned, the half track target lorni, but miss.
Turn 5
Both my remaining reserves arrive but have no targets, the infantry advance on the half tracks under smoke. The pz4 mg the only infantry in range – the tank hunter team killing him. They later assault the empty position avoiding a panzerfaust shot. Sadly (and in no way unexpectedly lorni rolls a one for tank terror!
The recce arrive for Paul, his infantry still stay pinned, the panthers and half track target lorni killing his mates, but he survived!
Turn 6
Lorni hides back in the woods as the T34 and PZ4 advance on the pioneers. The mortars smoke the panthers, the tanks fail to kill a team but do pin them! The panzers launch an assault with schurzen deflecting the panzerfaust that hit. They only kill one team, but Paul fails to counter allowing me to push into the objective.
Pauls nebs arrive, the central infantry platoon unpin, but those I assaulted fail to! The panthers move out of the smoke killing a panzer 4
Turn 7
Lorni and go move out the woods heading for the panthers! The mortars add the smoke for safety. Whilst the BA10 don’t lift gone to ground, the panzer 4 kill three infantry teams with mg fire. The T34’s bailed a Panther.
Sadly lorni once again rolls a one on tank terror, the panzers assault again killing a stand and Paul again fails to counter, but passes his morale test.
Paul then passes soul survivor! The Panther fails to remount, the other two target the panzer 4’s but roll snake eyes to hit. The recce shoots at lorni but fails to injure his platoon.
Turn 8
Turn 8 opened with the pz4 getting round the panthers flanks. Despite this and the t34’s I only bailed one! The mortars pinned the recce and lorni’s smg killed a team.
Pauls snake eyes continued as neither Panther remounted! The remaining one killed a panzer 4, whilst nebs bail a t34. The HMG and recce shot at lorni’s platoon leaving them still fighting
Turn 9
The army surged forward, lorni killed another recce team, the mortars pinned the nebs and the panzer 4’s got a Panther. Lorni assaulted the recce and destroyed them but lost his platoon
With my BA10 moving to the middle objective Paul moved the grenadiers back, the Panther remounted, but both only managed to bail the panzer 4’s who kept fighting, the HMG’s though got lorni.
Turn 10
The panzer 4’s remounted and killed the HMG’s, the t34’s killed a Panther, the ba10’s killed a grenadier stand, Paul failed all three tests and that was game!
Conclusion
Epically long game, Paul and snake eyes was a recurring theme, as was lorni and 1’s. 1420 is a great challenge and looking forward to more games at that level
Please, he is Lauri Törni (Alt+148) not Lorni.