Today, Coxer takes his Czech Tank Company, covered in his “confessions” articles, for a spin vs a T-26 horde!
Inroduction
So another After Action Report “AAR” and the first full one with the German Czech Panzers! I’d had a couple of practice games prior, but both had been against infantry. Dave, however, had warned me this game would be versus Tanks; Soviet Legkiy Tankovy Battalion to be precise – I just didn’t expect this many tanks!
The Soviet Horde
(Czechoslovakia’s best export since Pilsner Urquell – Ed)
I used the list I’ve built and kept using, so that was nice and simple.
Build-Up
We rolled up “Free for All”, and I was the ‘attacker’. We mirrored our deployment of objectives, and we’re very similar with out units too, both arty and flame tank platoons on one side, looted T-34/Zis-2 guns on the other – tanks everywhere else!
With my recce move done, I got first turn.
Turn 1
I slowly advanced, hoping to do the traditional German snipe and storm trooper. Sadly my shooting only bailed a couple of tanks, and the the Pz-38(t)’s failed their storm trooper move! The Panhards succeeded, but then bogged twice!
Dave managed to get his plane in (spoiler – it arrived every bloody turn) but despite hitting 2 tanks it only bailed 1! The T-26’s were more successful, killing a Pz-38(t), and the two bailed Panhards; at least they stayed on the board. His flame tanks advanced towards mine!
Turn 2
Knowing he had the numbers, I knew I needed to remove a platoon. Using all my Pz-38(t)’s, I managed to take his central platoon down to half strength, before my mortars hit three others (even after the two gun reroll of hits!), killing one and bailing another – this was enough for the platoon to run. Meanwhile the 2 IC and Panhards (and flammpanzer) tried, and failed, to hurt his flame tanks.
Dave opened up with his Zis-2 guns on my tanks, scoring three 6’s to hit on 6 dice – eviscerating the platoon! His plane also came in over the other platoon with three planes! Hitting three times I somehow saved two of my tanks!
Turn 3
With fewer resources now, I began to focus my fire; the remaining Pz-38t’s took out the Zis-2 guns, whilst the Panhard and 2IC killed some flame tanks. The T-34 continued to miss spectacularly!
Dave’s flame tanks moved up and opened up on my arty, killing the platoon commander and a gun – breaking the platoon. The plane,only one this time,took out another Pz-38(t), but thankfully the T-26’s failed to hurt my forces. But by assaulting the empty position Dave now had my objective!
Turn 4
My flammpanzer had now reached his arty, and burnt them up to claim Dave’s objective. The 2IC moved back, and with the help of the Panhard and remaining Pz-38(t)’s forced the flame tanks to test – but they passed.
The 2IC then ‘storm-trooper’ed to contest the objective!
Dave’s Flame Tanks killed my last Panhard, and bailed the 2IC. The T-26’s shot the looted T-34 to no effect! The plane swooped in to kill the remaining Pz-38(t)’s hoping to force a company test, but missed!
Wash-Up
And with that its all over, it felt a lot longer than just 4 turns – but it was a lot of fun.
I think being a weeknight friendly game, we both were up for going for the win. I also think there were both points we thought we’d lost the game.
Destroying Dave’s middle T-26 platoon meant my flammpanzer (and also in my original plan Panhards) could easily get to his objective – until the armored cars bogged on their ‘storm trooper’ moves. Speaking of which this game reminded me not to rely on those, as I think my Pz-38(t)’s only managed to ‘storm trooper’ once all game! Dave’s plane though, kept turning up; I was lucky when he got a flight of three to roll two 6’s to save!
It was a great little fun game, and I look forward to a rematch soon!
you get even more Soviets if you drop the T26 platoons to half obr36 and half obr32….they die like flies so the more the merrier really