WW2 Reconnaissance in Strength: Part 5 - Map 9

 The next random map is Map 9:

MAP 9

MAP 5

Continued -

Turn 1

An overview with the first half of Map 9 added.

In the foreground the retreating German recce AFV's with one brewed up - more of that next.

2 of the tanks of 'B' Company (the third being suppressed) surge forward in an effort to engage with the retreating Germans. They open fire on the nearest armoured car.

The very accurate fire from the Russian armour rip into the Sdkfz 232 8-rad armoured car utterly destroying it.

The three remaining German vehicles race for cover behind a long wood placing them out of view of the Russians.

The stranded SS platoon are again engaged in close combat assaulted by a Soviet rifle platoon supported by an MMG and a T34. The Germans survive but are pushed out of the wood into the open.

The rest of the Soviet tank battalion with the 2nd Motorised battalion begin to emerge from the wood. Yet another Command Blunder sees the Russian force CO suffer a -2 to his CV for this and the next turn. A direct consequence of this being to hold up the movement of the 1st Motorised battalion forward intending to relieve the 2nd Motorised at the front.

Turn 2

A Soviet recce platoon reconnoitre a wood confirming no enemy present.

The German platoon, now in the open, is in a precarious position. Using opportunity fire it attempts, and fails, to suppress a Maxim MG that had moved up with two rifle platoons to the woods edge. All three Soviet units open fire completely shredding the exposed Germans and thus eliminating that last of the wood's defenders.

The Russian tank battalion, now reunited ready for the onward push.

A congested scene in the woods.

The Russian convoy transporting the 1st and 3rd Motorised battalions on the move again.

So where's everybody gone? An eerie silence ahead of the Russian forward units.

Turn 3

The Russian T34 battalion moves forward behind the recce units who have yet to detect any further Germans. The German recce vehicles were seen to disappear behind the wood to the left and as yet no re-emerge. Now believed to be deployed in that wood the Russian recce units have yet to determine what other threats it conceals.

The now heavily depleted 2nd Motorised infantry battalion have regrouped behind the T34's with instructions to now wait for the arrival of the 1st Motorised who will replace them as the lead infantry battalion.

The 1st Motorised are now making their way through the wood.

Behind them is the 3rd Motorised with the naval battalion on foot.

Turn 4

An overview of turn 4.

This photo was taken after the initiative and command phases so I will go through what has happened here.

One of the recce units successfully spotted an Sdkfz 250/9 halftrack in the wood to the left. Having passed these details to the T34 battalion HQ the company of 3 tanks in the foreground opened fire in the initiative phase. Their shooting was woeful only scoring 1 hit out of 12 dice. Using opportunity fire, the halftrack responded using opportunity fire suppressing the tank at lower left. The company HQ successfully activated the 2 remaining tanks scoring 6 hits out of 8 dice (5 or 6 needed to hit) obliterating the halftrack! Clearly threats of the gulag did the trick!

Battalion HQ moved up the remaining 2 companies but with no further German units visible halted. During the German turn, both remaining AFV's opened fire suppressing the tank at top left. 

The 1st Motorised now arrive and debus to take over from the 2nd who move up to the now empty trucks ready to climb aboard.

The 2 surviving German AFV's, having suppressed a T34 rapidly pull out before the Russians can respond. With 3 of their 5 vehicles destroyed, their task of harassing the Russians has become considerably more difficult!

Turn 5

The 2nd Motorised, now in their trucks, wait at the side of the road to allow the 3rd Motorised to pass.

The 1st Motorised move up with 'B' Company mounting a company of T34's.

'C' Company of T34's move out ahead of the rest of the battalion to link in with recce units currently scouring the countryside searching for hidden Germans and to take any opportunity to engage with the armoured cars believed to be still in the vicinity.

The whole of Map 9 has now been added. In the distance two German vehicles are observed speeding from the woods. The T34''s are ordered to fire but fail to activate!

The surviving German AFV's dash out from behind the woods and race across the open ground at full throttle hoping luck is on their side. So far so good with no response from the Russians.

A couple of overview shots at the end of turn 5.

For the Russians the naval battalion has fallen considerably behind and nowhere to be seen!

Turn 6

A couple more command blunders and failed activations left the Russians fairly static this turn.

The failure to activate allowed the Germans to retreat from the board and the recce units finding no Germans within the small farm brings to a conclusion Map 9.