Haupt. Zoller battle #3 Stalingrad proper; flank attack!

 Sorry for the long absence between posts.  There was playoff baseball and my History maker baseball tournament I started in 2024, family to visit,

 

two games set in 1980s europe to try my rules in the "modern" era.  [ They work well but I am still working on what type of grid to use.]

and still building up my soviet and NATO forces including a new M1 tank. [ plastic sprue from battlefront

But last weekend finally got back to Hauptman Zoller and his motorized company's drive to Stalingrad.  

If you want to go back and read the last 2 battles go ahead [ Sept 1 and August 19.  If someone wants to teach me how to link my posts I would be happy to learn!] 

Basically, it is a solid company with a great company NCO, two average platoon leaders and one poor.  

Here are the main characters:

1 platoon        Lt Auer      Avg

1st sq   UntOf Dietz   Good leader [ Iron cross 2nd class] veteran squad.

2nd/3rd squad average

2 platoon  Lt Friedschaffe   Poor

1st sq   Unt Of Kaufmann  Good     squad poor secondary to casualties

2nd/3rd squads average

3 platoon  Lt Steinmann  Avg

all squads average. 

The battalion has entered Stalingrad proper after passing through the church last battle.  After 5 days of Hasty attacks and rests the company commanders are assembled as Major Apier briefs the commanders. Lets listen in...

"Regimental recon has noticed what appears to be a crack in the Russian lines ahead of us.  Hans and Otto, tomorrow, after a bombardment of the area, your companies will demonstrate up front while Herr Zoller slips through this seam and swings around their line."   

[ I rolled up "Flank Attack" as a scenario from Platoon Forward. I really like this scenario as you catch the defense napping.  You don't choose where to come in so it is variable.  I roll up the board and entry point...]  Our forces:

 We have our 3 platoons, 2 Stug Bs [ short barrels] and recon from regiment.  We also have 81mm Mtr.

 

We will come in just behind the MLR.  [ I can explain that to you later Jack. : ) ]  Because we have some armor I added 4 type C blinds for the Russians to the scenario.  They are the rectangles above.  [ I can also explain those to you Jack!]  

What is your plan Hauptman?   While you are thinking some shots of the table...

 

 

 

Zoller decides he will send 3rd platoon into the complex on the left to clear it and hopefully move on the primary objective.  He will use his weakest platoon to pin the main russian force in place.  His 2 Stugs will move up and take out the light tanks while he will send the recon around the left to scout out the secondary objective.  1st platoon, his best, will be held in reserve should 3rd platoon need reinforcements.  What could go wrong?

 

The company starts to move.  No shots ring out in their direction.  Did they really catch Ivan napping?

 2nd platoon moves up.  Zoller sets up his CP near 2nd platoon in case they falter again.  Turns out there is no infanty in the trees.  The Stugs  open up on the surprised Russian armor.

3rd platoon is happy for a moment! 

Finally a MMG opens up on 2nd platoon from the building.   3rd platoon still has not heard a shot in anger. 

 3rd platoon [left] occupies the complex without a shot fired.  As they look towards the objective they finally see the enemy.  On the right, the T-70 has retreated intact from the trees.  2nd platoon has moved up to the building and now the Russian troops inside are flanked from both 2nd platoon and Otto's company off table on the right.

Recon then picks up some movement in the large building to the left of the objective.  They spray it with machine gun fire and get no return fire; suspicious.  They radio this back to Zoller but it is temporarily lost as he is moving the CP ...

To be more central and closer to the action.  [ He rolled poorly so could only give orders to 3rd platoon and 2nd platoon.  He couldn't even bring up the company ATG. ]  He does send a runner to 2nd platoon recalling his company NCO [ FW Bock who was sent to babysit the LT this battle] and asking that a squad be detached to attack the primary objective.  

The runner reaches Lt Friedschaffe with the message.  He calls over Bock to discuss.  Bock says "You have this well in hand LT.  2 Squads can keep Ivan pinned easily enough.  3rd squad is only down one man.  I can guide them over towards the objective on my way back to the old man."     
 

FW Bock leads 3rd sq/2nd Plt towards the factory. [ he has the cool schmisser.]

 Meanwhile, 3rd platoon has been hammering away at the troops in the factory.  One squad has advanced on the left while the other 2 are still in the building lower center.  The russian troops here are poor and poorly led.  The Russian CO is cautious so has been slow to strip forces from the main line.  2 blinds have come over of which only 1 has been a squad, also poor. 

 With the Russians weak, Bock sees a chance to exploit and charges into the factory!  Lt Steinmann is dumbfounded.  The russians are thrown back in disarray.  

 Not to be outdone, Lt Friedschaffe also orders a charge into the buiding he is facing!

Meanwhile, Hauptman Zoller has caught up on messages and has ordered 1st platoon to advance on the left flank.  See what is going on in the suspicious building, then reconnoiter the secondary objective.

  Lt Auer moves his men up against the left flank.  

 2nd platoon successfully clears their building.  

 While Koch's men hammer the Russians, Steinmann moves up his platoon.  At this point the germans have 16 bases of average troops in the factory while the Russians have 4 bases that are poor and pinned. 

[ Normal PBI rules would have had them retreat long ago but there is an optional rule to allow them to be steadfast defenders.]    The Russian CO decides it is time to leave.  

Huge win for the Germans!   We lost one base total.  80% of the time Platoon Forward will give you a balanced game.  10% of the time the system will overwhelm you and 10% of the time it will underwhelm you with defenders.  Today we were underwhelmed as the Russians generated 1.5 platoons + a MMG.  

The game system played very well taking it into a city. PBI is a great system to work with.  I have tweaked the armor rules to make it easier for armor to hit armor by using a base of "7" rather than "8".  I give the german armor two chances to fire a turn if they haven't moved as their ROF was higher than Russian crews.  

My initiative worked as well. Each side had 11 cards.  Zoller used a D8 while the Russians used a D6.  About half the time the germans turned 2 cards to 1 russian card hence they reacted faster to the ever changing battlefield.  As a matter of fact FW Koch, was the only leader to have his own card in the deck.  [Company commanders do their actions before the turn starts.]  After he moved his squad up to the factory a new turn started.  Second card drawn was his.  This allowed him one action with the troops immediately with him. This allowed him to seize the initiative and close assault the factory. Lt Auer, a competent but average leader, was left dumbfounded by Koch's speed of thinking and reacting.  

On the flip side is the "command confusion" card which prohibits action.  Lt Friedschaffe was not bothered by this card today.  The Russian platoon leader in the factory only once, but it was big.  It severely hampered their fire one turn early in the battle.  Clearly he set his men up looking at the wrong approaches!     

Post battle battalion and regiment are thrilled with Zoller and the company!  Zoller isn't pleased that FW Koch disobeyed his order to return to the CP but he can't argue with the results so all is forgiven.  BUT he won't put Koch in for an award either.   I roll an "unlikely" to see if Zoller's leadership improves to "good" and it doesn't.  I roll "possible" to see if Lt Friedschaffe improves and he doesn't.  Our postgame event is ample reinforcements.  Since we had almost no losses we can bring up 2  two stand squads to overstrength 3 stand squads for the next battle.  [ To reflect the smaller german squads I have a german platoon composed of two 3 stand squads and one 2 stand squad normally] 

Will 2nd platoon continue to do well?  Will Zoller continue to have the magic touch when we can't flank the Russians?  Will Koch continue to be at the right place at the right time?  Tune in next time for battle #4!!!     

Enjoy

Joe