1st Annual Ronnie James Dio Memorial Heavy Metal Challenge

Before this gaming session we heard that the heavy metal legend Ronnie James Dio had passed away the previous day. Mr H decided to honour the awesome career of this great man by oganizing our 1st Annual Ronnie James Dio Memorial Heavy Metal Challenge game.

He decided to pick from his giganormous 20mm collection the heaviest tanks and organized a slugfest for the rest of us. Unfortunately only few of us could attend. Andy came in a bit late and thus was assigned, unbeknownst to Mr V to hidden Russian reserve and our club's biggest Dio fan, Eero (who just got to have been in every Dio concert in Finland since mid-eighties), didn't unfortunately make it to the game. My guess is that since we gt just automated replies from him during the whole day he must've been so devastated that he didn't make it to work.

We quickly altered the terrain from the previous BKC games and used Battleground WWII and until tanks were identified all German tanks were represented by PzKpfw IVs and Russians by T-34s. W Germans were in a town and Janne decided that even without any orders the objective of the Russians in 1945 would be to attack.

Here we have the right side of the Russian attack, two ISU-122s darting through marshy area from the cover of one forest to another.

The left flank of Russian attack consisted of IS-3 and a trio of IS-2s (still unidentified).
On the German right flank there was two Jagdtigers, the leftmost of which was still unindetified.
Mr V started shooting and kept rolling so brilliantly that he would've succeeded blowing up the Russian tanks even with the PzKpfw IVs, let alone with a duo of Jagdtigers and trio of King Tigers. Here we have some bonfires consisting of IS-3 and IS-2. The ISU-122s on the other flank fared no better. On the ridge behind you can see the two SU-100s that were using hidden setup. Andy controlled these and did some marvelous shooting with them.
Since it was noticed that the Russian armament was absolutely unable to penetrate the front armor of the German tanks Janne had no other choice than to try to drive like the wind through the open killing ground to engage the flanks of the Germans in the town.

Below we have some close quarter tank fighting between two Jadgtigers and the sole IS-2 to make it to the town. Due to the silly order of resolving things after scoring a hit Janne noticed that his shot had actually been targeting the real wheel and thus missed as it was fired on the building -particularly nice as this was more or less outside the IS-2's fire arc...
Nevermind the more numerous Russian casualties, the moral victory goes to the Ruskies as they managed to destroy Mr V's lone Maus. While Janne was directing ever more tanks to the German left flank Mr V decided to drive this monstrosity from the center closer to the threat and exposed it's flank to Andy's hidden SU-100s which promptly destroyed it even if the German propaganda tried to claim that the destruction was only due to electrical malfunction caused by simultaneous movement and turning of the turret.
After losing his only veteran crew Mr. V decided to evacuate the remaining tanks.

Casualties were:
Russian side: IS-3, IS-2, ISU-122, one immobilized IS-2 and ISU-122
German side: PzKpfw VIII

-Janne
(Played: May 17th, GM: Mr H, Russians: Andy, Janne, Germans: Mr V)

BKC Bagration Campaign, Scenario 5, Part 2

Although the game was clearly going to the Russians some of us decided to play an extra session to see what would actually happen if few more turns were played.

Basically the whole game turned to be a big game of cat and mouse between the Tiger company and the Russian tank battalion moving around the village.
The few Germans on the northern side of the river broke and near the village the merry-go-around continued.


-Janne
(Played: May 10th Russians: Andy Germans: Janne & Mr V)

BKC Bagration Campaign, Scenario 5, Part 1

During the night the Soviets have aggressively probed the German defences from the North and in the woods to the West of the river. A few kilometers to the North and South of the battlefield motorized formations of SS troops counterattacked the Soviet spearheads, failing to dislodge them. As the dawn approaches and a veil of mist hangs over the river, both sides prepare for another grueling day of battle.


Situation before the game begins.

A more general view.

Town from other direction and German prepared positions southwest from it.

Russian infantry crosses the river in the cover of the morning mist. The preliminary rocket and artillery bombardment was rather brutal and it was followed by heavy smoking. Plenty of German units were either destroyed or supressed, like the commander of the sporadic German defence north of the river.

Russian infantry makes it across the river in the first turn, but luckily the tank commander and their CIC both fail command rolls. However Germans are in no shape to do anything.

The Russian rockets continue to grind Germans to mincemeat.

The Russian tank commander rolls snake eyes for activation and speeds up to conter the previous turn's delay.

Luckily the German Nebelwerfers hit their (preplanned?) strike dead on among the tanks making short work of all save one platoon of tankriders. The tanks themselves are unscratched. On the north side of the river the massive Russian attack isn't really making any progress. One veteran German platoon manages to stubborny hold on basically due to russian smoke as the Russians behind it aren't able to see it and thus close assault it.

Russian Katjushas move to pound the easternmost Gemrans and does short work of all non-digged in infantry. Threat of Russian flank attack from the west has now materialized, despite of plenty of German reserve units, artillery assets and mines being loctaed just off board in that direction. The German commits Tigers to counter the Russian tank threat.

Overview of the game area after the 3rd round.


Here's the Kampfgruppe commander's final report:
07:20,
26.6.1944, Near Orsha
KG v Vuolle,
Radio report to 4th Army HQ

Strong Soviet forces crossed the river in D5-E6 area under the cover of morning mist. One reinforced battalion crossed the river at D5 with assault boats. Tank battalion with tank riders crossed at E6 using assault bridges. There is also one Soviet infantry battalion in C4 area, but so far they have done nothing.

Assault is supported by overpowering amounts of artillery. There is at least one brigade on rocket launchers and several battalions on other artillery units. Soviet artillery has caused heavy losses, especially to our command units and destroyed all communications to our supporting artillery.

Remants of the 2nd Kompanie in the north are retreating, covered by heroic rearguards. Main line in the south is under heavy pressure, but still holding.

Our prepared artillery strikes seem to have saved the line from being overrun, and destroyed the infantry supporting the Soviet tank battalion.

Tigers are counterattacking.


German losses 5 infantry and 7 vehicle platoons. Also 2 headquarters and 2 artillery observers. Russian tank rider battalion annihilated, other forces lost only 1 vehicle platoon.

-Janne
(Played: May 3rd Russians: Andy & Mr H. Germans: Chris, Janne & Mr V)