Fall Blau Mid War tournament after action reports.

On 16 June I was finally able to go to a tourney again. A Mid War tourney which meant that I could try out my DAK army for the very first time.
It was a 3 games tourney and each table had it's own mission. There were 7 tables.
Time for each game was set on 2.15 hours that is including army set up.
The army that I brought with me was:

90. Lichte Afrikadivision Schützenkompanie
288. sonderverband

Headquarters
-CC en 2iC SMG teams
-Machine gun section 2 HMG's
Combat platoons
-Afrika Schützen platoon 1: HQ section (Command Panzerknacker SMG team), 3 Schürtzen sections (MG teams), Mortar squad (8cm GW34 mortar), Anti-tank rifle
-Afrika Schützen platoon 2: HQ section (Command MG team), 3 Schürtzen sections (MG teams, Mortar squad (8cm GW34 mortar), Anti-tank rifle
Divisional Support Platoons
-Pioneer platoon: HQ section (Command pioneer Rifle/MG team), 3 Pioneer sections (Rifle/MG teams), 2.8cm sPzB41 Anti tank rifle
-Light Panzerspäh platoon: 1 Light Light Panzerspäh patrol (Command Sd Kfz 223 (Radio), 2 Sd Kfz 222 (2cm) )
-Assault gun platoon: 2 StuG D
-Anti-tank gun platoon: 4 5cm PaK38
-Motorised Artillery Battery: 4 10.5cm leFH18

First game.
Mission: Hasty Assault.
Being the: Defender.
Opponent: Russians.
Opponents army-list:
Strelkovy Red Army
-Headquarters
CiC rifle + 2iC rifle + battalon commisar
Sapperplatoon (5 pioneer rifle teams)
Supplywagon
-Strelkovy company 2x 9 rifle teams, command SMG, commissar
-Strelkovy company 2x 9 rifle teams, command SMG, commissar
-Strelkovy Scout platoon 2 squads SMG + SMG command + commissar
-Strelkovy Artillery batalon
4 zis 3 fieldguns
4 122mm obr38 howitsers
-Support Tankdestruction company
4x Zis 2
-Heavy Tankovy company
2 KV1-e + 1 KV2

After deployment just before I place my Immediate Ambush (Pak38 platoon). Left the Russians. Right my waiting DAK.
In the first round the opponent already got his first reserve on the table (the rest followed in the second round). Even with his numerical majority the troops moved towards me in their normal speed. With his tanks he tried to kill my PaK 38 platoon.
With my artillery I tried several bombardments but it had hardly any effect

After several rounds. There are still no platoons of my delayed reserves on the table. The Russians are starting to close in but they are still far enough away to get worried. The tanks have managed to kill two of my PaK38 and almost contesting the objective. His artillery ranged in on 1 of my artillery guns but with no effect.

On the other side there was not much activity. The Russians even went into hiding into the houses later on in the game.

Finally 2 platoons of my delayed reserves arrive. Stug D and Light Panzerspäh platoon (almost at the end of the game the other 2 platoons arrived but these had hardly any effect on the game). After the scattered reserve roll they both came up at the less desired middle of the table edge between the bocage and houses. They rushed forward to help their fellow troops. After some shooting only a few of the Russian infantry died.

The Russians are closing in fast now the tanks killed an other of my PaK38 and contest the objective. The infantry killed the last PaK38. His artillery finally managed to kill a piece of my artillery. But by now time is running out. Can the Germans hold long enough?

End. The Russians wiped out the PaK 38 platoon and killed 2 of the Artillery guns. His tanks are contesting the objective.
The Russians lost some infantry stands.
Because both of us couldn't reach their goals the defender wins. It is a 5-1 Victory for the defending Germans.

Click on the "Read Or See More" link to see the other two reports.


Second game.
Mission: Surrounded.
Being the: Defender.
Opponent: Russians.
Opponents army-list:
1st Czechoslovak Independent Field Battalion (Soviet Tankovy Batalon List)
-Batalon Headquarters
1 T-34 obr 1941 or 1942
-Medium Tankovy Company
3 T-34 obr 1941 or 1942
4 T-34 obr 1941 or 1942 (Cupola)
-Medium Tankovy Company
7 T-34 obr 1941 or 1942
-Motostrelkovy Company, 320 pts
HQ Section (Rifle/ MG team),2 Motor Rifle Platoons (7 Rifle/MG teams), Machine-gun Platoon (2 Maksim HMG)
-Light Armoured Car Platoon
4 BA-64

The 288. sonderverband surrounded by the Russians. At one side they face a Motostrelkovy Company while on the other side the two Medium Tankovy Company's and the Light Armoured Car Platoon waiting to attack.

After the Russian tanks moved forward they opened fire on the well dug in DAK troops with no result. In return the PaK38 platoon opened fire on both the Russian tank company's resulting in 1 destroyed and 2 bailed tanks at front platoon. The Artillery bombarded the tank company near the ploughed field and another 2 tanks were bailed.

While on the other site the Stug D platoon and the Light Panzerspäh platoon moved forward towards the Motostrelkovy Company. One of the 2 Sd Kfz 222 (2cm) get bogged on the railwaytrack but this didn't stop the rest of the Light Panzerspäh platoon and the Stug's to open fire on the Motostrelkovy Company and killing several teams.

The Light Armoured Car Platoon tried to lift the gone to ground of the German Infantry platoon which they failed miserable (this happened more then once). The Medium tank company's now fired on PaK38 platoon which were now easier to hit because of all the shooting they did and killed them all. And yes those bailed out markers on the 2 tanks of the front tank company stayed there almost the whole game.

Meanwhile on the other side the Sd Kfz 222 (2cm) unbogs but don't cross the railway track because he has enough to see and to fire at. Both the Stug D platoon and the Light Panzerspäh platoon again opened fire on the Motostrelkovy Company and almost annihilate the whole company.

Tanks are moving in and are very close but the time is limit. They manage to kill one of the Artillery guns. In the Germans turn the 2 Mortar tubes managed to destroy 3 of the 4 cars from the Light Armoured Car Platoon the 4 car decided to run away.
On the other side the Motostrelkovy Company is now completely destroyed.
All though the Russian tanks came very close, again the Germans managed to stay on the objective. Which meant another 5-1 victory.
My opponent was an new player so I tried to help him if possible. This was also a game in which the most (not too many) mistakes where made concerning the new rules.

Third game.
Mission: Cauldron.
Being the: Defender.(again)
Opponent: Russians. (again)
Opponents army-list:
Tankovy Batalon(Red Army)
-Headquarters
Tankovy Batalon HQ(Red Army)
1x M4 (M4A2 Sherman) with .50 cal AA MG
-Combat Companies
Medium Tankovy Company(Red Army)
10x M4 (M4A2 Sherman)
Medium Tankovy Company(Red Army)
10x T-34 obr 1941 or 1942
-Corps Support
Razvedki Platoon
1x Cmd Rifle/MG team
4x Rifle/MG team
3x Captured Sd Kfz 251 half-track
Guards Rocket Mortar Battalion
1x Cmd Rifle team
1x Observer Rifle team
1x Komissar team
1x Truck
2x BM-13 Katyusha

I never liked the Cauldron and I still don't like it. This was a boring game which wasn't the fault of my opponent it was simple because almost the entire game nothing happened. For nine rounds The Russians where shooting on my dug in Germans only killing a few each time. Then when when most of my troops where pinned, which they were almost 90% of the time because of bad dice rolls, and some guns were destroyed the only real action happened; the assault. After a few round of combat the Russians came out as the winner (failing my motivation tests helps a lot ;-)).
This meant a 6-1 defeat.
Now some action pictures (forgot to make pictures of the close combat action).

Overview

Hiding

The left side.

On the right side waiting for the assault.

At the end of the day I finished 5th overall out of 14 competitors. In all the games I played I still made some mistakes concerning the V3 rules. Maybe the only thing that was a little disappointed was the fact that all, except 1 (British) of the allied players were Russians. Further I don't like the missions that when time runs out and both haven't reached their goal the defender automatically wins. But at the end it was a great day with lots of fun.

Thanks for looking.