Flames of War at the Jersey Shore

1000 Point After Action Reports (AARs)

Cossack vs. German Grenadiers
1000 points - Hold the Line

Plan: Kill Bill! (another really bad movie by the way!!!)

Terrain: All my nice buildings, the nice roads with my lovely stream down the middle of the talble.....

What Really Happened: I got slaughtered!!! Big surprise!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Leasons Learned: If your opponent has Anti-Tank Guns in Ambush, and you know it, Don't double move your only armor assest! They got blown up sir, on the first turn!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the setup instructions very, very carefully!!!!! And never play against Lady Luck when rolling up the Mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Italian Armor v. Russian Tankovy (Lee v. John S.)
1,000 Point Game – Mid War

Mission: Breakthrough. (Italians Attacking Russians Defending)

Terrain: Typical for parts of Russia, basically flat with some patches of trees and burned out buildings.

Deployment: The Russians started with one T-34 Platoon on the Table and one in Reserve. The Italians started with one tank platoon, a 105 battery, an 88 and 90mm gun, with a tank platoon and at gun section in Reserve.

Plans: Simple, destroy the Italian armor while avoiding the big guns.

What happened: Very simple the Italians put more on the board then the Russians could kill. The killing zones were limited because of the big AT guns. We ended up tangling with both armor companies and their at guns. When it all came down to it we just couldn’t kill enough of them and the Italians got an infantry stand on the objective.

The Italians have great morale and training, so that makes them harder to hit and break. Combined with German allies, they can be an effective force.

Lesson learned: The big thing here was position of the objectives. The objective that Lee took was too close to his reinforcement side and the infantry of there from its vehicle the turn it arrived. Had it been 16" inches from the board edge not 10, I probably could have won the shooting duel.??? Either way it would have been close.

Combatants: The Cossacks and the capitalist Americans!

Mission: Cauldron (1000 points)

Terrain: Peace small town inside of the fascist homeland that contained a bank we were to find out.....

The Plan: Hang out drink some vodka wait till the war's over.

What Happened: Waking up from my usually hangover. I found a group of our American allies encamped in the middle of town. I approached and was fired upon!? I then sent my 2iC in under a flag of truce to find out what the Americans were doing in our town. This is the story I got.... The American Commander a guy called Kelly said they were there to withdraw something from the bank in the center of town. Upon further questioning we learned there was a stockpile of gold in the vault. Since we captured this town it belonged to Mother Russian. Kelly had other ideas.

The Americans playing bad music took up positions outside of the bank with their M-10 Tank destroyers. The commander of this small armor force was sort of an "old ball" and barked like a dog. Must have been kicked in the head as a small child. I put a call in to be reinforced and a couple of SU-152s made short work of the lightly armored M-10s. The dug-in infantry was another subject.

To make a long story short. My MG group make it to the objective but was ripped to ribbons. My first Cossack squad got shot up.... So did the second! My Rocket Battery finally showed up but got wasted by the American Air Power that arrived every turn!!!!!!!!! The pressure from the air power was so intense when the Commissar tried to keep the boys from running they shot him!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was unhorsed (writing this from a hospital bed) so when the pressure was on my men ran!!!!!!!!!!!! The Company Commissar was already dead at this point but I believe he would have faired no better. The Americans took their (our) gold and left us to tend to our wounded.

Lessons Learned: Never trust American Allies! Cossacks are fragile!

Italian Carri Company v. US Rifle Company (Lee v. Newman)
1,000 Point Game – Mid-War

Mission: The Cauldron (Italians Attacking – US Defending)

Terrain: Typical for parts of Sicily or Southern Italy; rolling wooded terrain with some burned out buildings scattered about. The Dominant feature was a large wooded hill in the center of the Battlefield.

Deployment: The Americans choose to defend the large wooded hill, a decision largely dictated by the scenario set up. They set up their Mortars, some HMG and M-10 TDs, leaving the bulk of their Infantry to come on as Reserves. The Italians started with their Heavy Guns (AA, AT & Artillery), leaving their Tanks to come in as Reserves.

Plans: Simple. Use the Italian Heavy Guns to waste the American TDs, then come in with the MG loaded Tanks to mop up the Infantry and Mortars. Life should be so simple!

What happened: The Battle degenerated into a series of intense "Duels" dictated by the initial setup and the order in which the Reserves arrived. Starting on the table the Italian Lancia (Big Gun) and the US M-10’s dueled it out. One M-10 and the Lancia bought it. Next the Italian Artillery went after the remaining M-10, while the Army Air Corps went after the Italian Artillery. A Draw; the planes couldn’t finish off the Artillery and the Guns could never get the M-10 to do more than Bail Out. Enter the Italian Allied unit, a German Platoon of Pak 38’s; they finally did in the last M-10, in turn to be done in by the US Mortars. And so it went. The Italian Tanks arrived and went after the US Infantry Reserves (trying for a Company Morale Check), only to be hammered by the Planes. After FOUR arduous hours, the GM (a.k.a. the US 2iC), called the game a ~~DRAW~~ Victory for the Americans. (Editor's Note: The time limit, which was exceded btw, is a condition to ending the game not a victory. As noted in a AAR below the Italians failed to keep the victory conditions in mind. They needed to capture an objective to win. Failing this the Americans won.)

Lesson learned: This game brings home one simple lesson; you either need Heavy Guns or Close Assaults to wipe out Dug-In Infantry. The Italian Tank MGs and 47mm Guns, and the 75mm Light Artillery, were no match for Dug-In Infantry and the large number (4?) of US Bazooka Teams made any Tank Assault out of the question. The only hope was to Break the entire Company, and the Last Man Standing saves made by the US Player made this an impossible task as well. Firepower rules! A good lesson.

British Rifle v. Russian Tankovy (Lee v. John S.)
1,000 Point Game – Mid War

Mission: Breakthrough. (Russians Attacking – British Defending)

Terrain: Typical for parts of Russia, basically flat with some patches of trees and burned out buildings.

Deployment: The Russians started with one T-34 Platoon on the Table and one in Reserve. The Brits started with both Infantry Platoons and the Churchills on the Table with the Bishops in Reserve.

Plans: Shoot up each Russian T-34 Platoon as it appeared and sacrifice the Infantry holding the Objectives and providing irresistible Cannon Fodder for the T-34s.

What happened: The Plan worked perfectly until the British got stupid and Zigged when they should have Zagged. The 1^st Platoon died heroically buying time for the British Tanks to get into position to contest the Russian advance. The British 2^nd Platoon died heroically defending the Objective, even managing to eliminate one whole Platoon of T-34’s that foolishly Close Assaulted them (Brit AT is much more effective against T-34’s than Tigers!). But the Brit Tank commander took time out to Brew Tea and let the few remaining T-34s get around them, being the slower tank, the T-34’s beat them to the Objective. The Brit Bishops which had arrived by this time were ineffective (as usual) and so the Russians won. Had the Brits been able to achieve the desired goal of a Tank versus Tank duel over the Objective, they might well have won this one!

Lesson learned: STAY FOCUSED ON THE VICTORY CONDITIONS. The Brits had the Blood Lust and so to try and kill more T-34’s they got out of position and so lost the game. The Russians had wanted to quit after loosing the T-34 Platoon to the Infantry, not realizing that they still had the means of victory at their disposal. And a very nice Brit player had to point out that if the Russians just claimed the Objective (instead of dueling the Brit Tanks) they would win. THREE TIMES in one game loss of focus by one player had Victory slip (or potentially slip) right out of their hands. So stay focused on the VC!

British Rifle v. German Grenadiers (Lee v. Allen)
1,000 Point Game – Mid War

Mission: Hold The Line (Brits Attacking – Germans Defending)

Deployment: The Germans choose to deploy their Artillery and some Independent Teams while holding the Tiger in Ambush and their bulk of their Infantry in Reserve. The British overloaded one side with their two Infantry Platoons with Churchills as support.

Plans: Simple. Go for broke and storm the objective before the German Reserves came on. Use everything to try and take out the Tiger, including sacrificing the Churchills.

What happened: The British Infantry destroyed the Independent Teams, got into a position where the German Artillery was ineffective and swarmed the Objective. The Churchills died trying to take out the Tiger. Not surprising; the best they could hope for with a close range front shot was a Bail and that only on a "1", whereas the Tiger on the other hand had pretty much a guaranteed kill up to 40" against the Churchills. It was surprising that the Churchills lasted as long as they did. Repeated Infantry Assaults on the Tiger with the pathetic Brit AT at this point in the War (even the PIAT is basically ineffective against the Tiger) produced no results except a lot of dead Brits. When the German Reserves arrived, they swept the surviving British Infantry from the field. The Bishop 25 Pdr SP Guns were singularly disappointing, failing to Range-In on the Tiger on several successive Turns and being too slow to close for Direct Fire; where they would have only been able to Bail the Tiger with flank shots anyway. Sigh, The Tiger!

It was all about the Tiger. While it lived, the Objective could always be contested and neither the British Infantry, Tanks or Artillery were capable of killing it. The one close moment came when it Bogged Down coming out of Ambush, but its wide tracks saved it!

Lesson learned: This game made a good historical point; in the mid-war period, the British had no good answer to the Tiger. Note that I said "good" answer. They do have very expensive 17Pdr ATG, which are immobile, and so useless on attack. And easily avoided on defense in any sort of terrain such as we played. With its longer range, the Tiger will usually just stay out of range until it has destroyed them. The Brits are limited to one PIAT per Platoon, and it is also relatively ineffective against the Tiger, normal Infantry with AT 2 is useless even in s Close Assault. It was all about the Tiger.

Commentary: Many have grumbled about the British Churchills as being "invincible", as this battle proves, they are actually quite vulnerable to the right weapons. Whereas the Brits have only ONE poor option (17 Pdrs) to use against the Tigers; the Germans have many from Pz IV, through 88’s to Pak40’s and even StuGs. They just have to TAKE them. Further, while the Russian T-34 has trouble with the Churchills, any of the large AT or SP Guns will do them in quite nicely. As will the American M-10 Tank Destroyers.

At this point in the war, if you want "invincible", look to the German Tiger Tank! (Editor's Note: The views expressed about the Tiger Tank being invincible are unfounded and not suported by this website, the league administrator or any decent player. Just ask the author how he lost a King Tiger to JUST INFANTRY! Or maybe the British 17 pdrs.) (Editor's Note to the Previous Editor's Note: Lee is the current point leader!)

Russian Cossacks vs. German Infantry (Rich vs. Allen)
1,000 Point Game- Late War

Mission: Free for All (Believe It or Not!?)

Terrain: Typical for the Steppes of Russian a few peasant huts with a large destroyed building on the German side.

Deployment: Typical. My worthless Kats (SP) were in the back with my Cossack Platoons on the flanks. He had each objective covered by an Infantry Platoon. His Tiger was playing hide and seek in the middle behind some woods.

Plans: Flank his infantry. Simple. Use my SU-152s to hunt down and kill his Tiger.

What happened: With some bad advice from his second in command, the commander move cautiously with this Tiger and nothing much was being accomplished. My Cossack Platoon on the left advanced and destroyed killed his observer as did my Tachanka platoon killed this other one! This silenced his artillery for a while. My Katyushas hit something!!! Stalin loves us! They destroyed one Artillery Piece. The sweeping Cossacks destroyed another artillery piece and contested the objective. The Germans were very surprised to learn that they can Assault 8" instead of the normal 4"!!!!!!

Now the German 2iC had to leave the field of battle. The Tiger got aggressive killed my SU-152s. There was a short tank duel in the middle of the table. The platoon defending the objective passed its morale check and proceeded to kill the Cossacks one stand at a time.

Eventually his Tiger ran amuck in my deployment zone. Hey my Infantry assaulted and forced him back once!!! And the Germans won!

Lesson learned: The Cossack Squadrons can not sustain an assault for very long. I can combine two before the game begins to make one large one.... Hummmmm.....

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