BATTLEGROUP BAGRATION: Malinova 22.07.1944 - second times.

Today, I'm excited to share a battle report from a game I previously enjoyed. This report focuses on the fight for the village of Malinova in Latvia during 1944, a clash described in Otto Carius's memoirs. Since my last experience with this skirmish, I've gained a deeper understanding of what happened, so I decided to play it again and make the scenario more historically accurate. We used the Battlegroup rules again, but this time we incorporated the Bagration supplement.

SCENARIO: Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda

SCENERY:  Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

SOVIETS

(Bartek, Michael)

41. Tank Brigade

1 x T-34/85 (Senior Officer)

3rd Battalion

1st Company

1 x T-34/85 (Officer)

1st Platoon

1 x T-34/85 (Officer)

2 x T-34/85

2nd Platoon

1 x T-34/85 (Officer)

2 x T-34/85

3rd Platoon

1 x T-34/85 (Officer)

2 x T-34/85

 

48th Guard Heavy Tank Regiment

 1st Platoon

1 x IS-2 (Officer)

2 x IS-2

REINFORCEMENTS:

(turn 6)

41. Tank Brigade

3rd Battalion

2nd Company

1st Platoon

1 x T-34/85 (Officer)

2 x T-34/85

GERMANS

(Andy, Alasdair, Jimmy)

Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 912

1st Battery

1 x StuG III (Officer)

2 x StuG III

2nd Battery

1 x StuG III (Officer)

2 x StuG III

2. Kompanie / schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (Senior Officer - turn 5)

1st Platoon (turn 2)

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (Otto Carius - Panzer Ace, Officer)

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (Albert Kerscher - Panzer Ace, Officer)

2nd Platoon (turn 5)

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (Officer)

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger 

3rd Platoon (turn 5)

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (Officer)

1 x Pz.Kpfw. VI Tiger 

2. The game.

This month marks my blog's 15th anniversary. The actual date is September 21st, but I decided to celebrate the occasion a bit early. The best way to do that was to replay a game I once played against Campbell. Back then, I commanded the Germans and was overwhelmed by Soviet tanks. Now, I'm sharing the second instalment of that game with you. You can find a link to the first instalment at the end of this report.

The village of Malinova lies along a critical route between Daugavpils and Pskov, serving as a defensive line protecting Riga, a city of strategic importance for both sides. In July, the Soviet 5th Tank Corps tried to create a rift in the 16th Army, aiming to capture Daugavpils and then advance toward Riga. Otto Carius's tanks engaged the corps' spearhead, the 41st Tank Brigade, there.

An important detail I initially overlooked regarding the Soviet tanks was that this unit had just received new T-34/85 models. Previously, they had operated M3 Lees and lacked adequate training on the new vehicles. In fact, many of the crews were fresh 19-year-old recruits with no training whatsoever. To reflect this disadvantage, I assigned a -1 penalty to hits for every Soviet tank. Additionally, some crew members were outside their tanks when the attack commenced; only the sentries stationed in front of the village were at their posts, while the rest of the crew was dismounted. I used some tank crew figures I painted long ago but never actually used. Since the tanks' first action involved the crews climbing inside, I treated this as part of the movement phase.

The game began with the StuGs of the 912th Brigade, led by Andy. Lately, Andy has been struggling with his dice rolls, consistently rolling low numbers. Unfortunately, this time was no different; he had very few available orders, which made it challenging to activate all his vehicles. Despite these difficulties, a few of his shots hit their targets, setting several T-34s ablaze.

Michael, commanding the Soviet tanks in the village, had to act quickly. His crews swiftly returned to their vehicles and opened fire on the German StuGs, successfully destroying one of the enemy tanks. Meanwhile, at the other end of the village, two Tiger tanks appeared. A platoon led by two tank aces, Carius and Kerscher, had just launched its attack, and Jimmy was commanding it.

A close-range battle broke out; the German tanks swiftly destroyed several Soviet tanks. However, the Soviets retaliated in the following turn, taking out both German tanks. Otto Carius was wounded a few days earlier than he was in actual history. It seemed the Germans would fail once again, as the Soviets on the western flank began eliminating the StuGs one by one.

Soon, Andy was forced to withdraw his last remaining vehicle, and his game—like Jimmy's—ended. Then Alasdair joined the battle with his fresh Tigers. Michael fought bravely, even destroying several German tanks, with the IS tanks and their 122mm guns leading the charge. However, a major issue emerged: the Soviets were running low on ammunition. As a result, the Soviet tanks had to seek cover while the Germans began a slow advance.

That was when my 2nd Battalion platoon entered the battle. I launched a charge with three T-34/85 tanks against Alasdair's Tigers, but it ended in spectacular failure. My tanks likely couldn't hit the broad side of a barn at close range, but Alasdair picked them off one by one with deadly precision. The battle was over; out of ammunition, the Soviets were forced to withdraw.

In this battle, the Soviet Union lost 11 T-34 tanks, while the Germans lost 5 StuG IIIs and 4 Tigers. It was a costly German victory.

Finally, you can view the battlefield from an aerial perspective—an element that will likely appear regularly from now on.

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

PREVIOUS GAME:

https://asienieboje.blogspot.com/2015/01/malinova-1944.html

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720335655487

SONG ABOUT THE GAME:

https://suno.com/s/90juspnuQ8mIw2Mk

BATTLEGROUP BLITZKRIEG: Westerplatte 1939.

The first game back after the summer break, and a major one at that. I decided to recreate the initial German attack on the Polish outpost at Westerplatte—located in the Free City of Danzig—on September 1, 1939. This attack is widely regarded as the start of World War II. We used the Battlegroup rules with the Blitzkrieg supplement and incorporated some special rules. I endeavoured to accurately recreate the Polish and German forces involved in the engagement. I gathered a great deal of information, particularly from the Fortyfikacja Walcząca Facebook page, which features a highly detailed analysis of this opening attack.

SCENARIO: Bartek Żynda
UMPIRING: Bartek Żynda

SCENERY: Bartek Żynda, SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

POLES

(Bartek, Michael)

Railway Watchman's Hut

1 x rifle

WAŁ (Shaft) Outpost

1 x LMG

2 x rifle

FORT Outpost

1 x HMG

1 x LMG

7 x rifle

PROM (Ferry) Outpost

1 x HMG

2 x LMG

11 x rifle

WARTOWNIA Nr 1 (Guard House No. 1)

2 x HMG

2 x LMG

9 x rifle

WARTOWNIA Nr 5 (Guard House No. 5)

1 x Officer

1 x HMG

2 x LMG

9 x rifle

2 x 37mm ATG in dug-in positions

REINFORCEMENTS:

PROM (2nd turn)

1 x Officer

10 x rifle

FORT (3rd turn)

1 x LMG

2 x rifle

4 x 80mm Mortar (off table, from 2nd turn)

1 x 75mm Schneider Gun (off table, from 2nd turn)

GERMANS

(Alasdair, David, Mike)

3. Marine-Stoßtrupp-Kompanie

HQ

1st Infantry Platoon (no light mortar)

2nd Infantry Platoon (no light mortar)

Pionier Platoon

HMG Platoon (3 x HMG)

20mm Platoon (2 x 20mm)

Schleswig Holstein (7 x 20mm, 2 x HMG, 2 x LMG) as off table support

1. The Introduction.

In my game, I wanted to capture the reality of the German assault and the surprise the Germans encountered during their initial attack on Westerplatte. They did not expect such fierce resistance or such well-prepared defensive positions. To reflect this, the German forces were portrayed as entirely inexperienced, whereas the Poles were depicted as veterans—highlighting the unit's elite status. The soldiers selected for service there were the best of the best in the Polish army. Additionally, all positions had artillery and mortar spotting capabilities, and the Poles fought to the bitter end, meaning they had no BR value. In contrast, the Germans had a BR level of 40.

3. The Game.

On September 1, 1939, at 4:45 AM, the order was given for the battleship *Schleswig-Holstein* to open fire on the Polish transit depot at Westerplatte in the Free City of Danzig. The bombardment began at 4:48 AM and continued until 4:55 AM. During this time, the battleship fired eight 280mm shells and fifty-nine 150mm shells at the Polish positions. However, due to its close positioning, all of these rounds overshot the peninsula and landed in the Bay of Gdańsk. Smaller-calibre shells struck the wall surrounding the depot, damaging the barracks that faced the harbour channel.

Mike, who was in charge of the attack, rolled a six-sided die (d6) to determine the number of breaches in the wall through which the Germans could storm the depot grounds. The minimum number of openings was set at three, and Mike rolled a three. Alasdair commanded the first platoon, David commanded the second, and Mike led the Combat Engineers. The first two platoons attacked from the direction of the bay through the breached railway gate, while Mike attacked from the harbour channel side. Initially, the Polish forces did not return fire.

It all began dramatically when the Germans fired upon the railway guardhouse, killing the first Polish soldier. They then stormed through the gate and came under fire from the "WAŁ" outpost. The Germans stopped and concentrated their fire on that active Polish position, quickly neutralising it. 

Michael, who commanded the northern defence, wanted to open fire on the Germans immediately, but I held him back and suggested we let them advance closer. That's exactly what happened. The Germans moved past the initial buildings, only to be met with fire from the Fort, which included both 37mm guns and Guardhouse No. 5. The German attack collapsed; their troops were halted, and casualties began to mount at an alarming rate.

The German assault from the canal, advancing through the ruined barracks, ultimately failed. As soon as the Germans emerged through a breach in the wall, they came under fire from the "Prom" outpost and Guardhouse No. 1, which I commanded. Mortar fire and a 75mm gun bolstered our defence. The Germans even attempted a bayonet charge, but this effort led to the destruction of their entire rifle squad. As a result, German casualties mounted at an alarming rate, causing the attack to falter. Although the German forces did not reach their breaking point, the assault ultimately collapsed, preventing them from continuing their advance.

The game ended with a historic outcome; however, the Germans suffered far greater losses than actually occurred and were stopped much sooner than in reality. The Poles lost 14 soldiers in the game, while the Germans lost as many as 62.

Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720335572169

SONG ABOUT THE GAME:

https://suno.com/s/yXMNCgyXQUw5HPoA

Blood Red Skies: Allied bombing mission.

It had been quite some time since my last game with the Blood Red Skies rules. So I eagerly accepted Tim's idea to join in, especially since my brand-new bombers hadn't had the honour of appearing on the table. A quick action, and Tim created a scenario: the Allies, in this case a combined RAF and USAF bomber force, were to destroy two targets defended by a strong concentration of German fighters. The targets received support from the Flak, so the game promised to be truly interesting.

SCENARIO: Tim Chant
UMPIRING: Tim Chant

SCENERY: SESWC

FIGURES & MODELS: Tim Chant, Michael Schneider, Bartek Żynda

1. Forces.

LUFTWAFFE

1st Squadron (Andy)

2 x Focke-Wulf Fw 190A (2 x3)

2 x Messerschmitt Bf-109G (2 x 2)

2nd Squadron (Michael)

2 x Focke-Wulf Fw 190A (1 x 5 Hans Dortemann, 1 x 3)

2 x Messerschmitt Bf-109G (2 x 2)

3rd Squadron (David)

1 x Focke-Wulf Fw 190A (1 x3)

3 x Messerschmitt Bf-109G (3 x 2)

RAF & USAF

1st Bombing Squadron RAF (Tim)

2 x de Havilland Mosquito B Mk.II (2 x 3)

2nd Bombing Squadron USAF (Bartek)

3 x B26 Marauder (3 x 3)

1st Support Squadron RAF (Tim)

3 x de Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI (2 x 3, 1 x 2)

2nd Support Squadron RAF (Bartek)

3 x Supermarine Spitfire IX (1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 2)

3rd Support Squadron RAF (Alasdair)

4 x Supermarine Spitfire IX (1 x 5 Killer Caldwell, 1 x 4, 1 x 3, 1 x 2)

2. The Game.

As I mentioned at the beginning, there were two targets for our bombers. Tim and I decided that he would target one, and I would take the other with my American bombers. My fighters provided direct support to the American bombers, while Alasdair provided distant support for me. Tim's remaining Mosquitos, in turn, supported him. Three German squadrons moved against us: Andy against Tim, Michael against my fighters, and David against Alasdair.

Michael launched his attack on my fighters. I noticed his German fighters were flying in a single line, which was a mistake. I sent my best pilot forward while the less experienced pilots stayed back to support him. I broke through the German line with the first plane, then the second, and soon found myself on their tails. All I had to do then was open fire, and before long two German planes were down. First went a Focke-Wulf flown by the German ace Hans Drotemann, then a Messerschmitt Bf-109. The remaining German planes reached the bombers and even managed to outmanoeuvre one, but a burst from the American bombers' rear machine guns drove Michael's squadron from the battlefield. The Germans were beginning to lose.

What I did to Michael, Alasdair repeated against David. Although he was nearby and saw the German planes being easily shot down, he still fell into Alasdair's trap. This time, he escaped without loss, but my bombers rejoined the action and, with cannon fire from their turrets, drove David's squadron away. My bombers had a clear path to the target, but they were moving very slowly; that's because of the weight of the bombs they carried.

At the same time, Tim's Mosquitoes broke through Andy's blockade and advanced toward the second objective. Despite a valiant effort and poor shooting—Andy didn't roll a single six in the entire game—the German planes were forced to flee, losing one ME109. With both air defences gone, the Allies had a clear path to the objective. The anti-aircraft guns were the main problem, but we would deal with them later.

Tim's Mosquitos were the first to launch the attack. Both dropped their bombs but missed the target. The remaining Mosquitos moved in and destroyed it with cannons and machine guns.

There must have been something wrong with our bombers' bombsights, because the American bombers, when they finally reached their targets, also missed. My Spitfires had to finish the job. This time, however, anti-aircraft fire shot down one of my fighters, but the target was destroyed. The Germans lost both targets and three planes, including one ace, thus losing the entire game.

It was a successful debut for my American bombers: their machine guns were proven more effective than their bombs, and they returned to base unscathed!

3. Links.

SESWC:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/631841809210352

FLICKR:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/asienieboje/albums/72177720334953764

SONG ABOUT THE GAME:

https://suno.com/s/QDilw1fyfaam0rrn