Retreat To Stalingrad

The latest encounter in an ongoing "campaign" using the BKC rulebook suggestions for generating battles dependant on the outcome of the previous one.

Germans against Soviets, advancing 6 months each battle we had reached Winter 1942. The game was on a 9 x 4 table with 3000 German points against 1500 of Russians, who were attempting a pursuit (to reach Stalingrad before being cut off !)

This was the Germans eye view, with the city in the distance. The initial positions had already been abandoned by the Russians.

The key area was the small suburban village, where the main road forked. The Russians had deployed a mobile armoured reserve close to the village, and manned the junction with a 76mm gun in a bunker, defending approaches with tank traps, wire, trenches and minefields.
Infantry then defended the forward approaches from concealed positions in the woods as the first elements of the German advance - some truck borne infantry - raced into position to begin the assault
The Russians had declined to man the initial trench line, preferring to leave it until the expected German artillery barrage had fallen silent. But the German artillery instead pounded the Russian tanks, as it had been scheduled to harass any retreat along the main road back into Stalingrad.
The Germans launched their main armoured thrust along the right flank, skirting the first small hamlet they encountered. Panzer IV's supported by a Marder and led by the CinC pushed forwards
The Russians cowered in the town as the artillery fell on them. Their tank traps (made from cut-down plastic spacers used for grouting bathroom tiles..) had put off the German armour - but not the artillery!
Jabo! 2 Stukas, called in by the German FAC dive towards the T34 tank park - but one is blasted from the sky on its first pass, leaving only the rather nicer looking one alive (funny that..)
And the Stuka pounds the T34's again!
Russian Infantry steel themselves for the assault, hoping their barbed wire will keep the enemy at bay.
The fortifications are formidable with 1500 points on a 4 foot wide table
The German right is outpacing the left flank, as many of the Germans have still failed to reach the start line. The Takara Fiesler Storch FAC is calling in the lone remaining Stuka furiously to deal with Russian armour
The Russian continue to fall back towards their objective under harassing fire
By now the German flank march has arrived - Panzer III's supported by Infantry and HMGs storm forwards to assault the town. The Russian tanks are caught in 2 minds - do they crush these irritants, or do they continue in their retreat, leaving the hapless infantry to their fate?
But the German infantry advance has stalled, and has taken a terrible pounding from Soviet artillery being caught still in their trucks. The Germans lay smoke to try and cover their advance - but it missed, and causes problems for the CinC - but at least the KV1 had been neutralized by the Luftwaffe !
Time is running out as the panzer column attempts to force its way past the minefield, only to come under close assault from infantry lurking in the nearby woods.
On the very outskirts of Stalingrad, the Russian tanks decide to turn their attention to the German flanking force - artillery fire is getting increasingly risky for both sides as the two forces close to spitting distance
The Comrades fight on, running for the cover of nearby woodlands to hide from the German machine gun fire
The sun sinks and the sky turns a bloody orange as the German flanking force starts to find itself seriously outnumbered, as retreating Russian forces start to appear from the woodlands. Not exactly the lorry-borne panzer grenadiers they were hoping would arrive to relieve them. However they have captured the attention of the T34's, and their FAO has called down some heave barrages that have suppressed the Russian commander!