Eastern Front Action -- A Command Decision: Test of Battle Report

Our group of local gamers has been playing a lot of Flame of War since I joined them a little over two years ago.  Recently Michael wanted to give a try to an old WW2 standby;  Command Decision: Test of Battle using his 6mm WW2 microarmor.  He set up a scenario for us. 

It is 1943 and the Russians are pushing the Germans hard.  A scratch German force including a company of STuGs, a company of engineers, a few AT guns, and some infantry, is tasked with defending a vital crossroads.  Opposing them are a Russian Tank brigade and a battery of SU-76 assault guns.

 

The Soviet horde prepares to advance.  T-34s to the left, T-70s in the center backed by the SU-76s.  The brigade's infantry company is on the Soviet right, headed down the road.

German infantry digs in in one of the towns.  A Pak 40 battery is deployed on the side of town facing the Soviet advance.  These brave souls would prove the decisive unit of the game.

 

Backing the infantry in the towns is our meager supply of AT support.  Three StuG Platoons spread to cover all avenues of approach.

Andrew, the Soviet commander, pushes forward with his infantry.  They roll down the road in their trucks, trusting the T-70s and the recon armored car to locate the Jerries.

 

The Soviets launch their surprise attack!  A Cossack brigade rides on in the German left rear.  Fortunately we had opted to cover all the road approaches.  The StuG platoon assigned that sector, along with the heavy artillery (in direct fire mode) and mortar platoon, opens fire on the Cossacks.

 

The first regiment is whittled down.

 

Out in the field the T-70s begin to burn.  The battalion is pinned and forced to fall back.

 

The remainder of he Cossack brigade pushes into the woods, over running a 50mm AT gun posted there as flank security.

 

In the meantime, the T-34 battalion advances under the cover of supporting fire from the SU-76s.  The SUs spend three turns and 24 dice of  firing before finally knocking out the PaK 40 that is holding up the advance.

 

The StuGs and T-34s trade fire on the German right, while the Soviet infantry dismounts to assault the town on the left.

 

The assault stalls as the dug in German infantry proves too much for the Sovs.

 

On the left rear, the Cossacks emerge from the woods into the face of strong German opposition.  The inability to land the Cossack attack at the same time as the infantry assault (due to pinning) has cost the Soviets any chance of taking the crossroads.  The T-34 battalion makes one last attempt to force the issue, but is forced to fall back due to casualties inflicted by the StuGs.

 

 We were all pleased with the CD:ToB rules.  I think they make a very good set for this level of game, and expect we will play a couple of these games a year.  There is even some talk of playing them with 15s.