Skirmish at Heiligkirchen -- a Bolt Action Battle Report

While I was visiting my friend John back in May we played a game of Bolt Action.  We've been working through the scenarios in the book, and this time it was time for the standard meeting engagement between the German and Russian forces he's been working on.

 

The initial deployment.  My side of the table with the Germans deployed ready to move into the church for cover.  One squad holds each flank with the mortar and other support elements in the center.  My Panzer IV waits to ambush John's T-34 as it comes around the corner.  John's assault squad in its half track readies to roll around my flank.

 

The Panzer IV sights on the Russian armored support, and fires wide. 

 

The T-34 rolls out while the assault squad advances.  Its return fire pins the Panzer.

 

The assault squad deploys from their half track and attempts to cross the river.  My left flank squad, despite being pinned by the T-34's machine gun, puts effective fire on the Russian SMG teams. The position, though, gets too hot, so they pull back into the church.

On the right, the grenadier squad faces a horde of Russian conscripts.  The Russians advance bravely, but the MG teams in the squad hammer them.  They fall back with heavy casualties.  In the middle of the table the Panzer IV repositions away from the T-34.  The platoon's reserve squad finally shows itself though as it launches a Panzerfaust from the church, exploding the T-34.

 

 

With that the Germans destroyed enough of the Russian units to call the game.  As usual (with the exception of a scenario or two) Bolt Action gave a good squad based skirmish experience in a couple of hours.