Friday Night Game - 20mm Late WW2 Ostfront Action

 Off to our mate Julians after work on Friday. This time, it was to be Andrew's "house" rules with 20mm figures. I suggested Ostfront as I have small collections of Brits, Germans and Russians in this scale. Julian has Americans and Germans. Chris and I took the attacking Russians - seven infantry units supported by 3 HMG 2 mortars a field gun and two T34/85's and a sniper each. 

Julian and John had six infantry squads, similar supports but no armour on the table - a King Tiger would appear when they turned over the black ace. The other aces would be an air attack (so two for the Russians and one for the Germans) and all the face cards would be off board artillery.

The Russians used the cover of the East Prussian woods to close in on the defended German Schwerpunkt

The first Soviet artillery barrage took out one of the German anti-tank guns!

Soviets advance in the centre

Chris moves up on the left flank

While my T34 moved more cautiously through the woods

The Germans took out our Zis 3 field gun

Most of the defending Germans were still concealed.

The Soviet left flank force moves up, supported by a mortar behind the woods. Mortars can fire at any target that any other friendly unit can see. They can fire into woods or buildings at full effect, but they cannot fire from inside a wood or building.

At this point, with one T34/85 already knocked out, the ace of spades was turned. Julian was so happy - he excitedly told us how he had had the King Tiger model in his collection for years, and this was the very first time it had ever been on the table!

The next card was a red ace - a Soviet air attack!

Air attack gets +3 on the dice roll and 12 or more is two hits and destroys a tank...

Oops 😁😂😍

Ooohhh, HOW we laughed! Even Julian could see the funny side of it!

Johns German sniper in action

One of Johns units opposite my right flank advance

I don't have any Red Army mortars in this scale so arranged some lend lease British ones!

We knocked out the second German PAK - unfortunately, both our T34's were also knocked out early in the game, so it was over to the infantry to decide the matter 7 units attacking 6.

Chris got into the "German" woods and found a unit there - quelle surprise!

Mortar and artillery fire had put the central German unit defending the village on four hits, so a close assault by one of my units meant they automatically dispersed and fled - URRAH!

In the next Russian consecutive activation, the same unit assaulted Julians HQ group, who were also carrying 4 hit points - URRAH, URRAH!!

They in turn were engaged by a four barrelled 20mm AA cannon and forced to fall back.... 

Then Julian turned over a red face card and the Queen of Battle roared into action again!

Boomski!

By this stage the Red Army had the advantage, with John redeploying towards the centre to help Julian resist the Soviet pressure

This however, allowed my units to cross the road and enter the German left flank woods

The Germans still clinging tenaciously to the village but with Soviet infantry enveloping both their flanks

Infantry in the flanking woods exchange fire with the Germans in the village

The Germans now had a total of three badly mauled units on the table - Soviet firepower had knocked out their mortars

With the unit in the house on four hits, time for another Red Army charge!

The end is nigh - Red Army troops hold the village and the woods - Johns one remaining infantry unit flees towards the burning King Tiger

The Germans still hold half the village, but their position is very precarious

And now Chris has taken out the last defenders - the Germans only had two units left, the Russians held the village and had a three to one advantage in manpower

A couple of views of the final position

I have to admit I was slightly worried early on, attacking with virtually no numerical advantage, and both our tanks knocked out. However, some great dice roles and fortunate card turns - the aircraft arriving the very next card after the King Tiger was definitely the highlight! - turned the tables on J and J. We used my sniper rule, where they add 3 to their roll and return fire is only effective if it's a double 6 - but Chris suggested we change it to any double - which resulted in the death of three of the four snipers - only mine survived! 

Off to Barrys tomorrow for a BoB/RCW game put on by Julian and using the same rules - should be fun and a report will follow in due course. 

Thanks for your visit and please let me know what you thought of my AAR by leaving a comment.