Loza vs Barkmann Part I (FOW)

I usually take several weeks to get most battle reports up on the blog but I wanted to get today's up quickly as it had a crazy one-on-one tank fight between veteran tankers, Dmitry Loza and Ernst Barkmann! 

Be warned this is a long battle report so I will break it into two parts.

"Comrade, do you know what I love? This fire. Do you know what I hate? Terry."

My Soviet Lend-Lease tank force is roughly based on the 46th Guards Tank Brigade, I say roughly as by 1945 the brigade was mostly made up of M4A2 76mm tanks with few, if any, M4A2 or Valentines. But I like variety and I say the more little, odd, British designed, Canadian made tanks fighting with the Soviet Union the better!

My 1750 point Hero Inomarochnikiy Tankovy Brigada consists of:

• Dmitry Loza in a M4A2 76mm sherman
• Four M4A2 76mm shermans
• Four Mk VIII Valentines
• Three M4A2 75mm shermans
• Three SU-100 tank destroyers
• Three ISU-122 assault Guns
• Four 120mm heavy mortars with a spotter

While the entire force is only Fearless Trained they are hero units so do not suffer from the Hen and Chicks rule and pass all skill checks as if they are veteran.

I was playing against Grayson and his German SS list from Atlantic Wall (I think an SS list from Grey Wolf would be better, as they have the option for more anti tank), his force contained:

• An HQ with a sniper
• Two full panzergrenadier platoons with combat attached 7.5cm Pak40 and a panzerschreck
• A SS Scout platoon all with panzerfausts
• Three Panzer IV's
• Ernst Barkmann in a Panther A 
• Three Sd Kfz 222 armored cars
• Three Nebelwerfer rocket launchers
• Six 81mm mortars 

This German force is entirely Fearless Veteran.

This industrial suburb has seen better days.

The forested table quarter that the Germans would be defending.

We rolled for a random mission and received "Dust Up". I would be attacking and as we both defended a table quarter, our delayed reserves would arrive from our own opposite long table edge. I held off both sherman platoons (Russian Companies) and the valentines, Grayson held off Barkmann, the 81mm Mortars, armored cars and nebelwerfers. I set up the board like the outskirts of a bombed city, perhaps Vienna where the 46th Guards Tank Brigade fought...

The heavy armor rolls out.

I have added a little camo to my ISU-122's since my last post on them.

The Panzer IV's don't see too worried about those big Russian guns.

One of the German objectives, there must be something important in that Bf109.

I have done some more work on Loza too. I drilled the barrel out and painted the road wheels.

Loza and the mortar's spotter moving cautiously up.

Turn 1

Russians
I moved both units of assault guns to the right where both of Grayson's infantry platoons were dug in on the objectives with the Panzer IV's and SS scouts. My spotter moved forward as well to give my mortars a line of sight to fire on the enemy infantry. Loza also moved up but I wanted to make certain he did not get to far away from the two objectives I was defending. I had no shooting or assaults, the 120mm Mortars dug in.

Germans
Grayson moved up the Panzer IV's to the edge of the woods and dug in both grenadier platoons. The SS scouts moved inward towards the board center.

This camo was used by an assault gun regiment in Hungary, 1945.

The effects of a 100mm anti tank projectile.

Turn 2

Russians
I moved the ISU-122's up, being slow they just trudged forward but manged to knock out one stand of the SS scouts. Two of the SU-100's remained stationary to fire at one of the Panzer IV's with their 40 inch range, while the last of them moved forward. In the shooting step, the SU-100's managed to knock out the Panzer IV they could see using the re-roll misses their "Cat-Killer" rule gives them, but the 120mm mortars failed to range in on his infantry in the buildings.

Germans
The Germans stayed put except for the SS scouts who moved around towards the center of the board.

The 88mm Flak gun base is one of the objectives.

Turn 3

Russians
Little happens on either side other than my ISU-122's knock out a single stand of panzergrenadiers in the forward building, and the SU-100 that moved last turn bogs on the railroad track. The 120mm mortars fail to range in again.

Germans
Everything stays put and they get no reserves either.

An overloaded SU-100's having trouble on the railroad track.

I have recently weathered my SU-100's a little more.

The tankers probably wishing for some infantry to help them out in this city.

The crew have been listening to lots of ominous clanking and rumbling in the distance.

Turn 4

Russians
I receive a single platoon from reserve and bring on the M4A2 75mm shermans, they move back towards the center to protect my own objectives. The ISU-122's knock out another grenadier team using their "Volley Fire" rule. 120mm mortars fail to range in for the third time.

Germans
The Germans get a platoon of from reserve and bring on the nebelwerfers. The last two Panzer IV's move out of the woods taking shelter behind the buildings.

The Panzer IV's had no chance.

I have added a muzzle break to a few of the M4A2 76mm's as the Soviets received both.

Turn 5

Russians
I get a single platoon from reserve and the M4A2 76mm shermans come on... directly behind the Panzer IV's! I unbog the SU-100 and successfully get all three across the railroad track, however one of the sherman 75's bog attempting to cross. For some reason I began to refer to that tank as Terry and be aware, we all hate Terry. 

Anyways, I know that Barkmann will be coming on soon so I shift Loza back towards my own objectives with the two Sherman 75's that crossed the tracks. The sherman 76's knock out all of the Panzer IV's and the ISU's kill another infantry stand. The 120mm mortars destroy one of the nebelwerfers that came on last turn.

Germans
Barkmann does indeed arrive and doubles forward towards my objectives (looking back I don't think he can double the turn he arrives from reserves). Nebelwerfers unpin and fire a bombardment at my mortars but fail to kill any.

Loza leading some of the boys back to protect their objectives and the mortars.

I had yet to finish basing the 120mm mortars.

Barkmann on the hunt!

The tank busters are wasting a lot of time, they should be on the other side of the board, hunting panthers.

One lucky Valentine, survived a Pak40 shot to the face.

Turn 6

Russians
The Valentines arrive from reserve and immediately push forward. The 76mm shermans move around to fire on the Pak40. Loza and the 75mm shermans move back to my objectives, ready to welcome Barkmann, Terry stays bogged on the railroad track. ISU-122's knock out another infantry team. All my shooting at the gone-to-ground Pak40 misses and the mortars fire a bombardment at the doubling Barkmann but miss!

Germans
The Germans get the Sd Kfz 222 armored cars on from reserve and Barkmann rushes up to my objective. The nebelwerfers knock out a mortar team and the only Pak40 that can see bails a valentine.

Oh Terry... the commissars will be speaking with you later.

That is it for this post, but stay tuned for the incredible finale, with explosive artillery fire, wild infantry assaults, swirling tank duels and Terry, the sherman, remaining bogged!

Hero Inomarochnikiy Tankovy Brigada (FOW)

Take that! Emcha's cleaning up a captured T-34/85.

 
With the introduction of some new FOW players to the area I have been motivated to look into some new late war lists. Grayson is building up a German army and since that is my primary force I fell back on my only other late war army, my US. While I like many US lists I wanted to see what additional forces I could build on the cheap. Thus I went to Forces of War and looked at some of the recent Soviet lists that I had completely missed from the Berlin book, and immediately an old favorite jumped out at me, the Soviet Lend Lease tanks, now in hero variant! 

I then put together a  Hero Inomarochnikiy Tankovy Brigada list and realized I could get a 1750 point army for very little money. I had already painted up several platoons of M4A2's and M4A2 76mm Shermans years ago, but had traded them to Robert as I didn't want to buy 30 tanks just to run an army. Now with the hero version I would only need five 76's and three M4A2's with support. And what would you know, I happened to have a box of plastic SU-100's I had bought half priced months ago! Add in some Valentines, ISU-122's and heavy mortars and I'd be ready to take on Grayson's Germans. It may not be the most competitive list but after I traded Robert to get back the M4A2 Shermans, and bought the rest online, I had spent less than $100! 

Not too bad for an entire Flames of War army.

Running the German armor down!

 Above are pictures of the M4A2 76mm Shermans, with Dmitriy Loza in command. One of the main reasons I went with this force was the modeling opportunity. I painted the Shermans in vallejo Russian uniform like I do for my US as I find it keeps them from being too dark and would stand out well from the Soviet green of the support platoons. These Emcha's are a big chunk of points but they are fearless trained, minus Loza who is fearless vet, but they do take all skill checks like they are veterans.

The next addition was four Mk VIII Valentines. I just couldn't resist adding these little guys, even if more M4A2 Shermans would likely be better from a gaming standpoint. I painted them with a slightly lighter shade of the color I used on the Shermans. After researching in books and online I could never find a definitive color the lend lease British tanks would have been for the late war period. One of the other reasons I used Valentines is that the Soviets asked to be supplied with the 76mm Sherman and the Valentines all the way till the end of the war, so the tanks were still being made in England and Canada till wars end!

Next up is the real killing power! SU-100's and ISU-122's provide the punch with their big guns and armor. I really thought about just using two platoons of SU-100's but I loved the ISU-122's so much and they can really help dig out those pesky SS panzerfaust teams. I painted them in the standard Russian green which makes them stand out from the lend lease tanks.

Last up are three M4A2 Shermans. I was not finished with them so there is only a single picture of them.

Now I just need to finish up my 120mm heavy mortars and I'll have the entire 1750 point list done! On a side note this is the quickest turn around for any of my FOW projects. I painted all of these tanks in a single week!