----- - Meeting Engagement/ a Motostrelkovy Battalion meets a Aufklarungs Company.

here are some pics from a meeting engagement Brian and i fought sunday. All the models are Brian's. A Meeting Engagement where a Motostrelkovy Battalion meets a Aufklarungs Company.

Scenario type Encounter An AAR composed by Brian follows the images. click the pics for a larger image After setting up the table, Chuk chose to attack from the side opposite the large bluff (we'll all that West) and Brian was to attack from the East. The objectives on Chuk's side of the table were on the roads leading off the west edge while the objectives on the Soviet side were atop the bluff and near the woodline behind the village. Since each force had an armored car platoon and it was an encounter scenario, we agreed that each player had to have their armored cars as part of their starting forces. Chuk deployed his Aufklarungs platoon (minus a few teams for the 2iC's kampfgruppe but reinforced with 2 HMGs from the heavy platoon) guarding the objective and ford in the southwest while the PanzerIIIL platoon and the armored cars deployed northwest of town. The Soviets deployed the BA-64 platoon covering the whole southern half of the table and massed the platoon of Lees at the ford with the infantry to their left ready to move up through town. In the opening phases of the game, The Panzers and Lees began to duel in the north while the soviet infantry pushed up the middle and the BA-64's played hide and seek. The ford, combined with Hen and Chicks, served to limit the number of Lees that could be brought to fire on the panzers, but did keep them busy and away from the infantry. The PTRD equipped BA-64 gave a very good account of itself early bailing out one SdKfz 231 and then later destroying the other. The infantry reached the edge of town despite the intervention of the Luftwaffe and destroyed the bailed armored car in an assault. Despite the loss of Lee or two at this point, the Soviet attack was putting pressure on the Germans. However, it was soon the Germans who were putting the pressure on the Soviets. German reinforcements poured onto the southern half of the table, an area still guarded by only the armored car platoon (now reduced to 2 BA-64). This included the armored pioneer platoon, which was fortunately slowed in their advance by having to cross the ford in the stream. The Soviet Zis-3 battery arrived in the far north corner of the map, too far away to influence the battle. The Lees were forced to attempt to disengage and move south and the infantry were thrown into assaults against the panzer in town hoping to drive them off and create some space. However, the were unable to destroy the tanks or force a withdrawl and lost heavily. Once the Lees had disengaged, the Panzers turned their guns on the beleagered infantry company and soon forced a morale test, which was failed, despite the exhortations of both the battalion commander and battlaion komissar. The company broke and ran leaving the town empty and taking the battalion commander with them. The BA-64's were fired on by MG's from the pioneer halftrack and both were bailed out, afterwhich the "fearless" crews abandoned their vehicles and fled. With still no more reserves, the Soviet position was rapidly eroding. The pioneers were advancing up the hill despite sporadic artillery fire from the Zis-3s and the Panzers were able to advance through town and engage the Lees. Another Lee was destroyed and another morale test failed. The Soviets were now forced to take a battalion morale test and failed automatically. The Germans won with only the loss of the armored car platoon - a major victory (5-2).