Kursk assault---6mm Eastern Front playtest of A Sergeant's War

I played through another test of my rules, A Sergeant's War.  Today's game was a German assault on a prepared Soviet position during the Battle of Kursk, July '43.  The result was a costly German victory.

Deployment--2x2 table (4x4 in "game inches")

 The Germans attacked with 2 platoons of infantry (one in halftracks), a trio of Pz IV-Hs, and medium artillery in support (a battery of 81mm mortars).  One platoon has a flamethrower team.

The Soviets defended with a large platoon of infantry (5 squads, a platoon commander, and an HMG team) and two 76.2mm guns.  They also have medium artillery in support.  All are dug in.

The German objective is to take a fortified hill outside of a village.  The Soviets must defend the position.

The Soviet strong point

Soviets dug into the village

German platoon on foot

German armor and panzer grenadiers

The game began with the Germans moving up to the treeline opposite the hill, and to a hedgerow near the village.  Soviet fire pinned a few German units. The AT guns fired ineffectually on the Pz IVs.

The Germans successfully coordinated their artillery fire and started shelling the hill.  They scored a lot of hits, but these didn't translate into many casualties--the Soviets were too well dug in.  Meanwhile, Soviet return-fire started shooting up the German infantry.

Each D6 indicates a hit on one of the units on the hill.  These hits are then tested for casualties and then morale.

German fire successfully suppressed some of the Soviet pak front, and two German halftracks scooted up the right to prepare a flanking attack on the hill.  Another Soviet AT gun, concealed behind a house, unsuccessfully fired on the halftracks before they disappeared from view.  Soviet defensive fire also pinned down some of the German grenadiers.

The Soviets called down artillery on the flank attack, as their ATGs struggled to deal with the Pz IVs.  German fire continued on the Soviet trenches.  The German foot platoon struggled against the village; the flamethrower team attempted an attack but was thrown back with heavy casualties.

Soviet artillery essentially smashed one German platoon, pushing the German force to its first Breaking Point (thus making all things morale-related harder for the Germans).  Meanwhile, the flanking panzer grenadiers are pinned down in their first attempt to take the Soviet trench and are thrown back during their second.  German tank-fire finally defeated the AT guns.

Heavy casualties and pinned results

Pinned in the open

German assault defeated

Germans thrown back

The Germans regrouped and launched another assault.  This one cleared the trench--a Soviet counter attack was also defeated.  More German infantry made their way forward, and with heavy supporting fire from the German armor, the Soviets were finally pushed off the hill.

The Pz IVs moved forward, pinning the 45mm ATG with shell fire.  The Soviet position compromised, the riflemen retreated from the area and the Germans won the day, but with heavy losses: 25 casualties among the infantry (compared to 21 Soviet).  The main Soviet killer was their artillery--one German platoon was shot to pieces by their mortars.  The main German killer was their armor, whose massed fire drove the ATGs, an HMG, and one Soviet squad back.

The game played out well---the Germans had a lot of trouble covering the open ground, until they were able to mass enough fire to suppress or destroy the Soviet heavy weapons.  The Soviets, using wire communications instead of radio, had better control of their artillery and used it to devastating effect.  The German qualitative edge was important, as it reduced their overall casualties.  High soviet morale held them in their positions against severe German fire.

I plan to include this scenario in the rule book (one of 12).  Thanks for looking!

The infantry are Heroics and Ros.  The vehicles are a mix (got them on eBay...might be GHQ?).  The terrain is all scratch built.