Victor and Sean's Desperate Measures Battle Report

Desperate Measures Battle Report with Sean Goodison Our Escalation League for Desperate Measures was looming and Victor and I decided it might be a good idea to test out our full 1500 point armies. As we were building up these new forces, and getting hold of the required miniatures, it would be a good opportunity to make sure we were heading towards an army we wanted to play.

Sean's Panzergrenadier Kampfgruppe (Confident Veteran) Panzergrenadier Kampfgruppe HQ - 115 points 2x Panzerfaust SMG teams 1x Panzerschreck team 3x Sd Kfz 251/1 Panzergrenadier Platoon - 280 points HQ section with 3 Grenadier Squads all Panzerfaust MG 4x Sd Kfz 251/1 Panzergrenadier Platoon - 280 points HQ section with 3 Grenadier Squads all Panzerfaust MG 4x Sd Kfz 251/1 Panzer Platoon - 255 points 3x Hetzers Panzer Platoon - 275 points 2x Panthers Air Support - 175 points Rudel Total: 1480 points

Victor’s Hero Tankovy Brigada (Fearless Trained) Hero Tankovy Brigada HQ - 95 points 1x T-34/85 obr 1944 Hero Tankovy Company - 280 points 3x T-34/85 obr 1944 Hero Tankovy Company - 280 points 3x T-34/85 obr 1944 Hero Medium Assault Company - 360 points 3x SU-100 Guards Hero Heavy Tank Company - 465 points 3x IS-2 obr 1944 Total: 1480 points

Steve set us up a challenging table and after rolling a few dice informed us that we'd be playing No Retreat. My Panzergrenadiers would be defending against Victor's Hero Tankovy. I placed my objective on the road that led through the village and Victor placed his on my right flank behind a hill. I now had to choose two platoons to be on the table, one to be held in ambush. I knew that starting with only infantry would allow his tanks to sit at range and take their time so I opted for one platoon of my Panzergrenadiers, who would hold the forward objective, and my platoon of Hetzers, which would wait in ambush.

Then Victor deployed his intimidating army in a line across the front of his deployment. I would have to hope that an ambush and one small platoon could hold off all these tanks until my support arrived. At least I had Rudel, the ace up my sleeve, to swoop in and cause some havoc. The first turn went to Victor and he wasted no time doubling one of his T-34 companies down the undefended left flank. His Company Commander and SU-100 assault guns moved to back them up, fully expecting an ambush. On the other flank a trio of IS-2 obr 1944 tanks and the second Tankovy company crawled forward and opened fire on the dug-in Panzergrenadiers. Luckily for me only a few shots managed to find the platoon and the first turn ended with no casualties. Luck was with me once more as my first turn saw both Rudel and my first reinforcements arrive. Two Panther G tanks rolled onto the battlefield and took positions behind one of the cornfields where they could fire on either of the approaching companies of T-34s. From out of the concealing cornfields my Hetzer platoon sprung their ambush while Rudel zeroed in on the deadly SU-100s. I knew that if they could engage the Hetzers at long range then my Veteran rating would be my only defense against their massive 100mm guns. The Hetzer ambush proved to be very deadly, knocking out two of the doubling T-34s and sending the third one running. On the other flank my Panthers also claimed a T-34 kill. Sadly Rudel was only able to make one of the SU-100s bail out, at least it would diminish the amount of return fire on my Hetzers. Like a true Soviet Tanker Victor continued his march towards the village, choosing to bypass the objective being held by my Panzergrenadiers and HQ. In an effort to get plenty of shots on my Panthers he was forced to clump up his slow IS-2 company. On the left flank he opted to stand and fight as his assault guns remounted to find that they already had some clear shots at my Hetzers. Out for revenge the platoon commander was forced to circle around the woods to get line-of-sight. The brutal fire from three IS-2s managed to hit my concealed Panthers and one of them burst into flame. On the other side of the battlefield luck was leaning the other way and Victors Cat Killers failed to find their targets. Another lucky roll on my second turn saw my last platoon of reinforcements show up. A second platoon of Panzergrenadiers rushed forward to take positions in the village. Rudel once again flew overhead to target Victor's Company Commander and the 2 SU-100s near him. My shooting this turn however was abysmal. The last Panther failed to hit the T-34s that were bearing down on him while on the other flank the Hetzers' small 7.5cm guns couldn't cut through the SU-100 front armour. Rudel bailed one out as a consolation, but with Victor's CiC backing them up I knew that wouldn't hold him off. The T-34 company continued to rush forward as the IS-2s brought down their second Panther. There was now a Soviet tank sitting on my objective. On the left flank one of the Hetzers went up in smoke as the Cat Killers stood and delivered. Rudel's harassment had little effect on the Hero Tankovys morale. I decided it was time my men got out and caused some mayhem. Rudel had abandoned the field, and would fail to return for the rest of the game, and my Hetzers' guns just weren't big enough to take out the encroaching Soviet armour. So it was time for my Panzergrenadiers to get out of their foxholes and put ll those Panzerfausts to use. A Panzerschreck shot bounced off the side of an IS-2 but was only the beginning of the assault. Using the hill for cover my first platoon circled around the heavy tanks and assaulted from the side, considerably reducing the defensive fire. As one of the tanks was overrun the other two broke off, leaving it to it's fate. With a pair of T-34s on my objective it was time to concentrate fire. The Hetzers turned and fired on them as infantry poured out of the buildings to clean up. It wasn't necessary however as my shots found side armour. After an important Stormtrooper roll the assault guns turned back to face their nemeses while the Panzergrenadiers moved up to the burning T-34s. With his heavy IS-2s about to be trapped between two infantry platoons Victor rolled them toward the weaker of the two and unleashed his co-ax machine-guns. Once again the shots were shrugged off thanks to the men's Veteran rating and a few infantry saves. It was a similar situation on the left flank where the Hetzers were still making a miraculous stand against superior firepower and armour. They'd bought me all the time I needed and so I sent the Hetzers rolling forward into close range, hoping to dodge some more fire and then move into position for side shots next turn. On the road into the village both infantry platoons advanced on the tanks. My second platoon failed their tank terror and so it was up to first platoon, with my HQ attached, to assault the heavy tanks once more. With four teams making it into contact with each tank it was over quickly. Three of his four platoons had been destroyed but it didn't phase Victor's Hero Tankovy. With my Hetzers now in the open he fired his SU-100s, no doubt looking for that second platoon kill. One more blew up and my final piece of armour had to decide whether to call it quits or stick around and 'Enjoy the War.' The crew chose wisely and simply bailed out. But I would get my side shot afterall, the crew deciding to give it one last go. To back up the lone Hetzer and try and finish the fight I sent my first platoon through the woods towards the enemy. While the Hetzer managed to miss his final shot of the game the infantry successfully stormtrooper'd their way to the opposite edge of the wood. Victor passed his company morale again. Knowing full well that he had to stay on my half of the board to keep the game going he back his remaining forces towards the table edge, away from the deadly infantry, and finished off the last Hetzer. Machine-gun fire also finally managed to score a casualty on my infantry. At this point we decided to call the game. Victor's last platoon was being forced to constantly retreat from my infantry while stuck on my half of the board. With two German platoons left it wouldn't be long before they would be cornered. There was still a chance that MG fire would be able to break my company before then but with company morale checks every turn we decided to call it a 4-3 victory to the German Panzergrenadiers. I had a great time playing this game and while there was some luck going both ways (early reinforcements for me and an easily mitigated Panther platoon for Victor) I think my elusive Hetzer platoon won me the game. Having taken out a company of T-34s on their first turn and holding down the left flank by themselves for a few more they definitely deserve my man-of-the-match. But that being said, having two platoons of fanatical Germans carrying MGs and bristling with Panzerfausts doesn't hurt either. Check out the Desperate Measures Design Notes...