Putting Them To The Test

Putting To The Test

Putting Them To The Test:
The Battlefront Studio Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 On The Tabletop
with Blake Coster & Steven MacLauchlan

The Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 featured in Desperate Measures was the inspiration for the latest Battlefront Studio painting challenge. Each member of the studio spent twelve hours painting a single tank with the aim of creating a 1500-point force. Once the army was complete; it seemed a shame not to get them on the tabletop.

The Battlefront Studio Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500
Over the last few weeks we’ve featured an article on each of the platoons of the Studio’s Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500. Check out the links below to learn more about each of the platoons:
Read Studio Ausbildings Company: Part One here… Read Studio Ausbildings Company: Part Two here…
Read Studio Ausbildings Company: Part Three here… Read Studio Ausbildings Company: Part Four here…
So I (Blake) managed to talk Steven into facing off against the Studio Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 with a Hero Sredniy Samokhodno-artillyeriyskiy Polk (or Hero Medium Self-propelled Artillery Regiment) also featured in Desperate Measures.
Below: The Battlefront Studio's Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 in its entirety.
Putting To The Test
1500-point Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 (Confident Trained)
Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500 HQ
 
with one Tiger I E (painted by Victor Pesch)
155 points
Combat Platoons  
Panther Ausbildungs Platoon  
with three Panther A or G (painted by James Brown, Mike Haycock, & Blake Coster) 405 points
Schwere Panzer Ausbildung Platoon
 
with two Tiger I E (painted by Wayne Turner & Chris Townley)
280 points
Schwere Panzer Ausbildung Platoon  
with two Königstiger (Porsche) (painted by Casey Davis & the Studio) 445 points
Leichte Panzer Ausbildungs Platoon  
with four Panzer III L or M (painted by Mike & Andrew Haught, Steven MacLauchlan, & Sean Goodison)
180 points
Each upgraded with Schürzen.
20 points
Total Points: 1485 points
Below: The Hero Sredniy Samokhodno-artillyeriyskiy Polk in all its glory.
Putting To The Test
1500-point Hero Sredniy Samokhodno-artillyeriyskiy Polk (Fearless Trained)
Hero Sredniy Samokhodno-artillyeriyskiy Polk HQ  
with one T-34/85 obr 1944
95 points
Combat Companies  
Hero Medium Assault Gun Company
 
with three SU-100 360 points
Hero Medium Assault Gun Company  
with three SU-100 360 points
Hero Medium Assault Gun Company  
with SU-85 230 points
Support Companies  
Hero Tankovy Company
 
with four T-34/85 obr 1944
375 points
Total Points: 1420 points
The Table & Mission
For the mission we settled on Dust Up and placed our Objectives atop each of the hills at either end of the table and at each end of the road. The story we wanted to tell was the Soviets attempting to capture the village and gain control of the high ground surrounding it, with the Germans trying to prevent this from happening.
Below: The village in the center of the table.
Putting To The Test Putting To The Test
Deployment
I need the toughness of the Panthers and Königstigers on the table, so I decide to keep the Panzer III platoon along with Tiger I E platoon in reserve. Hopefully the high rate of fire of the Panzer IIIs will be able to take advantage of the weaker side armour of the Soviet tanks. Steven’s SU-100s pack plenty of punch and pose a serious threat to everything bar my Königstigers. Therefore he chooses to keep the T-34/85 obr 1944 and SU-85 in reverse.
 
Deployment is simple: both armies take advantage of the cover provided by the hills at their ends of the table.

Below: The Soviet deployment showing the position of the objectives.
Putting To The Test
Below: The German deployment showing the position of the objectives.
Putting To The Test
Let The Battle Begin...
The first few turns are all about manoeuvring. Since both armies start in opposite corners of the table, not even the SU-100 and Königstigers with ranges of 40”/100cm have any valid targets.
Below: Blake's Panthers and Tigers rumble up and over the hill.
Putting To The Test
Below: Over the hill and into the forrest.
Putting To The Test
Below: Steven's SU-100s go hull-down on the hill and advance along the road into the village.
Putting To The Test
Below: The Panther's advance into the village as the Königstigers take up firing positions to oppose the SU-100s on the hilltop.
Putting To The Test
First Blood
With the enemy finally in range, the Königstiger platoon claims first blood, destroying the first of the SU-100s located on the hilltop.

Below: The Königstigers claim first blood.
Putting To The Test
Take That!
The Soviets take up a position in the village and retaliate, taking out a Panther at the opposite end of the village.

Putting To The Test
Below: The SU-100s claim their first victim.
Putting To The Test
Below: A wider view of the action.
Putting To The Test
Disaster Strikes!
Long-range fire from the SU-100s on the hilltop claims the Company Commander’s Tiger I E coming over the crest of the hill. But the loss of the Company Commander is countered by the arrival of the Germans' first platoon from reserve: the Panzer IIIs.

Below: Long-range fire claims the Company Commander's Tiger I E.
Putting To The Test
Below: The Panzer III platoon arrives from reserve.
Putting To The Test
Below: The remaining Panthers consolidate their position further into the village.
Putting To The Test
Looking Down The Barrel(s)!
With the Panzer III platoon coming in from reserve and immediately threatening the objective on the hilltop, all the Soviet firepower concentrates on them in an attempt to eliminate the threat. However, the combined firepower can only destroy one Panzer III and bail out another.

Below: The Panzer IIIs feel the wrath of the Red Army.
Putting To The Test
Help Is On The Way
The last of the reserves for the Germans arrive as the Tiger I E platoon reinforce the Panzer IIIs. Meanwhile, long-range firepower from the Königstigers eliminates the SU-100 platoon situated on the hilltop.

Below: The Tiger I E platoon reinforce the Panzer IIIs.
Putting To The Test
That Was Quick
As quickly as they arrived, the Tiger I Es are destroyed in hail of 100mm shells. The Panzer IIIs are now left to contest the objective by themselves until further help can arrive.

Below: The Tiger I E platoon is destroyed.
Putting To The Test
Below: Blake checks the range for the Königstiger to inflict some payback.
Putting To The Test
Payback
Utilising the long-range firepower of the Königstigers once more, the Soviet Company Commander is destroyed despite nestling amongst the burning wrecks on his fallen comrades.


Right: The Soviet Company Commander meets the same fate as his comrades on the hilltop, courtesy of the Königstigers.
Putting To The Test
Putting To The Test Flank’em!
With the threat on the hilltop neutralised, the Panthers move further into the village to help relieve the pressure on the Panzer IIIs. The Soviets counter but spread out in an attempt to cover both the objective and the threat posed by the approaching Panthers.

Left: The Panthers attempt to flank the remaining SU-100 company.
Below: The remaining SU-100 company is forced to spread out to counter the threat posed by the flanking Panthers and the Panzer IIIs on the hilltop.
Putting To The Test
Not So Fast
A poor round of shooting can only bail out a single SU-100, which then takes matters into its own hands, destroying another Panther. However, thanks to the Enjoy The War special rule, the lone survivor stays in the fight.

Below: Another Panther bites the dust.
Putting To The Test
Death For Afar
With the Command SU-100 exposed on the hilltop, the Königstigers strike once more. Four shots prove more than adequate in vanquishing this foe. A second SU-100 is claimed by the lone Panther, leaving the remaining vehicle stranded at the bottom of the hill.

Below: The Königstigers eye up their next victim.
Putting To The Test
Below: With the Command SU-100 knocked out, the last SU-100 is left stranded at the bottom of the hill and unable to contest the objective.
Putting To The Test
In The Nick Of Time
Just as it looked like this was the end for the Soviets, their reserves finally arrive as the T-34/85 obr 1944 and SU-85 platoons race onto the table and attempt to capture an objective of their own. Immediate fire bails out one of the Königstigers, leaving just one vehicle active. The final Panther is also knocked out with a long-range flank shot.
Below: The Soviet reserves arrive just in the nick of time.
Putting To The Test
Putting To The Test Pulling Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory
With the Panzer III contesting the objective currently bailed out, it is left to the active Königstiger to buy some time till the hilltop objective can be safely secured. Luckily, the Panzer III re-mounts and manoeuvres into a position where it can contest the objective and remain out of line of sight of the SU-100 lurking at the bottom of the hill.

It's now up to the Königtiger to sacrifice itself for the greater good.

Left: The situation on the hilltop.
Below: The Panzer III holds the objective from the safety of the opposing hillside.
Putting To The Test
Below: The lone Königstiger takes cover behind the wreck of the Company Commander's Tiger I E in an attempt to hold the off the T-34/85 obr 1944s while still contesting the objective.
Putting To The Test
Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures
The efforts of the Königstiger are rewarded with a 4-3 German victory. Despite being destroyed, it was able to contest the objective long enough for the Panzer III on the hilltop to capture the high ground. All in all a very close and enjoyable game that could have swung either way if a few dice rolls had been different.

Putting To The Test
The Hero SU-100s were very tough and I will have to make sure I get myself a few of the new plastic box sets for myself so I can build a force of my own. I was quite surprised by the performance of the Panzer III platoon; at the beginning of the game I didn’t think they were much chop, but of the three tanks that survived the battle two of them were Panzer IIIs (the other being a Königstiger).
Below: The aftermath of the battle.
Putting To The Test
Survivors
Of the twelve tanks total in the Studio Panzer Ausbildungs Abteilung 500, only three managed to surviv: Andrew’s and Steven’s Panzer IIIs and Casey’s Königstiger. Ironically, my Panther was the first to be destroyed - but I always believe in leading from the front.

~ Blake & Steven.
Putting To The Test


Last Updated On Thursday, January 30, 2014 by Blake at Battlefront