2 foot City - Crossfire scenario

Keen to try something different, Si set up his three foot square table to emulate the ruined cityscape in Steven's Balagan 2 Foot City Scenario. This was a Stalingrad type scenario which would prove to test our thinking powers to the limit.

The table as set up - with Si's awesome hand built terrain

The table was set out with 8 built up areas - numbered (unsurprisingly!) 1-8. The German Base was top left and the Russian's bottom right. Each side had one company - a CC with 3 platoons (each 3 squads + PC) + 3 HMGs in support & an MFC with 12 x 81mm Mortar Missions. The object was to kill as many enemy as possible and capture as many built up areas.

We rolled a D8 to deploy our troops - this meant that we could possibly end up with troops in the same building - and some did!

This first game was very short, sharp and bloody.

1.  The game commenced with a random artillery barrage - guess who got that? Yes you guessed right. My Russian platoon in building 7 got a pasting straight away
2. Then whilst preparing to advance from building 7, the remaining Russians were wiped out by a German assault launched from building 6.
3. Next the Russians who were sandwiched in building 3 between two German platoons - 1 in building 2 and the other in their base - were slowly brought under control by fire until they were ripe for a close assault to which they eventually succumbed.
4. Wham Bam that was it, all over............oh dear!

Russians & Germans face off between buildings 6 & 7

The suppressions start to build up...only a matter of time before the assault comes in.

The Germans and Russians exchange fire between buildings 2 & 3

Assaulted from the rear! Germans, from their base building, storm through the Russian position.

For the second game we swapped sides. This time each side had 4 platoons + an Infantry gun and potentially armour reinforcement.

The armour reinforcements (3 MkIVs + a sIG33 SPG for the Germans & 3 T34s + 2 SU76s for the opposition) were available via dice throws. A score of 5 or 6 activated a vehicle. If you chose to deploy any vehicles in isolation before you'd rolled 5 or 6 for all of them you lost the remaining AFVs. So you had a choice - wait until all were activated or deploy what you have activated when you needed them.

1. Things started a bit better for me (the Germans) this time. Two Platoons in building 6 successfully pinned down Russians in building 7.
2. Ultimately the Germans successfully assaulted building 7 with support from the sIG33 and the Infantry Gun in building 3. Though they took casualties in the process.
3. The remaining Germans troops in building 3 exchanged fire with the Russian troops in building 2.
4. The German SMG platoon, buoyed by their success in building 7,  assaulted the first built up area in building 2.
5. This succeeded and they progressed through the building until they were wiped out in the final room.
6. This left both sides with little in the way of infantry in any condition to continue the fight. So we decided to call it a draw.

Germans & Russians in buildings 6 & 7 exchange fire

The Infantry Gun in building 3 adds it's support

Finally the sIG33 lends a hand and the Germans assault building 7

Building 6 now cleared & occupied by the German SMG Platoon

The sIG33 & SMG Platoon now eye up their next victims

They don't know what's coming......

The Germans and Russians have each other pinned down in buildings 2 & 3

The start of the German assault on building 2 - started well but ultimately failure....

All in all a very enjoyable scenario. Made all the better by Si's amazing terrain pieces. This was a very challenging action to fight - no reactive fire unless you exposed your troops crossing the streets, very limited LOS - and required a great deal of thought before you commenced your move as initiative was very easily lost. Give it a go.....you won't be disappointed.