Stalingrad! Christmas All-Day Game (Part 2)

The Russians deploy Svetlana Bosseyedovic, a sniper trained by the German Sniper School at Zossen, in a vantage point up in the tower crane. THIRTEEN shots later, she makes her first kill.

 



Blissfully unaware of the Germans below them, Russian Sailors deploy to the upper storeys of the Kraplinov to provide overwatch cover for the troops before them in the trenches.

While their Infantry colleagues do likewise in the Chemical Works covering the ruined fuel storage.

As casualties mount in the Fuel Silos, the Russians consider withdrawing having achieved their goal of holding up the German advance.

After softening up the defenders, Schewardt's Pioneren assault Russian positions in front of The Kraplinov Tractor Factory.

However, their left section are ambushed by an HMG as they skirt the signal box.

Despite losses from the HMG ambush, The Pioneren sweep the Russians from their entrenchments.

Russian dead litter the trenches, as the survivors retreat in disarray back toward The Kraplinov.



 

Desperate measures. Before: Up steps the Kommisar to stem the tide of retreating sailors.

 

Desperate measures. After: The Sailors shock is reduced by only ONE point.   

 



Succumbing to heavier firepower and confident that The Kommisar is elsewhere, the withdrawal begins in the fuel silos.



Waiting until an optimum opportunity presents, The Russians unleash their flame thrower in ambush on the pioneren moving through the central sewers. The attack results in only minor disruption and the German advance continues.

As they withdraw, Russians take unexpected fire, Downing their Kaporal and thinning both sections.

 

The unexpected fire is from the MMG with a sweeping view of the whole Russian withdrawal.

The German Pioneren assaulting from the central sewer clears the sailors from the forward building between the factories, severely weakening the Russian left flank. Both Pionere platoons mass to attack the Kraplinsky.

Having only just made her first kill, Svetlana is spotted and slotted by German LMG fire.

As Russian forward resistance ebbs away, the Germans turn their 75mm Infantry Gun in preparation for the final assault on the factories.

With the impending threat of assault, the Russians in the Viagra Chemical Works stiffen their defences in preparation.



As outlying troops begin to swarm back in from their forward positions the noose tightens around the Russians necks. Can they hold the factories long enough to receive reinforcements?.....



Stalingrad! Christmas All-Day Game (Part 1)

This year’s all-day at Earlswood Club was a bit extra special. After drooling over it since it’s completion in May, we finally got to game over Al’s UNBELIEVABLE Stalingrad terrain.

Our game pitched three German platoons with 20 support points attacking factories held by two Russian platoons with 14 support.

Kapitan Deaconev's Infantry Platoon (me) was defending the Viagra Chemical Works on our right flank

As Russians we had chosen in support 1 x 76mm Infantry Gun, 1 x man-pack Flame-Thrower, 1 x 12.7mm HMG, 1 x Sniper and for a bit of fun, 1 x Commisar.



Kapitan Leitchiski's Naval Infantry platoon (Bob) was defending the Kraplinov Tractor Plant on our left flank


Our German opponents commands lined up as follows:

Hauptmann Schewardt's Pionere Platoon (Al) took their right flank opposite Bob

Hauptmann Seebrucke's Pionere Platoon (Vlad) was in their centre

While Hauptmann Speiche's Infantry Platoon (Spike) was opposite me in the chemical works

The Germans chose an extra Senior Leader for each platoon, 1 x 75mm Infantry Gun (attached to Spike), 1 x man-pack Flame Thrower (Vlad) and 1 x MG34 MMG (Al). They had also clearly hatched a devious plan while Bob & I were despatched to make drinks in the kitchen.

Russians deploy two sections into forward positions among the ruined fuel storage

While sailors take up position in the upper floors of the office block and the forward trenches by the rail lines.

Hauptmann Speiche's Infantry begin a prolonged firefight with the Russians in the ruined  fuel storage (their orders had been to distract the Russians from the hidden advance through the sewers against their centre).

Meanwhile on the right flank Hauptmann Schewardt's Pionere begin their assault on the forward Russian trenches. One section advancing toward the signal box, another right-flanking while a third took up overwatch positions in the ruins behind them. 

As the advance toward the factories from both flanks began, Hauptmann Seebrucke's Pionere platoon, accompanied by their flame-thrower support advanced unseen through the central sewer toward the vulnerable gap between the defending Russians......

Resurrection and a Challenge.

WOW!

That was some year I tell you.

After a false start getting the blog back on track caused by a mere malaise bought about by hobby change, I actually had a REAL world problem that nearly ended more than my blogging!

Completely out of left-field I developed a major heart problem. My Mitral valve catastrophically failed resulting in open heart surgery in January of this year. I underwent an emergency repair, fortunately (for me at least) averting my impending demise, however, that has subsequently failed and now I'm due back in Oxford in the new year for a brand new shiny metal replacement valve which will hopefully put an end to it all.

My attentions to my blog have been (understandably I think) averted. Nonetheless I shall apologise and assure anyone taking the time to pick back up on all things BBaL that I'll be making maximum effort from here on to keep up my posts.

I owe the inspiration for getting back to blogging to my new, great chum Curt of http://analogue-hobbies.blogspot.co.uk/. We met courtesy of a Sharpe Practice game at good mate Jim's (follow him on Twitter at @ltharrystocracy) in late October and he recently invited me to take part in the forthcoming http://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/the-eighth-annual-analogue-hobbies.html



L to R: Curt, Jim & Phyllion (of http://infrequentwargamer.blogspot.co.uk/) gurning around our game of SP2

I have committed to painting 400 points over the three months that the challenge runs which, although is a small amount, takes into account that I'll have a break from mid-January for an unknown period.

I'm busy prepping figures (which is permitted) prior to the challenge starting on the 20th December. So plenty of cleaning up, undercoating and spraying ahead. The next few posts will focus on what choices I've made, but suffice to say there may be a few surprises in store which will reflect on the cataclysmic hobby changes I've made over the last 18 months.

Here's to bothering you far more frequently over the next few days!