My father Thad and I are learning to play Battle Ground World War II rules by Easy Eight Enterprises. The following playtest action was fought on Dec. 23 in the Mid-Ohio Gamer's Group (MOGG) HQ Bunker (Thad's basement).

Game table was set up as follows: A large ruined house in the center, flanked by two small patches of light woods occupied by USSR. forces. There were two log piles between the house and edge of a large, light woods occupied by German forces entering the board.

USSR Forces - All Regulars
1 Command squad with attached Light-Machine Gun team, 3 Rifle squads and 1 Heavy Machine Gun team, all in the ruined house.
1 Anti-Tank Rifle team and 1 Sniper team in the small patch of woods on the Soviet left flank.
1 Shock squad in the small patch of woods on the Soviet right flank.

German Forces - All Regulars
1 Command squad with attached LMG team,
3 Rifle squads
1 Storm squad
2 Medium Machine Gun teams.

Dispatch from the Russian Front

Captain Fritz's platoon kicks Captain Ivan's platoon out of house and captures position.

German losses = 9 killed in action, 4 wounded and 2 missing in action (craven cowards).

USSR's losses = 2 1/2 rifle squads, 1 shock squad and 1 HMG team (total, about 35 men).

German Promotions = 2 Men to Hero/ Elite; 1 "Helmut" to Sergeant, 1 "Heinz" to Lieutenant.

USSR's Promotions = 1 Man to Hero/ Elite; 1 to Sergeant

The battle for the house started with a gory German death from sniping by the USSR ATR team. It frightened a handful of German soldiers -- five failing their morale checks, "eating dirt" and going prone. Captain Fritz advanced the German command squad to the edge of the woods to spot the enemy better.

The USSR HMG team and rifle squads opened up on them, taking a heavy toll on the German command squad -- six KIA, one MIA and three heavy wounded. Meanwhile, the Germans advanced and set up two MMG teams, one on each flank. They also advanced a rifle squad on each flank to support the MMG teams. The machine gun on the left went into action quickly, wiping out the Soviet shock squad in the small patch of woods.

Two USSR rifle squads started to advance to the log piles between the house and woods edge. Their rifle squads in the house tried to cover them, pinning the German MMG on the left with their fire. However, the German storm squad and the MMG on the right caught the Soviet riflemen in the open, cutting them to pieces.

The USSR HMG team used RAKING FIRE to pin the German center, composed of the command, storm and second rifle squad. German rifle squad #3 and the MMG team struck back, silencing the USSR HMG team and heavily damaging the squad in the house. The German left flank pitched in, too. The other MMG team, aided by Rifle squad #1 and the storm squad killed off the remaining Soviet rifle squads in the log piles.

At this point, the USSR command withdrew itself and the remains of the rifle squad from the house. As they exited, heavilywounded Capt. Fritz ordered his German platoon to move into the house and dig in. Fritz requested replacements and reinforcements, as well as anti-tank and armor support. Fritz then allowed himself to be evacuated along with three other German wounded to the rear area hospital.

Analysis of the Battle

The Germans attacked on too narrow of a front. They had to check morale a lot for gory deaths and craven cowards. Luckily, they passed most of these checks and their leaders rallied those soldiers that failed. Germans generally had bad rolls on sighting the USSR forces at first. However, they did more killing hits with their MMG teams and storm squad.

The USSR did not use its firepower to fullest effect. They were too bunched up in the ruined house. Two LMGs were wiped out in the log piles and never got to fire effectively. The USSR did cause more morale checks with its hits than its kills.

Remember, though, this was our first battle using a new set of rules.