The Russians are Coming
A skirmish was fought in February between a German force of panzers,
anti-tank teams, and SS panzer grenadiers and a Russian group
of Siberian huskies (aka peasants), tanks, tanks, and more tanks.
The objective was a remote village near a railroad station that
did not have a train. It was called Orloff, or some dumb name
like that. In a very short time the village without a train or
locomotive was renamed Wilhelmville.
The peasants were commanded, and I use the term loosely, by
Ivan Bennet. The German commander was Obergruppenfuhrer von Hark.
The horrible carnage began early. Rumor has it that the peasants
lost twenty-four AFVs while the Hitler Youth suffered minor losses
of about 10 AFVs.
One of the Hitler Youth commanders was heard saying, "Where
did all the bleeping tanks come from," and another replying
"Well, they're all gone now." "What a waste of
inferior equipment," was another comment heard from a sixteen
year old Hitler Youth. After the carnage the victorious German
Schwere Company partied and read Russian comic books until the
wee hours of dawn. Ivan Bennett, leader of the rabble, was seen
drinking Dr. Pepper to help his upset stomach while his surviving
troops were singing "Those eighty eights are breaking up
that old gang (peasants) of mine." The song later made number
one on the Soviet hit parade.
It is true that the German patrol left the area after the party
after completing their mission, which was to destroy Russian tanks
and rename the village. A TASS reporter was heard saying "Next
time we need more tanks and a new leader." After he filed
his report he shot himself. He couldn't live with the shame of
having the name of his village changed.
Attack of the Soviets
On Feb. 10 we played the next installment in the on going feud
between Big Bill Harkins and myself. The battle was played using
Bill's home rules, also known as "The Germans Must Win."
This time the date of the scenario was July 1941.
The Germans rushed East towards the quiet village of Orloff while
the Russian tanks moved to meet them. Two 88's were quickly deployed
in a small forest to the northeast of Orloff while StuG IIIs deployed
east of the woods. The German mechanized company moved between
the woods and a building and the rest of the Germans charged along
the northern edge of the village.
At the same time the glorious armored forces of Holy Mother
Russia raced to save the poor little village from the evil infectious
plague sweeping towards her. Nine BT-7s moved into town along
with a company of T-34/As. At the first sight of the Red Army
the fascist advance stopped dead in its tracks and deployed along
the northern edge of the village, hiding behind the huts.
The BT-7s opened fire on the German mechanized company, taking
out a 222. Another BT-7 platoon hit the flanks of some Panzer
IIIs. More tank units charged into town to drive the nazi horde
from our homes, stopping only to engage the cowardly Nazis. The
German armor rolled to halt to improve their aim but our tanks
pushed on. By turn 8 many vehicles were burning on both sides.
A mixed unit of T35s and T-34s rolled up the hills to block a
German flanking maneuver. They turned back over a dozen StuG IIIs
before the 88's nailed them. After taking heavy losses the Nazi
horde began to fall back, leaving the Russians with a bloody nose.
It was just an old-fashioned slugfest. Over a hundred vehicles
were left burning, lighting up the evening sky. The Russians had
fought hard - charging again and again regardless of losses, advancing
as quickly as possible until the objective was taken.
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