This game was based on a historical incident during the Russian Finish war. Here the Russians, starving and desperate are on the cusp of a breakthrough into the finish interior having circumvented the Manaheim line.
12 turns as usual with forces of any historical infantry compilation rather than points ,with eight units aside. Three each were to de deployed and these were random so neither side knew what they would have. The fins had two units to defend the town and one the aid station and field kitchen. The Russians four. All other units were to arrive in random reserves.
The objective was for the Russians to take the town and one unit was to be deployed with in 16 inches of the objective. The Russians rolled for an infantry company whilst the fins rolled a machine gun platoon and riffle platoon. At the field kitchen the fins had a rifle platoon the soviet, another two infantry company's and rhe fins looked horrified.
Now the rules. The weather was rolled and was severe. The outcome temperatures below freezing with a horrific windchill. The ground ice and solid so much so that no one could dig in except engineers with explosives. Thanks to the Fin sled as a pioneer waggon this was to help enormously.
The snow banks were also deep and were bogging tests for infantry. All cross country was bogging tests for vehicles and any other terrain a skill check. There was no doubling although ski troops could move normally at 10 inches.
The Russins won the roll off. However before they started each starving Russian company had to roll motivation. The one before the town poised to assault, smelt the waft of sausage meat and was compelled to move away from the objective towards the finish field kitchens. Also the third company failed too. This meant each turn they had to make a save against a stand for starvation until the field kitchen was secured. In the game the soviets lost ten bases or fourty men that died from exposure and starvation trying to get to the objective.
The game synopsis
For the fins all their reserves arrived at the town and rhe engineers helped them to dig in. The Russians slogged through the snow being whittled down by snipers, mortar fire and starvation only to find the Fins had abandoned the objective. The finsrepulsed the tanks with anti tank fire but kept falling back until the town was a fortress and the Russian infantry companies at half strength and two tanks burning a third broken down. With time up the fins again claimed victory. Following this only four fins died whilst over 122 Russians lay abandoned in the freezing snow. Part two will follow as the soviets retreat through the forests, subject to merciless finish ambushes. Overall the game followed history. Had the Russins broken through there was no finish force to counterattack available and the soviets may have made a deep penetration and compelled the fins to abandon or thin out the Manaheim line.
A few photos from the game and once again seasons greetings
Laters
H
What a great looking game! Very atmospheric...
ReplyDeleteThanks old bean. Where you based?
DeleteQloving the snow!
ReplyDelete