EW AAR - German Light Panzers vs Soivet Light Tanks - Breakthrough

Hello All  In our continuing build up to the Welsh Open I got in a game against Robin's Light Panzers. We rolled up Breakthrough and as I auto attacked Robin had the fun of mobile reserves... but as Robin pointed out you can play missions like this in tournaments so you might as well get some experience!  I was trying out my new list with mobile artillery with 76m obr 1936, these bad boys are AT 10 and range 32 inches and were what I hoped would give it the punch the Hen and Chick T-26's can lack.

Robin's Light Panzer Company HQ - Panzer III + Panzer II (Early) 3 Panzer III's 3 Panzer II (Early) + 2 Panzer I's 3 Panzer II (Early) + 2 Panzer I's 3 Panzer II (Early) + 2 Panzer I's 2 8-Rads 2 Flak 8.8 (Confident Trained)

Ben's Light Soviet Tank Battalion HQ T-26 8 T-26 8 T-26 8 T-26 9 Kht-26 5 DshK AA Guns 4 76mm obr 1936

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Robin's Right Flank

The Deployed Panzers try and hide.

Do you think Robin will guess where my main attack is coming from?

The right flank platoon.

UNITS IN RESERVE
Robin's Light Panzer Company 3 Panzer II (Early) + 2 Panzer I's 3 Panzer II (Early) + 2 Panzer I's 3 Panzer II (Early) + 2 Panzer I's 2 8-Rads	Ben's Light Soviet Tank Battalion 9 Kht-26's

TURN 1

The Right flank moves out

All the rest of the Soviets advance bar the AA which hides at the back

Robin gets a reserve on turn one and brings them on near the Panzer III's

The Panzer III's back off from the Soviet horde

The Germans after their Storm trooper moves

TURN 2

The T-26's spread out

The Artillery moves to get a few pot shots at the German Panzer III's, but
Robin needing a 6 to save saves the only hit I get.

The AA followers the Right flank T-26's

The Right flank moves to form a line with the main force.

The Panzer III's make it to the objectives.

The 2IC joins the platoon that turned up on turn one as they double to get
to the objectives.

The Flak 88's get the first kill of the game as they shot a T-26.

TURN 3

The Soviets get their reserves, didn't really want them at this point but
went for the lets try and bail a tank or two.

The Artillery moves up again to have a shot or two at the Panzer III's, this
time robin again rolls a 6 to save but I pass the fire power and bail one.

The Soviet tank platoons continue their advance

The AA on watch behind them

The far left T-26 Company takes a few pot shots at the Flak 88's 

Destroying one.

The Kht-26's flame the Panzer III's and cause a double bail on one and
he runs off.

Some Panzer II's look for revenge on the Flame tanks.

As do the Panzer III's, but they only kill one bail one.

The situation after turn 3.

TURN 4

With the Flak 88 gone the left flank moves out, this would come to be a big
mistake....

The rest of the tanks and the Artillery focuses on the Panzer III's, the end
result is no damage...

The AA finally gets into position to cover the T-26's

Unable to hurt the Panzer's the Flame tanks get out of the way of the T-26's
and go Flak 88 hunting.

And now the mistake, the second Panzer II/I platoon arrives behind the
gun shields of my artillery....

The 3rd platoon also turns up and attacks the Soviet right flank.

The first platoon comes after the Kht-26s.

How many hits!

The guns are reduced to a staff team who runs off....

Now free to focus on the T-26's the Panzer III's cause massive damage
to right flank the T-26's.

The 3rd platoon of Panzer II/I's join in the carnage.

And the Panzer I's reduce the AA to 2 stands who also run off.

The last platoon of Panzer II/I's focus on the flame tanks but cause
little damage

The board after turn 4.

TURN 5

Looks for revenage and to stop Robin from having a platoon behind my
lines a company of T-26's turn to face the Panzer II/I's

The flame tanks get into range of the flak 88's and kill the second gun and
the platoon runs away.

The rest of the army looks to focus on the Panzer II/I's, while hiding from the
Panzer III's

The out flanking Panzer II/I's get off lightly

Only losing one tank.

But they don't do much better than the other platoon

Killing two tanks.

The Germans move everything towards the main attacking platoon

The 8-Rads turn up and join in the fun with the attack on the Soviet center.

and finally the Panzer III's make up the full assault on the Soviets...

The Flank tank get shot up by the Panzer II/I's but only have a few tanks
bailed.

The one of the center companies of T26's is gutted..

The board after Robins Storm Trooper moves.

TURN 6

The back T-26's look to target the Panzer II/I's that ran away from them.

Killing two more and breaking the platoon.

In the center the Soviets make a do or die move and look to remove the
Panzer III's

But fail to cause a single hit....

The Germans close the trap on the Soviet failed attack.

Gutting the center Platoon breaking both of them.

The board at the end as the Soviets Battalion breaks.

So 4-3 to Robin.  A good close game for the most part. Robin got a little luck with his armour saves against my artillery, he needed a 6 to have a chance and both times he got it... If he had failed and the Panzer III's had been dealt with could probably have rolled up the rest of the army.  I wasted the artillery in the end forgetting that his reserves would MG them to death. Still lesson learnt and if I did it again I would have waited a turn for his last reserves to arrive and then have moved them into position to shot anything on the objectives. Robin played well and I still need to be a bit more careful with conscript tanks....  Thanks and until next time  Ben

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