Late War AAR - Panssari vs US 1st Armored - Free For All

Hi All

Another AAR and an odd one for you, I decided to risk unleashing the mighty Panssari  company - I almost felt the ground tremble.  Paul opted for US 1st Armoured from the Italy compilation - really wanting to field his 76mm! We rolled up Free for All

The lists

Starting with Paul, he'd gone for an Italian US list - he realised after he's made a small mistake as the 57mm guns were not an option in the list but not a huge problem in hind site he had

HQ - 2 M4A1 Shermans

Armour platoon - 3 Sherman M4A1 including 1 76mm

76mm platoon - 5 Sherman M4A3 76mm

Light Tank Platoon - 3 Stuarts

Armoured Rifle Platoon

Armoured Mortars - 3 Armoured Mortars

Anti Tank gun platoon - 3 57mm AT guns

I chose my mighty Pannasari company, with the extra 100 points I chose some air support - though it was not needed due to my lists raw power.

Panssarikomppania

Platoon	Qty	Unit	Points
Headquarters
Panssarikomppania HQ  p.239	1 1	T-26 T-34/85	150
Combat Platoons
Panssari Platoon  p.239	3	T-34/85	355
Panssari Platoon  p.239	4	T-28	180
Panssari Platoon  p.239	2	KV-1e	215
Divisional Support Platoons
Captured Panssari Platoon  Fearless  Trained   p.245	1	ISU-152	105
Armoured Car Platoon (Elite)  p.254	2	BA-10	90
Artillery Battery (Regular)  Confident  Veteran   p.253	1 1 2 4 5	Cmd SMG team Staff team Observer Rifle team 76 K/02 gun 3-ton truck	140
Heavy Artillery Battery (Regular)  Confident  Veteran   p.253	1 1 1 2 4 4	Cmd SMG team Staff team 3-ton truck Observer Rifle team 150 H/40 (15cm sFH18) howitzer Stalinets tractor	275
Self-propelled Anti-aircraft Platoon (Elite)  p.254	2	Landsverk Anti-II	125
Air Support Allied Platoon  p.172	3	Sporadic Air Support Hs 129B	115
Company Points:			1750

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Source document: Grey Wolf

Deployment

I knew that I would be able to react better to Paul's deployment with my higher platoon count. I rolled to deploy first and went for the side I deemed had most cover for my artillery. I deployed the objectives at either edge of Paul's deployment zone, and he mirrored me.

I started with my artillery, they really only had two places to deploy so almost deployed themselves. In return Paul deployed the ArP and the 57mm behind the objective to my left. I wanted to really know where he was going do next deployed my recon and SPAA opposite the infantry, he responded with the Stuart's centrally and the mortars on my right. I wanted to make him split his force so deployed the KV1's on my right - he then deployed the short Sherman platoon there, and I then added the ISU on the right, leaving him to deploy the big Sherman platoon (hidden in the woods) I finally deployed my anti infantry t28's opposite the ARP and the T34's opposite the shermans.

I planned to assault the infantry whilst holding off vs the armour.

Turn 1

Paul had first turn, With all my vets gone to ground and in cover he had no targets so slowly advanced. His tanks were massed on my right flank, the Stuart's moved to my left to support the infantry - Stuart vs T28 is a fair match I think!

My air support turned up, with his tanks closely grouped it was an easy target. The KV's and ISU advanced through terrain whilst the t34's snuck out of cover. On my left my forces lunged forward, but only bailed a Stuart. The heavy artillery ranged in and killed a 76mm Sherman and a armoured mortar command half track, whilst bailing another Sherman. The plane hit and killed another 76mm.

Turn 2 

Paul managed to remount his Stuart but not the Sherman, the shermans pressed forward, and in their shooting whilst they hit the KV it passed it's save. Unfortunately they only bailed the ISU. The Stuart's fired at the BA10's killing one and bailing another but I passed my morale test.

My plane returned, as my armoured car remounted it went to hide in the corn field. The rest if my force on the left advanced with the SPAA killing a Stuart! The ISU remounted and that and the KV took out another armoured mortar. The T34's advanced but had no targets, whilst the artillery killed another 76mm - the platoon commander! Sadly the plane missed

Turn 3 

Paul brought up his small Sherman platoon, between them and the remaining 76's they killed one of the KV1's. The Stuart's fired on the t28's but failed to damage them

My t34's outflanked the remaining shermans, bailing one from each platoon as they fired. The artillery hit another 76mm and reduced it to slag - but the platoon passed it's morale test. The t28's advanced shooting at the Stuart's claiming another - again Paul passed his morale test. The SPAA fired on the infantry but did no damage.

Turn 4

Paul's shermans fire everything at the T34's but with no dice getting above a 4 they survived without taking a hit. The final Stuart and the 2IC Sherman fired at the t28's and again no dice above a 4 meant my force was unscathed 

A t28's bogs as it advances but the remaining members of the platoon kill the final Stuart, and pin the ARP. The artillery and SPAA target the 57mm to no effect. Meanwhile the t34's and KV1 destroy all but the last 76mm Sherman (who Paul's commander has now taken over!) but it is still bailed.

Turn 5

Paul's run of poor dice continues as his commander fails to remount and the ARP don't unpin - so far in about 20 dice Paul has not rolled above a 4! In a desperate attempt to claim a platoon the AT guns open fire on the t-28's but fail to hit also!

Finally the t34's move to engage the last armoured mortars as well as Paul's IC, the KV1 assaults the command stand of the mortars as well. On my left the t28's and artillery try to pin the AT guns but all miss, despite this the T28's go for a glorious charge into Paul's ARP, but pride comes before a fall as all three bazookas roll 6's! Killing the two t28's and then bailing the army commander - thankfully the t28's survive their morale test.

With one objective now under my control we call the game. 6-1 to the mighty Finns!

Conclusion

Wow a brutal game, Paul's main problem was clumping together allowing my arty to decimate him. I hugged cover to stop myself getting much fire as in a straight duel he had far more which could hurt me. In some ways the T-28's vs infantry was a side show, but his triple 6 to hit at the end almost cost me a platoon.

Anyway hope you enjoyed.

Till next time