Something Different

Reno and I got together last night for a Mid-War game at 1675 to practice for this months NorCal event.  I put together a Tunisia Panzerkompanie to break away from the infantry lists that have become so common and Reno ran a Rota Razvedsky Mechanized list.
I had:
HQ with Rittemeyer in a Pz IVG, 2iC in a Pz IVF1, Panzer Platoon of 4 Pz IIIN, Panzer Platoon of 3 Pz IVG and 2 Pz IVF1, Light Panzer Platoon of 3 Pz II, and a Aufklarungs Platoon with 5 MG teams and 3 250 halftracks.
Reno had:
2 Rota Platoons in M1 Scout cars, Recon armored cars, Mortars, 8 T-34s, 4 Zis 76mm anti-tank guns, and air support with rocket bi-planes.
We rolled up a Pincer and Reno defended.

Reno took the end with the town.  Objectives are in the town and in the crop field.

My deployment.  KG'd the Pz IV F1s off and put everything else on the town side.

KG Platoon to keep Reno's tanks honest.

T-34s defending the crops.

Rota holding the town.

My Turn One:  Panzers roll forward with Recon leading.  Pz IVs keep an eye towards the T-34s.

KG Pz IVs try to get in the trees, one bogs.  No shooting.

Reno's Turn One:  76mm ambush from the patch of trees.  Only bail one Pz II.  Reno's bi-planes come in but can't range in since I'm hugging the trees and buildings.

My Turn Two: Panzers all focus fire on the 76mm guns.  Two guns are destroyed by gun and MG fire.

Reno's Turn Two.  The bi-planes return and this time range in on the KG platoon, destroying all three!

Reno tries to move his gun through the trees but bogs one.

My Turn Three: Pz IIIs keeps pressing forward, firing on the Rota.  Pz IVs fire on the Zis guns, killing one.  

Aufklarungs make a mounted assault on the Zis platoon, but can only kill the commisar before the guns break off, but they fail morale and flee.

Reno's Turn Three.  Armored cars arrive from reserve and make a brave attack on the loaded halftracks, but miss.

T-34s begin to shift to support the Rota.

My Turn Four:  Pz IIIs continue to fire on the Rota.  Panzer IIs and Rettemeyer fire on the armored cars.  Aufklarungs get out of their 250s and prepare for an assault.  Pz IVs keep the buildings between them and the T-34s.

Two armored cars are destroyed and the other two are bailed.  They make thier Fearless morale test.  Aufklarungs assault the closest Rota stands and then are forced to fall back after losing two teams.

Reeno's Turn Four:  Mortars and second Rota arrive from reserve.  T-34s continue to drive towards the ford in the river. His bi-planes return but try to attack the cluster of vehicles near his armored cars, hoping they will both remount.  Unfortunately, one doesn't and they must wave off.

My Turn Five:  Pz IIs fire on the armored car that couldn't get back in and kill it.  The last armored car hid behind a building but failed the platoon morale test.

Panzer IIIs fire on the new Rota platoon while they are in their transports but miss...  They then assault the remaining team from the first Rota and the 1iC in the nearest building, killing both.

Reno's Turn Five:  T-34s begin to cross the ford, but two bog down.

My Turn Six:  Pz IIIs engage the T-34s, but do no damage.  Pz IVs kill two.

Reno's Turn Six: T-34s continue to roll forward.  Mortars fire on halftracks but do no damage.

My Turn Seven:  Panzers continue to fire at T-34s and everything else fires at the Rota in the buildings.

Panzer IVs holdtheir ground and fire.

Reno's Turn Seven:  Bi-planes return but can only target the far Panzer II as every other team is too close to friendlies.  The panzer is only bailed.  Another Pz II is bailed by mortar fire.  One Pz III is destoyed and another bailed by T-34 fire.

My Turn Eight:  All Panzers fire at the T-34 platoon and kill the remaining tanks.  Reno is now under half and has no Battalion Commander.  5-2 for the Panzerkompanie.  Reno's bi-planes were very aggressive and even though he only had three dice, they came in all but one turn.  Unfortunately for them, my panzers were too close to his infantry and they really couldn't hit any juicy targets.   Reno's T-34s were just too far away to get into the fight and might have been better off coming in reserve instead of the second Rota.