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Sunday 29 October 2017

Battle Report Part 2 - Kreuzdorf Bridge

Following the destruction of the Yeomanry Saladins, D Company and the remaining Saladin pull out of Kreuzdorf and despite a few shots from the advancing Soviet tanks they make it to the Bridge and cross in safety:
The Soviet tanks edge forward around the wood besides the church:
However, the Soviet commander decides that it is too risky to venture further into the village and close country without infantry support, so he orders up his infantry battalion, with two companies on the right:
Who dismount and move into the wood:
And a third Company on his left, tasked to clear the hedgerows:
The soviets also order an artillery strike onto the bridge to disrupt the British engineering activity. This strike hits its target and eliminates half of the engineers; the rest run for cover. Some of the demolition charges are damaged by the fire:
For the British the situation is becoming serious, a large attack is developing in front of A Company and Soviet forces are pushing forward. The British Command is desperate for artillery support, but is turned down due higher priority targets eleswhere; besides he now finds that his observer team is too exposed and it too has to withdraw over the bridge under a hail of fire from the Soviet tanks in the village.

A brisk fire fight develops between the advancing soviet infantry and A company, who hold their ground, supported by mortar fire and a Chieftain on the hill behind the river, which destroys a BTR-60 that strays too far forward:

One British soldier is eliminated, but the soviets lose one APC and three men to the mortar and tank fire.

The Soviet commander orders his recce tanks to probe forward into the village, but they come under fire from a B Company 84mm, which misses:
But a Chieftain on the high ground does not miss and the leading PT-76 goes up in flames:
The Soviet commander decides that he must deal with the British tanks on the high ground by deploying additional anti-tank assests. First a man-portable anti-tank missile is fired from the high ground:
This misses its target and comes under fire from a second Chieftain also on the hills beyond the river. The soviets bring forward a BRDM-1 Swatter, which has a very lucky hit on its first shot, destroying one of the Chieftains:

This is a serious problem for the British as the Swatter launcher is beyond the range of the British tank guns and can fire with impunity. The British artillery observer is now in position and he requests a fire mision against the Swatter; but he is turned down once again:
The Soviet commander does not have such a problem as he has his own artillery under command, which continues to harry the engineers working on the bridge. He also has air support, which he now calls down upon the second Chieftain which has exposed itself:
Two ground attack fighters roar in and a second Chieftain tank is on fire:
On the soviet left their infantry have worked through the fields and come under fire from the B Company APC, killing a couple of men; however, an RPG round soon takes it out:

The situation is looking very grim for the defending British; however, the engineer commander radios in that the demolition is prepared and the bridge is ready to blow.

The final installment will cover how A and B companies extract and whether the bridge can be demolished in time to prevent the soviets crossing the river.















Friday 27 October 2017

Battle Report Part 1 - Struggle for Kreuzdorf Village

The British plan is to delay any enemy advance by defending Kreuzdorf village until it becomes untenable and then withdraw D Company and the Yeomanry Saladins back behind A and B Companies, that form the main defensive position.

All goes well to begin with. As the Soviet recce vehicles approach the village they come under heavy fire from the British armoured cars. A lucky hit knocks out a PT-76 light tank and as a BRDM-1 scout car runs for cover, it too is taken out. The Soviet probe around the church is destroyed.

The Saladins have less luck on the eastern route, failing to damage any enemy vehicles.

The Soviets are alerted as the recce troops radio back the presence of the British in Kreuzdorf. The Soviet commander moves up and takes a position of observation on the hill outside the village. He also brings up a 120mm mortae team and SPG-9 recoiless anti-tank guns:

The exchange of fire between the Saladins and the PT-76s continues, with the Yemanry losing one vehicle:
On the next turn the British Artillery observer requests a fire mission, but is turned down as all guns are busy. The Soviet commander however, uses his 120mm Mortars to good effect on the village. This stonk takes out the HQ of D Company and a couple of riflemen. The PT-76s destroy another Saladin:
The British are losing the battle for the village, and the order is given to D Company and the Yemanry to pull back. The British Commander wonders whether he should have deployed some of his Cheiftains forward. As he ponders the sound of battle tanks can be heard beyond the village as a company of Soviet tanks appears:
The Saladins pull back, but one is taken out by a Soviet tank:
Only one Saladin remains and it scoots back towards A Company:
At last the British artillery observer is allocated some guns and he brings down fire that smashes into the Soviet HQ, killing the commander and a rifleman:
However, more Soviet tanks rumble onto the field:

The remnants of D Company fight their way out of the village:

Not such a good morning for the British, although they have blunted the enemy recce and disrupted the Soviet command and control - for the time being.

Next.....................the Soviets close in on the bridge.








Wednesday 25 October 2017

Kreuzdorf Bridge - Early Cold War

This action is set in the late 60s, early 70s, with the British Army on the Rhine reacting to a surprise attack mounted by Soviet forces. The covering force did not have time to fully deploy and Soviet armoured formations have made thrusts through the british defences. A line has been hastily drawn along a river and sappers are preparing to blow the bridges.

One such bridge is the steel structure just outside the village of Kreuzdorf; which is being defended by an understrength battle group, of four infantry companies from the Loamshires, two tank squadrons from the Hussars and a Territorial Army armoured car squadron from the Yeomanry. There is also an artillery observation team, but there are no guns in direct support. Artillery will have to be requested when needed. The Battlegroup has a mortar platoon and battlegroup HQ.

Soviet forces are estimated to be a Tank Regiment group, with supporting infantry and artillery, as well as strong recce forces.

Here is an overview of the battlefield from the british positions:
It can be seen that the Yeomanry with D Company are in the village itself to provide warning and delay;



while A and B Companies are dug in on the far bank of the river.



The tanks, C Compant and BG HQ are on the home bank.


Engineers are preparing the Bridge for demolition.
Almost as soon as the Battle group takes up its positions the leading Soviet reconnaissance elements can be seen approaching the village from two directions:

Battle report to follow


Monday 23 October 2017

Peninsular Warriors - British Line Infantry

Another unit joins my British force, this time it is a line infantry unit with yellow facings - could be the South Essex!!!
Steady boys!!
This latest addition gives me two brigades and a battlion of skirmishers:




Sunday 22 October 2017

Peninsular Warriors - More French Troops

Here is the First Battalion, with their green over white plumes:
This unit gives me enough troops to form my first wargames Division; consisting of a couple of line battalions, a light battalion, a grenadier battalion, a field battery and a light cavalry regiment. My aim is to have three of these division, to form a corps sized force.

Here is a picture of such a division deployed; they are all Warrior figures:
In the pipeline I have two more French battalions, French horse artillery and two Spanish cavalry regiments.

Peninsular Warriors - French Line Infantry

The first of a production line of French line infantry.  In order to distinguish the various units I have used company colours on the plumes, so, the first Battalion will be green over white, the second light blue, the third orange and the fourth violet. Inaccurate I know, but it seemed a good system. If I decide to reorganise them in the future I can simply mix and match the stands to make up a battalion.

Here we have the second battalion of my first French Division:


Saturday 21 October 2017