Korsun Pocket

On Saturday morning Jamie and I drove over to North Wales to attend Deeside Defenders' Gauntlet gaming event.  Based at the British Aerospace social club in Broughton, the Deeside Defenders club always put on a very friendly and relaxed weekend with the emphasis on playing games rather than concentrated shopping.

On the Saturday I ran the Korsun Pocket game; a large Chain of Command action, notes about which have appeared here over recent weeks.  The best thing about this game by far was Will McNally's excellent terrain.

In the game, three German squads, commanded by Andy, Will and Simon (l to r above) were fighting their way along the table to try and escape from the collapsing pocket.  Their jump off points were in a line of dug-in positions at the far end of the table.

Gary and John commanded opposing Russian platoons.  We rolled for the positions of the Russian jump off points and both rolled a six putting their start line back at the opposite end from the Germans.

Gary's Russians advance on the left

Some of John's Soviet infantry move to occupy farm buildings...

... as three German platoons head towards them.

Each major terrain item had the possibility of containing a random item.  Early in the game the Germans were lucky enough to find a boat - ideal for crossing the Gniloi Tikitsch River to safety.  However, how would they move it?  Well, as luck would have it, the next thing they found was a pane wagon.  The boat was loaded onto the wagon and off they went.  

Fire was opened at long range.  Both sides took early casualties but it was the Soviet forces that first started to lose Force Morale.  In particular they seemed to have a talent for having leaders wounded.

One of Gary's Soviet squads passes a German supply glider

John's Soviet platoon passes through the farm and continues
towards the Germans

When I judged that the Germans needed a little more stiff opposition, I gave Richard Phillips a sniper and a ski-mounted scout squad.  These came on at a new Soviet jump off point, in a farmhouse behind the advancing Germans.

The scouts deploy

The game continued with both of the original Soviet commanders advancing towards the enemy.  They might have been better stopping in cover and awaiting the Germans who would have to come through anyway.

Gary's platoon collapsed first and I, in the role of Soviet battalion commander was forces to release to him a second platoon and support in the form of a T-26 tank.  This didn't last long - the thin armour had little to stop a Panzerschreck rocket.

On the Soviet right, John's platoon fight on but they were eventually routed following a short, sharp close assault launched by Simon.

By about four thirty on Saturday it was obvious that the Germans would fight their way off the table, even against the fresh Soviet platoon.  We had the option to pay the German assault on Hill 309 the following day but as several of our players couldn't be there we decided to switch to another game for Sunday (of which more anon).  

The game ran a little slowly at times as we all wrestled with unfamiliar rules. Most of the players seemed to enjoy it though and several of them agreed that they'd like to play Chain of Command again.

Thanks are due to all of the players and in particular to Will for the terrific terrain.