When Unreliable Bites - 654th vs the Trees

Paul and I got together at Brookhurst Hobbies a few weeks ago. I dusted off the 654th schwere Panzerjaeger Abteilung, while Paul brought an IS-2 Regiment.

Two things you, the reader, should note:

(1) I'm going to start taking notes in the future. By the time I get to editing and uploading the photos from the game, I sometimes forget the place in the action.

(2) I blame the WWPD guys for the dice photos. I am compiling evidence that there are dice gods, despite their denials!! {{j/k guys!}}

(3) This is this blog's 100th post. Thanks for the continued support and visits!

Click below to continue...



In a little known event of the Normandy Campaign, one covered up for political reasons, the 1958th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment was shipped from Archangel to the invasion beaches. The Western Allies, fearing a rumored German super-tank, requested a small number of the new IS-2 tanks. Stalin stalled until after the initial success of Operation Bagration and the 1958th arrived in Normandy in late July.

So it was that the 654th would run into Russian Heavy Tanks on the fields of Normandy.

Force Structures:

The incredible and unreliable 654th...

CiC
Noak in Panther
2x Jagdpanthers
3x StuG G's
Grenadier Platoon (7x R/MG) command with PF
Pioneer Platoon (7x R)
4x 81cm mortars


1958th

HQ IS-2
4x IS-2 w/tankos
4x IS-2 w/tankos
Sapper Company
AA Platoon

Mission: Encounter

I kept the mortars, grenadiers and pioneer platoons in reserve.
Paul follows my heavy metal theme and keeps his Sappers and AA platoon off board.

The Battlefield...


My left flank objective guarded by Noak and 3 StuGs


Paul objective and 2 Jagdpanthers. CiC waiting to be deployed


Other two objectives placed on the far end of the table



CiC playing Free Safety in the center



IS-2's



More IS-2's



First failed bog roll of the evening...



IS-2's move up...



KLANG!!!!! There goes the transmission in attempting to unbog. Rolls a "1" and being Unreliable and with no recovery vehicle in sight, I lose 33% of the firepower on the right flank.



2 out of 3 StuGs bog, moving into the trees



Noak and CiC kill an IS-2 and bail another



Another IS-2 is bailed by the lone Jagdpanther on the right flank



Like the inevitable Red Tide...IS-2's roll on



Roll Tide!



Oh, crap, we failed to unbog, even with Noak



Noak prepares to Tee-up a couple of IS-2's


Noak's roll and the CiC's


The Jagdpanther on the other flank comes up lousy too



Those are supposed to be bog tokens


Jagdpanther on right flank fails a stormtrooper. Paul went to the restroom, so I left the dice atop the vehicle for him to rejoice when he returned



In keeping with the Universal Law of Failed Stormtroopers...he dies the next turn


Grenadiers arrive from reserve



Paul gets his tanks across the river


Looking to do some damage against my left flank



IS-2's shift to the center, looking to side shot Noak and the CiC Jagdpanther



Paul sets up his assault



StuG who can't kill the IS-2 from front, tries for a flank shot



Surviving Jagdpanther tries a shot at another IS-2



Noak knocks out an IS-2



IS-2's charging into the village



IS-2's in their element...assaulting infantry



Results are predictable and bloody. StuGs are captured. Lone StuG sticks around.



Consolidates forward and assaults Noak



Noak backs off. Pioneers arrive from reserves



So do the mortars



Noak kills an IS-2



Then gets bailed. Tankos assault, the bailed Panther, but get driven off by Pioneers. The IS-2 fails morale and Paul loses his only platoon



The end is in sight...Jagdpanther has moments to live...



With nothing to stop the IS-2's, the game is called, 2-5 in favor of Paul


Thanks for the game, Paul.

The StuGs were quite useless in this game versus IS-2's. I think now I could've used them to snipe at infantry and hope to get lucky and remove a few stands.

I just didn't have enough heavy AT assets once I lost the Jagdpanther to an Unreliable role.