Battlegroup Kursk - Intro scenario (again and again) No 2 for the day

This is the second time we played the BGK Introduction Scenario in the same day down at the club. We swapped sides and the whole game took less than two hours.  I was the Germans and Andy the Russians.  First game in the morning is here.  The Russians lost for the third time with us playing this scenario.  Admittedly all three times the Russians were coming from the same table edge, so maybe there is a pattern there (maybe not!).
  
Andy and I have had a couple of conversations since this day.  Especially after Andy re-read the rules.   There are a few rules we are not playing quite right (limbering/unlimbering being one of them), and rules we are not taking advantage of as much as we could (reserve actions for one).  I think we were both suffering the "advance until fired on then stop and fire back" syndrome.  With playing the rules just a bit better, we both believe there is a better game in there.  We shall have to wait until our next game to see.

The Game
Just to recap forces, he introductory scenario is quite small (Squad level) on a 6'x4' table with a platoon each and a few infantry support units on each side.  The game starts with 2 armoured cars on board for the Germans, and a sniper team, T-70 and BA-10 for the Russians.  The rest of the units dribble on over the next few turns (1d6 per turn) and on turn 4 reinforcements turn up - a T-34/76  for the Russians, a Panzer IVG for the Germans.

Ther German Sdkfz 250/9 standing in as a Sdkfz 222

The Sdkfz 250//8 guarding the crossroads but moves across to the wheatfields on the left in the next turn.

The Russians come over the hill using the Ura rule to allow them all to move at once.

Another bunch of Russians coming through the woods

The BA-10 takes on the Sdkfz 250/9 and wins.  The clash of the armoured cars!

More Russians hiding in the woods.  OK, they were advancing a fair way up the centre of the board and into a good position.

T34 comes on in turn 4 and advances straight up the road and past the armoured car (see in the background).  The Germans in the house (roof does not lift off so the Germans at the back of the house are indicating that they are really in the house.

The PAK Anti-tank gun.  No pictures of it in any of the games and in both games it has been at the back of table quietly plugging away and doing the odd bit of damage here and there.

The BA-10 is taken out too.  The Russians have got no further in the woods but further than any Russians ever got in any of the games.

All that is left of the Russians on the hill is the Command unit (the other two squads routed).   They continued to busily call in 81mm mortar fire accurately for many turns.  But for very little effect.  Better that when I was the Russians and never got a decent communications roll.

The 4th Russian squad braves the open terrain on their left flank.  The sniper team in the distance is  pinned (and was for most of the game).

What the game looked like, from the German side after the Russians had lost :-)  But the Germans had taken a share of losses too.

 

 

 

A good game and the rules get better each time.  Next time hopefully even better as we continue to grasp the subtitles in the rules.