SU-152s Up Close and Personal – A Crossfire Battle Report 4

Chris Harrod and I played my SU-152s Up Close and Personal scenario.

Summary: Good game. Forced us both to make explicit tactical choices. I got a Soviet victory before the German reinforcements arrived.


Set up

Notice something Stalingrad-y about my 3′ x 2′ city? Chris spotted it the moment he walked through the door … the Barmaley Fountain features on table (first seen in Crossfiregrad). I’m pretty sure Tarnopol did not in fact have a copy of the Barmaley Fountain, but I needed a centre piece for the square and this feature is the only centre piece I have. One day, if I get keen, I might make a more generic statue like the one that featured in Mark Bretherton’s SU-152 battle report.

SU152-457 Table
SU152-457 Table

My SU-152 scenario has close affinities to my original 2 Foot City. Okay, it is a 3′ x 2′ city, but you can see the similarity. These, and all my scenarios like this, are based on an urban grid, i.e. a grid in which my 3″ x 3″ building sectors sit in regular rows.

SU152-455 4 x 3 urban grid
SU152-455 4 x 3 urban grid

As a reminder, the objectives are 12 building sectors towards the German edge of the table. The six sectors of the Railway Station to the east of the railway line and all six building sectors to the west of the railway line.

SU152-456 Objectives
SU152-456 Objectives

The Germans had a rifle company with some supports. They also had some fortifications: three anti-tank barricades, a minefield, and three bunkers. Chris also had a Stuka – which would feature quite a lot in the game. The Stug III and extra rifle platoon are there as potential reinforcements – a counter attack force of veterans. The game basically played out with Chris trying to delay the Soviets until his reinforcements arrived.

SU152-450 German Force
SU152-450 German Force

When Chris saw the two forces laid out on the table he thought the odds were stacked in favour of the Germans. The forces look the same size and the Germans have the benefit of being hidden. But looks can be deceiving. From the beginning of the game the Soviets have an extra squad per platoon, the sapper platoon, and, of course, two SU-152s. (Sadly the Tupolev bomber never saw action.) I was pretty sure I could have a good try at the objectives.

SU152-449 Soviet Force
SU152-449 Soviet Force

The Game

Chris placed his three tank barricades well. He blocked road directly into the square and the road to the south. He also blocked the road directly out of the square towards the Railway station. This left the southern approach to the Railway station open. What I didn’t know is that this was deliberate and Chris has a surprise in store for me.

0600 Hours

My Soviet troops came onto the table across the entire edge despite my plan to attack in the north. I didn’t want Chris to know my intentions.

SU152-458 Soviets flood onto the table
SU152-458 Soviets flood onto the table

I brought my SU-152s on two different roads so it was not clear to Chris where I was going to focus my attack.

SU152-460 SU-152s arrive
SU152-460 SU-152s arrive

I started the attack in the south. Really this was to pin any Germans facing these troops, i.e. prevent Chris moving them to face the real attack. I had to commit enough troops to make the threat convincing although I had no intention to push the attack on this side of the table.

SU152-461 Soviet infantry infiltrate forward in the south
SU152-461 Soviet infantry infiltrate forward in the south

The main thrust began in exactly the same way, infiltrating through the buildings.

SU152-462 Soviets infantry infiltrate forward in the north
SU152-462 Soviets infantry infiltrate forward in the north

Unfortunately, my troops quickly came within sight of German spotters. The mortar rounds started to fall and my troops in the south hunkered down under the barrage.

SU152-463 German shells start to fall
SU152-463 German shells start to fall
SU152-464 German mortars pound advancing Soviets
SU152-464 German mortars pound advancing Soviets

We were using Clock Ticks which is a variation on the Moving Clock. The game was meant to start at 0600 hours but I set the game clock wrong and we delayed the battle to start at 0800 hours. With Clock Ticks the clock advances 1d6 x 3 minutes at the end of each German initiative. For example on a roll of 2 on 1d6 then 2 x 3 = 6 minutes passes on the clock. Because the clock changes every German initiative you’ll see a lot of photos of the game clock.

0606 Hours

0608 Hours

Some successful Recon by Fire and I uncovered a German squad. Soviet fire power destroyed it quickly.

SU152-467 Soviets find and kill a German squad
SU152-467 Soviets find and kill a German squad

0615 Hours

SU152-470 Soviets open up the advance
SU152-470 Soviets open up the advance
SU152-471 SU-152 opens up on the barricade
SU152-471 SU-152 opens up on the barricade

0630 Hours

0636 Hours

SU152-474 German stuka arrives
SU152-474 German stuka arrives
SU152-477 Bombs drop wide of Soviets
SU152-477 Bombs drop wide of Soviets
SU152-478 Stuka comes back
SU152-478 Stuka comes back
SU152-479 Germans pull back
SU152-479 Germans pull back
SU152-480 Stuka flies over again

0645 Hours

SU152-482 More hits on the barricade
SU152-482 More hits on the barricade
SU152-483 Stuka strafing hurts
SU152-483 Stuka strafing hurts
SU152-484 Germans pull back

0651 Hours

SU152-486 Ineffective Stuka fly over
SU152-486 Ineffective Stuka fly over

0710 Hours

SU152-488 Those Soviets just don't want to rally
SU152-488 Those Soviets just don’t want to rally
SU152-489 Ineffective Stuka fly over

0715 Hours

0721 Hours

SU152-493 Ineffective Stuka fly over
SU152-493 Ineffective Stuka fly over
SU152-494 Soviets cross railway line
SU152-494 Soviets cross railway line
SU152-495 Soviet prepare to assault Railway Station

0735 Hours

SU152-497 Panzerfaust scores
SU152-497 Panzerfaust scores

0753 Hours

SU152-499 Soviet sappers enter station
SU152-499 Soviet sappers enter station
SU152-401 Sappers capture half the station
SU152-401 Sappers capture half the station

Conclusions and observations

We enjoyed the game. It both had to make tactical choices that had a real impact. I got a Soviet victory in the end and before the German reinforcements arrived.

Chris liked the Clock Ticks as it gives a continual sense of time moving on. Personally I prefer the normal Moving Clock as it is less faff during a game.

3 thoughts on “SU-152s Up Close and Personal – A Crossfire Battle Report 4”

  1. Nice! After I finally finish constructing the Crossfiregrad scenario, I’ll have plenty of buildings useful for this scenario as well. I like that it doesn’t require a lot of room. I have most of the models required as well (well, ISU-122/152 instead of SU, but it should work anyway).

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