First Run with the East Germans

On Saturday I took my Team Yankee 45pt East German list for a run at the club, against Che's Dutch. With my Gaskins still winging their way over from the UK, I swapped them out for two Gophers, who weren't needed anyway as Che didn't bring any air support.

T-72M Tank Battalion - Volksarmee

Battalion HQ - 1 x T-72M

T-72M Company - 4 x T-72M

T-72M Company - 4 x T-72M

BMP1 Motor Rifle Company - Minimum size plus AGS-17 and SA-14 Gremlin

BRDM-2 Scout Platoon - 4 x BRDM-2

SA-13 Gopher Platoon - 2 x SA-13 Gopher

Spandrel Platoon - 3 x Spandrel

Hind Helicopter Company - 2 x Hind

Che's list was based around a YPR-765 platoon backed up by PRATs, PRTLs, Stingers, M113 C&V, and a pair of Leopard 2s. We rolled up No Retreat, with the Dutch defending a village.

The table viewed from the East German end

Che put his Leopard 2s, PRTLs and M113 C&V units in reserve, with his PRATs in Ambush. The infantry held the front objective in the village, with his HQ sitting on the rear objective and the Stingers lurking at the back.

I pushed my infantry through the middle, with one T-72 company on each flank. The PRATs popped out of ambush on my left, but completely missed with their first round of shooting. The Leopards arrived from reserve, and made up for it by killing two T-72s, again on the left.

Turn 2, I decided that I needed to commit the Hinds before the PRTLs arrived from reserve and made air operations impossible.  They made it through the Stingers and bailed out one Leopard, forcing the platoon to run. They then pushed their luck too far and were shot down trying to strafe the PRATs, but for the second time in two games the sacrifice of a unit of Hinds had brought about a huge return by taking out a platoon of Leopard 2s. Meanwhile, the infantry cleared the Dutch pickets out of the first line of houses, and prepared to push on through the rest of the platoon to the objective. Everything appeared to be going according to plan.

Turn 3 saw the PRTLs arrive, who demonstrated how big a threat they are by killing a T-72 with flank shots. The East German infantry set up for another assault, hoping to push on rapidly while the defenders were still pinned, but were driven off by defensive fire. The next turn was huge, as the PRTLs killed yet another T-72 breaking the platoon on the right, the PRATs finished off the last T-72 on the left, while the Dutch infantry rallied and counter-attacked, clearing my infantry out of the village. By the start of turn 5, the East Germans had no offensive capability remaining, having been reduced to the Battalion HQ, Spandrels and Gophers. We called the game at this point as I wouldn't be in a position to be within 8" of an objective by the end of Turn 6 to keep the game going.

The game turned quickly. I was well-placed at the end of Turn 2, had the table position I wanted, had drawn out the Dutch TOW ambush away from my main attack, and through some good fortune had eliminated the Leopards. But the Dutch infantry proved to be tougher than expected, and I possibly should have taken an extra turn or two to set up properly to reduce them before throwing in another assault.

A few thoughts from the game:

• The game confirmed that 45pts plays really well on a 6x4. The model density was good, and we were finished in about 90 minutes.
• 45pts is a very difficult size for 3rd Generation MBTs. They're still scary, but in two-tank platoons  they are incredibly fragile.
• The minimum-sized motor rifles aren't a great assault force, only having four teams with Assault 5+, and everyone else sitting at Assault 6.
• The PRTLs taking out T-72s from the flank was a nasty shock, and they deserved greater respect than I afforded them.
• I really need to take more photos during my games.

The game also served as an opportunity to use some minefield templates that I had made the night before. CDs are the perfect size, so I covered a couple of spare CD-Rs with basing material to match my army, and the hole in the centre covered by the official token.

In other news, the Czechs are now up on Forces, and my list above comes to 38pts. The gain of 7pts through the reduction in motivation stats would be enough for an observer and three DANAs, or a couple more T-72Ms. I am tempted to remain with the East German stats, however, as Rally/Remount 5+ units are going to be so much more difficult to use. More to ponder over the next few days before the lists needs to be locked in.