Kesseburg

This game was played so long ago I can't exactly recall the date, September I think. It was played in my conservatory. Ian and I played the Brits; Dave C and Chris played the Soviets. Most of the Soviets were from Chris's collection but both Dave and I supplied some bits. Most of the Brits are mine but Ian helped out.

The Centurions of A Coy 3rd RTR in their starting positions on the northern flank of the British position. Two Cromwell Centurion MK I's closest and a Mk II converted from the Airfix Mk 8 in the distance

A Humber Scout (Milicast) of C Coy Royal Dragoons awaits the Soviets

Dragoons on the southern flank. Milicast Staghound, SHQ Humber (by Ian) and a Gesbirs Alecto 95mm

Right at the front of the British position a pair of Daimlers (Hasegawa) of the Dragoons guard the autobahn

British defences north of Kesseburg. S&S 40mm Bofors SP, Matchbox 17pdr and SHQ Recce Stuart masquerading as a Stuart Tractor

120th Field battery at Rotenbek. SHQ guns and tractors by Ian

British brigade commander and the brigade HQ defence platoon. Cromwell Dorchester, Grubby Tanks Dodge

2nd Battalion the Wiltshires defend the autobahn were it enters the forest (FY on the map). They adopted an all round defence after intelligence about Soviet infiltration through the woods

British infantry of the  1st Bttn Royal Berks deploy to the east of  Kesseburg

Looking south west from the British front line

IS-4 (Cromwell) and ISU-152-1 (Pegasus with a PST barrel) move up to confront the Centurions

The lead elements of the 11th Guards Recce Battalion confront the Dragoons. Amazingly the Daimlers managed to take out a T-34, however they both paid the ultimate price

Mortars and AA supporting the 11th Guards Recce. Alby Gaz-67, Britannia Gaz-AA and UM ZSU-37

The VVS puts in an early appearance, a PE-2 (Painted by Chris) bombs the Centurions

The bombing was ineffectual, as was the British AA

In return an RAF Tempest bombs the Soviet armour, his aim was distracted by the ZSU-37

The T-44's (Cromwell) support in the 1st Battalion 67th Infantry Regiment move off parallel to the Autobahn. The Soviet plan was to push most of their force straight down the road with the IS-4 and ISU-152 keeping pressure on the northern flank to deter the Brits from deploying forces south.

Soviet Yak-15 pulls up after staffing a 17pdr

A Centurion of A Coy moves to flank the advance of the T-44's

The carrier platoon of  the Wiltshires tries to delay the Soviet onslaught, with predictable results. (The T-44's were pained one each by myself, Chris and Dave)

In the north a remaining Centurion tries to fend off the IS-4. Unfortunately for the Brits the front of the IS-4 is almost invulnerable to the 17pdr, even firing APDS. The same in not true the other way around; the big 122mm can shred the front of the Centurion. Luckily the range is fairly long and the Centurion is hull down behind the ridge (the stones indicate the ridgeline)

Eventually the Centurion runs from the IS-4.  The picture shows the British lines a couple of hours in to the game, most of the infantry have successfully dug in

A couple of  hours into the battle and the Soviets get a very lucky double 6 on their air support roll, allowing a strike by four planes

The Yak-9 (Alanger) successfully strafes a 17pd defending the Autobahn.

The Yak-9T (ICM painted by Chris) uses the 45mm in the nose with devastating effect on the Brigade commander's Dorchester. Luckily he escapes from the burning wreck

An Il-2 (Eduard) tries for the British artillery but its aim is distracted by the Bofors guarding the gun position

The Centurions did not like being under air attack and fell back behind Kesseburg shaken

Half an hour after the VVS "surge" the RAF have their revenge with their own "double 6". A Typhoon and Tempest bomb the Soviets on the autobahn

A Vampire flies CAP over the shaken Cents. otherwise they would have inevitably been the target for the Il-2 that arrived at the same time

A Meteor (painted by Chris) defends the 120th Field Artillery

The Il-2, deprived by the British CAP of juicier targets, makes a rocket attack on the Wiltshire's mortar but has little effect

Soviet traffic jam along the autobahn. The victims of the RAF burn in the background

Things look bad for the British. As the Centurions' morale has failed and the other 17pdr has succumbed to a strafing run, the Brits have almost no AT weapons left bar the infantry's PIAT's. As the Soviet advance is mainly to the south the British commander orders the re-deployment of the remaining 17pdr.

IS-4 pushes forward to Kesseburg

ISU-152-1 moves to guard the flank of the main advance

The Soviet advance continues. Frontline Studebaker and ZiS-42.

Special Detachment 20th Guards Sapper-Miner Brigade moves from the south to support the T-44's

Soviets take the crossroads (X on the map)

Soviet follow-on forces. Alby BA-64

Finally, with only a couple of turns left, the brigade commander rallies the Centurions

The T-44's move beyond the crossroads and approach the Wiltshires' positions

The Soviet follow on forces swing north to take Kesseburg

Centurions counterattack into the rear of the T-44's. Fortunately for the Soviets the hedge obscures most of them from the Brit's. One of the T-44's gets a lucky hit and nails the only visible Centurion. which in return fails to hit a thing.

Ignoring the Centurions the T-44's support the Special Detachment in clearing the woods of the Wiltshires

Last turn  of the game the Centurions move to re-take the crossroads, pulverising the lone BA-64 (Alby) tasked with holding it

The Soviets struggle valiantly to prise the Berkshire Bttn out of Kesseburg, but they have left their move too late

The Soviets managed to clear the road through the Autobahn, but the British counter attack re-took the crossroads. the Soviet attack on Kesseburg was launched too late and they didn't have the time or fire-power to remove the brits from the town. So the British won and blunted the Soviet steamroller

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