Odessa

 This game was the second of three played in a week, on Weds 10th June June 2009. Chris and I were playing the Soviets and Dave N was playing the Romanians. Most of the Soviet kit was painted by Chris. The Romanians were a mix from mine and Dave's collections

The Soviet 287th and 384th Infantry Regiments in their start positions. Historically the 384th was unlikely to have had any naval troops but they were a feature of the fighting around Odessa and Chris had some newly painted so this seemed like an ideal time to use them.

Terror tanks on the road to Perselenet. The Soviet command divided the tank battalion in two. Half the Soviet tanks to punched forward into the ranks of the shaken Romanians; the other half, shown here, were directly under the divisional commander to guard the northern flank of the advance. This pair are from Ostmodels and were pretty much my only contribution to the Soviet forces

The other half of the tank battalion deployed forward. SHQ T-26 M1937 and SHS Terror Tank

Divizion Tunuri, Regimentul 1 Artilerie Grăniceri (or the 1st Artillery Regiment) drawn up in its defensive positions before Perselenet

384th Infantry Regiment moves forward

I Batalion Infanterie, Regimentul 10 Infanterie in their defensive positions

17th Cavalry move cautiously west through the wood.

Shaken remnants of the I Batalion Grăniceri, Regimentul 5 Grăniceri (1/5th Frontier Guards) before Lenital

Much to the jubilation of the Romanian commander the FFAR arrived turn one. The Messerschmitt tried to strafe the infantry column but was shot down by the DshK AA MG . Matchbox Bf-109E

The Romanian PZL-23A did no better, missing its intended target and bombing the Romanian 37mm AT gun instead. An ignominious start for the Romanian Airforce.

PZL-23A from the front. Model by Heller/Smer

The Soviets also got air support and were a bit luckier than the FARR. Having said that the attacks didn't inflict any telling damage. MBR-2 of the Black Sea Fleet

Not much luckier though. I-16 strafes its own side

The 284th advances on Lenintal past the burning wreck of a Terror Tank. However Soviet fire has forced the crew of the 37mm away from their gun. They were never successfully able to crew the gun again.

Terror Tanks advance cautiously towards Perselent. Their main task was to deter counter attacks

1st Battalion 384th take Lenintal, however the I Batalion Infanterie, Regimentul 10 Infanterie were determined to take it back again

Reinforcements. 47mm of  Pluton Antitanc, Regimentul 10 Infanterie moves past a shaken MG to confront the T-26 approaching Lenital. They are soon to discover that attacking with AT guns is a tricky proposition.

III Batalion Grăniceri arrive in the north to be confronted by the Terror Tanks. Given the Romanians had no AT guns on this flank things were looking bleak for the infantry.

Reinforcements from Regimentul 10 Infanterie attack from the south to cut the road, but take heavy casualties while doing so

The battle for Lenintal

III Batalion Grăniceri bravely charge the tanks to try and close assault them. Soviet MG fire cuts them down in droves and the tanks emerge unscathed

At this point Dave realised his objectives were impossible to attain and conceded victory to the Soviets. To be fair Dave had some lamentable dice rolls, but in hindsight the Romanians have a tough job in this scenario.

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