Zyzmory

This game was played 9th Sept at Chez Chris, Dave and I were the Germans, I had the on table stuff and Dave had all the reinforcements. Chris and Ian played the Soviets with Chris getting the "formal" forces and Ian playing the random infiltrators. Every one contributed models. Most of the Germans were mine, most of the Soviets came from Chris's collection. The eclectic German truck convoy came from the collections of Dave & Ian

3 Batterie 76 Panzer Artillerie Regt at Staneva (Milicast Hummel and SHQ Maulitier)

1 Kompanie 114 Panzer Grenadier Regt lined up to head out of Zyzmory (mostly Cromwell SdKfz-251)

2 Kp 114 panzer Grenadier Regt were left to defend Zyzmory (mostly Skytrex SdKfz-251, though the /16 is SHQ)

75th Motorcycle Regiment moves west, avoiding the defenders of Zyzmory. Milicast Valentine, Moonlite Modelwerks "generic" staff car and Airfix carriers

1 Kp 114 PzG Regt moves west escorting the first of the German trucks

The Polish Home Army ambush the first German truck at Kertauninkai

After destroying the truck the Poles turn to face the onslaught of the German Panzergrenadiers.

First of the German trucks make it to safety

75th MC Battalion continues west, heading for the bridge at Silenai

25th Tank Brigade deploys, covering the main road to the north. However they are quite some distance away. Great for shelling trucks but not so great for plinking Panthers. Fujimi & SHQ T-34's, Moonlite trucks and Alby BA-64

The SdKfz-250/9 (Grubby tanks) takes a few hopeful pot-shots at the Valentine, then runs away.

75th M/C Reach the bridge, under direct fire from the Hummel

The heavy artillery takes it toll

German Ambulance moves up past Zyzmory. The Soviets claimed it was falsely marked and carrying ammunition

First of the GD panthers arrive, the 25th Tank Brigade showers their flanks with long distance shots (repainted Altaya die-casts)

Fire from elements of the 62nd Rifle Division forces the ambulance off the road. 2 Kp 114 Panzerjäger Abt responds by starting a counter attack

The fire from the 25th Tank Brigade forces back one of the Panthers. The other turns to face it tormentors

Stab of the I Abt GD Pz Regt arrives and moves to order the forced back Panther back into the fray

The battle of Kertaunikai, partisans and the 62nd Rifle Division cooperate in order to try and oust the 1Kp 114 Pz Gr Regt

More trucks run the gauntlet of possible partisan ambushes

1 Kompanie and 2 Kp GD arrive on the scene

1st Guards Motorcycle Battalion arrives and pushes to the west

75th Motorcycle Battalion enters Silenai

The vultures of death circle over one of the Soviet stands

Time is starting to get a little tight for the Germans so the Panthers start their retreat to the West past the burning remains of the ambulance. This move was supposed to be accompanied by 2 Kp 114 PzGr Rgt but they went pinned in Zyzmory

The 31st Tank Brigade enters the fay and moves to outflank Zyzmory to the north. SHQ & Fujimi T-34/85, SHQ M10, Moonlite Car and US Casts Gaz Pick-up.

The PaK-40 at Zyzmory attempts to limber however long range fire from the 25th tank Brigade would destroy the tractor. SHQ SdKfz-11

Panthers close on a rather unfortunate enclave of Soviet infantry

A luck shot from the SdKfz-250/9 kills the Valentine. The Soviet infantry respond by attempting a close assault, a rather forlorn gesture as it turned out

1 Kp 114 PzGr Regt chases the last enemy stands out of  Kertauninkai towards the waiting German pioneer.

31st Tank Bde continues to push west straining to catch up with the fleeing Panthers

25th Tank Brigade starts to move west, aiming to get a tank off the west end of the battlefield

31st Tank Brigade catch up with the Panthers only to find them waiting

The result of the battle is very one sided

Un-pinned 2 Kp 114 PzGr retreat towards the setting sun

Germans charge backwards, eager to ensure they meet the deadline for exiting the battlefield, they can not afford any more delays

Parking the PzBeobWg-III in Staneva was a mistake. The ambush by the partisans proved particularly effective

Whilst the T-34 heads west the rest of 25th Tank Brigade swing south to intercept the Germans who are rapidly slipping away

The situation at Staneva gets worse for the Germans. The PzBeobWg commands the Hummel so it is temporarily without an order to run way

Encounter at Cegelne, the Panther's HQ dispatches the final T-34. However the attack was enough to unnerve the panzer which failed its morale and went shaken, preventing its timely exit off table.

The aftermath of the retreat, wrecks and abandoned trucks dot the landscape

This was an excellent game of manoeuvre in which timing was everything. Nearly everything German  escaped to the west; however the victory conditions are rather stringent. In total the Germans scored 42 points which means the game was a hard fought draw. If the Soviets could have destroyed another pair of halftracks victory could have been theirs

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