Bolt Action - Game Report 15

Top Secret – Operation Asset Strip Phase I Feb 1945

Introduction

Reading the Entoyment Bolt Action Facebook group on Tuesday I noted that Josh was seeking a game. His wife wanted him out of the house while he she was decorating – what a wife! I jumped at the opportunity to get the Soviets on the table. On a random roll the first battle was Scenario 5 – Top Secret.

Situation

The end-game is approaching. All allies saw the opportunity to asset strip Germany of its technological resources. In Eastern Germany the NKVD had learnt of a secret airfield where highly advanced technology was being developed. An operation was planned to recover this before it was destroyed or fell into the Western Allies hands.

Enemy Forces

Early intelligence reports failed to predict the size of forces the Germans would be able to throw together to defend the airfield and the technology. After action reports from prisoner interrogation was that Hauptmann Josh Holz (aka Wood) had assembled a strong force of infantry with automatic weapons with mortar support. He had also obtained a highly experimental mobile anti-aircraft weapon system, the like of which we had not seen before; the Flakpanzer Coelian.

Friendly Forces

Junior Lieutenant Boris Magovich commanding 2nd Pl, 4th Coy, 1075 Rifle Regt was given command of the operation to recover the equipment. He had three sections of his own platoon, one of which was drawn from the regimental reserves and very inexperienced. He had artillery support from an observer and a ZIS-3 from the regimental gun battery, a sniper and three anti tank teams. He was also provided with scouts from the scout company and a T34-76 and tank riders to provide desant capabilities.

Mission

2Pl is to secure the equipment package and return it safely to our own lines.

Battle Report

There was a great deal of confusion because the operation was put together in such haste. Many of the troops lost their way and were late to arrive for the operation. However, the T34 with its tank riders on board advanced rapidly, flanked by the stream, to the windmill. This placed the tank riders within spitting distance of the package. In support one of the platoon’s infantry sections were moving up in support. On the right the green infantry section also found its way to the battle, even if the artillery observer with his map and radio got lost on the way!

The tank riders ran forward to seize the package, and 2 of the 7 men managed to survive the hail of German machine gun fire. These Heroes of the Soviet Union then seized the initiative and their opportunity to run for their life with the package to the rear. The T34 and the infantry section led by Junior Lieutenant Boris provided excellent support to cover the tank riders retreat. On the right the reserve infantry section were seriously mauled and pinned down by the Flakpanzer.

At this stage the Germans were getting desperate to recover the package. They recklessly pushed their troops forward to stop the tank riders leaving with the swag!

Fortunately, the late arrival of the other infantry section and the scout team managed to see off this vain attempt to stop the tank riders that came from the German right flank. As the tank riders were leaving the battlefield, the Flakpanzer’s engine was heard to rev up and start to advance in attempt to mow down the tank riders. The targeting system was thrown awry and instead of engaging the Soviet troops the Flakpanzer engaged its own forces in a terrible blue-on-blue disaster.

Outcome

A victory for the Soviet forces.