One hour...

OK, it is tad more than one hour since I lasted posted here, and I shall offer no excuses. Well, idleness, work, middle-aged bollocks, more work, family, idleness - you may well know the sort of thing. However, I have, occasionally, done something in the toy soldier realm.

A few weeks ago, my main (well, only) war game opponent and I played one of Neil Thomas's 'One Hour' scenarios, using his rules. We went for Scenario 15, 'Fortified Defence', and set it in late 1944/early 1945 on the Ost Front. The situation is: 'The red army is expecting an attack from a much larger blue force. The red general has accordingly prepared a fortified position for his troops'. Each side has six units, but the attacking force can totally re-fit at any stage in the game - yikes!

Kick-off.  Col. Front took the defence.  Following a 6 sided die throw, my force consisted of 2 x 75mm A/T guns, manned by Luftwaffe Field Division (LwFD) gunners, a mortar team, two LwFD infantry units, and a unit of Russian ost truppen.   The Soviet general (bottom of the table below) kicked-off with one tank unit, one mortar unit, and four infantry units.

Initial moves.  The Jerries dug in in the two built up areas, with an infantry unit in the woodlands to the right, below.  Each fortified hamlet contained an A/T gun, while the long-ranging mortar was ensconced behind the far buildings. The Reds launched an all-out assault on the nearest built-up area, as both had to be held at the end of 15 turns for victory.

Mixing it.  The Soviets gave the defenders of the first hamlet a tough time, eventually driving out the remaining infantry unit. But there was a cost, with the defenders destroying an infantry unit and inflicting hit points on almost all other units:

Armour loss. Attempting the second stage of the Soviet assault, the attackers came under sustained mortar and A/T fire, and heavy flanking fire from the woodlands. The Reds' armour was destroyed:

and the general infantry assault began to falter.  Being dug in, or well concealed in the woodlands, really added to Col. Front's battle group's strength.

But.... the Bolsheviks re-fitted. All Soviet units came off the board (apart from the burning T34 - I'd found the cotton wool by then), and re-emerged, re-invigorated, and fielding a whacking great
SU-100 assault gun.

It was touch and go for Front's men, with the LwFD gunners, mortar team, and Russian hiwis fighting like little metal men possessed.  

The Reds threw the flanking Germans out of the woods, and surged on...

But, the dug-in heroes fought on in...  Eventually knocking out even the might SU-100.

A VICTORY.  But the Reds will be back,

Neil Thomas's rules do what they say on the tin - good, easy to play, and fun.