A 6mm I Ain't Been Shot Mum game played at GigabItes Cafe in July 2022.

It has been quite a while since I did a winter game and the temp outside in GA felt like 100 degrees, so time for a cold looking table.

This was just a quickie scenario setup that wasn't based on a specific historical battle, but was inspired by the German actions to relieve Budapest in early 1945. I also wanted to get my Tiger IIs on the board.

NW of Budapest

German entry edge

The Germans were tasked with getting their units off the far edge. They had a strong mobile force of 4 grenadier section and 4 MMG sections mounted in Sdkfz 251s, a Sdkfz 251/17 with a 20mm KwK38, a dismounted platoon of 3 sections that could ride on 4 StuG IVs and 3 Tiger IIs. The Tigers also had a +2 ace and the Stugs a +1 ace. Rob played the Germans and he had aa chance to get more Tigers but they failed to show. This bad dice roll was the first of his many bad die rolls.

Heavy metal in the lead

Rob split his units with the Tigers and HTs going along the road on the left to avoid the (-2"/dice) movement penalty for the Tigers. The Stugs and tank riders went down the center of the open field.

For the entire game, Rob was to have incredibly bad movement dice rolls.

More pics of Tigers

These were actually the very first GHQ models I bought over 40 years ago. They were the original molds and lacked much of the detail the newer models now have. I decided to repaint them in a messy whitewash and add some bits to hide their basic shape. So I took plenty of pics for sentimental reasons.

Stug IVs

Also early models-in fact I can't even remember who made them.

There are grenadiers riding on these across the open

And they discover the minefield

In keeping with Rob's dismal dice rolling ability, they managed to have 1 vehicle destroyed along with most of the riders, and the other Stug immobilized. Rob hit 2 out of 2 chances to take out his vehicles. An immobilized Stug is pretty useless.

Right turn

At this point John decides to start firing with his units.

He had a company of 6 sections, 2 MMG sections, 3 ATR teams and 5 76mm ATGs. All of which could be dug in.

On his left along the farmstead he place 2 ATGs, a platoon, an an ATR.

Left side Russkies

The ATGs flanked the farm buildings and the ATR was on the far left

HTs attempt to take the lead

But bad movement rolls prevented them from getting too far.

Bogged down in the open

Rob's tank riders were taking many more casualties than they were giving (Have I mentioned his terrible rolls?), and the Stugs weren't doing much better against the ATGs.

Soviet Forlorn Hope

In this house John had placed a MMG team and an ATR. Their effectiveness against the Tigers was nil. For IABSM game purposes the Tigers have a armor rating of 14 while the ATRs have a Strike value of 3-which would be fine against the HTs but pretty useless against Tiger skin.

Russian main line

John had his main Pak front here in front of the village on the hill.

3 more 76mm ATGs and 4 more sections.

His back line was the 2 remaining MMGs and and ATR.

Slow advance

Rob's road bound movement was atrociously slow.

Meanwhile on the right

Rob sent the Sdkfz/17 over to help and it also did nothing as the grenadiers were worn down to combat ineffectiveness.

The ATGs on the hill also started to fire at the flanks of the Stugs.

Brave defense

Rob prepares to attack the Russian forlorn hope as the tanks try to outflank the Pak front

Soviet tanks arrive

John's mobile reserves were a group of 10 T34/85s. At this stage of the campaign that is probably a battalion's worth. They would deploy on the 5th draw of the 'Time" card, which came not a moment too late for the Russians. The first T34 was hit almost immediately.

First house taken

It wasn't much of a contest, but the Tigers were not taking out the Paks quick enough.

The Outflanking-ing

As much as Rob wanted to hustle across the table he was continuedly thwarted by his movement dice. Now he had some tanks to confront and his +2 ace (in the rear of the trio) was having trouble maneuvering to get shots.

Getting into the trenches

The grenadiers came in from the right of the defenses and were starting to roll up the dug in Russians.

Russians looking hard pressed here

But John managed to keep his casualties down with some decent dice rolling--especially compared to Rob.

StuGs destroyed

John sent 1 group of 3 T34s to go after the StuG IVs which the easily took out with flank shots.

T34s in the center

With only the Tiger IIs to worry about, and the right group of Germans destroyed, John was able to start to maneuver and confront the big panzers from front and flank.

Looks like a battle shaping up in the village

Both remaining StuGs burning

They both too.k catastrophic hits

2 more T34s lost in the village

John was able to use the cover of the buildings to avoid the Tigers most of the time but when Rob's tanks fired they generally took out a T34.

Exploding T-34

The very first immobilized T-34 took additional damage and exploded.

Fleeing Sdkfz 251/17 hit

And as usual Rob's movement dice were not enough to save this HT.

Overview of the village

Game end positions

At this point we called it. I suspect that the majority of T34s would be taken out and Rob could roll up the trenches, but he definitely failed to exit the table.

The final toll was 2 76mm ATGs wiped out, 1 ATR gone, only 11 Russian infantry KIA and 3 T34s destroyed or abandoned.

But the Germans had 19 casualties among the tank riding plus their platoon CO, all 4 StuG IVs destroyed, the Sdkfz 251/17 destroyed, 10 grenadiers from the HTs KIA along with 1 platoon CO.

All in all, it was a bloody game for the Germans.

Mark Luther