This was a 6mm IABSM Caucasus 42 game played at GigaBites Cafe in October 2021.

I had been wanting to get my 6mm Soviet Naval troops on the table for awhile so this scenario was designed around that thought. The game was based on the fighting in north Caucasus in August 1942. The Germans were closing in on the port of Novorossiysk from the north and the Soviets had set up blocking positions before Verkhnebakanskiy. This represents the 83rd Naval Infantry Brigade's fallback spot. They were facing the 125th Inf Div with some StuGs and armored cars.

Soviet Players plan their defense

View from the rocky, wooded east flank

This area was impassable to vehicles so the Soviets could concentrate their defenses in the village. The Germans had to enter from the roads on the right (north).

William and Sean had a large company of Naval troops: three platoons with four sections each, three MMG sections, two ATRs, and a company HQ section with two light mortars. They could be deployed anywhere 20" or so from the north edge. Four T-26s from the 126th Separate Tank Battalion were in reserve.

William had 2 of the platoons and the support weapons which could be dug in. Sean had the 3rd platoon and the 4 T26s in the back. He could start moving after the 3rd 'Time' card.

The Naval troops had few heavy weapons.

Recce arrives

John and I were the Germans. He had the mobile units which were two groups of one SdKfz 221 and two SdKfz 222s, a mounted platoon of grenadiers in Krupp trucks and a later arriving battery of StuG III (short).

The main infantry unit was a company of three platoons with three sections, and two MMG sections. They came in later, after the appearance of 5 'Time' cards.

All entered on the road from the north.

Naval troops entrenched behind an orchard

Not much they can do against the armored cars but the ATRs and MMG can and they do open up from their sites in the village.

Nice to see some color besides drab on the table.

Dismounting grenadiers

The platoon of Germans in the Krupp trucks hop out to deal with the dug in naval troops. Initial fire took out several grenadiers.

222s drive away a section

They concentrated on the nearest section and racked some hits quickly even though they were dug in behind cover.

John tried to close in on them and had a rude shock as they forced one of his sections to bottle it back to the trucks.

Machine gun taking on the armored cars

It failed to do any damage at point blank range. The ATR there also crapped out.

The T-26s appear

They do KO a SdKfz 222 before heading to the left flank.

Another MG opens up from the village

Sean's reserve platoon moving up under the Blind at the top. The Russian tank crews are rated green except for the commander, who has three rather than two Actions per activation. Still more than a match for the armored cars.

Russian tanks moving to the west to block the main road

And engage StuGs that are taking out the MMG and ATR next to it.

StuGs engage the troops in town

So far the MMG and ATR are the only Russians spotted by the armored cars.

T-26s vs StuGs

Both units move through the village to face each other. One StuG was hit and lost some mobility but two of the Soviet tank crews were forced to bail out.

The other platoon of Naval troops opens fire

They are dug in along the road and do some damage to my recently arrived German infantry.

John's mounted platoon forced the troops behind the orchard to fall back but suffered 14 (out of 24) casualties before they occupied the entrenchments.

Sean's platoon caught in crossfire

John's platoon occupying the entrenchments behind the orchard, a SdKfz 222, and a MMG team all team up on the Russians moving up the road. They are suppressed and eager to move back. The crew of the lead SdKfz 222 bailed out after getting hit by a T-26.

Action in the village

My MMGs moved up to deploy behind a fence on my left and my 1st platoon is getting engaged by a MMG and the Naval troops dug in along the road

John's men using the Russian trenches

William pulled back his right side platoon to a farmhouse and kept John from moving up any further.

The Blinds in the orchard are my 2nd Platoon moving up.

Armored cars moving around the west edge of the village

Burning T-26 in the background. The StuGs won that contest.

Clearing the way

Sean's platoon pulled back after suffering around 25% casualties.

My platoon leader also went down here.

End positions

After I launched a close assault on the entrenched Soviets and won, the Russians felt they had done what they could. Our recce infantry had moved over to the right flank and the armored cars were in a position to blast the retreating troops.

Three of their T-26s were abandoned. They also lost their company CO and one of their platoon leaders. Total Russian casualties were 34 of 96 infantry. Both ATR were lost along with two of the MMG teams.

The Germans lost one SdKfz 222 and had a StuG damaged. The mounted infantry lost 14 of 24 and my ground pounders lost 18 of 72 including a platoon CO.

A costly victory for the Germans.

Mark Luther