FoWSA 2013 - After Action

September 7th was our annual 'Flames of War - San Antonio' tournament (code named = FoWSA).  We had 15 players show up including a few nationally rated competitors.  This year I brought the same battalion of Soviet Naval infantry that I used last year with one change.  I dropped one company if Fearless-Conscript infantry and added 3x SU-122 for firepower support (confident-trained).

Here is my list for 2013.

Fearless    Trained	Morskaya Pekhota Batalon Soviet Morskaya FOWSA 2013	Soviet Late-War
Infantry Company

Platoon	Qty	Unit	Points
Headquarters
Morskaya Pekhota Batalon HQ  p.5	2 1	Cmd Rifle team Komissar team	35
Combat Companies
Morskaya Pekhota Company  p.5	1 5 5 1	Cmd Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team SMG team Maksim HMG team	235
Morskaya Pekhota Company  p.5	1 5 5	Cmd Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team SMG team	210
Morskaya Pekhota Company  p.5	1 5 5	Cmd Rifle/MG team Rifle/MG team SMG team	210
Weapons Companies
Morskaya Heavy Mortar Company  p.6	1 4	Cmd Rifle team 120-PM-38 mortar	105
Morskaya Scout Platoon  Fearless  Veteran   p.7	1 4	Cmd SMG team SMG team	165
Corps Support
Tankovy Company  Confident  Trained   p.11	5	T-34/85 obr 1943 with Cupola	410
Assault Gun Company  Confident  Trained   p.13	3	SU-122	130
Company Points:			1500

www.EasyArmy.com

Source document: Black Death - Soviet Naval Infantry PDF

The armies were 1500pts, but the first two rounds involved a 750pt sub-set of our army lists.

Round 1 – vs. Mark Riney  - US Tank Company

I was defending in a battle in which half of my platoons would be held in delayed reserve until turn 3.  This was problematic for me since I had only 3 platoons.  Mark had some Sherman 105’s and almost all armored vehicles of some sorts.  Even the infantry, was mounted on mobile halftracks with .50 cal MG's.  I put out one platoon of mortars to start the game. The terrain included a big river in middle of a 36" x 24" board. He got  on the objective quickly and my mortars could not stop the advance.  By turn 3, the mortars were wiped out and I brought my T-34’s from reserve and made a push to take the objective but did not get it.  It was a tough round for my list to win.

Round 2 --  vs. Chris Lisanti – U.S. Nisei Rifle Company  

The Nisei units are very tough in assaults. They take motivation tests in assaults and bog checks at 2+ and had tons of bazookas. I was expecting my force to be better at assaults than my opponents but this game showed that would not be the case.  This battle included 4 objectives, first army to hold two wins the match. I moved my T-34s to get objective-A on his side of the map. The tanks tried to cross a field (high grass and concealment) but Nisei moved into the high grass and was able to assault my T-34s easily.  I put my mortars on the objective-B on my side of the map. He was almost able to push the mortars off the objective-B but time ran out. On the other side of the map, my platoon pushed through another field toward objective-C.  I was protected against some antitank guns and mortars protecting the objective-C there. Never got to the other side of field in time to hold the objective-C.

Round 3 – vs. Mark Reed – SS Wiking Panzergrenadiers

Mark's army had plenty of 3 Tiger tanks, artillery, martyrs, and some anti aircraft guns.  This would be the first full sized 1500pt battle but another battle where most of my force would be in reserve. I tried to hold objective-A with one rifle platoon dug-in and in the woods for cover. That did force the Tigers to avoid a direct push to the woods and protected the objective. Meanwhile, I had my heavy mortars on a hill in perfect position to bomb anyone headed toward Objective-B. He sent his mobile AA MG’s and Martyrs in column down a road to get objective-B. I tried to stop him with my T-34’s in ambush. I killed one Martyr but his rifle platoons with Panzerfausts jumped my tanks!!  He was successful in bailing out my tank platoon with Panzerfaust fire. After that, he assaulted and my bailed-out tanks could not retreat and were captured.  I brought on more reserves in the next turn.  First out was the extra rifle platoon. Mark had a lot of halftracks with .50 cal MGs on them and in the area of my reserves. They cut the rifle platoon to pieces.  He later rolled up his tanks on my mortars on the hill and assaulted them, pushed them off the hill. The reserve Su-122s got on the board and killed the martyrs.  But did not get to objective-B.  One last attempt to assault the Tanks with the dug in rifles but failed. At that time, I had to make a morale check and failed.

Round  4 vs. Elliot – US Infantry Company w Tank Destroyers.

I was the attacker and we played the 'Pincer' mission. This required me to hold one of two objectives protected by the enemy; any other outcome is a loss. Elliot put his tank destroyers in ambush and delayed reserve. He placed the warrior unit Audie Murphy on objective-B. I used my scouts to infiltrate one of my infantry platoons and lead them to objective-A.  I made a mad dash down one side of the map toward objective-A.  On the opposite side of the map, I made a good push with T-34s and Su-122s toward objective-B. Artillery was brutal as my scouts and rifle platoons moved forward. I was able to destroy Audie Murphy on the objective with the tanks.  But as I closed in on the objective-B, he deployed his reserve M-36s with huge anti-tank guns from the side of the map (hence the title 'pincer').  He destroyed all my T-34s and Su-122s in one turn!!  I couldn’t do anything to win after that. The heavy mortars were effective on the tank destroyers since they have 0 top armor but it was too little too late. In retrospect, I should have used ‘on the double’ with my infantry regardless of the disadvantages.  Time ran out but I was very soundly defeated.

If you live in San Antonio or near and you play Flames of War, please check out my blog at http://fowsa.blogspot.com for all the info about the tournament and other Flames of War games in town.