2nd Winter War - 4th scenario - Patrol

 

My 2^nd Winter War Campaign

Rules: Nuts! By TwoHourWargames (28mm WWII skirmish)

The Battle Card Deck will be used for everything but friendly reinforcements.

Campaign Background: Follows the exploits of Kersantti (Sgt) Tapio Kalvela, AKA “The Metsän (Forest) Kauhu” (Terror or Horror) or often just “The Kauhu” and his Jääkäri (Jaeger) squad. The Kauhu and his squad are attached to Kapteeni Kaarna’s infantry task force.

1st Scenario: Patrol: Russian Victory

2nd Scenario: Defending the approach to the village: Finnish victory

3rd Scenario: Choc & Cigs – Escort: Finnish victory

This Scenario: Patrol

 

Date: December 21, 1939, somewhere in Finnish Karelia

Weather: Clear skies – snow on ground

Campaign Morale: Soviets (4), Finns (4)

Investment Level: Soviets (4), Finns (3).

Scenario Background:

   No rest for the weary. After his successful rescue of Lt Potila, Kpt Kaarna orders another patrol. This time the mission is to probe the enemy lines and find a suitable spot for a counter attack.

Turn 1:  Finns do not activate but receive reinforcements: Vrk (2Lt) Kantola’s (SMG) half-platoon (Rinta’s team = 6 (rifle) men: 2-man LMG team and 3 rifles; Somppi’s (SMG) team: 6 rifles).

Soviet PEFs advance

Turn 2: Finish initiative

The Kauhu leads his squad on a flanking move
(Ooops - didn't get a photo of start)

The Kauhu’s squad skis off to the right flank (the idea being that the PEFs will separate a bit so they can be taken one at a time). Otherwise, forces from both sides advance without sightings.

Forces from both sides advance without sightings.

Turn 3: New PEF - #4 – Finnish initiative

The Kauhu’s squad continues their fast ski off to the right.

Aks (Cpl) Somppi identifies PEF2 as an 11-man squad (1^st sqd/1^st Pltn or 1/1) with an LMG in a defensive position. Somppi withdraws back into the woods before he is sighted and reports back to Vrk Kontola.

Soviet 1st squad - 1st platoon

Krs (sgt) Rinta advances and identifies PEF #4 is only rumors

Soviet phase

PEF1 turns out to be a sniper. After missing a shot at Korpela (LMG) the sniper disappears.

Turn 4: Finnish initiative

 Vrk Korpela decides to split his force. He sends Krs Rinta and his team off to flank the defensive position while he waits with Somppi’s team to watch the front.

Vrk Korpela splits his force

Soviet phase

A Soviet straffing attack

 PEF3 advances and is spotted by the Kauhu – a straffing attack. Randomizing the target results in an attack on Kantola’s half platoon. It hits with devastating results: Vrk Kantola and Sm (Pvt) P Hakala are killed; Huhtala, M Hakala, Laitila and A Saari are wounded. Both teams hang tough and Carry On – although Somppi’s team has been reduced to three men.

Turn 5: Finnish Initiative

Turn #5

 The Kauhu’s squad dismount from their skis and advance on the left flank of the defensive position.  The Finns fire first, but their fire isn’t particularly effective, although the Kauhu does kill a Soviet corporal while Korpi wounds a rifleman. It does shake the Soviet morale, as several riflemen Drop Back behind their defense works.

During the Soviet phase, the 1/1 Recovers from their Drop Back.

Turn 6: Soviet initiative (but they do not activate) and reinforcements

 

The Soviets receives a 1931 model T-26 (the one with twin MG turrets).

Rules Note: The Soviets rolled a DR6 for activation – which means they do not activate. However, the tank randomly appeared in the left half of section 2 – which gave it a clear line of sight to the Kauhu’s squad. I decided to give them a chance at an IST and the chance of Reaction Fire, but not give them Active Fire.

 Additionally, this is a weird type of tank, as it has two MGs in turrets, and I wasn’t quite sure how to do that. In the end, I decided to treat them as if they were two independent LMG teams with their own LoS.

Back to the narrative:

 The tank fires first and opens up with both LMGs: Taikiri and Kemppaala are both wounded. The Kauhu leads his squad back into the cover of the woods out of the line of fire of the T26.  Suominen and Kirsi able to pull their two wounded comrades back out danger. The Kauhu’s Born Leadership keeps the Cowardly Niiska II from Hunkering Down.

Turn 7: Finnish initiative

  The Kauhu orders Jkr (Jaeger) Niiska to escort the wounded Taikuri and Kemppaala back to friendly lines. The others withdraw deeper into the woods and remount their skis.

Soviet phase

1/1 reorganizes and sends a few men over to their left to guard against another attack on that flank. The T-26 moves forward for support.

Turn 8: New PEF (#5) in sector 5 (basically just behind the defensive position) – Finnish initiative

Krs Rinta advances and spots PEF5 and identifies it as 10-man squad with LMG (2/1)

Rinta withdraws back into the woods before the Soviets can react.

The Kauhu is able to get his squad to Recover their morale

Soviet phase

The 2/1 pursues the withdrawing Rinta. The Finns fire first. The Finns do not cause any casualties, but do force all but three of the Soviets (all riflemen) to Drop Back. Soviet Active Fire only results in two more Soviet Drop Backs. (Note: With no cover within range, the Soviets end up dropping prone in place).

PEF5 advances and is spotted by Aks Somppi – but it turns out to be nothing but Rumors. The T-26 advances and is now just to the left rear of the defensive positions.

Turn 9: Finnish Initiative

 The Kauhu splits up his group. He will go after the tank alone, and then once he has destroyed the tank, Aks Tursas will lead the others (Surma, Korpi, Suominen and Kirsi) in an attack on the defensive position.

Krs Rinta (who’s been in a foul mood ever since Vrk Kantola was killed), decides to take advantage of the situation, leads a charge into the Soviet squad (all are in Drop Back morale, although prone), firing as they charge in (Note: No new IST was called for as they had a LoS to the 2/1 at the beginning of the turn). The Finns cause some casualties, but do not cause enough damage to cause the Soviets to break. Sm Ylinen is wounded.

Krs Rinta charges into the prone 2/1

Soviet Active Fire kills Rinta and wounds Korpela; Sm Alanen and Haapasalo Leave the Battlefield. The wounded Korpela and Ylinen are taken prisoner.

Turn 10: Finnish initiative and reinforcements – The Irregulars half platoon (11-men: 2xSMG, LMG team, ATR team, 5 rifles) under the command of Yks (1Sg) Ukkonen.

The Irregulars arrive

 The Kauhu launches his Close Assault on the flank of the T-26. They see him coming and are able to open fire, but they were caught by surprise, so their fire was ineffective. The Kauhu’s satchel charge does not destroy the tank, but it does disable it. The crew is able to escape and leave the battlefield, despite a burst of fire from The Kauhu’s SMG.

The Kauhu assault the T26

On cue, Aks Tursas leads his team towards the left flank of the defensive position. Unfortunately, the Soviets fire first. After both Reaction and Active Fire is completed, Tursas, Suominen and Kirsi are forced to Drop Back, but Korpi and Surma Carry On. Korpi and Surma cause casualties, forcing the survivors to Drop Back under cover of their defensive position. The Soviet 1/1 is being whittled down, but is still holding their position.

 The Soviet 2/1 does not move, but it does send its prisoners to the rear with one rifleman.

Turn 11:  New PEF(#6) appears to the right of the buildings – Finnish initiative and reinforcements: Aks Rokka’s 6-man team (SMG, LMG team and 3 rifles):

The Kauhu advances towards the rear of the defensive position. During his advance he was spotted by PEF6 – which turned out to be nothing (lucky for The Kauhu – he wasn’t looking that way). The Kauhu fires his SMG into the rear of the defensive position, killing one and wounding another.

Korpi and Surma, supported by the Kauhu take the defensive position

Korpi takes advantage of the chaos of The Kauhu’s attack and presses its own advance. Korpi kills one and wounds another, whereas Surma wounds one as well. The last survivor of the 1/1 Leaves the Battlefield at great speed.

Soviet phase – the 2/1 turns to face the defensive position

Turn 12: Soviet initiative and Reinforcements – Heavy Mortar Support

The mortar barrage falls on The Irregulars, wounding Krs Ketolainen and Sm Salmi.

Soviet 2/1 holds its position and converts to a defensive position.

Korpi and Surma continue their advance and spot the 2/1. Korpi killed one and wounded another and Surma wounded two more. The two Soviet survivors flee and Leave the Battlefield.

Note: There are no Soviet forces on the map; however, the Finns still need to scout sectors #1-3. The only hope for the Soviets is for them to generate a new PEF or receive reinforcements before the Finns can complete their recon patrol.

Turns 13-16: The Finnish forces complete their scout without further ado.

Result: Finnish victory

End Notes: Neither the Irregulars nor Rokka’s team engaged the enemy; The Irregulars did suffer casualties from Heavy Mortars.

Loot: Nothing much. A broken bicycle on the tank (destroyed by The Kauhu’s satchel charge), a little bit of ammo and a med kit.

Casualties:

The Kauhu’s squad: two wounded: Taikuri and Kemppaala (both return)

Kantola’s group: two killed (Kantola and P Hakala), four wounded (Huhtala and M Hakala, Laitila and P Saari) and two wounded and lost as POW (Korpela and Ylinen).

The Irregulars: two wounded (Ketolainen and Salmi)

Rokka’s Group: None

Promotions: None

Next up: The Finns go over to the offense and will attempt to recover the disabled tank.