2nd Winter War Campaign - 2nd scenario: Defend the village

 

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.

Note: A more complete background for the campaign, as well as a description of the various abreviations I use in the write-up can be found Here

1st Scenario: Patrol: Russian Victory

2nd Scenario: Defending the approach to the village

Date: December 11, 1939, somewhere in Finnish Karelia

Weather: Clear skies, moderate snow on ground

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

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

Scenario Background:

  As the Soviet advance pushes forward, Task Force Kaarna has been given the assignment to protect an obscure Karelian village (off map behind sector #7) long enough for the inhabitants to evacuate. Kapteeni Kaarna has determined that Kantola’s squad and the Irregulars need time to recover, so they will be assisting the villagers while Vänrikki Koskela’s half-platoon provides security. Koskela’s group has dug in behind a small (frozen) river along the road to the village. The Kauhu’s squad will provide flank security for Koskela. Vänrikki Kariluoto’s squad will be available as reinforcements.

  Terrain was generated randomly using the chart in the Compendium

 

Situatrion at Start

Turn 1:  Neither side can activate

Koskela's defensive position

Turn 2: Finnish initiative and reinforcements: Lt Lamio and Vrk Kariluoto’s 10-man squad.

Lt Lamio arrives

The Finns are content to stay in their defensive positions and await developments.

PEF1 moves forward through the woods, avoiding the open areas.

PEF2 moves forward and is spotted by Krs Hietanen and is identified as 1^st squad/1^st platoon (1/1), a full 14-man squad with an attached MMG. Hietanen wins the IST and fires first. Unfortunately for the Finns, the stone bridge blocks the line-of-sight of Vrk Koskela and the rest of the squad. Only Hietanen (rifle), Honkajoki (anti-tank rifle) and Ukkola and Sihvonen (rifles) can fire.

PEF1 is identified

  Honkajoki is able to hit one of the machinegunners but cannot damage the MMG. (sidenote: Did Honkajkoi just commit a war crime, by using an ATR against a person?)

Sihvonen and Ukkola wound a couple of riflemen.

  During the active phase, a Soviet rifleman drops his weapon and joins the MMG team, as one of the assistant gunners mans the weapon. Soviet Active Fire wounds Ukkola and causes Hietanen and Honkajoki to Drop Back under the cover of their defensive position.

  Korpi, in his usual advance scout position, determines that PEF3 is only rumors.

Turn 3: Soviets do not activate

Lt Lamio and Kariluoto’s group move up slowly. Vrk Koskela keeps his squad in their positions. Hietanen and Honkjoki Recover.

Turn 4: Soviet initiative

 The Soviet 1/1 sergeant elects to stay and direct the MMG while the two corporals advance with the rest of the squad. The 1/1 then advances into the line-of-sight of Rahikainen’s LMG team. Rahikainen’s fire kills the 1Cpl and forces three riflemen to Drop Back. The 2Cpl keeps what’s left of his men (LMG and two riflemen) moving, opening a firing lane for his MMG.

Soviet corporals leading the advance

  Soviet Active Fire from the MMG kills Rahikainen, which causes Hauhia, his assistant to panic and Leave the Battlefield.

  Finnish phase

 Krs Hitanen raises up to throw a grenade at the approaching Soviets. Although he is spotted by a Soviet marksman protecting the MMG, the shot missed and he is able to throw a grenade. The grenade was well placed, killing or wounding the Soviet 2Cpl and both riflemen. The LMG gunner drops his weapon and Leaves the Battlefield.

 The indecisive Lt Lamio does not move, nor does Vrk Koskela. The Kauhu decides he has waited long enough and moves forward to scout for enemies.

Turn 5: Finns do not activate

Turn 5

 The Soviet 1/1 Sgt moves towards the three riflemen who have Dropped Back in an attempt to get them to Recover. Results are mixed: One remains Drop Back, one Hunkers Down and one Leaves the Battlefield. The Soviet MMG team and two riflemen decide it is time to go on the defensive.

  PEF1 changes direction and moves towards The Kauhu (When the Kauhu moved forward, he became the closest enemy).

Turn 6: Soviets do not activate

  Lt Lamio sends Vrk Kariluoto’s squad forward to reinforce Hietanen, while he moves behind the building (to escape the MMG’s line of fire). The Kauhu continues to clear the right flank.

Turn 7: Soviets do not activate

  Kariluoto moves forward to join forces with Krs Hietanen and assumes command of the group.  He is still behind the crest of the defensive position, so out of sight of the Soviet MMG.

  Korpi hears a disturbance in the woods and signals The Kauhu to swing his group around to face the woods.

Korpi hears something

Turn 8: Finnish initiative

  The Kauhu positions his squad to receive whatever PEF1 might deliver. 

The inexperienced Kariluoto sends two men to go after Rahikainen’s abandoned LMG and leads the rest “over the top” to engage the Soviet MMG. The Finns win the IST, but there are casualties on both sides. Pettinen (Kariluot’s LMG gunner) is killed and Honkajoki is wounded; the Soviet 1/1 decides it has had enough and Leaves the Battlefield.

  PEF1 is identified by The Kauhu and is determined to be a small, but powerful squad (2/1 - only nine men, but unusually two LMGs). The Finns win the IST but do little damage, only scoring one wound; unfortunately for the Soviets it is their squad NCO, a victim of Taikuri’s marksmanship. They also force the rest of the squad to Drop Back deeper into the woods.

The Kauhu engages Soviet 2/1

Turn 9: Soviet initiative.

 The Soviet 2/1 1Cpl is only able to Recover 5 of his 8 surviving men.

 Finnish phase. The Kauhu pursues at the double (Fast March), but only Tursas, Taikuri and Korpi can keep up, the others fall behind. All four score hits, wounding both corporals and both LMG Gunners, with the survivors Ducking Back deeper into the woods.

 Kariluoto advances slowly, with the goal of retrieving the abandoned Soviet MMG.

The slow moving Lamio has finally joined Koskela.

 The Kauhu splits his squad, with Yks Tursas, Taikuri and Korpi continuing the pursuit, while he reorganizes his scattered squad and recovers two Soviet LMGs. Tursas and his group continue their Fast Move pursuit and overtaking the Soviets – eliminating the three survivors.

Vrk Kariluoto has recovered the Soviet MMG.

Turn 10: Notes

  At this point there were no Soviet forces on the board. This is a developing pattern for me. The Patrol scenarios end up being long and generally have lots of reinforcements or new PEF. That seldom seems to be the case for attack or defense scenarios for me, which, so far, tend to go much quicker with far fewer new enemy troops. Consequently, I had my troops convert to “Patrol” and finish scouting the board: The Kauhu down the right, Yks Tursas down the center and Vrk Kariluoto down the left.

 I rolled six more turns; the amount of time it would have taken the forces to scout the rest of the board in snow. No new enemy troops arrived. I did roll reinforcements for the Finns.

 Another disturbing development is that so far in this campaign, all the hottest action has been away from my Star squad. Hope that does not continue.

End Result: Finnish victory

Next Mission: Chocolates and Cigarettes - escort

Promotions/Rep Increases: Krp Surma earned a Reputation increase from Rep4 to Rep5

Casualties:

The Kauhu: None

Koskela’s squad: 1 killed, 2 wounded, 1 Left Battlefield

Kariluoto’s squad: 1 killed