Winter - War - A rough day for my "Brute Squad" scenario #8

 

My 2^nd Winter War Campaign

Rules: Nuts! By TwoHourWargames (28mm WWII skirmish) – with a few personal touches here and there

The Mission Card Deck will be used for everything but friendly reinforcements

Note: Inappropriate capitalization in the middle of a sentence refers to rules mechanics. They, along with other abbreviations and more campaign background can be found Here

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 Brute Squad). The Kauhu and his squad are attached to Kapteeni Kaarna’s infantry task force. In order to keep the scenarios fresh and not too repetitive, the squad transfers between fronts in a way that is somewhat unrealistic.

1st Scenario: Patrol: Soviet Victory

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

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

4th Scenario: Patrol – Finnish victory

5th Scenario: Finnish Attack – Soviet Victory

6th Scenario: Choc & Cigs – A dangerous mission – Finnish victory

7th Scenario: Defense of the Kollaa River – Finnish victory

 

Date: January 10^th, 1940 – Near Summa in the Karelian Isthmus

Weather: Night, Clear skies, freezing cold with Moderate snow on ground

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

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

Historical Background:

To avoid spoilers, this will be posted at the end

The Mission:

  The Kauhu is ordered to take his squad on a night patrol and see what intelligence he can discover from an abandoned T-28 in No-Man’s Land. If he thinks the tank can be recovered easily, he should send a runner back to report. If it cannot, he is to see that it is completely destroyed before he leaves.

Kantola’s half platoon (one 10-man rifle squad and one 7-man LMG squad) have been placed on alert and is manning the trenches in case there is a need. But they will not assist the Kauhu on his patrol as they have explicit orders to remain in their positions. The Kauhu will have to scout and clear the woods behind the tank, in order to make sure they can conduct a proper investigation without being disturbed.

 When contact is made with the T-28, it will be checked for Possible Enemy Forces (like entering a building)

Situation at start

Turn 1: Soviets do not activate

 The Kauhu’s squad moves up

The Kauhu and the Brute Squad clear the wire and anti-tank rocks in front of the Defensive Positions

Turn 2: Finnish initiative

  Hearing something to his right, The Kauhu turns his squad to face the threat.

Facing the enemy

PEF3 is determined to be mines, triggered by Jääkäri Kirsi, who is killed; three others Duck Back.

Turn 3: Soviet Initiative

  PEF move forward. The Kauhu decides he needs to keep his squad together, so will wait for the “Duck Backs” to Recover and catch up.

Turn 4: Soviet initiative

 PEF2 is identified as 1^st squad, 1^st platoon (1/1) – 14 men with an LMG; Finns fire first. Three Soviets are killed (Two by Korpi, one by Aks [Alikersantti - corporal] Pylkäs) and four are wounded (By The Kauhu, Kemppaala, Suominen and Taikuri); Jääkäri Lång is wounded by return fire. The 1/1 Ducks Back into the darkness.

Having not progressed very far, the wounded Lång is able to return to friendly lines on his own.

Turn 5: Finnish initiative

Start of turn 5

  The Kauhu sends Pylkäs, Suominen and Kemppaala in pursuit of the Soviet 1/1. They Fast Move to catch up, but must have been careless as the Soviets Fire first. Fortunately, Soviet fire is ineffective. Pylkäs wounds a rifleman with Active Fire.

 The Kauhu, Korpi and Taikuri prepare to meet approaching PEF1, which is found to be a MMG in a defensive position. Finnish SMG fire wounds one Soviet and causes the rest of the MMG team to Leave the Battlefield.

Discovering a Maxim mediun machinegun nest

Survivors of the 1/1 do not Recover.

Turn 6: PEF4 in sector #4; Soviets fail to activate

  The Kauhu waits for his Duck Backs to catch up. Pylkäs searches for loot and finds a ring.

Turn 7: Soviet initiative and reinforcements. (The Mission Deck declared that the reinforcements were to be “Mines.” Given the nature of the scenario, I decided it would appear in sector 1,2 or 3; but would not be revealed which one until it is entered by friendly forces, using a similar system resolving a PEF).

Korpi identifies PEF4 as loot: booze; Kemppaala rejoins Pylkäs; The Kauhu has reached the T-28. Checking the area, there are no enemy troops nearby.

Turn 8: Finnish initiative

  Pylkäs’ team contacts the remnants of 1/1 again. Kemppaala scores the hit and the survivors Leave the Battlefield.

Pylkäs and company defeat the last of the 1/1

 The Kauhu’s group enters sector #2, where a mine is triggered; Taikuri was thought to be killed, but he’s Hard as Nails and only wounded, Niska is also wounded. Korpi is Lucky to escape with a light wound.

Turn 9: Finnish initiative

  The Kauhu clears sector 2; Korpi assists the wounded Niska * Taikuri back to the cover of the T-28. Pylkäs searches for more loot and finds a small cache of food.

No Soviet forces on the board, but the mission isn’t complete yet.

Turn 10: Soviet initiative and reinforcements: An MMG team with two extra men in a Defensive Position.

Pylkäs team discovers anothe machinegun nest

 While The Kauhu moves off alone towards sector #1, Aks Pylkäs and his team advance and engage the Soviet MMG team. Pylkäs wounds the gunner with his SMG, and subsequently the assistant gunner with Active Fire. Kemppaala misses his target and is wounded by return fire. Suominen misses his target and is forced to Duck Back.

Turn 11: Neither side activates

Turn 12: Soviet initiative

  The Soviet gun crew reorganizes and gets the MMG up again, but cannot fire just yet

  Aks Pylkäs fires a burst from his SMG, forcing the crew to Duck Back in their Defensive Positions and follows it up with a charge. When Pylkäs wounds the gunner, the other Leave the Battlefield.

Pylkäs takes on the nest by himself

 Meanwhile, The Kauhu has cleared sector #1

Turn 13: No Soviet forces on board, but mission not complete yet

 Pylkäs checks for loot. He finds a motorcycle, which given the circumstances he permanently disables and leaves it be. The Kauhu heads back to the T-28 and Suominen helps the wounded Kemppaala back to the T-28.

Turn 14: PEF5 in Sector #4 (only sector not yet secured); Finnish initiative

 Aks Pylkäs has cleared sector #3. With all three sectors cleared, The Kauhu is now free to examine the T-28 more closely (when he gets there). The PEF doesn’t move.

Turn 15: Soviet initiative – but do not move

start of Turn 15

Korpi examines the tank and finds a camera and some chocolate. Further investigation reveals a hidden payroll – enough for a full armored battalion!

With two wounded in tow and only four healthy bodies, not to mention a fortune to be guarded, The Kauhu fires a flare indicating he needs help for extraction.

Turn 16: Finnish initiative and reinforcements:  the Kemi Independent squad (K.Er.R); a 7-man squad with an LMG.

 The Kauhu waits under cover of the T-28, where he is soon joined by Pylkas, with Suominen and the wounded Kemppaala.

Turn 17: PEF6 in sector #4, plus Finnish initiative and reinforcements: 

Lt Takala’s 10-man Sissi squad arrives

  The Kauhu waits under cover of the tank for the rescue squads.

The two PEFs move forward. PEF5 is just rumors. PEF6 is determined to be a 14-man LMG squad (2/1). The Finns fire first.

Soviet 2nd sqd of 1st platoon arrives

  Finnish fire causes some casualties, with The Kauhu taking out the LMG team; Korpi and Pylkãs score hits as well. Knowing his riflemen are outgunned by the three Finnish SMGs (Kauhu, Korpi and Pylkäs) under cover, the Soviet squad leader leads his men in a charge hoping numbers will tell.

  Pylkäs stops two riflemen on the way in with his SMG and kills the one who makes contact. Two riflemen charge the Kauhu, he wounds one and stops the other with fire. Korpi goes nuts in hand-to-hand killing all three of his adversaries.  Unfortunately, Jääkäri Suominen is killed by the Soviet squad leader and a rifleman. However, after doing so the Soviets surrender to Korpi.

Turn 18: Soviet Initiative

 The three survivors of the failed attack (the ones repelled by fire) stay in Duck Back.

 The Kemi Er.R. eliminates the last survivors of the 2/1.

Turn 19: Finnish Initiative

  

Lt Takala’s Sissi squad has made contact with the Kauhu, ending the scenario.

End:

 A Pyrrhic victory for the Finns. The Brute Squad has suffered many casualties.  

Brute Squad casualty report

Historical Background:

  On the night of December 19-20, 1939, during the Battle of Summa on the Karelian Isthmus (Mannerheim Line), the Finns noticed an abandoned T-28. They sent out a night patrol to investigate. They captured a prisoner, the sole crewman who refused to abandon the tank (fearing he would be executed if he returned without it). They also discovered the mail and payroll of the entire battalion. Ever after, the Finns called the T-28 the “Postivaunu” (The mail train). One author speculates the prisoner might have been the commissar of the 91^st tank battalion who was reported missing on December 17^th.

 

Next Up: Finnish attack