Patton's Dream

At long last, the weather permitted me to get to the Saturday games group. Rob decided to spend the day with friends so I was on my own. I joined Andy, Kevin, and Martin for a game we'd been planning for a long time. Derek and Bear joined us for a while until they realised that they had a previous engagement with Battletech at another table.
The scenario was one for an alternate 1948 where the Soviets faced NATO including the remnants of Nazi Germany, the US, Canada, France, and Great Britain. It was really an excuse for Martin to get out his Panzer-Disney toys - the stuff on the drawing board and the proving ground that never made it into production. The West was heavily outnumbered but was dug in - sort of. There were also two twists in the plot. First, a convoy of vehicles carrying special scientific equipment had to get through, although the two vehicles containing the graduate students were expendable. Second, a group of jeeps and a civilian car carrying General "Buck" Turgedson's mistress needed to get off the board. The scenario allowed for certain things to happen once those groups got off the board. We were using Iron Ivan's "Disposable Heroes" rules with no infantry and ignoring the "target acquisition" rule for expediency.
The Soviets attacked with T-10s, JS-IIIs, KV-5s, T-44s, T-54s, and an incredible amout of T-34/85s. Defending were German tanks like the Maus, the E-100 with twin squeeze-bore 88s, and a bunch of Jagdpanzers from the drawing boards, all with huge cannon. The US was represented by 2 M35 Taylor heavy tanks and 2 M106 heavy tanks. The French contributed 2 AMX-13s, and the Canadians entered later with Centurion Vs and IIIs.

Andy and Derek set up the Soviets while take "the pause that refreshes."

Some of Martin's German stuff - A Löwe, the E-100, and the Maus

The American M103s and M35s. The French AMX-13s are just on the edge of the photo.

Paper houses - inexpensive and always worthwhile!

From later in the game - Kevin's Cossack charge of the T-34's

I decided to key on getting the special stuff off the board. The mistress caravan of 4 jeeps and a Mercedes-Benz limo moved very quickly and got off the board triggering the arrival of 2 A20 attack bombers, which did a little damage. The slower scientific convoy had to make way for them and for the arrival of the Royal Canadian Dragoons and their Centurions later on.

The scientific convoy of two half-tracks crammed with grad students and a Raupenschlepper Ost full of science stuff.
(A favoured quote from MST3K - "Turn up the Flash Gordon noise and bring in more science stuff!")

The mistress convoy at high speed.

Eek! KV-5's!

JS-IIIs disguised as JS-II's (Models I traded to Andy for something, I don't remember what.)

Since my tanks were dug in, I didn't take many casualties early in the game. Since my dice rolling was absolutely wretched, I didn't deal many casualties either. It was truly sad. If I hadn't been in a "hull-down" position, I'd have been cut to ribbons early on. With all the 120mm, 86mm, 88mm, and 100mm guns firing, it could have been messy. When the Centurions arrived with their 20 pounders... well, it didn't help.

JS-IIIs... I thought these were great models.

The Tiger III and the Löwe brew up.

The scientific convoy make way for the Canadian Centurions. The lead tank is a Centurion V but Martin had to use a German Leopard II model. The others are Centurion IIIs.

The Maus brewed up real good!

An overview of the board late in the game.  The T-34s are approaching into knife fight range. My tank destroyers are being destroyed - light armour, heavy gun, you know the tune. The E-100 couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. The AMXs proved more valuable than I expected, even if they were armoured with tin foil.

In the end, I got the two convoys off the board, but I lost the town. Kevin got some T-34s into the town and my inability to hit anything made the outcome a given. Even the minefields were ineffective. No use whining; it was a fun game none-the-less.

Urrah! Urrah! Urrah! De Cossaquibus!
Kevin's horde roars in as more wait to enter.

JS-IIIs negotiate the small woods and the little wall. That a T-10 burning on the far left. I discovered later that the T-10 was to be called the JS-IV, but Stalin died and fell out of favour, so the designation had to be changed,

Geez-Louize! Dere are a lot o' dem tanks out dere, heyna?

Martin's Centurions - I was impressed and still am. I like the Leopard too, but I've always liked the Leopard.

Kevin drives his tanks "into my eyes." The tactic worked. The two closest tanks passed the US heavies shortly after this was taken. The German "Emil" tank destroyers have taken it on the chin, as you can see.

Later that evening, I relaxed in the family room with my rat-pulettes - my daughter's rats.
Spryte in white and Gizmo in black watched some TV with me and peed on my sweater which my wife interpreted to mean they like me so much, they've claimed me as their own. (I think they were just full of pee.)