Sissukoni 2000
Sissukoni Perkele 2000
This is a short AAR on the second year of Finnish tournament. The tournament is held at the Parola Armor Museum outside Helsinki, and the playing is taking place in LOS of a rather impressive AFV and AT gun collection, inlcluding most of the AFV's used in Finland during WWII and an armored train!
Leaving on the Thursday it started with that the airplane had to turn back to unload all passengers after a "technical problem" had been
discovered and everybody where booked on a later plane. This was *before* takeoff
Paired off with the winner from last year, Kimmo Kyllönen, we deselected each others favourites for this one (having played neither I had selected The Brandenburger Bridge). The dice gave me the russians which I setup mainly in the village with two outlying positions, a LMG on my left and the ATR on the rigth. Kimmo entered right up to each with say 60% on my left. My ATR hit the HT with the German 9-2, a squad + LMG, but only immobilized it. LMG hit a HT twice but no effect there either. In my turn nothing particular happened, my ATR position had sucumbed on turn one so I kept the MMG squad in LOS of the 9-2 HT to have a shot at him as he unloads. This also happens in the German turn but no effect again. Kimmo tries to drive the better armed HT around the village when of the Russian defenders jump screaming out of a house and destroys it in Street combat. Ah, first result. The German AFV's arrange themselves in the village and around it, waiting for the three T-34 that are comming on board. I place two in defending position and one with a LOS two the PzIV who has a malfed MA. The russian MMG squad gets pinned as it falls back. Thereafter the Panzers proceed to eliminate all the T-34 at a pace of one per turn. Kimmo used his chances very well and the russians had to surrender in a rather bad shape. 0 - 1
Early saturday morning (0800) I get to meet Andreas Hinz, my German - Swedish ASL exchange counterpart. He won our game in last years tournament so I wanted to revenge myself this time. We selected this and rolled for sides. I won and got the italians. I don't know the name for pizzas-made-from-dogs in Italian but this seems to be a sadly barking scenario. The italians win by eliminating some 95% of the first wave, or by keeping one GO gun, or 10FP's worth with a LOS to the road. All three US entry hexes are in LOS of the Italian setup, but I had missed that and setup to cower an entry along the *whole* board edge. Three guns went into the back of the board (on lvl 3 and two two hexes in front of it), the fourth in the woods on the Italian left. On the center hill a 228/ATR (20L; ROF 2) and a squad with MMG defended with the HMG/squad slightly behind and to the left of them. These stacks all got a leader each. The other units were sprinkled around here and there. Andreas entered straight on and lost 16CVP on the first turn. The 100 mm Gun got one ROF, the ATR ROF twice. The two 75* HT's were both Shocked. In his turn Andreas tries to drive the remaining AFV around, but lands in LOS of the gubn in the woods which rolls a CH with HEAT and sends him onward to wherever KIA'ed AFV's go. I get two more snake eyes on MC's, one which causes a Surrender and the other a Berserk. The italians now have 21CVP and the US reinforcements arrive and when the dust settles 10 more CVP's have been earned, and the final ones are earned even before the Italian Air Support arrives. Afterwards when we discuss the slaughter Andreas points out the entry limits to me. ("Lesson: read the whole scenario card".). The whole Italian setup can be done with the aim of hitting those hexes and frankly, we couldn't find a way for the US to survive that. The best they can hope for is hope that one of the early kills produce a burning wreck, so there is some cower before they run for the protection of the Cliff. It will be intresting to Read the article in J2 on it. 1 - 1
This was the PTO round. Rolling for sides I got to defend as the Amis and Petri Vuorela got the IJAs. I put the 9-2 with a squad and HMG in middle behind the water obstacle to cower the main path, the Kunai area to left was cowered by a squad / MMG. In between were two HS to stop any attempts to encircle around the 9-2 and to cower his fall back if required. One LtMtr went into the forward interior woods to operate with a Spotter (Note: all US forces use HIP per SSR), the other on the top of the hill on the left flank. Petri attacked straight up the middle path, encountered the 9-2 stack with the leading HS which was eliminated. The situation looked good so I decided to stay put another turn before falling back. The IJA were not intrested in approaching the 9-2 and tried to go around, to be bounced byck by the HS. Finally some got into the open in front of the 668/MMG and were KIA'ed as well. The IJA attack stalled for a turn, but then the US had to fall back. The 9-2 stack went all the way back over the ford into the jungle, whereas the 668/MMG would have to go over the stream. IJA pressed on and nothing happened. Some more HS's were lost to the 9-2 and HMG, and one LtMtr managed to wound one of the IJA leaders fatally. The 9-2 brok to a 2+1 attack. Then of course the IJA were crawling all over the place and making their way over the stream. Still most US forces managed to get back in order, the 9-2 rallied. A US HS went fanatic and created a hero, which immediately died in CC. The IJA pushed forward and had most of the hexes required, but a counterattack managed to take back two of the hexes (even though the 9-2 broke again to a 4+0 attack or so). When IJA pushed for as many hexes possible they exceeded the max CVP. This is a scenario I'd like to try again. 2 - 1
After a healthy dose of sauna and some stuffing it was time for some early war action with Antti Westerlund. This is like a blown up version of the old Backblast scenario Surrender or Die, but now with germans defending against the invading britts. Rolling for sides gave me Germans. The most intresting piece to place is the 37L AT and one obvious choice is the board edge woods hex in the front on the right side. It would give sides shoots any tanks trying to go to the village. Drawback is the "obviousity" of it. Other hexes include some buildings and woods on the left, saving the gun for the midgame. I put it in the obvious place with a squad and LMG on the rear Lvl 1 in the centre building and a squad behind the forward Wall to cower any attacks on it by infantry. In the front hex of that building a HS with an ATR went, and a HS in the woods on the far left. The rest were spread out in the village. Antti moved all AFV's up the middle, aiming the MkIVC against the AT gun hex. He run up some squads adjacent to my "?" HS in the woods, which did some decent DFF, breaking 1.5 squads. In my def the HS fired his ATR at the leading MkIVC through rain and all, just to hit and kill it! The british AFPh did no harm, and the british 9-1 routed with the broken squad while his other two MMC went in to CC my lone HS. The German HS got an Ambush and left to follow the routing MMC / 9-1. My little prep did nothing and the only move was an AM to surround the 9-1 & broken squad in their border edge. I move all my Panzers into the middle of the village, trying an ESB for an optimum placement two hexes closer to the front, but immobs one PzIIF. The other two line up after it, not trying the same stunt... The HS survided all DFPh (which was considerate). In the RtPh the british squad is eliminated for failure to rout (leaving a Br ATR in the hex). The HS advances in to the now lone 9-1 for some CC. Or so I thought! Now it is Antii's turn to Ambush me and the 9-1 withdraws in his turn! Anyway the HS picks up the ATR in the RPh. In the turn following the HS survives some Prep fire. The british now moves all his AFV's into the German positions. After the first one is fired on by the 37L with no effect two squads attempts to move up adjacent hexes of it, but are both broken by the defenders. A british AFV OVR's the forward squad, with an amazing FP of 24! These must be most murderous OVR AFV's there are. My 468 takes it with a pin result. Another AFV is parked PBF to the AT 37L and the others enter my right flank of the village. However, one of the becomes Immobilized in LOS of my Im PzIIF. On my left flank he can move through the woods relatively undisturbed. There he also surrounds my forward HS and kills it. My defensive fire does little to harm his AFV's. Comes my turn and the my ATR springs into life again, and kills its second AFV. The 37L, having survived unscathed so far eliminates the AFV point blank at it and Antii fails the personal task check and surrenders. This is a neat little scenario we had a great play. 3 - 1 now and Tuomo tells me I get to play Kimmo next morning again, this time for the all the marbles.
Having played this one once before I must say I like it a lot; ranking it after Hill 253.5 in the cathegory one board heavy metal. Rolling for sides I got the attacking Germans this time and Kimmo got the Russians. It pits German 548's with Stug's and later King Tigers versus 628's with a 57LL AT and reinforcing JS-2m's. The biggest of the biggest. Kimmo spread his forces eaually on the two board 41 hills, with one rear ?(2) which can be suspected of being the 628/MMG (it was). I attack up the middle aiming to run around his left (from my point of view) flank and eliminate those being there. This works nicely, and taking a small chance the 8-1, 548/MMG gets around the hill and takes up residence in the stone building there. The only drawback is a broken squad and the sniper taking out the other leader. I press on and Kimmo falls back two hexes over the whole line. His right flank is defended by two squads, one with a LMG. How easy that is to say. Two squads. Should be noted that these are squads "from hell" as it turns out. As my King Tigers enter I need to break them and move on to get good positions before his JS-IIm's come on board. Taking a small chance again I see my first King Tiger falling prey to the 628 / LMG whom takes his PAATC and immobs it in street fighting. It is adjacent so I still get to attack the 628.
Next King Tiger stops one hex away, also to to pay back to the same 628. The other 628 on that flank receives attention of the StuH 42, and adjacent ?(548) and the reinforcing 8-1, 149/DC, and two 548's as backup. The 628 attacks the adjacent ?(548), causing a MC which the 548 uses to generate a HoB and and a new Hero arrives! The hero and 548 advances to the 628 for some CC. They ambush him, but the attck DR has no effect. But the 628 rolls to kill both. In his turn both the 628's try to make it back over street having to survive quite a few attacks, including a 6-2, but all to no avail. The Russians pull back orderly and undamaged. The 57LL appears and kills a StuG. The left flank has evolved into a stalemate where the defenders refuse to budge as well. In the following turn a 548 place Smoke next to the offending 628, and the reinforcing here enters with a DC. The 629 ably defends himself, wounding the hero so it could not place the DC. In the AFPh it Throws the DC, the result of is some MC which pins the 628 and a K result for the hero, eliminating it as the wounds are to heavy. I push on on the right flank, but actually gets pushed *back* on my left. The King Tigers have broken the 57LL crew, but there is to little left to deal with the three JS-IIm and Kimmo can place it very safely up to the point where he kills the remaining King Tiger. Over and out. A solid game by Kimmo. 3 - 2
Many thanks Tuomo Lukkari and Eero Vihersaari for an excellent tournament! I'll be there next year as well.