A Hot Day in January 12, 1943

T-34s on the move!

Editor Notes

The report that follows was made by my friend MS one of the members of the Last Man Club. He and another member do a WW2 game about 2x per month. This was their latest. The scale is 1\72nd.

The pictures below are captioned numbered to correspond with the text.  (BR)

The Battle Report

It was a hot day because it is January 12, 1943 and there is no snow and the trees are green.

The game was based on the Squad Leader Scenario #14, “The Paw Of The Tiger”.

After reading about the actual event a few modifications were made.


--The Pzkw 4’s was removed from the game and the three Germans squads  were really part of the Flemish Legion.

--The two Tigers were commanded by,  Lt. Meyer ( KIA Oct. 9, 1943 ) and Sgt 1st Class Bolter.

--The only change for the Russians was the addition of 11 inf squads, who started the game riding the tanks.

The Victory Conditions for the Russians, was to get, one of the following off of the western edge of the table by turn 10 ;   3 tanks, 2 tanks with 2 full squads of inf. or 1 tank and 3 full squads of inf.

The map is divided into a 1 square foot grid, the table being 5’ x 10’.  The numbers indicate the location of the pictures taken during the game. The area of the Flemish 37mm and the hill, grid 6-2 through 10-2 is rough ground with reduced movement and better cover for inf.



The Russian tanks were divided into five 3 tank platoons and the Kv’s into two 2 tank platoons. The Axis marked their positions on the map, restricted to the western three feet from the edge of the table.The Russians entered the table in two columns on the two roads on the eastern edge of the table.  The northern column was six T 34 C’s followed by two Kv 1’s. ( Pic.#2 ) 

 The southern Column was nine T 34’s followed by the other two Kv 1’s.   (Pic #1&3 )   

Lt Meyer’s Tiger, #314, fired the first round of the game, taking out the lead T 34 of the southern column, at a range of 1,000 meters. ( Pic. #5 )

Lt. Meyer continued to fire on the southern column and took out another two T 34’s at 1,000 meter range.  Bolter’s Tiger’s, view was obstructed an did not shoot. ( Tiger #6 )

Taking the road as far west as they could the Russians began to deploy online.  (Pic #9 & 17 ) 

Meyer’s Tiger fired a few shots as the northern Russian column deployed but the majority  of the Tigers fire was concentrated against the southern column as they advanced on the Flemish trenches.

The Axis deployed a 37mm ATG in grid 7-1 thinking the rough ground would slow the Russians. ( Pic # 10, 11 & 16 )  The T 34’s had little problem negotiating the rough ground and took advantage of the gap in the defenses.  The 37mm fired several shots, hitting but not stopping the T 34’s, and was crushed by one of them.

On the southern sector, one T 34 managed to reach the trenches before being destroyed.  Bolter’s Tiger, #6 was hit in the tracks and immobilized.   When the T 34’s raced passed the 37mm and up the hill Meyer’s Tiger reacted a little late and could not stop them from exiting the table and giving the Russians a victory.   Two Tanks and Two Full Squads of Inf.  Meyer did stop the two Kv 1’s as they were too slow to keep up with the T 34’s.  The gap was closed. ( Pic #22, 23 &24 )

The Russians lost 17 tanks destroyed and many infantry killed.
The Flemish lost three inf. and a 37mm ATG and crew.
One Tiger with track damage and both with many new dents.
Yes it was one sided but not unrealistic for a game.
Meyer and Bolter and others had many battles like this one.
But in this game, as in real, the Russians won.

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